Top pick · highest health
Shlink
URL shortener with REST API and command line interface. Includes official progressive web application and docker images.
DockerPHP
URL Shorteners
Open source alternatives to Bitly
We track 3 open-source Bitly alternatives, of which 2 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 2 ship a Docker image. Shlink leads on health at 95/100 with 45 commits in the last 90 days; across all 3 projects you are choosing between MIT.
updated Oct 2026 3 alternatives best health 95 ★ 29k combined 77 commits / 90d 2 with Docker
Top picks to replace Bitly
Showing 3 of 3 tools
All 3 Bitly alternatives, ranked by health
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YOURLS
YOURLS is a set of PHP scripts that will allow you to run Your Own URL Shortener. Features include password protection, URL customization, bookmarklets, statistics, API, plugins, jsonp.
PHP -
Kutt
Modern URL shortener with support for custom domains and custom URLs.
DockerNodejs
Bitly alternatives compared
Shlink edges YOURLS 95 to 84, and most of the difference is Docker support: a Docker image against no Docker image. YOURLS has the largest following at 12k stars, yet ranks #2 of 3, held back mostly by Docker support (no Docker image).
The most recent release is Shlink v5.1.8, published 9 days ago. None of the measured options scores under 40. By stack, PHP (2) and Nodejs (1) are the most common. Shlink, YOURLS and Kutt are permissively licensed.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shlink Up 5 points since 11 Sep | 95 | 5.4k | MIT | 6 days ago | Yes |
| YOURLS Down 2 points since 11 Sep | 84 | 12k | MIT | 3 days ago | No |
| Kutt Down 7 points since 11 Sep, no release for 3 months | 66 | 11k | MIT | 11 days ago | Yes |
Bitly alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Bitly?
Shlink scores highest at 95/100, with 45 commits in the last 90 days, 5.4k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v5.1.8) published 9 days ago. It is also the most active by raw commit count.
Which Bitly alternatives use a permissive licence?
3 of 3 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): Shlink (MIT), YOURLS (MIT), Kutt (MIT). 0 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Bitly alternatives run in Docker?
2 of 3 publish a Docker image or Compose file: Shlink, Kutt. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is Shlink or YOURLS the better Bitly alternative?
On measured health Shlink leads, 95 to 84. Shlink has 45 commits in 90 days, 5.4k stars and v5.1.8 from 9 days ago; YOURLS has 28 commits in 90 days, 12k stars and 1.10.6 from 2 months ago. YOURLS is ahead on stars, so it is the stronger pick if that is what you weigh most.
Are the Bitly alternatives still maintained?
2 of the 3 measured options score 70 or above. Every measured option had commits in the last 90 days. None scores under 40.
What languages are the Bitly alternatives written in?
PHP: Shlink and YOURLS. Nodejs: Kutt. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
