AppBreakup
Submit an app

Kutt alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Kutt: volunteer-run with no support guarantees, and limited team and marketing features. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Kutt, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Shlink currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Shlink logoShlinkOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web5 of 566.5
2YOURLS logoYOURLSOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web5 of 562.6
3spoo.me logospoo.meOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, Browser extension4 of 459.6
4Dub logoDubFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 557.2
5T.LY logoT.LYFree plan + paidNoWeb, Browser extension0 of 044.8
  1. YOURLS logo

    2. YOURLS

    Best for: People with PHP hosting who want a free, extensible shortener on their own domain

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kutt

    Older PHP shortener with a large plugin library.

    Pros

    • Free and MIT-licensed
    • Large plugin ecosystem
    • Runs on standard PHP hosting
    • API and bookmarklets

    Cons

    • Dated default interface
    • Many features rely on third-party plugins
    • You handle updates and security
    Visit YOURLS Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is YOURLS a good Kutt alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free and open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026yourls.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Features
    Bookmarklets, API, stats
    Checked Oct 25, 2026yourls.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Plugins
    Dozens of plugins
    Checked Oct 25, 2026yourls.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Since
    2009
    Checked Oct 25, 2026yourls.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. spoo.me logo

    3. spoo.me

    Best for: Developers who want a free, open-source shortener with analytics and an API

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, Browser extension

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kutt

    Open source with more analytics and official clients.

    Pros

    • Free with no sign-up needed
    • Detailed click analytics included
    • Open source under AGPL-3.0
    • Many official clients and SDKs

    Cons

    • No business support or SLA
    • Few team features
    • Custom-domain use requires self-hosting
    Visit spoo.me Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is spoo.me a good Kutt alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Sign-up
    Not required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026spoo.me(opens source in a new tab)
    API
    API-first REST core
    Checked Oct 25, 2026spoo.me(opens source in a new tab)
    Clients
    Sixteen official and community clients
    Checked Oct 25, 2026spoo.me(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Dub logo

    4. Dub

    Best for: Startups and growth teams that want short links tied to conversions, with an open codebase

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kutt

    Open source with a commercial hosted service and team features.

    Pros

    • Open source with a self-hosting guide
    • Conversion tracking and attribution
    • Modern API, SDKs and webhooks
    • Free plan to start

    Cons

    • Self-hosting depends on several third-party services
    • Conversion features only on higher plans
    • More platform than casual users need
    Visit Dub Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Dub a good Kutt alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    $0 forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026dub.co(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    $30/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026dub.co(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026dub.co(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    AGPL-3.0 (core)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Documented
    Checked Oct 25, 2026dub.co(opens source in a new tab)
  4. T.LY logo

    5. T.LY

    Best for: Developers and small marketers who want cheap branded links with an API

    Free plan + paidWeb, Browser extension

    44.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kutt

    A cheap hosted service if you want support and no maintenance.

    Pros

    • Unlimited clicks on every paid plan
    • API access on every paid plan
    • Cheap entry tier
    • Shorten without an account

    Cons

    • Simpler analytics than bigger platforms
    • Few enterprise and compliance features
    • Trial is only five days
    Visit T.LY Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1515
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is T.LY a good Kutt alternative?

    Verified facts

    0 of 0 verified

    No sourced facts yet.

The best Kutt alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Shlink logo

Best Kutt alternative for most people

Shlink

Self-hosted with stronger CLI and multi-instance management.

YOURLS logo

Best Kutt alternative for a free option

YOURLS

Older PHP shortener with a large plugin library.

Dub logo

Best Kutt alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Dub

Open source with a commercial hosted service and team features.

spoo.me logo

Best Kutt alternative for open source

spoo.me

Open source with more analytics and official clients.

Shlink logo

Best Kutt alternative for self-hosting

Shlink

Self-hosted with stronger CLI and multi-instance management.

T.LY logo

Best Kutt alternative for working in the browser

T.LY

A cheap hosted service if you want support and no maintenance.

Kutt alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Kutt?

Shlink ranks first right now. Self-hosted with stronger CLI and multi-instance management. YOURLS and spoo.me follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Kutt?

Yes. Shlink (open source), YOURLS (open source), spoo.me (open source) and Dub (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Kutt?

Yes: Shlink, YOURLS, spoo.me and Dub. Shlink, YOURLS and spoo.me can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Kutt?

The complaints we hear most: volunteer-run with no support guarantees; limited team and marketing features; old kutt.it domain is unofficial, which confuses users.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Kutt, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.