Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

YOURLS VS Fast URL Shortener

Compare YOURLS VS Fast URL Shortener 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.

Fast URL Shortener logo Fast URL Shortener

Simple and fast tool to create a shortened URL making it easy to remember and share.
  • YOURLS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-18
  • Fast URL Shortener Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-11-18

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.

Fast URL Shortener features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Fast URL Shortener offers a simple user interface that makes it easy for users to shorten URLs quickly without any technical expertise.
  • API Support
    The service provides API integration via RapidAPI, allowing developers to incorporate URL shortening into their applications easily.
  • Speed
    As the name suggests, the service is designed to shorten URLs rapidly, enhancing user experience by saving time.
  • Convenience
    Users can access the URL shortener from anywhere via a web browser, making it a convenient option for quickly generating short links.

Possible disadvantages of Fast URL Shortener

  • Limited Features
    Compared to other URL shorteners, this tool may offer fewer features such as analytics, custom slugs, and link management.
  • Dependence on External API
    Relying on an external API like RapidAPI means that any downtime or issues with the API may affect the URL shortener's performance.
  • Security Concerns
    Shortened URLs can sometimes be used for phishing or redirecting to malicious sites if not properly monitored and secured.
  • Privacy Issues
    Using third-party services often involves data sharing, which can raise concerns about how user data and links are handled.

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.

YOURLS videos

How to make a URL Shorter with YOURLS

Fast URL Shortener videos

Lightning-Fast URL Shortener App with Laravel and Redis: A Step-by-Step Guide

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to YOURLS and Fast URL Shortener)
Link Management
93 93%
7% 7
URL Shortener
92 92%
8% 8
Branded URLs
94 94%
6% 6
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

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 Fast URL Shortener

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 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

Fast URL Shortener Reviews

We have no reviews of Fast URL Shortener 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 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
View more

Fast URL Shortener mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Fast URL Shortener yet. Tracking of Fast URL Shortener recommendations started around Nov 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing YOURLS and Fast URL Shortener, 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.

Jetlink - Private Jet Air Service Since 1977. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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

Short Menu - Create personalized short links that boost engagement. Reach your audience with targeted, branded links. Get actionable insights into your link performance.

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