Shortlink

What Shortlink is
Shortlink is a link-shortening project available through GitHub, with a deployment route on Cloudflare Workers. Its Free plan supports self-hosted deployment on Cloudflare Workers, custom domains, click analytics, a REST API, and an MCP server. The platform listing is API, and the project also supports bulk link creation and geo targeting. Analytics retention is unlimited, so the listed analytics do not have a stated retention cutoff. The plan costs nothing and runs on the Cloudflare Workers free plan; the pricing details say a normal-sized install has no monthly cost. Shortlink is suited to people who want to manage link creation and access analytics through programmatic tools, while keeping a custom domain. Bulk creation can help users handle multiple links, and geo targeting provides location-based link behavior. The facts describe an API-oriented service and a self-hosted Cloudflare Workers setup. They do not describe a separate desktop or mobile app platform. The Free plan brings the listed deployment, domain, analytics, API, and MCP server capabilities together at no monthly cost for a normal-sized install.
Who it suits
Shortlink suits developers or teams who want to run a link-shortening service on Cloudflare Workers and use a custom domain. Its API, bulk link creation, analytics, and geo targeting fit workflows that manage links programmatically.
What it does well
- Free plan costs nothing.
- Supports custom domains and bulk link creation.
- Click analytics retention is unlimited.
- Includes a REST API and MCP server.
- Geo targeting is supported.
What to know first
- The listed platform is API.
- Self-hosting is on Cloudflare Workers.
- The no-monthly-cost statement applies to a normal-sized install.
Limits
The Free plan runs on the Cloudflare Workers free plan, with no monthly cost stated for a normal-sized install.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Cloudflare Workers free plan · 100,000 Worker requests/day · bulk CSV import up to 500 | Free |
As github.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the Shortlink GitHub project.
- Deploy it on Cloudflare Workers.
- Use the Cloudflare Workers free plan for a normal-sized install.
- Set up a custom domain if desired.
- Create links through the REST API or MCP server.
Verdict
Choose Shortlink if you want a free, self-hosted link-shortening setup with custom domains, analytics, and API access. Look elsewhere if you need a listed platform beyond API or a deployment route other than Cloudflare Workers.
Questions
How much does Shortlink cost?
The Free plan costs nothing and runs on the Cloudflare Workers free plan. A normal-sized install has no monthly cost.
Does Shortlink have a free plan?
Yes. Its Free plan includes self-hosted Cloudflare Workers deployment, custom domains, click analytics, a REST API, and an MCP server.
Which platform does Shortlink list?
The listed platform is API.
Can I use a custom domain?
Yes. Custom domains are included in the Free plan.
Does Shortlink provide analytics?
Yes. Click analytics are included, and analytics retention is unlimited.
Is Shortlink open source?
It is available through GitHub at the listed botnick/shortlink project page.
Facts from Shortlink's own pages
- Accounts
- Accounts use email and passwords with server-side sessions, an active-session list, and soft-delete account closure. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Analytics
- Analytics include click totals, unique visitors, time charts, countries, referrers, device, browser, operating system, and a live activity feed. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Analytics retention
- unlimited · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Analytics trade-off
- On D1, optional rollup logging reduces database writes but omits unique-visitor counts, the live feed, and sub-hour detail. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- API access
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- API and MCP
- Shortlink provides a REST API with API keys and an MCP server with 12 tools for managing links. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Bot filtering
- The project says bot traffic is detected and excluded from analytics. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Branded links
- It supports custom domains, random or custom slugs, expiration, pausing, tags, search, password protection, and UTM building. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Bulk link creation
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Custom domains
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Deployment
- The deployment guide requires Node.js 22 or later and a Cloudflare account; D1 is offered as the no-external-database option. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Geo targeting
- Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- The deployment uses Cloudflare Workers, KV, R2, and D1 or Postgres; Workers AI can optionally suggest slugs and social-card text. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Product
- Shortlink is an open-source, self-hosted URL shortener and link-management platform that runs on Cloudflare Workers. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- QR codes
- Its QR studio supports frames, shapes, colors, gradients, logos, saved presets, and PNG, SVG, or JPEG export. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Routing
- Links can route visitors by country and to different targets for iOS, Android, or desktop. · github.com, 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. · github.com, 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. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Where Shortlink stands on Freedom251
- URL shorteners#13 of 156
- Custom Url Shortener Software#14 of 27