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YOURLS alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave YOURLS: dated default interface, and many features rely on third-party plugins. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces YOURLS, 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
2Kutt logoKuttOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, Browser extension4 of 462.6
3spoo.me logospoo.meOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, Browser extension4 of 459.6
  1. Kutt logo

    2. Kutt

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

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, Browser extension

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from YOURLS

    Open source with a modern UI and an optional 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 ×0.387
    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 Kutt a good YOURLS 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)
  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 YOURLS

    Open source with built-in analytics and many 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 YOURLS 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)

The best YOURLS alternative for…

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

Shlink logo

Best YOURLS alternative for most people

Shlink

A more modern self-hosted shortener with Docker, REST API and a web client.

Kutt logo

Best YOURLS alternative for a free option

Kutt

Open source with a modern UI and an optional hosted instance.

Bitly logo

Best YOURLS alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Bitly

Hosted and managed if you'd rather not run software yourself.

spoo.me logo

Best YOURLS alternative for open source

spoo.me

Open source with built-in analytics and many clients.

Shlink logo

Best YOURLS alternative for self-hosting

Shlink

A more modern self-hosted shortener with Docker, REST API and a web client.

Bitly logo

Best YOURLS alternative for iPhone and Android

Bitly

Hosted and managed if you'd rather not run software yourself.

Shlink logo

Best YOURLS alternative for working in the browser

Shlink

A more modern self-hosted shortener with Docker, REST API and a web client.

YOURLS alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to YOURLS?

Shlink ranks first right now. A more modern self-hosted shortener with Docker, REST API and a web client. Kutt and spoo.me follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to YOURLS?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to YOURLS?

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

Why do people switch from YOURLS?

The complaints we hear most: dated default interface; many features rely on third-party plugins; you handle updates and security.

How is this list ranked?

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