Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

YOURLS VS CodeDibs

Compare YOURLS VS CodeDibs and see what are their differences

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.

CodeDibs logo CodeDibs

Dynamic QR codes you own forever. No subscription, no expiry, no reprinting.
  • YOURLS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-18
  • CodeDibs Hero
    Hero //
    2026-03-04
  • CodeDibs QR Code Customization
    QR Code Customization //
    2026-03-04
  • CodeDibs QR Destination Change
    QR Destination Change //
    2026-03-04
  • CodeDibs Analytics
    Analytics //
    2026-03-04
  • CodeDibs Dashboard
    Dashboard //
    2026-03-04
  • CodeDibs Create QR Code
    Create QR Code //
    2026-03-04
  • CodeDibs Pricing
    Pricing //
    2026-03-04

CodeDibs is a QR code platform that lets small businesses, freelancers, and marketing agencies update their codes anytime, without paying a monthly fee to keep them active.

Most QR code platforms tie dynamic QR codes to an active subscription. Stop paying and the codes stop working, which creates a real problem when they're already printed on menus, signage, event materials, or product packaging. CodeDibs takes a different approach. Dynamic QR codes are sold with lifetime access, meaning you purchase once and the code stays active and editable indefinitely. There's no monthly fee keeping them alive, and no risk of losing functionality if your budget changes.

From your dashboard, you can update where any dynamic QR code points at any time. Whether a promotion ends, a link changes, or you need to redirect traffic to a new page, the update takes seconds and your existing printed materials stay relevant. Dynamic QR codes are also fully customizable with your own colors, logo, and text, and support UTM parameters for campaign tracking. Static QR codes are free to create for anyone, and upgrading one to dynamic is a single click whenever you're ready.

For users who want deeper reporting, CodeDibs offers an optional analytics subscription with detailed scan data showing when, where, and how people are scanning. This layer is entirely separate from your purchased dynamic QR codes. Cancelling the analytics subscription, or never subscribing at all, has no effect on whether your codes function.

CodeDibs is built around a simple, transparent model: static codes are free, dynamic QR codes are a one-time purchase, and analytics are optional. No hidden fees, no codes held hostage behind a paywall, and no surprises when a subscription lapses. For any business that relies on printed materials, it's a more durable and cost-effective way to use QR codes.

YOURLS

Website
yourls.org
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Platforms
-
Release Date
-

CodeDibs

$ Details
freemium $29.99 / One-off (Lifetime Access to 1 Dynamic QR Code)
Platforms
Web SaaS Webflow
Release Date
2026 March
Startup details
Country
Canada
State
Ontario
City
Woodbridge
Founder(s)
Eric Korber, Rowen Mardini
Employees
1 - 9

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.

CodeDibs features and specs

  • Dynamic QR Code
    Update destination links whenever you need to, and fully customize the appearance and branding of your QR code.
  • Static QR Code
    A free static QR code to help you get started, with a one-click upgrade option to access full dynamic QR code features and customization.
  • Analytics Pro
    Detailed analytics access tracking time-series data such as scan count, location, device, browser and more.

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.

Analysis of CodeDibs

Overall verdict

  • I don't have verified information about CodeDibs (codedibs.com) to make a reliable assessment. This doesn't appear to be a widely recognized or documented product/service in my training data, so I can't confirm its features, quality, reputation, or whether it's a legitimate, currently operating service.

Why this product is good

  • I lack specific, verified data about CodeDibs' features, pricing, or user reviews
  • I cannot confirm this is an active or legitimate service without direct access to browse the current website
  • Making claims about an unfamiliar product risks providing inaccurate information

Recommended for

  • Anyone considering this service should visit codedibs.com directly to review current offerings
  • Check independent review sites (Trustpilot, G2, Reddit) for user feedback
  • Verify company legitimacy through domain registration lookup and business registration checks
  • Look for contact information, terms of service, and privacy policy on the site itself
  • Consider reaching out to their support team with questions before committing to any purchase

YOURLS videos

How to make a URL Shorter with YOURLS

CodeDibs videos

No CodeDibs videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to YOURLS and CodeDibs)
URL Shortener
100 100%
0% 0
Link Management
98 98%
2% 2
QR Codes
0 0%
100% 100
Branded URLs
100 100%
0% 0

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing YOURLS and CodeDibs.

What makes your product unique?

CodeDibs's answer:

Most QR code platforms tie dynamic codes to an active subscription. Stop paying, and the codes stop working. That's a real problem when they're already printed on menus, signage, or packaging. With CodeDibs, purchased codes are yours permanently. The optional analytics subscription is there for users who want deeper scan reporting, but cancelling it (or never subscribing) has no effect on your codes. Static codes are free, dynamic codes are a one-time purchase, analytics are optional. That's the whole model.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

CodeDibs's answer:

Small business owners, freelancers and marketing agencies who need QR codes.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

CodeDibs's answer:

The app is hosted on AWS and the front end is built with React. The marketing site is built on WebFlow.

What's the story behind your product?

CodeDibs's answer:

My co-founder and I were tired of seeing all these dynamic QR code platforms where you had to constantly keep paying to retain access and functionality of your QR codes. It just seemed ridiculous, and so we built our own solution to this: CodeDibs.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

CodeDibs's answer:

Because the competitors lock you into a never-ending subscription trap, where you constantly need to pay to keep your QR codes functioning and active. Our model offers QR codes with lifetime access by default.

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 CodeDibs

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.
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.
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...
The 8 Best Alternatives to Google URL Shortener
Yourls, which is an acronym for "your own URL shortener," is exactly thatโ€”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

CodeDibs Reviews

We have no reviews of CodeDibs yet.
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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 2 years 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 / over 3 years ago
  • self-hosted url shorter with device targeting
    YOURLS has a "detect-mobile-device" plugin. Is that what you were looking for? Source: over 3 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 3 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 3 years ago
View more

CodeDibs mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of CodeDibs yet. Tracking of CodeDibs recommendations started around Mar 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing YOURLS and CodeDibs, 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.

Uniqode - Uniqode: Revolutionizing QR Codes, Simplifying Solutions.

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

FlowCode - Flowcode is a graphical programming language and IDE for devices such as Arduino or PIC microcontrollers as well as Raspberry Pi.

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