Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

YOURLS VS Pixela

Compare YOURLS VS Pixela 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.

Pixela logo Pixela

Record and Track your habits or effort. All by API.
  • YOURLS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-18
  • Pixela Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-30

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.

Pixela features and specs

  • User-Friendly Graph Creation
    Pixela allows users to create and manage graphs through a simple and intuitive API, which makes it easy for even non-developers to track their habits and activities visually.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize their graphs in terms of colors, units, and graph styles, enabling personalized tracking of various kinds of activities or habits.
  • No Coding Required for Basic Use
    Basic use of Pixela requires no coding skills, allowing users to start tracking their habits by simply using HTTP requests.
  • Free to Use
    Pixela is free to use, making it accessible for individuals and small startups or projects that wish to visualize data and habits without incurring extra costs.

Possible disadvantages of Pixela

  • Limited to Habit Tracking
    Pixela is mainly designed for habit tracking and might not provide as much flexibility or advanced features for other types of data visualization compared to more comprehensive analytics tools.
  • Requires Manual Data Entry
    Users need to manually log their activities via API requests, which may become tedious for those who want automation or are tracking a large amount of data.
  • Limited Integration
    While Pixela provides a basic API, its integration with other apps and services is limited compared to other platforms offering broader connectivity.
  • Graph Complexity
    For users looking to create complex graphs with extensive datasets, Pixela might not be the best fit due to its simplicity and focus on habit tracking.

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 Pixela

Overall verdict

  • Good

Why this product is good

  • Pixela is a web service that allows users to track and visualize their habits or activities through graphs. It is praised for its simplicity, versatility, and ease of use, making it a suitable tool for personal data tracking, goal setting, and habit formation. It supports customization through JSON and offers an API for more advanced integrations. The platform is often appreciated for its neat interface and the ability to effortlessly create visual representations of data without requiring deep technical knowledge.

Recommended for

  • Individuals looking to track personal habits
  • Users interested in goal setting and habit formation
  • Developers seeking a simple API for graphing data
  • Anyone looking for a tool to visualize daily activities

YOURLS videos

How to make a URL Shorter with YOURLS

Pixela videos

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

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to YOURLS and Pixela)
Link Management
89 89%
11% 11
URL Shortener
90 90%
10% 10
Branded URLs
89 89%
11% 11
Online Services
100 100%
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 Pixela

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

Pixela Reviews

We have no reviews of Pixela yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, YOURLS should be more popular than Pixela. 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

Pixela mentions (4)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing YOURLS and Pixela, 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.

PixelMe - URL shortener for savvy marketers

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

Shorten.REST - A URL shortener API you can depend on

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

Short.io - Short.io makes short links (vanity urls) on your own domain. Free signup, analytics and API. Chrome, slack, zapier and segment integrations.