Dub vs Shlink vs Kutt in 2026: URL Shorteners Compared

TL;DR

Three open source approaches to URL shortening and link management. Dub is the complete Bitly replacement — team workspaces, marketing analytics, A/B testing, UTM builder, and traffic routing. Shlink is the API-first backend — developer-focused, PHP/Symfony, comprehensive REST API, and CLI for scripting. Kutt is the privacy-focused minimal tool — simple dashboard, optional tracking disabling, and Node.js/TypeScript. Most marketing teams want Dub. Developers building link infrastructure want Shlink. Privacy-conscious self-hosters want Kutt.

Key Takeaways

• Dub (AGPL-3.0, 19K+ stars) is the feature-richest option — UTM builder, A/B testing, device/geo routing, QR codes, team workspaces
• Shlink (MIT, 3K+ stars) is the developer API — CLI management, PHP backend, most comprehensive REST API, MIT license
• Kutt (MIT, 8K+ stars) is the lightweight option — Node.js/TypeScript, optional no-tracking mode, password protection, simple deployment
• Bitly Premium costs $29/month for 1,500 links — all three open source tools offer unlimited links
• Kutt's no-tracking option is unique — you can create short URLs that explicitly don't record click data
• Shlink's CLI (shlink-cli) is the only command-line tool in the category for server management

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When You Need a URL Shortener

URL shorteners solve several distinct problems:

1. Marketing attribution: Track which links in email campaigns, social posts, and ads drive conversions — UTM parameters + click analytics
2. Vanity URLs: Replace long, ugly links with memorable branded short URLs in presentations and print
3. QR codes: Generate printable codes that redirect to any URL, with click tracking
4. Link management: Centralized catalog of all short URLs with analytics and management

The three tools we're comparing solve these problems with different trade-offs.

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Dub — The Complete Link Platform

Dub is what modern teams want from a URL shortener — a product that marketing, growth, and developer teams actually enjoy using for managing their link portfolio.

# Dub self-hosted setup
services:
  dub:
    image: dubinc/dub:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your-secret-min-32-chars
      - NEXTAUTH_URL=https://dub.yourdomain.com
      - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://dub:pass@postgres:5432/dub
      - REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379/0
      - NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_DOMAIN=dub.yourdomain.com
      - NEXT_PUBLIC_SHORT_DOMAIN=link.yourdomain.com
    depends_on:
      - postgres
      - redis
  postgres:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: dub
      POSTGRES_USER: dub
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: pass
    volumes:
      - dub_db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
volumes:
  dub_db:

Traffic routing goes beyond simple redirect:

• Device targeting: iOS → App Store, Android → Play Store, desktop → web
• Geo targeting: France → French landing page, US → English page
• Language targeting: Browser language preference determines destination

A/B testing splits traffic between multiple destinations:

// Create an A/B test link via Dub API
const link = await dub.links.create({
  url: 'https://yoursite.com/landing-a',
  domain: 'go.yourcompany.com',
  key: 'summer-sale',
  testVariants: [
    { url: 'https://yoursite.com/landing-a', percentage: 50 },
    { url: 'https://yoursite.com/landing-b', percentage: 50 },
  ],
  tags: ['summer', 'test'],
});

UTM parameter management appends tracking parameters systematically:

const link = await dub.links.create({
  url: 'https://yoursite.com/pricing',
  domain: 'go.yourcompany.com',
  utm: {
    source: 'newsletter',
    medium: 'email',
    campaign: 'q2-launch',
    content: 'hero-cta',
  },
  // Full tracking URL: https://yoursite.com/pricing?utm_source=newsletter&...
});

Key features:

• Team workspaces with member management
• Detailed analytics (country, device, browser, referrer)
• UTM parameter builder
• A/B split testing
• Device/country/language routing
• QR code generation (SVG + PNG)
• Link expiration dates
• Password protection
• Webhooks
• TypeScript SDK
• REST API
• AGPL-3.0 license, 19K+ stars

---

Shlink — The Developer API

Shlink's design is API-first: the core product is a PHP service that accepts API calls and executes redirects. Everything else (UI, CLI, analytics) is built on top of that API.

# Shlink Docker setup
services:
  shlink:
    image: shlinkio/shlink:stable
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      - DEFAULT_DOMAIN=link.yourdomain.com
      - IS_HTTPS_ENABLED=true
      - DB_DRIVER=postgres
      - DB_HOST=shlink_db
      - DB_PORT=5432
      - DB_NAME=shlink
      - DB_USER=shlink
      - DB_PASSWORD=pass
      - GEOLITE_LICENSE_KEY=your-maxmind-key
      - INITIAL_API_KEY=your-initial-api-key
    depends_on:
      - shlink_db
  shlink_web:
    image: shlinkio/shlink-web-client:stable
    ports:
      - "8090:8080"
  shlink_db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: shlink
      POSTGRES_USER: shlink
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: pass
    volumes:
      - shlink_db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  shlink_db:

The CLI is Shlink's killer feature for developers and administrators:

# Install shlink-cli
npm install -g @shlinkio/shlink-cli

# Add server connection
shlink server:add \
  --name "Production" \
  --url "https://link.yourdomain.com" \
  --api-key "your-api-key"

# Create a batch of short URLs from a CSV
while IFS=, read -r long_url slug tags; do
  shlink short-url:create \
    --long-url "$long_url" \
    --custom-slug "$slug" \
    --tags "$tags"
done < urls.csv

# Show top links by visits in the last 30 days
shlink short-url:list \
  --start-date "$(date -d '-30 days' +%Y-%m-%d)" \
  --order-by visits-DESC

# Export all visit data for a date range
shlink short-url:visits get-link mylink \
  --start-date "2026-01-01" \
  --end-date "2026-03-31" \
  --output csv > visits-q1-2026.csv

REST API is the most comprehensive of the three tools:

# List links with filtering and pagination
curl "https://link.yourdomain.com/api/v3/short-urls?tags=campaign-q2&orderBy=visits-DESC&itemsPerPage=50" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: your-api-key"

# Get detailed visit stats per link
curl "https://link.yourdomain.com/api/v3/short-urls/my-slug/visits/os" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: your-api-key"
# Returns: breakdown by Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux

# Bulk delete expired links
curl -X DELETE \
  "https://link.yourdomain.com/api/v3/short-urls/expired" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: your-api-key"

Key features:

• Comprehensive REST API (most complete of the three)
• CLI for scripting and batch operations
• Multiple database backends (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite)
• City and country-level geolocation analytics
• Browser, OS, and device tracking
• Bot detection and click filtering
• Custom domains
• QR code API endpoints
• Link expiration and max visit limits
• Tags for organization
• Optional web client (separate deploy)
• MIT license, 3K+ stars

---

Kutt — The Privacy-First Minimal Option

Kutt is built for teams and individuals who want simple, clean URL shortening without enterprise complexity. The key differentiator is the optional no-tracking mode.

# Kutt Docker Compose
services:
  kutt:
    image: kutt/kutt:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - DB_HOST=kutt_db
      - DB_NAME=kutt
      - DB_USER=kutt
      - DB_PASSWORD=password
      - REDIS_HOST=redis
      - JWT_SECRET=your-jwt-secret
      - ADMIN_EMAILS=admin@yourdomain.com
      - SITE_NAME=YourLinks
      - DEFAULT_DOMAIN=link.yourdomain.com
      - DISALLOW_ANONYMOUS_LINKS=true
      - DISALLOW_REGISTRATION=false
    depends_on:
      - kutt_db
      - redis
  kutt_db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: kutt
      POSTGRES_USER: kutt
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: password
    volumes:
      - kutt_db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
volumes:
  kutt_db:

The no-tracking option lets creators explicitly opt out of recording click data for specific links. Use cases:

• Share a link with colleagues where you don't want analytics (privacy respect)
• Create short URLs for personal use where tracking is unnecessary
• Offer tracking-optional links to users who have privacy concerns

Password protection gates links behind a password before redirecting — useful for sharing documents or resources that shouldn't be publicly accessible but don't need full authentication.

User accounts have per-user link quotas (configurable in admin). This enables running a shared Kutt instance where different team members get their own link pools.

Admin panel manages users, links, and site settings from a simple interface. Ban specific domains, set site-wide link limits, and view platform statistics.

Key features:

• Simple dashboard (no feature overload)
• Custom aliases (custom slugs)
• Click analytics (country, referrer, browser, OS)
• Optional no-tracking mode per link
• Password-protected links
• Link expiration
• User accounts with quotas
• Admin panel
• REST API
• Multiple custom domains
• MIT license, 8K+ stars

---

Three-Way Comparison

Feature	Dub	Shlink	Kutt
License	AGPL-3.0	MIT	MIT
Stars	19K+	3K+	8K+
Stack	Next.js	PHP/Symfony	Node.js
Built-in dashboard	✅ Polished	❌ (separate)	✅ Simple
Team workspaces	✅	❌	❌
A/B testing	✅	❌	❌
Traffic routing	✅	❌	❌
UTM builder	✅	❌	❌
No-tracking mode	❌	❌	✅
CLI	❌	✅	❌
QR codes	✅	✅ (API)	❌
Password protection	✅	❌	✅
Bot detection	✅	✅	❌
REST API	✅	✅ Best	✅
Redis required	✅	❌	✅
Min RAM	512 MB	256 MB	256 MB

---

Why URL Shorteners Matter More Than They Used to

The URL shortener category has quietly evolved from a vanity utility into legitimate marketing infrastructure. In the early days, shorteners existed because links were too long for SMS and Twitter's character limits. Those constraints still exist, but the more important use case in 2026 is marketing attribution.

Modern growth teams use short links as data collection points. Every link in an email campaign, social post, influencer collaboration, or ad creative carries UTM parameters that flow into analytics dashboards. Short links provide a layer of abstraction: you can change the destination URL without updating every place the short link appears, and you capture click data before the visitor reaches your site (useful when users clear cookies or use ad blockers that strip UTM parameters from referrers).

The three tools in this comparison represent three distinct philosophies about what a URL shortener should be. Dub embraces the marketing platform vision — it's building toward being a full link intelligence product with A/B testing, traffic routing, and workspace management for teams. Shlink embraces the developer utility vision — it's an API first, with everything else built around programmatic access and scripting. Kutt embraces the privacy-first minimal vision — it gives users explicit control over whether clicks are tracked at all.

None of these philosophies is wrong. The choice between them should be driven by which mental model matches how your team thinks about link management. Marketing teams thinking in terms of campaigns, attribution, and team coordination will find Dub's workspace model natural. Developers building systems that generate and manage links programmatically will appreciate Shlink's comprehensive API. Privacy-conscious teams or individuals who want a simple tool without analytics complexity will be well-served by Kutt.

How to Choose the Right URL Shortener for Your Use Case

The practical decision comes down to three questions: Who manages links on your team? What analytics depth do you need? Is the MIT license a requirement?

If marketing or growth team members — not just developers — are the primary users of the link shortener, the UI matters more than the API. Dub's dashboard is designed for non-technical users: the UTM builder, the workspace organization, and the click analytics all present well without requiring curl commands or API documentation. Shlink's web client is functional but was clearly designed as an afterthought to the core API product. Kutt's dashboard is clean and simple, suitable for non-technical users who don't need advanced features.

Analytics depth requirements vary significantly by organization. A marketing team running email campaigns needs country breakdown, device type, and referrer data to optimize their efforts. Dub provides this natively with a polished analytics UI. Shlink provides similar data through its API, with the analytics UI available separately. Kutt provides basic analytics (country, referrer, browser, OS) sufficient for understanding traffic patterns but lacking the depth for detailed campaign analysis.

The MIT vs AGPL licensing question matters for teams embedding URL shortening functionality in their own products. Shlink and Kutt are MIT-licensed, meaning you can incorporate them into proprietary systems without license obligations. Dub is AGPL-3.0, which means if you modify it and offer it as a hosted service, you must share your modifications. For internal use, the difference is minimal — but for companies building products on top of a URL shortener, the license choice is relevant. Understanding how AGPL works in practice helps clarify when this matters.

Cost and Infrastructure Analysis

All three tools are self-hosted open source, so the infrastructure costs are similar: a VPS with adequate RAM, PostgreSQL for the database, and Redis for caching (Dub and Kutt require Redis; Shlink does not).

For most teams, a Hetzner CX21 ($5.50/month, 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM) comfortably runs any of these tools with moderate link volumes. Dub benefits from more RAM if you're processing high click volumes, since Next.js has a larger memory footprint than Shlink's PHP or Kutt's Node.js backend.

The comparison to commercial alternatives is stark. Bitly's premium plan costs $29/month for 1,500 short links and 10,000 click tracking records. All three open source tools offer unlimited links and unlimited click tracking for the cost of infrastructure — typically $5-10/month. For teams managing hundreds or thousands of links, this is a significant cost difference.

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Decision Framework

Choose Dub if:

• Marketing teams manage links and need analytics + UTM tracking
• A/B testing URLs is part of your growth workflow
• Device/country routing serves different audiences different destinations
• Team workspaces organize links by project or client
• You want Dub.co cloud as an alternative to self-hosting

Choose Shlink if:

• You're embedding URL shortening in your own application (best API)
• CLI management for scripting and batch operations
• MIT license is required
• PHP/Symfony stack fits your infrastructure
• You'll build or use a separate UI

Choose Kutt if:

• Simplicity and minimal configuration are the priority
• Privacy — offering no-tracking links is important
• MIT license with Node.js/TypeScript stack
• Basic analytics are sufficient (no A/B testing, no routing)
• Running a shared instance for a small team with per-user quotas

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Related: Dub vs Shlink: Head-to-Head Comparison · Best Open Source Link Management Tools 2026 · How to Migrate from Bitly to Dub

See open source alternatives to Dub on OSSAlt.