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Reviewed · Updated 2026-10-04

YOURLS

Free, open-source PHP URL shortener you install on your own server and domain, with click stats, an API and plugins.

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team ·
Try YOURLS
Pricing
Free
Best for
Self-hosted branded links
Category
Developer & Technical

YOURLS (Your Own URL Shortener) is free, open-source PHP software for running short links on your own domain, aimed at developers and IT admins who want to own their click data. The software costs nothing under the MIT license; you pay only for hosting and a domain. It needs PHP 8.1 or later and a MySQL or MariaDB database.

The bottom line

Free and dependable for teams that can host it; not for anyone wanting zero maintenance.

6.4
Our score
6.4 / 10
Conversion Gems editorial verdict
Free (hosting costs extra)
Features6/10
6 - custom short links, click history, referrers, geolocation, API and plugins; QR codes and team features need plugins or are absent.
Value9/10
9 - free under MIT with no link or click limits; only hosting costs.
Ease of use4/10
4 - needs a PHP 8.1+ server and MySQL, or Docker; config is edited by hand.
Ecosystem7/10
7 - developer API, bookmarklets, dozens of plugins, official Docker image and a Softaculous installer.
Support5/10
5 - good docs and an active GitHub project, but no vendor support.
What it really is

Free PHP software for running your own branded short-link service and keeping the click data.

Our take

If you already run a PHP host or Docker, YOURLS gets you branded short links and click stats for the price of a domain. Keep it private unless you are ready to fight spam, and plan to apply updates, since the 2026 releases included security fixes. If nobody on the team wants that job, a hosted shortener is cheaper in time.

Why we rate it

Free, actively released, and keeps link data on your own server, with stats, an API and plugins.

The catch

You install, update and secure it yourself, and public installs attract spam.

Best for
Branded short links on your own domain
Organizations that must keep link data in-house
Developers adding shortening to their apps via API
Not good for
Non-technical marketers
Teams wanting QR codes and team roles built in
Anyone needing vendor support
Friction report
Time to value
Under an hour with Docker or a one-click installer; longer by hand.
Scale breakpoint
High traffic needs a stronger database server or cache plugins; each redirect makes 4 queries.
Walled garden
None: open source and your own MySQL database.

What you need to run YOURLS

ComponentRequirement
Web serverApache 2.4+ with mod_rewrite (or the official Docker image)
PHP8.1 or later; cURL extension for the API
DatabaseMySQL 5.5+ or MariaDB 10.0+
SecurityHTTPS recommended; anti-spam plugins if the shortener is public
License costFree (MIT)

From the YOURLS documentation, checked 4 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

YOURLS alternatives

Hosted link tools from our reviews, if you would rather not run a server:

Geniuslink: Hosted smart links billed by clicks, with localization for affiliate links.
Hovercode: Hosted QR codes and short links with tracking and custom domains on paid plans.
found.ee: Hosted short links with click tracking for marketing campaigns.
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Tags

#URLShortener#OpenSource#SelfHosted#PHP

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