SearXNGvsShlink
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| SearXNG | Shlink | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 86/100 | 70/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 41 in Search Engines | #3 of 23 in URL Shortener |
| GitHub stars | 38 965 | 5 380 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 353 | +77 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 13 |
| Latest release | — | v5.1.8 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Python | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
SearXNG scores 86/100 against 70/100 for Shlink, so it is the safer default.
Shlink ships more often: 13 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for SearXNG.
If you want the quickest setup, Shlink is easier to run; SearXNG needs more configuration.
SearXNG is growing faster right now (+1 353 stars in 30 days).
SearXNG details →Shlink details →
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