Current
What Current is
Current is an open-source, self-hosted link management platform for marketing and campaign teams, available through a web interface and API. It creates short links with custom aliases or generated codes, then provides per-link analytics covering clicks, unique visitors, geography, devices, browsers, daily trends, referrers, and average response time. Each shortened URL receives a QR code that can be fetched as a PNG. Teams can use Admin, Maintainer, and Viewer roles, create additional roles through the Roles API, and organize link namespaces with categories and role-scoped access. Protected endpoints use bearer tokens, with 30-minute access tokens and rotating 7-day refresh tokens. OIDC single sign-on is license-gated. Current supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB Galera, and SQLite, with Docker Compose and Kubernetes deployment options described in its documentation. It exposes Prometheus-format metrics behind Basic authentication, plus unauthenticated health, readiness, and liveness probes. The documentation also states that connections enforce TLS 1.2 or higher and lists input validation and security-header middleware. Current is free, but its Limited AGPL-3.0 license includes commercial-use restrictions.
Who it suits
Current suits marketing and campaign teams that want to self-host link management and analytics. Its roles and namespace controls may also suit teams that need to separate access within one installation.
What it does well
- Free and open source.
- Per-link analytics include geography and referrers.
- Every shortened URL gets a QR code.
- Supports four database options.
- Docker Compose and Kubernetes deployment options are documented.
What to know first
- OIDC single sign-on is license-gated.
- Limited AGPL-3.0 license restricts commercial use.
- Requires self-hosted deployment.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted deployment | Core URL shortening, click analytics, QR codes, RBAC, and multi-tenant namespaces included · OIDC/SSO is license-gated | On request |
As currenturl.app lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Current combines branded short links, analytics, QR codes, and team controls in a self-hosted platform. Check the license restrictions and gated SSO before adopting it for commercial use.
Facts from Current's own pages
- API access
- Yes · currenturl.app, 20 Sept 2026
- Authentication
- Protected endpoints use bearer-token authentication with 30-minute access tokens and rotating 7-day refresh tokens. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Branded links
- It creates short links with custom aliases or automatically generated codes. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Click analytics
- Per-link analytics include clicks, unique visitors, geography, devices, browsers, daily trends, referrers, and average response time. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Databases
- Supported databases are PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB Galera, and SQLite. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The maker's documentation describes Docker Compose and Kubernetes deployment options. · docs.penguintech.io, 5 Oct 2026
- License
- Current is released under a Limited AGPL-3.0 license with commercial-use restrictions. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Monitoring
- Current exposes Prometheus-format metrics behind Basic authentication and provides unauthenticated health, readiness, and liveness probes. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Namespaces
- Categories and role-scoped access let teams isolate link namespaces within one instance. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Current is a self-hosted link management platform for marketing and campaign teams. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- QR codes
- Every shortened URL gets an automatically generated QR code, which can be fetched as a PNG. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Security
- The documentation states that connections enforce TLS 1.2 or higher and lists input validation and security-header middleware. · docs.penguintech.io, 5 Oct 2026
- SSO
- OIDC single sign-on is license-gated and checks an online or cached offline entitlement. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- The documentation lists support at [email protected] and sales at [email protected]. · docs.penguintech.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Team access
- Current includes Admin, Maintainer, and Viewer roles, and supports custom roles through its Roles API. · currenturl.app, 5 Oct 2026
Where Current stands on Freedom251
- URL shorteners#152 of 156