Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

YOURLS VS Tiny.cc

Compare YOURLS VS Tiny.cc 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.

Tiny.cc logo Tiny.cc

Changes a big URL into tiny URL. With link editing, detailed click statistics, QR Codes and Custom Domains.‎Info · ‎Example · ‎Help · ‎Tinycc Blog – Branding .
  • YOURLS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-18
  • Tiny.cc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-27

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.

Tiny.cc features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Tiny.cc offers a straightforward and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to shorten URLs quickly without needing extensive know-how.
  • Customizable Links
    Users can create custom short links, allowing for more memorable URLs that are easy to share and brand.
  • Tracking and Analytics
    The service provides detailed analytics for shortened URLs, including click counts, geographic location of clicks, and the referring website.
  • Integration Options
    Tiny.cc offers APIs and browser plugins for seamless integration with other platforms and tools, enhancing its usability in various workflows.
  • Free and Premium Versions
    Tiny.cc offers a free version with basic features and a premium version that provides advanced options and greater flexibility.

Possible disadvantages of Tiny.cc

  • Limited Free Features
    The free version of Tiny.cc has limitations in terms of features and analytics, which may not suffice for users needing comprehensive services.
  • Link Expiration
    Links created with a free account may expire after some period of inactivity, potentially causing inconvenience.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with any URL shortener service, using Tiny.cc can raise privacy issues, especially concerning the data gathered for analytics purposes.
  • Reliance on Third-party Service
    Users are dependent on the continued operation and policies of Tiny.cc, so any service disruption or changes in terms can affect access to shortened links.
  • Potential for Abuse
    Shortened URLs can be used for malicious purposes, such as phishing scams, making them less trustworthy for some users.

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 Tiny.cc

Overall verdict

  • Tiny.cc is considered a good option for individuals and small businesses looking for a simple and cost-effective solution for URL shortening. It provides essential features like link tracking and some level of customization, although its analytics and third-party integrations may not be as advanced as those offered by some competitors.

Why this product is good

  • Tiny.cc is a URL shortening service that allows users to create shortened, easy-to-share links from long URLs. This can be particularly useful for sharing links on platforms where character count is limited, such as Twitter. It offers basic analytics to track clicks, and users have the option to customize their shortened links, making them more memorable and brandable.

Recommended for

    Tiny.cc is particularly recommended for social media managers, digital marketers, bloggers, and small businesses who need to create user-friendly and trackable links without requiring advanced analytics or enterprise-level features.

YOURLS videos

How to make a URL Shorter with YOURLS

Tiny.cc videos

Tiny.cc iphone - 11

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How To Track Clicks In Custom Url (Url Shortener) With Tiny.cc

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to YOURLS and Tiny.cc)
URL Shortener
69 69%
31% 31
Link Management
71 71%
29% 29
Branded URLs
78 78%
22% 22
Online Services
56 56%
44% 44

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 Tiny.cc

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

Tiny.cc Reviews

11 Best URL Shorteners For 2025 (Comparison)
TinyCC is a custom URL shortener and link management tool used by over 279,000 companies around the world. A free, lightweight version of the tool is available at tiny.cc. You can create one shortened URL at a time with this version but can only customize the back-half of it (after the / ).
11 Best Bitly Alternatives & Similar URL Shorteners
Some platforms that provide a URL shortener feature are quite basic yet powerful. One of them is Tiny.cc. Even though this platform is simple, it is more than enough to get a shortened link for branding purposes.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, YOURLS seems to be a lot more popular than Tiny.cc. While we know about 21 links to YOURLS, we've tracked only 1 mention of Tiny.cc. 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

Tiny.cc mentions (1)

  • The files has been delete from google sheet
    DO NOT BOOKMARK THE SHEETS. They will change probably very often. Use the tiny.cc links on our info page. Source: over 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing YOURLS and Tiny.cc, 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.

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

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

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

Cutt.ly - Free custom URL shortener with analytics, branded short links with advanced link tracking, QR codes, analytics, and an all-in-one Link Management Platform & API. Easily shorten and manage your URLs with Cuttly - Complete URL Shortener Solution.

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