Shlink Web Client vs Slash
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Slash
Open-source, self-hosted bookmarks and link shortener
| Feature | Shlink Web Client | Slash |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 69 · Good |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 398 | ★ 3,181 |
| First released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Bitly | Bitly, go links |
What are Shlink Web Client and Slash?
Shlink Web Client
Shlink Web Client is the official browser-based interface for managing one or more Shlink servers. It provides link creation, analytics dashboards, and tag management.
- Manage multiple Shlink servers
- Visual analytics dashboards
- Tag and domain management
- No backend of its own
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 Web Client vs Slash: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Shlink Web Client is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Slash. Shlink Web Client is the more established project (first released 2018), while Slash arrived in 2023. Slash has the considerably larger community, at 3,181 GitHub stars versus 398.
Why pick each one
Choose Shlink Web Client if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
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 Web Client or Slash better?
Neither is universally better. Slash has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Shlink Web Client and Slash free and open-source?
Yes. Shlink Web Client is licensed under MIT and Slash under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shlink Web Client and Slash with Docker?
Shlink Web Client: yes. Slash: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Shlink Web Client or Slash?
Shlink Web Client has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Slash. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.