Tool profile
YOURLS: cost, fit and limits
YOURLS, short for Your Own URL Shortener, is free open source software maintained by YOURLS Contributors that you install on your own server to run a private short link service with statistics and plugins. It is free.
What to know first
YOURLS is free under the MIT license for code, with documentation under CC BY 4.0, and the site asks for sponsorship through OpenCollective. It offers bookmarklets, a developer API, click statistics with referrer tracking and visitor geo-location, and a plugin architecture with dozens of plugins. The site names no company, no country and no AI feature anywhere on the pages read.
YOURLS at a glance
| Maker | YOURLS Contributors, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Quote only |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Link Shortener Software in 2026, rank 11 of 12 |
| Website | yourls.org |
Who YOURLS is best for
Developers who like plugins
A plugin architecture with dozens of plugins lets a small shortener be extended with new behavior without forking or rewriting the core code of the project.
Individuals running a private shortener
Self-hosting on your own domain gives branded links and statistics at the cost of a server, with no per-link or per-click charge from a vendor.
Staff who shorten from the browser
Bookmarklets let people shorten the page they are on with one click, which suits editors and social media staff who share many links through the day.
YOURLS plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Open source (self-hosted) | Free, MIT license for code | Self-hosted install with bookmarklets, a developer API, statistics and plugins; the site seeks sponsorship through OpenCollective. |
Checked November 2026.
What YOURLS does
- Bookmarklets
- Bookmarklets shorten pages directly from the browser toolbar, so a link is created and copied without opening the admin screen of the installation. No dashboard visit needed.
- Developer API
- An API lets other applications create and fetch short links, which allows publishing tools and scripts to generate branded addresses automatically. Scripts can use it too.
- Statistics
- Historical click reports, referrer tracking and visitor geo-location are included in the statistics, so a small team gets basic campaign reporting without extra software. Reports stay on your server.
- Plugin architecture
- Dozens of plugins extend behavior, from link handling to reporting, so the core stays small and each installation adds only what it needs. Install only what you need.
How YOURLS handles your data
YOURLS is software you host, so link and click data stay wherever you install it. The site describes no vendor-hosted service, retention period, certification or AI training. Because there is no hosted product described, training questions do not apply to the software itself. The vendor's policy was not checked for any other service. Backups, access control, updates and plugin trust are the operator's job, and third-party plugins add their own risk to review.
Where YOURLS falls short in practice
- Operator does all upkeep. Hosting, updates and backups are yours, and the site describes no managed service for teams that would rather not run any server software. Nobody else will patch it.
- No named organization. The site names no company or country, only contributors, so no support contract or service level is available to a business that requires one. Ask elsewhere for support.
- Plugin quality varies. Dozens of plugins extend the core, but each is separate code to vet before putting it on a production server that holds your link data.
Alternatives to YOURLS
YOURLS: common questions
What does YOURLS stand for?
Your Own URL Shortener. It is free open source software installed on your own server so that you control the domain, the links and the click data. The site describes no hosted version, so every installation is run by its own operator.
Is YOURLS free?
The code is under the MIT license and the documentation under CC BY 4.0, and the site asks for sponsorship through OpenCollective. There are no product prices, but you pay for your own server and for the time spent maintaining the installation.
Does YOURLS have statistics?
Yes. The site lists historical click reports, referrer tracking and visitor geo-location. Retention depends on your own database since you host it, so plan backups and exports if long click history matters to your reporting. Export regularly. Dump the database on a schedule.
Can I extend YOURLS?
Yes, through a plugin architecture with dozens of plugins, plus a developer API and bookmarklets. Review each plugin before installing it, since it runs on your server with access to the link data and may not be maintained any longer.
Does YOURLS have AI?
The pages read name no AI feature. It is a plain self-hosted shortener. For an AI assistant that analyzes clicks, compare Bitly or Short.io, which describe such features on their pricing pages and are hosted by the vendor instead. Pick one that fits.