What is lua.sh?

lua.sh is a next-generation URL shortener designed for individuals and teams who want branded, trackable short links on their own domains. It shortens URLs with custom slugs, generates QR codes, supports link expiration and password protection, and organizes links into tagged workspaces. The analytics dashboard shows every click with geographic, device, browser, and referrer data retained indefinitely. The stack is Laravel (PHP) on the backend with PostgreSQL and Redis, and Vue 3 with Inertia.js and TailwindCSS on the frontend. It ships with a REST API that mirrors all UI actions and an MCP server at /mcp for AI assistants, both authenticated via Laravel Passport OAuth. Optional integrations include Google and GitHub social sign-in and PostHog product analytics. The project is licensed AGPL-3.0 and explicitly supports self-hosting with documented installation steps using Composer and npm. Dark mode is available in the UI.

Should you self-host lua.sh?

lua.sh scores 50/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #10 of 23 in URL Shortener. It has 342 GitHub stars.

There was no stable release in the past 12 months, so check the repository's recent activity before you rely on it.

Setup is advanced: plan for several services and some ongoing maintenance. It is AGPL-3.0-licensed and written mostly in PHP.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is dub-links (74/100, 24 961 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See lua.sh vs dub-links side by side.