---
title: "Open-source URL shorteners compared · Flared"
description: "YOURLS, Shlink, Kutt, Sink, Dub, and Flared side by side: license, hosting, databases, members, QR codes, CLI, and MCP, checked October 2026."
---

Open-source URL shorteners

# Six open-source URL shorteners, compared.

Flared and Sink run on Cloudflare Workers, so you run no server and pay nothing on Workers Free. Flared also gives you members, a CLI, an MCP server with OAuth sign-in, and a hosted plan if you stop wanting to run it. YOURLS, Shlink, and Kutt need a server and a database; Dub needs accounts with several hosted services.

## Side by side

|  | License | Runs on | Also needs | Members | QR codes | CLI | MCP | Latest release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Flared](https://github.com/FlaredLink/Flared) | AGPLv3 | Cloudflare Workers, Free plan | D1 and a Queue, created by Deploy on Cloudflare | Yes, invite links | Built in, SVG or PNG | flared, from any computer | Built in, OAuth sign-in | 0.2.0, October 23, 2026 |
| [Sink](https://github.com/miantiao-me/Sink) | AGPLv3 | Cloudflare Workers | D1, KV, and Analytics Engine | No, one site token | Built in | None | Built in, site token | 0.3.1, September 27, 2026 |
| [YOURLS](https://github.com/YOURLS/YOURLS) | MIT | PHP 8.1 and Apache | MySQL or MariaDB | Logins in a config file; roles with plugins | With a plugin | None official | None found | 1.10.6, August 30, 2026 |
| [Shlink](https://github.com/shlinkio/shlink) | MIT | PHP 8.4 or Docker | A SQL database; a separate web client | API keys with roles | In the web client (removed from the server in 5.0) | On the server only | None found | 5.1.7, September 21, 2026 |
| [Kutt](https://github.com/thedevs-network/kutt) | MIT | Node.js 20 or Docker | SQLite, Postgres, or MySQL; optional Redis | Yes, with an admin page | Built in | Third-party only | None found | 3.2.6, July 5, 2026 |
| [Dub](https://github.com/dubinc/dub) | AGPLv3, some directories commercial | Vercel; Docker not supported | MySQL, Upstash Redis and QStash, Tinybird, S3 storage, a GitHub app | Workspaces | In the app | dub-cli, last published October 2024 | Hosted by Dub | No tagged releases |

Checked October 15, 2026 from each project’s README and documentation, and from the GitHub API for releases. Dub’s needs come from its [self-hosting guide](https://dub.co/docs/self-hosting); Shlink’s QR change from its [changelog](https://github.com/shlinkio/shlink/blob/develop/CHANGELOG.md).

## Flared: no server, and a way out of running it

[Deploy on Cloudflare](https://flared.page/site/self-host) copies the latest release into your GitHub or GitLab account, creates the databases and the Queue, and deploys the Worker. You enter one setup secret, and no email provider is needed. Workers Free handles about 3,300 recorded clicks a day; Workers Paid at $5 a month gives more.

- Members get their own logins through invite links, and the owner manages domains and members.
- The [flared CLI](https://flared.page/docs#cli) runs on your own computer or in CI, against your instance with `FLARED_API_URL`.
- AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT connect to its MCP server with an OAuth sign-in, with no token to paste.
- Releases are tagged. An upgrade workflow in your repository opens a pull request for each release, so you choose when to update.
- If you stop wanting to run it, [Flared Cloud](https://flared.page/site/cloud) runs the same product, free to start.

## When another project fits

- **Sink** runs on the same Cloudflare products and is a good single-person tool. It has one site token, so it has no members and no per-person access.
- **YOURLS** has the largest plugin list and runs on shared PHP hosting. QR codes, device detection, and user roles come from plugins.
- **Shlink** has rule-based redirects by device, language, and location, and imports from Bitly, YOURLS, and Kutt. Its web client is a separate app, at app.shlink.io or on your own host.
- **Kutt** is a simple Node.js app with an admin page. You create the HTTPS certificates for custom domains yourself.
- **Dub** is the hosted product’s own code. Its guide needs accounts with Vercel, a MySQL host, Upstash, Tinybird, and S3 or R2, and some directories need a commercial license. See [Flared vs Dub](https://flared.page/compare/dub).

[Deploy to Cloudflare](https://deploy.workers.cloudflare.com/?url=https://github.com/FlaredLink/Flared) [Self-hosting guide](https://flared.page/site/self-host)