Simply Shorten vs Chhoto URL
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Chhoto URL
Fast, lightweight and FOSS URL shortener in Rust
| Feature | Simply Shorten | Chhoto URL |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 100 | ★ 978 |
| First released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Replaces | TinyURL | TinyURL, Bitly |
What are Simply Shorten and Chhoto URL?
Simply Shorten
Simply Shorten is a minimal, no-frills self-hosted URL shortener designed to be easy to deploy and use. It provides a clean single-page interface and a small API.
- Minimalist interface
- Single-container deployment
- Small REST API
- No tracking
Chhoto URL
Chhoto URL is a simple, fast, and lightweight self-hosted URL shortener written in Rust, forked from Simply Shorten. It uses minimal resources and offers an optional public mode.
- Tiny Rust binary
- SQLite storage
- Optional public mode
- Simple REST API
Simply Shorten vs Chhoto URL: key differences
Simply Shorten is written in Java, while Chhoto URL is built with Rust. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Simply Shorten versus MIT for Chhoto URL. Chhoto URL is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Simply Shorten. Simply Shorten is the more established project (first released 2020), while Chhoto URL arrived in 2023. Chhoto URL has the considerably larger community, at 978 GitHub stars versus 100.
Why pick each one
Choose Simply Shorten if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Choose Chhoto URL if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
Frequently asked questions
Is Simply Shorten or Chhoto URL better?
Neither is universally better. Chhoto URL has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Simply Shorten and Chhoto URL free and open-source?
Yes. Simply Shorten is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Chhoto URL under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Simply Shorten and Chhoto URL with Docker?
Simply Shorten: yes. Chhoto URL: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Simply Shorten or Chhoto URL?
Chhoto URL has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Simply Shorten. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.