Simply Shorten vs Reduced.to
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Simply Shorten
Slimline self-hosted URL shortener with no bloat
VS
Reduced.to
Open-source modern URL shortener and link management
| Feature | Simply Shorten | Reduced.to |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 100 | ★ 705 |
| First released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Replaces | TinyURL | Bitly, Rebrandly |
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 Reduced.to if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Simply Shorten or Reduced.to better?
Neither is universally better. Reduced.to has the larger community, while Simply Shorten is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Simply Shorten and Reduced.to free and open-source?
Yes. Simply Shorten is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Reduced.to under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Simply Shorten and Reduced.to with Docker?
Simply Shorten: yes. Reduced.to: yes.