# NGINX vs Shlink

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | NGINX | Shlink |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 ✓ | 70/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 12 in Web Servers | #3 of 23 in URL Shortener |
| GitHub stars | 32 003 ✓ | 5 383 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +279 ✓ | +80 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 ✓ | 13 |
| Latest release | release-1.31.8 · 21 Oct 2026 | v5.1.8 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | MIT |
| Main language | C | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

NGINX scores 84/100 against 70/100 for Shlink, so it is the safer default.

NGINX ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 13 for Shlink.

If you want the quickest setup, Shlink is easier to run; NGINX needs more configuration.

NGINX is growing faster right now (+279 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [NGINX](https://selfhost.directory/project/nginx) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nginx.md)
- [Shlink](https://selfhost.directory/project/shlink) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/shlink.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/nginx-vs-shlink