Dub is the open-source, developer-first shortener that a lot of indie hackers reach for. KooLink is what we built. Both speak to developers, both have APIs — so the comparison is about where the friction sits.
The framing
Dub is open source. You can self-host it, bring your own domain, and wire up your own analytics. That power comes with a cost: you stand up a server, configure a Postgres, and maintain it. Dub also runs a hosted version with a generous free tier, but the hosted free tier is metered.
KooLink is hosted and free. No account to shorten, no server to run, no free-tier cap. You paste a URL or call an API and get a link. It is the zero-ops option.
Price
Dub. Free for self-hosting (you pay for your infra) and on a hosted free tier that is metered — link and click limits that tighten as you grow. Self-hosted is free but you own the maintenance.
KooLink. Free forever. Unlimited links. No signup to shorten. There is no quota to hit and no card to enter.
Signup
Dub. The hosted version requires an account. That is how it meters your allowance. Self-hosted requires you to build and run the thing.
KooLink. No account to shorten. That matters when you want a link in two seconds, from anywhere — including inside an AI agent.
API access
Both have REST APIs. Both are developer-friendly. But there is a difference in what "developer-friendly" means in 2026:
Dub gives you a REST API and expects you to bring an API key and your own infrastructure.
KooLink gives you the same REST API for programmatic access, plus a hosted MCP server. The MCP server is the thing you cannot get from Dub.
The 2026 difference: MCP
The Model Context Protocol is how AI agents consume tools. If you work in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, or any MCP client, you point it at a server and the agent gets a shorten_url tool — no browser, no copy-paste.
https://mcp.kool.ink
This is the piece Dub does not have. As agents become where a growing share of developer work actually happens, a shortener should be inside the agent. KooLink ships the hosted MCP server for that. Dub does not.
There is also a terminal one-liner:
npx @koolink/koolink https://example.com/very/long/path
# → https://kool.ink/xyz
Bottom line
- You want to self-host, own your stack, and control everything → Dub is a strong choice.
- You want a shortener that is free, unlimited, no signup, has an API, and works inside your AI agent → KooLink.
For most developers the reason to pick a hosted shortener is to not think about it. KooLink is the one that gets out of the way and also plugs into the MCP-native tools you already use.