Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ShadyURL VS Lstu

Compare ShadyURL VS Lstu and see what are their differences

ShadyURL logo ShadyURL

Don't just shorten your URL, make it suspicious and frightening.

Lstu logo Lstu

A nice and open source url shortener. You can use it as service or install it on your own server.
  • ShadyURL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-19
  • Lstu Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19

ShadyURL features and specs

  • Anonymity
    ShadyURL allows users to create URLs that obscure the destination link, providing a layer of anonymity for the destination website.
  • Humor
    The service often creates intentionally suspicious or funny URL names, which can be used for comedic effects in social interactions.
  • Pranking
    It can be used for lighthearted pranks, as the URLs can make recipients curious or wary about clicking the link.
  • Ease of Use
    ShadyURL is simple and straightforward to use, requiring only the original URL to generate a shady version.

Possible disadvantages of ShadyURL

  • Trust Issues
    The suspicious nature of the URLs could discourage users from clicking on them, as they might suspect malicious content.
  • Phishing Concerns
    It could potentially be exploited for phishing attacks, as the real destination URL is obscured.
  • Professionalism
    Using URLs generated by ShadyURL may not be appropriate in professional or formal communications due to their dubious appearance.
  • Limited Use Case
    The primary use case is for humor or pranking, which limits its practicality in more serious applications.

Lstu features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Lstu is designed to be very minimalistic and lightweight, which means it requires fewer resources to run effectively.
  • Open Source
    Lstu is open source, allowing users to inspect, modify, and contribute to its code, thus ensuring transparency and flexibility.
  • Privacy-Focused
    Lstu emphasizes user privacy by not collecting any personal data or analytics, making it a good choice for privacy-conscious users.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize Lstu according to their needs, including features like adding custom short URLs and branding.
  • Self-Hosted
    Being self-hosted, users have complete control over their data and the operational environment, enhancing security.
  • Free to Use
    As an open-source project, Lstu does not require any licensing fees, making it cost-effective for both personal and commercial use.

Possible disadvantages of Lstu

  • Limited Features
    Compared to more comprehensive URL shorteners, Lstu lacks advanced features like analytics, link lifecycle management, and extensive API support.
  • Technical Setup
    As a self-hosted solution, users need some technical knowledge for installation, configuration, and maintenance.
  • Support
    Being an open-source project, it might lack formal customer support. Instead, users rely on community support which may not be as immediate or comprehensive.
  • Scalability
    Lstu may not be inherently designed for handling a very high volume of short URLs and traffic, limiting its use for larger-scale applications.
  • Dependency on Server
    Self-hosted solutions like Lstu require users to have a reliable server and take care of backups and uptime, which can be a burden for some users.
  • Basic User Interface
    Its minimalist approach can result in a very basic user interface that might not be as polished or user-friendly as other commercial options.

Analysis of Lstu

Overall verdict

  • Lstu is considered a good choice for those looking for a straightforward, no-frills URL shortening service. Its open-source nature and ease of use make it an attractive option for individual users and developers who wish to integrate URL shortening into their own projects.

Why this product is good

  • Lstu is a minimalistic URL shortener that is free, open-source, and self-hostable. It is praised for its simplicity and the ability to host it on your own server, giving users full control over their data. It is particularly appreciated by users who prioritize privacy and want to avoid using more commercial options that might track user data.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a customizable and self-hostable URL shortener.
  • Privacy-conscious users who want to avoid third-party tracking.
  • Small businesses and individuals seeking a free and open-source solution.

ShadyURL videos

ShadyURL: Make Suspicious & Frightening URLs

More videos:

Lstu videos

Welcome to LSTU!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ShadyURL and Lstu)
Link Management
18 18%
82% 82
URL Shortener
16 16%
84% 84
Branded URLs
15 15%
85% 85
Links
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using ShadyURL and Lstu. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ShadyURL seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 10 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.

ShadyURL mentions (10)

  • A URL shortener not shortening the URL but makes it look dodgy
    My goto for this purpose used to be https://shadyurl.com but sadly it seems like it's gone, so glad to have a replacement! - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Hacker News top posts: May 15, 2022
    ShadyURL: Don't just shorten your URL, make it suspicious and frightening\ (25 comments). Source: over 3 years ago
  • ShadyURL: Don't just shorten your URL, make it suspicious and frightening
    The function f is idempotent, if f(x) = f(f(x)) For this URL shortener, if http://www.5z8.info/super-nsfw_g0v1ba_hot-older-goats.mov (from above) points to http://shadyurl.com/, then shortening http://www.5z8.info/super-nsfw_g0v1ba_hot-older-goats.mov should also return http://www.5z8.info/super-nsfw_g0v1ba_hot-older-goats.mov. It's not enough for it to always return the same URL for the same input... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • This is the single most creepiest link Iโ€™ve ever seen.. thoughts?
    Theres a website that literally makes links creepy lol Heres the site Type anything in and it makes your url weird. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Poop.is โ€“ A Crappy Link Shortener
    Also mentioned on HN quite a while ago: http://shadyurl.com. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
View more

Lstu mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Lstu yet. Tracking of Lstu recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ShadyURL and Lstu, you can also consider the following products

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

YOURLS - 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.

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.

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

Shlink - A self-hosted URL shortener

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