# OpenWrt vs Shlink

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

| | OpenWrt | Shlink |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 70/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 8 in Operating System | #3 of 23 in URL Shortener |
| GitHub stars | 28 967 ✓ | 5 380 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +454 ✓ | +77 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 | 13 ✓ |
| Latest release | v25.12.6 · 18 Oct 2026 | v5.1.8 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | C | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

OpenWrt scores 83/100 against 70/100 for Shlink, so it is the safer default.

Shlink ships more often: 13 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for OpenWrt.

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

OpenWrt is growing faster right now (+454 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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