Shortlink
Shortlink is an open-source URL shortener and link-management platform that runs on Cloudflare Workers and is designed for self-hosted deployment.
What Shortlink is
Shortlink is an open-source URL shortener and link-management platform that runs on Cloudflare Workers and is designed for self-hosted deployment. It supports custom domains, random or custom slugs, expiration dates, pausing, tags, search, password protection, and UTM building. Links can send visitors to different destinations based on country or whether they use iOS, Android, or desktop. Analytics cover click totals, unique visitors, activity over time, countries, referrers, and device and browser details; bot traffic is excluded. Its QR studio offers customizable designs and PNG, SVG, or JPEG export. Users can manage links through a REST API or an MCP server with 12 tools. Deployment requires Node.js 22 or later and a Cloudflare account, with D1 available as a database option without an external database. The free plan costs nothing and includes custom domains, analytics, the REST API, and MCP server. Cloudflare's free Worker plan has a stated limit of 100,000 requests per day.
Good
- Custom domains and bulk link creation are supported.
- Analytics retention is unlimited.
- Links can route by country and device type.
- QR codes export as PNG, SVG, or JPEG.
- Free plan costs nothing.
Watch out
- Deployment requires Node.js 22 or later and a Cloudflare account.
- Cloudflare's free plan limit is 100,000 Worker requests daily.
- D1 rollups omit unique visitors and live activity.
- D1 rollups omit sub-hour analytics detail.
Who it suits
Shortlink suits people who want to host and manage branded links on Cloudflare Workers, with analytics and programmatic tools. Its location-based routing and QR studio may also suit teams managing multiple link destinations or QR designs.
Verdict
Shortlink combines self-hosted link management with routing, analytics, QR creation, and API access. Check the Cloudflare request ceiling and D1 analytics trade-offs against your deployment needs.
Plans and prices
From Shortlink's own pricing page, checked 12 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Cloudflare Workers free plan · 100,000 Worker requests/day · bulk CSV import up to 500 |
The facts
Each one read from Shortlink's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Accounts
- Accounts use email and passwords with server-side sessions, an active-session list, and soft-delete account closure.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Analytics
- Analytics include click totals, unique visitors, time charts, countries, referrers, device, browser, operating system, and a live activity feed.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Analytics retention
- unlimitedchecked 20 Sep 2026
- Analytics trade-off
- On D1, optional rollup logging reduces database writes but omits unique-visitor counts, the live feed, and sub-hour detail.checked 12 Oct 2026
- API access
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- API and MCP
- Shortlink provides a REST API with API keys and an MCP server with 12 tools for managing links.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Bot filtering
- The project says bot traffic is detected and excluded from analytics.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Branded links
- It supports custom domains, random or custom slugs, expiration, pausing, tags, search, password protection, and UTM building.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Bulk link creation
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Custom domains
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Deployment
- The deployment guide requires Node.js 22 or later and a Cloudflare account; D1 is offered as the no-external-database option.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Geo targeting
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- The deployment uses Cloudflare Workers, KV, R2, and D1 or Postgres; Workers AI can optionally suggest slugs and social-card text.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Product
- Shortlink is an open-source, self-hosted URL shortener and link-management platform that runs on Cloudflare Workers.checked 12 Oct 2026
- QR codes
- Its QR studio supports frames, shapes, colors, gradients, logos, saved presets, and PNG, SVG, or JPEG export.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Routing
- Links can route visitors by country and to different targets for iOS, Android, or desktop.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Security
- The project describes a self-hosted human check using invisible proof-of-work and optional mini-game CAPTCHA, with no third-party service.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Usage limit
- The deployment guide identifies Cloudflare's 100,000 Worker requests per day free-plan limit as the first expected capacity ceiling.checked 12 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
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