Reduced.to vs YOURLS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
YOURLS
Your own URL shortener with stats and plugins
| Feature | Reduced.to | YOURLS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 94 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 705 | ★ 12,243 |
| First released | 2022 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | Bitly |
What are Reduced.to and YOURLS?
Reduced.to
Reduced.to is an open-source URL shortener and link management platform with real-time analytics, QR codes, and password-protected links. It can be fully self-hosted.
- Real-time link analytics
- QR code generation
- Password-protected links
- Modern web UI
YOURLS
YOURLS is a small set of PHP scripts that lets you run your own URL shortening service with click statistics, a plugin system, and a developer API. It is one of the most popular self-hosted shorteners.
- Custom and random short URLs
- Click statistics
- Plugin architecture
- Developer API
Reduced.to vs YOURLS: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Reduced.to's repository is archived and no longer developed, while YOURLS is actively maintained. Reduced.to is written in TypeScript, while YOURLS is built with PHP. YOURLS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Reduced.to. YOURLS is the more established project (first released 2009), while Reduced.to arrived in 2022. YOURLS has the considerably larger community, at 12,243 GitHub stars versus 705.
Why pick each one
Choose Reduced.to if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Choose YOURLS if…
- Mature and stable
- Rich plugin ecosystem
Watch out for
- Dated admin interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Reduced.to or YOURLS better?
YOURLS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Reduced.to if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Reduced.to and YOURLS free and open-source?
Yes. Reduced.to is licensed under MIT and YOURLS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Reduced.to and YOURLS with Docker?
Reduced.to: yes. YOURLS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Reduced.to or YOURLS?
YOURLS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Reduced.to. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.