The best YOURLS alternative for YouTube creators
YOURLS gives developers a self-hosted shortener. GoloLink gives creators a hosted dashboard with no server to maintain, plus per-video attribution YOURLS doesn't have out of the box.
Open-source, self-hosted link shortener
YOURLS (Your Own URL Shortener) is a free, open-source link shortener you install and host yourself, popular with developers who want full control over their own link data.
GoloLink vs. YOURLS, at a glance
The full breakdown is further down the page.
| Feature | YOURLS | GoloLink |
|---|---|---|
| Per-video click attribution | ||
| No server or hosting required | ||
| Custom domains | ||
| API access |
What YOURLS does well
YOURLS's strengths
- Free and open-source
- Full control since you host it yourself
- Large plugin ecosystem
Where GoloLink goes further
- No per-video attribution - clicks aren't tied to which YouTube upload sent them
- Requires your own server and technical setup to install and maintain
GoloLink vs YOURLS
| Feature | YOURLS | GoloLink |
|---|---|---|
| No server or hosting required | ||
| Custom domains | ||
| API access | ||
| Per-video click attribution | ||
| Built for YouTube description links | ||
| Dead-link monitoring |
Who YOURLS is still a good fit for
If you mainly need free and open-source, YOURLS may be the better fit. If you want to know exactly which video is driving clicks, GoloLink is purpose-built for that.
Who should choose GoloLink?
YouTubers
See which upload actually drives clicks, not just which one got the most views.
Affiliate marketers
Know which specific video sends affiliate clicks instead of one blended total.
Review channels
Compare click performance across every product review you've published.
Tech creators
Track gear and software links across dozens of videos without losing which one converts.
Finance creators
Attribute every tool or offer link back to the exact video that sent the click.
Course creators
See which lesson or promo video actually drives enrollments, not just watch time.
Agencies
Report per-video performance to clients instead of a single link's total click count.
Switching from YOURLS
Most creators are fully moved over in under an hour.
Export your YOURLS links
Pull your existing link list (and click totals, if you want a baseline) from YOURLS's dashboard or API.
Recreate them in GoloLink
Add each link and tag it to the specific video it appears under.
Swap the URLs in your descriptions
Update live and upcoming videos to point at your new GoloLink URLs.
Run both side by side for 2 weeks
Compare per-video click data before fully retiring YOURLS.
Frequently asked questions
Not out of the box - YOURLS reports clicks per link, and video-level attribution would require custom plugin development. GoloLink tags every link to the video it's in with no setup.
Feature details reviewed manually and kept current as best we can - check YOURLS's own site for their current pricing.
Ready to see per-video attribution for yourself?
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