QR Code Generator

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to QR Code Generator

A curated collection of the 6 best self hosted alternatives to QR Code Generator.

Cloud tool for creating and managing static and dynamic QR codes, offering editable destinations, scan analytics, custom branding and design options, and export capabilities for print and digital marketing campaigns.

Alternatives List

#1
Dub

Dub

Dub is an open-source link attribution platform for branded short links, real-time analytics, conversion tracking, webhooks, and affiliate/referral programs.

Dub screenshot

Dub is an open-source link attribution platform that combines branded short links, real-time analytics, and partner/affiliate programs in one system. It helps teams measure outcomes by tracking the journey from click through conversion and revenue.

Key Features

  • Branded short links with custom domains
  • Advanced link controls including device and geo targeting
  • A/B testing for links
  • Automatic QR code generation for links
  • Conversion tracking from first click to sale
  • Real-time analytics and detailed event visibility
  • API for programmatic link creation and management
  • Real-time webhooks for link and conversion events
  • Partner/affiliate and referral program tooling, including embedded dashboards
  • Role-based access control for managing links at scale

Use Cases

  • Run and measure marketing campaigns with click-to-conversion attribution
  • Manage short links at scale across teams, brands, and domains
  • Build embedded referral/affiliate programs to drive product-led growth

Limitations and Considerations

  • Uses an open-core model: a small portion of enterprise features requires a commercial license

Dub is a strong fit for teams that want modern link management plus attribution and partner infrastructure in a single product. It scales from simple branded short links to high-volume tracking and programmatic link workflows via API.

22.9kstars
2.8kforks
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#2
YOURLS

YOURLS

YOURLS is a self-hosted PHP URL shortener with custom short links, a developer API, detailed click analytics, and an extensible plugin architecture.

YOURLS screenshot

YOURLS (Your Own URL Shortener) is a set of PHP scripts for running your own branded URL shortener on your domain. It provides full control over short links and includes built-in statistics and an API for automation and integrations.

Key Features

  • Create and manage short URLs on your own domain
  • Detailed click statistics with historical reports
  • Referrer tracking and visitor geolocation insights
  • Developer-friendly API for programmatic link creation and management
  • Bookmarklets for quick shortening from the browser
  • Extensible plugin architecture with a large plugin ecosystem

Use Cases

  • Run a branded link shortener for a company, community, or personal domain
  • Track engagement on shared links with referrers and click analytics
  • Integrate link shortening into internal tools via the API

Limitations and Considerations

  • Core storage is typically backed by a relational database; performance depends on database tuning and traffic patterns
  • Advanced features (custom workflows, moderation, additional analytics) may require third-party plugins

YOURLS is a mature, lightweight option for operating a private URL shortener with solid analytics and customization. It is well suited for teams and individuals who want ownership of link data and flexible extensibility via plugins and API access.

11.8kstars
2.1kforks
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#3
Slash

Slash

Open-source self-hosted link management platform to create, organize, and share tagged shortcuts (s/...) with optional public/team access and basic click analytics.

Slash screenshot

Slash is an open-source platform for organizing and sharing frequently used links through memorable, human-readable shortcuts (for example, s/name). It helps teams and individuals reduce “link chaos” by making important URLs easier to find, share, and reuse.

Key Features

  • Create customizable short links using an s/ shortcut format
  • Tag and organize links for faster discovery and management
  • Share links publicly or restrict access to teammates
  • Collections for grouping and sharing sets of shortcuts
  • Basic traffic analytics for link clicks and sources
  • Optional browser extension for quick access via the browser search/address bar

Use Cases

  • Team knowledge sharing for internal tools, dashboards, and runbooks
  • Personal link hub for commonly used resources and quick navigation
  • Curated collections of links shared with external collaborators or the public

Limitations and Considerations

  • Analytics are focused on link traffic basics and may not replace full web analytics platforms

Slash combines a lightweight link manager with a shortcut-first workflow, making shared URLs easier to remember and distribute. It is well-suited for small teams or individuals who want a simple, searchable system for link organization and sharing.

3.1kstars
141forks
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#4
Fli.so

Fli.so

Self-hosted URL shortener built with SvelteKit and PocketBase to shorten, customize, organize, and track links with QR codes and security controls.

Fli.so is a fast, modern URL shortener and link management platform. It helps teams and individuals create branded short links, organize them, and track performance through built-in analytics.

Key Features

  • Custom short URLs and branded slugs
  • Link preview controls (metadata) for social sharing
  • QR code generation for any link
  • Tagging to organize and filter links
  • Security controls such as password protection and expiry dates
  • Keyboard shortcuts for power users

Use Cases

  • Creating branded short links for marketing campaigns and social posts
  • Generating QR codes for print materials, events, and packaging
  • Managing and tracking many links across projects with tags and analytics

Limitations and Considerations

  • Built on PocketBase (SQLite-based), which may be less suitable for very high-scale, multi-node deployments compared to traditional SQL servers

Fli.so combines a clean UI with practical link management features, making it a good fit for lightweight, privacy-conscious link tracking. It is especially useful when you want an all-in-one short-link dashboard without heavy operational overhead.

503stars
36forks
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#5
Simple-URL-Shortener

Simple-URL-Shortener

Lightweight PHP URL shortener offering user accounts and link history, supports MySQL or SQLite, designed with minimal dependencies and deployable in a subfolder.

Simple-URL-Shortener screenshot

Simple-URL-Shortener is a small, KISS PHP-based URL shortener that stores links in MySQL or SQLite and provides per-user link history. It aims to be dependency-free and easy to install for simple link shortening needs.

Key Features

  • Lightweight PHP application with no external dependencies beyond PHP and a database
  • Supports MySQL or SQLite backends for storage
  • User accounts with per-user link history and optional comments on links
  • Bookmarklet/shortcut to quickly create short URLs from the browser
  • Works when deployed in a subfolder and includes example configurations for Nginx and Apache
  • Installation script to initialize the database and create the first admin user
  • Secure cookie settings require HTTPS for authentication

Use Cases

  • Internal team or personal URL shortening service for sharing compact links
  • Simple link-tracking and history for individual users or small teams
  • Embedding a minimal shortener in an existing site (subfolder deployment)

Limitations and Considerations

  • The project is no longer actively maintained by the original author; no ongoing feature development or regular updates are guaranteed
  • Authentication relies on secure cookies and requires HTTPS in production environments
  • Feature set is intentionally minimal (no built-in analytics, custom domains, or advanced link management features)

Simple-URL-Shortener is best suited for users who need a tiny, easy-to-run shortener with user history and prefer a minimal, dependency-free codebase. It is not intended as a full-featured commercial link management platform.

58stars
17forks
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#6
clink

clink

clink is a dead-simple, ultra-minimal URL shortener written in C with a tiny footprint, designed for easy self-hosting behind NGINX and systemd.

clink screenshot

clink is a super-minimal URL shortener written in C, built to be fast and small while staying easy to deploy. It uses the embedded Mongoose web server and is typically run behind a reverse proxy for HTTPS.

Key Features

  • Very small binary size and low resource usage
  • Embedded HTTP server via Mongoose (no heavy external runtime)
  • Supports query-string based creation (useful for integrations that expect it)
  • URL decoding support for encoded URLs
  • Per-link deletion keys generated from a server-side seed
  • Optional provided systemd unit and NGINX reverse-proxy configuration
  • Includes a companion CLI utility (clinkctl) for administration

Use Cases

  • Self-hosted link shortener for a personal domain or organization
  • Short links for tools that require query-string based submission
  • Lightweight redirect service for homelabs or internal networks

Limitations and Considerations

  • No built-in blacklists/word filters for destinations or short codes
  • HTTPS is expected to be handled by a reverse proxy (for example, NGINX)

clink is a good fit when you want a straightforward, no-frills shortener with minimal dependencies. Its tiny footprint and simple operational model make it especially attractive for small servers and homelabs.

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Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running