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Chhoto URL

813 stars·Developer Tools·SHA-256 checksum verified

A minimal, self-hosted URL shortener written in Rust. Ultra-lightweight (<6MB Docker image, <5MB RAM) with no bloat, tracking, or user management. Ideal for personal or small team use.

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Ultra-lightweight self-hosted URL shortener, privacy-first, easy to deploy.

Core Features

  • Extremely lightweight: Docker image <6MB compressed, RAM <5MB under normal load
  • Privacy-respecting hit counting (only counts, no tracking)
  • Custom slugs, automatic expiration, QR code generation
  • Public mode for anonymous submissions; admin password required for management
  • No user management, cookies, newsletters, or paywalls

What It Can't Do

  • •Passwords are passed as plaintext env vars; always use a reverse proxy (e.g. Caddy) with HTTPS.
  • •Default SQLite is not suitable for high concurrency or thousands of links; for large scale, consider using UID slugs with length ≥16.
  • •Minimal UI and features; not for multi-user teams with complex permissions.

Use Cases

  • Self-hosted short link service for individuals or small teams replacing Bitly
  • Lightweight internal URL shortener for private networks
  • Privacy-sensitive scenarios like sharing confidential links internally

Detailed Introduction

Chhoto URL is a simple and fast self-hosted URL shortener that strips away all unnecessary features. Built with Rust and Actix Web, it offers a Docker image under 6MB (compressed) and RAM usage below 5MB under normal load. Features include random or custom slugs, automatic link expiry, hit counting without tracking, QR code generation, a public mode for anonymous submissions, and an editable admin interface. The backend uses SQLite (ACID by default) and the frontend is plain HTML/JS with Pure CSS. It does not include any user management, cookies, newsletters, or paywalls. Compared to alternatives like YOURLS or Polr, Chhoto URL's key advantages are its extreme simplicity and tiny resource footprint, making it perfect for personal or low-traffic use cases where privacy and ease of deployment matter.

Troubleshooting & FAQ (1)

feature inquiry
How to search or filter links in the admin UI?

Starting from version 7.0.0, a search/filter feature is available in the admin UI. Enter at least 3 ASCII characters to filter links by short URL, long URL, or notes field. The search is server-side and works efficiently even with thousands of links.

GitHub Issue #120

Tags

url-shortenerrustself-hostedlightweightprivacy

Getting Started

1

Download installer

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2

Install the software

Double-click the downloaded installer and follow the prompts

3

Step 1: Ensure Docker and Docker Compose are installed

4

Step 2: Create a `docker-compose.yml` using the example from the project README

5

Step 3: Run `docker-compose up -d`, set admin password via `CHHOTO_PASSWORD` environment variable

Install Guide
  1. Step 1: Ensure Docker and Docker Compose are installed
  2. Step 2: Create a `docker-compose.yml` using the example from the project README
  3. Step 3: Run `docker-compose up -d`, set admin password via `CHHOTO_PASSWORD` environment variable
File Integrity

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Open Source Transparency

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Environment Guide

Uninstall Info

Run `docker-compose down -v` to remove containers and volumes, then delete the project directory.

No Extra Dependencies

Ready to use after download. No additional runtime required.

Project Info
LicenseMIT
Last Updated2026-06-26 07:15:28
GitHub Repository

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