Catbox VS YOURLS

Compare Catbox VS YOURLS and see what are their differences

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YOURLS is a website that contains all the tools you need to create and launch your very own URL shortener. URL shorteners like bitly or TinyURL are fine for public use, but they offer limited options in terms of URL customization.

Landing page //
2023-09-19

Landing page //
2023-03-18

Catbox

Website: catbox.moe
$ Details: -

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YOURLS

Website: yourls.org
$ Details

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Catbox features and specs

Free Service
Catbox is free to use, allowing users to upload and share files without a subscription or payment.
High File Size Limit
Catbox has a generous file size limit of 200MB, which is higher than many other free file-sharing services.
No Account Required
Users can upload and share files without needing to create an account, offering convenience and privacy.
Direct Links
Catbox provides direct download links, making it easier for users to share files quickly and efficiently.
Support for Various File Types
Catbox supports a wide range of file types, including images, videos, and documents, making it a versatile file-sharing option.

Possible disadvantages of Catbox

Lack of Support
Catbox does not offer extensive customer support, which may be a drawback for users needing assistance with issues.
Limited File Retention
Files on Catbox may be deleted after a certain period if not accessed, which could lead to losing important files.
No Advanced Features
Catbox lacks advanced features such as file encryption, password protection, and detailed file analytics.
Not Suitable for Sensitive Data
Due to the lack of advanced security features, Catbox is not ideal for sharing sensitive or confidential information.
Potential for Abuse
The ease of uploading and sharing files without moderation can lead to the potential misuse of the platform for sharing inappropriate content.

YOURLS features and specs

Self-Hosted
YOURLS allows you to host the URL shortening service on your own server, giving you full control over your data and avoiding reliance on third-party services.
Customization
Since YOURLS is an open-source platform, you can customize it according to your needs, adding personalized branding and functionalities.
Analytics
It offers detailed analytics for each shortened URL, including click counts, referrers, and geographical data, helping you understand your audience better.
Plugin Support
YOURLS supports plugins, allowing you to extend its functionality with additional features like spam filtering, link previews, and more.
Free and Open-Source
The platform is free to use and open-source, meaning there are no licensing costs and you benefit from a community of developers constantly improving the software.

Possible disadvantages of YOURLS

Technical Expertise Required
Setting up and maintaining a YOURLS instance requires technical expertise, including knowledge of web servers and databases, which may not be suitable for non-technical users.
Hosting Costs
Since YOURLS is self-hosted, you will incur costs for web hosting, domain registration, and potentially higher server resources if your service becomes popular.
Maintenance
You are responsible for all maintenance tasks, such as updating software and ensuring security, which can be time-consuming.
Scalability Issues
Depending on your hosting solution, you may face challenges in scaling the service to handle high volumes of traffic efficiently.
Limited Built-In Features
While YOURLS is highly customizable through plugins, the out-of-the-box features are relatively basic when compared to some commercial URL shortening services.

Analysis of Catbox

Overall verdict

Catbox is generally regarded as a good service, especially for individuals and communities who require a straightforward and efficient way to share files without the clutter and restrictions found on many other file hosting sites.

Why this product is good

Catbox (catbox.moe) is often considered a good platform for file hosting due to its simplicity, lack of intrusive advertisements, and ease of use. It supports a variety of file types and is especially popular within communities that need to share images, audio, and videos quickly and reliably. The service is free, but users can choose to support it financially through donations.

Recommended for

Communities in need of quick and easy file sharing solutions
Users who prefer minimalistic and ad-free interfaces
Individuals looking to share multimedia files such as images, audio, and video

Analysis of YOURLS

Overall verdict

YOURLS is a great choice for individuals or organizations looking for a customizable and secure URL shortening solution. It is particularly suitable for those who want to avoid relying on third-party services.

Why this product is good

YOURLS (Your URL Shortener) is a self-hosted URL shortening service that provides full control over your short URLs. It allows users to customize and manage their links, track their analytics, and ensure privacy and security since it's hosted on your own server. Its open-source nature ensures transparency and the ability to modify the functionality as needed.

Recommended for

Businesses that need branded and secure short URLs.
Developers looking for an open-source URL shortener they can customize.
Organizations prioritizing data privacy and control.
Bloggers or marketers who want to track detailed analytics of their links.

Catbox videos

+ Add

Puutty Power review of the Designer Catbox

YOURLS videos

+ Add

How to make a URL Shorter with YOURLS

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Catbox and YOURLS)

Catbox

YOURLS

URL Shortener

26 26%

URL Shortener

74% 74

Link Management

24 24%

Link Management

76% 76

Image Hosting

100 100%

Image Hosting

0% 0

Branded URLs

14 14%

Branded URLs

86% 86

User comments

Share your experience with using Catbox and YOURLS. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Catbox and YOURLS

Catbox Reviews

We have no reviews of Catbox yet.
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YOURLS Reviews

11 Best URL Shorteners For 2025 (Comparison)

YOURLS is a free and lightweight URL shortener you can install on your site via PHP scripts and/or plugins. You can use it to create simple, custom-branded short links. You can even set things up in such a way that allows outside parties to use your link shortener.

Source: startupbonsai.com

11 Best Bitly Alternatives & Similar URL Shorteners

Yourls is a lightweight software to install regardless of the many features you have to enhance your campaign. It will be worth your efforts to try this platform in the first place.

Source: www.regendus.com

Top 8 Alternatives of Bit.Ly in 2023

YOURLS URL shortenerEmail Verification Tools, Features and Comparison of top five ServicesEmail Verification Tools can be game-changing for your business operation. But not knowing how to purchase them will be a blunder. Learn how to select one for your business.StartupTalkyAnsh MehreyConclusionFAQsIs there a free alternative to Bit.ly?Does Google have a URL shortener?How do...

Source: startuptalky.com

The 8 Best Alternatives to Google URL Shortener

Yourls, which is an acronym for "your own URL shortener," is exactly that—a service your run on your own server. Similar to Polr, Yourls is free and open-source. With Yourls, you can choose whether your links will be public or private. It includes bookmarklets, which let you turn a long URL into a short one from your web browser in just one click. By default, the tool...

Source: zapier.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Catbox should be more popular than YOURLS. It has been mentiond 174 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Catbox mentions (174)

Making 3D porn is "easy money"?
I still have to try https://ci-en.net/, https://slushe.com/, https://ko-fi.com/, https://catbox.moe/, I heard they were possible good alternatives. But I couldn't say, dunno yet. Source: over 1 year ago
Issue with recognising images from CatBox
Heya, hope this is the right place to post this. So it seems like u/Magic_Eye_Bot is automatically removing any image that was posted via image hosting site catbox.moe with the reason. Source: over 1 year ago
Is there any way to get audio on my site without being a suporter?
You can host the mp3 file on a different site and paste the direct link in your code, Catbox is popular. Source: almost 2 years ago
Speed Test
Minimal file hosts like https://catbox.moe or http://0x0.st work nice in my opinion, here's an example link: https://files.catbox.moe/zamm2d.jpg The only catch is most of them set a time limit on uploads, but you might be able to (ab)use archive.org if you want the files to stay online forever. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
Clown and Jort Storm [Just Dance Fanmade Mashups]
If you know how to build CIA files, it’s pretty easy. You have to upload them to catbox.moe, Mediafire (might be risky, as they sometimes do sweeps and take down things), or internet archive. I prefer catbox. Google Drive doesn’t work. After uploading, just grab that link run it through a QR code program (I prefer The QR Code Generator. Download that QR code and you’re good to go! Source: almost 2 years ago

YOURLS mentions (21)

Raindrop.io: cross-platform, collaborative bookmark manager
This is what I use and like: https://yourls.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
Ask HN: Building a url shortner, similar to bitly, can I make it profitable?
Similar to...? https://yoslash.com/ Personally I just use https://yourls.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
self-hosted url shorter with device targeting
YOURLS has a "detect-mobile-device" plugin. Is that what you were looking for? Source: about 2 years ago
Tool/solution to "masquerade" or encode/decode part of the url to avoid showing subpaths details (f.e: myDomain.tld/myFolder/MyFile should became myDomain.tld/casualStringGeneratedAndMappedByTheTool) ?
You will need to implement the YOURLS URL Shortener (https://yourls.org) and then implement the following YOURLS Plug-in - https://github.com/peterberbec/yourls-keyword_charset_length (Keywords, Charset & Length). Source: over 2 years ago
How create Short Links from my main domain name?
Personally I would use something like this, although it does require a database. https://yourls.org/. Source: over 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Catbox and YOURLS, you can also consider the following products

Imgur - Imgur is a free and simple image hosting service with image editing feature. Signup is optional.

Bitly - Get the most out of your social and online marketing efforts. Own, understand and activate your best audience through the power of the link with Bitly Enterprise.

Polr - An open source URL shortener. A great non-profit and free alternative to bit.ly, TinyURL, or goo.gl.

TinyURL - Are you sick of posting URLs in emails only to have it break when sent causing the recipient to...

Rebrandly - Rebrandly is the easiest way to create, share and manage branded links.

Kutt.it - Kutt.it is a free and open source URL shortener with custom domains and stats.