Lessn More
by Lessn More
What Lessn More is
Lessn More is a free, open-source personal URL shortener intended for self-hosting on your own domain. Users can choose custom short URLs or generate random or incremental slugs, adjust character case, and avoid lookalike characters. Bookmarklets can shorten or tweet links, while usage statistics show redirection activity. Its HTTP GET API requires an API key and can create or retrieve short URLs and custom slugs. The software can send several short links to one long URL and supports non-Web URIs such as ftp: and magnet: links. Lessn More requires PHP 5.6 or newer, PHP PDO, and a database. MySQL has the strongest support; PostgreSQL and SQLite may work but are not officially supported. The project uses a BSD-3-Clause license and is supplied as-is without support or warranty.
Who it suits
Lessn More suits individuals or organizations wanting a self-hosted shortener on their own domain. It fits users comfortable managing PHP, a database, and API keys.
What it does well
- Free and open-source
- Custom short URLs and slug controls
- HTTP GET API with API-key access
- Supports ftp: and magnet: links
- Redirection-usage statistics
What to know first
- Self-hosting requires PHP and a database
- PostgreSQL and SQLite are unofficially supported
- No support or warranty
- Incremental mode is discouraged for concurrent shortening
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lessn More | Free, open-source personal URL shortener; self-hosted | Free |
As lessnmore.net lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Lessn More provides flexible, self-hosted link shortening without a listed charge. Its setup requirements and as-is support model mean operators must manage hosting and troubleshooting themselves.
Facts from Lessn More's own pages
- API
- The API uses HTTP GET requests, requires an API key, and supports creating or retrieving short URLs and custom slugs. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- API access
- Yes · lessnmore.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Bookmarklets
- Bookmarklets can shorten or tweet URLs and support custom short URLs. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Concurrency caveat
- The maker does not recommend incremental mode when multiple URLs may be shortened at the same time. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Custom domains
- Yes · lessnmore.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Custom URLs
- Users can choose custom short URLs when shortening links. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Database limits
- PostgreSQL and SQLite may work but are not officially supported and are offered at the user's risk. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2010 · lessnmore.net, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · lessnmore.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Hosting and requirements
- It is self-hosted software requiring PHP 5.6 or newer, PHP PDO, and a database; MySQL is the most solidly supported. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Intended user
- The project describes itself as a personal URL shortener and provides installation instructions for deploying it on the user's own domain. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- License
- The project describes its license as BSD-like; its repository identifies the license as BSD-3-Clause. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Lessn More is a free, open-source personal URL shortener with enhancements over the original Lessn. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Redirect options
- It can create multiple redirections to the same long URL and can shorten non-Web URIs such as ftp: or magnet:. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Security
- The project says HTTPS logins use a cookie that will not leak over HTTPS and authentication cookies are set HTTP_ONLY. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Slug formats
- Short URLs can use random or incremental slugs, with configurable character case and lookalike-character avoidance. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Statistics
- The product provides statistics on redirection usage. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The software is offered as-is, without support or warranty; issues can be reported through its GitHub issue tracker. · lessnmore.net, 12 Oct 2026
Where Lessn More stands on Freedom251
- URL shorteners#127 of 156