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YOURLS VS adf.ly

Compare YOURLS VS adf.ly and see what are their differences

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YOURLS logo 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.

adf.ly logo adf.ly

Earn money for each visitor to your shortened links with adf.ly!
  • YOURLS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-18
  • adf.ly Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-26

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.

adf.ly features and specs

  • Monetization
    Adf.ly allows users to earn money by shortening URLs and sharing them. Users get paid for the number of clicks their shortened links receive.
  • Simple Interface
    The platform offers an easy-to-use interface for users to shorten URLs and track their performance.
  • Global Reach
    Adf.ly has a wide reach, allowing users to target a global audience and increase the potential for earning through international clicks.
  • Link Analytics
    The service provides detailed analytics on link performance, including the number of clicks, geographic data, and referral sources.
  • Custom Link Options
    Users can customize their shortened URLs, making them more recognizable and branded.

Possible disadvantages of adf.ly

  • Ad Intrusiveness
    The ads displayed can be intrusive and annoying for users clicking the links, potentially leading to a negative experience.
  • Security Concerns
    Some adf.ly short links have been associated with redirecting to malicious sites, raising concerns about security and trustworthiness.
  • Decreased Click-Through Rate
    Users may be wary of clicking on adf.ly links due to their association with ads and potential malware, leading to a lower click-through rate.
  • Limited Earnings
    While users can earn money through adf.ly, the amount is generally low and may not be worthwhile for all users.
  • Ad Blocker Impact
    Ad blockers can prevent the ads from displaying, which in turn prevents earnings for the user who shared the shortened URL.

YOURLS videos

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How to make a URL Shorter with YOURLS

adf.ly videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to YOURLS and adf.ly)

YOURLS

adf.ly

Link Management
75 75%
Link Management
25% 25
URL Shortener
74 74%
URL Shortener
26% 26
Branded URLs
76 76%
Branded URLs
24% 24
Online Services
100 100%
Online Services
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

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

adf.ly Reviews

  1. Deepak Kumar
    · Manager at Best URL Shorteners ·
    Best URL Shortener To Make Money Online

    AdFly is one of the oldest high-paying URL shorteners that not only has a really good reputation but a track record of paying its link shrinkers (users) on time and a great place for advertisers to spend their marketing budget.

    🏁 Competitors: Linkbucks
    👍 Pros:    Legit url shortener|Minimum payout: $5|Timely payments
    👎 Cons:    Low quality ads
45 Best URL Shorteners To Make Money Online (2021 List)
You might have hit upon Adfly while downloading movies from sites on the Web. That is because a large high number of users around the world have registered with Adfly link shortener over the years. Folks with movie downloading sites are using Adfly as their link shortener to make a huge amount of money daily – provided they have enough web traffic.
Source: www.einsstark.tech

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, YOURLS seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 21 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.

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: about 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
View more

adf.ly mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing YOURLS and adf.ly, you can also consider the following products

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...

Shorte.st - Smart and easy way to get extra income from your traffic.

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

Lstu - A nice and open source url shortener. You can use it as service or install it on your own server.

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