Shlink vs Slash
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Shlink
The definitive self-hosted URL shortener
VS
Slash
Open-source, self-hosted bookmarks and link shortener
| Feature | Shlink | Slash |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,302 | ★ 3,180 |
| First released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | Bitly, go links |
What are Shlink and Slash?
Shlink
Shlink is a self-hosted URL shortener with a powerful REST API, detailed visit analytics, QR codes, and a separate web client. It supports custom domains and tags for organizing links.
- Powerful REST API
- Detailed visit analytics
- QR code generation
- Multi-domain support
Slash
Slash is an open-source, self-hosted platform for sharable links and bookmarks. It lets teams create short, memorable links and organize collections of resources.
- Shareable short links
- Bookmark collections
- Team workspaces
- Browser extension
Shlink vs Slash: key differences
Shlink is written in PHP, while Slash is built with TypeScript. Shlink is the more established project (first released 2016), while Slash arrived in 2023.
Why pick each one
Choose Shlink if…
- Excellent API
- Geolocation analytics
Watch out for
- Web UI is a separate component
Choose Slash if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Shlink or Slash better?
Neither is universally better. Shlink has the larger community, while Slash is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Shlink and Slash free and open-source?
Yes. Shlink is licensed under MIT and Slash under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shlink and Slash with Docker?
Shlink: yes. Slash: yes.