head to head · open source
duckdb vs Shlink
duckdb has 41,440 GitHub stars, 3,798 forks, 858 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Shlink has 5,293 stars, 413 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. duckdb leads on adoption by 683% (41,440 vs 5,293 stars). duckdb is written in C++ under MIT; Shlink is written in PHP under MIT. duckdb has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, Shlink 8%. duckdb was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| duckdb | Shlink | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 41K | ★ 5.3K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-10 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.8K | ⑂ 413 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick duckdb if
- You weight community size — 41K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Shlink if
- You want the Shlink feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Shlink fits your workflow better
About duckdb
DuckDB is an analytical, in process SQL database management system written in C++ and released under the MIT license. It runs inside the application process rather than as a separate server, and it is distributed as a standalone command line application as well as through clients for Python, R, Java, and WebAssembly. The project lives in the analytical SQL ecosystem, where the topics listed for it are analytics, database, embedded database, OLAP, and SQL. It has been developed for about eight years, with the last push recorded on 15 September 2026.
read the full duckdb overview →
About Shlink
Shlink is a self hosted URL shortener written in PHP, published under the MIT license, and maintained in the Shlink ecosystem that includes the shlink.io site and accompanying documentation. It runs as a service that serves shortened links under a domain chosen by the operator, rather than under a domain controlled by a third party. The project is built with the Laminas and Mezzio frameworks and exposes its functionality through a REST API, which is how clients and integrations drive it programmatically.
read the full Shlink overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is duckdb or Shlink more popular?
duckdb has 41,440 GitHub stars and Shlink has 5,293. duckdb has the larger community by that measure.
Are duckdb and Shlink free?
Both are open source. duckdb is licensed under MIT and Shlink under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between duckdb and Shlink?
duckdb is written in C++ and Shlink in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, duckdb or Shlink?
Choose duckdb if you want the larger community (41,440 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Shlink if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.