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Sink alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Sink: tied to Cloudflare's platform, and no hosted version or support. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Sink, 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
2Dub logoDubFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 562.6
3Kutt logoKuttOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, Browser extension4 of 459.6
4YOURLS logoYOURLSOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web5 of 557.2
  1. Dub logo

    2. 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

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Sink

    Open source with a hosted service if you'd rather not deploy.

    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 ×0.387
    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 Dub a good Sink 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)
  2. Kutt logo

    3. Kutt

    Best for: Developers who want a modern, self-hostable shortener with custom domains and an API

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, Browser extension

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Sink

    Open source with a public hosted instance.

    Pros

    • Free and MIT-licensed
    • Clean modern interface
    • Free custom domains and an API
    • Hosted instance or self-host with Docker

    Cons

    • Volunteer-run with no support guarantees
    • Limited team and marketing features
    • Old kutt.it domain is unofficial, which confuses users
    Visit Kutt 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 Kutt a good Sink alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Custom domains
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kutt.to(opens source in a new tab)
    API
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kutt.to(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kutt.to(opens source in a new tab)
  3. YOURLS logo

    4. YOURLS

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

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Sink

    Runs on any standard PHP hosting.

    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 ×0.369
    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 YOURLS a good Sink 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)

The best Sink alternative for…

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

Shlink logo

Best Sink alternative for most people

Shlink

Self-host on any server or container platform, not just Cloudflare.

Kutt logo

Best Sink alternative for a free option

Kutt

Open source with a public hosted instance.

Dub logo

Best Sink alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Dub

Open source with a hosted service if you'd rather not deploy.

YOURLS logo

Best Sink alternative for open source

YOURLS

Runs on any standard PHP hosting.

Shlink logo

Best Sink alternative for self-hosting

Shlink

Self-host on any server or container platform, not just Cloudflare.

Shlink logo

Best Sink alternative for working in the browser

Shlink

Self-host on any server or container platform, not just Cloudflare.

Sink alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Sink?

Shlink ranks first right now. Self-host on any server or container platform, not just Cloudflare. Dub and Kutt follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Sink?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to Sink?

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

Why do people switch from Sink?

The complaints we hear most: tied to Cloudflare's platform; no hosted version or support; requires some developer setup.

How is this list ranked?

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