Shlink vs YOURLS
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
YOURLS
Your own URL shortener with stats and plugins
| Feature | Shlink | YOURLS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,302 | ★ 12,242 |
| First released | 2016 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | Bitly |
What are Shlink and YOURLS?
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
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
Shlink vs YOURLS: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. YOURLS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Shlink. YOURLS is the more established project (first released 2009), while Shlink arrived in 2016. YOURLS has the considerably larger community, at 12,242 GitHub stars versus 5,302.
Why pick each one
Choose Shlink if…
- Excellent API
- Geolocation analytics
Watch out for
- Web UI is a separate component
Choose YOURLS if…
- Mature and stable
- Rich plugin ecosystem
Watch out for
- Dated admin interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Shlink or YOURLS better?
YOURLS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Shlink if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Shlink and YOURLS free and open-source?
Yes. Shlink is licensed under MIT and YOURLS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shlink and YOURLS with Docker?
Shlink: yes. YOURLS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Shlink or YOURLS?
YOURLS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Shlink. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.