YOURLS Alternative for YouTube Creators: GoloLink vs YOURLS
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.
GoloLink is better if: You want per-video attribution, QR codes, and dead-link monitoring working out of the box - not assembled from a stack of community plugins.
YOURLS is better if: You want zero recurring software cost and full data ownership on infrastructure you already control, and don't mind maintaining your own PHP/MySQL server.
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.
YOURLS vs GoloLink: video attribution explained
YOURLS tells you how a link performed. GoloLink tells you how the video containing that link performed.
What YOURLS shows you
500 clicks
One number. No idea which video sent it.
What GoloLink shows you
Once you know Video A drives most of your clicks, you know what to make more of, which old video is quietly still converting, and which links to double-check first when something breaks. A single blended total can't tell you any of that.
What YOURLS does well
YOURLS's strengths
- Free and open-source
- Full control since you host it yourself
- Large plugin ecosystem
Where GoloLink is different
- 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 | ||
| Custom short URL aliases | ||
| API access | ||
| QR codes (core, no plugin) | ||
| Bulk link creation (core, no plugin) | ||
| Dead-link monitoring (core, no plugin) | ||
| Per-video click attribution | ||
| Built for YouTube description links |
Which one should you actually use?
It comes down to whether you need to know which video sent the click.
Choose YOURLS if
YOURLS
- Free and open-source
- Full control since you host it yourself
- Large plugin ecosystem
Choose GoloLink if
GoloLink
- You publish YouTube videos regularly and place links in descriptions
- You want to know which video actually drove a click, not just a link total
- You're comparing performance across a series or campaign of videos
- You want dead-link monitoring and a real free plan from day one
Pricing
Free to start. See YOURLS's own site for their current plans.
GoloLink's free plan tracks up to 10 videos with full per-video attribution, no credit card required. Paid plans add unlimited videos, CSV export, and advanced attribution.
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
Export your existing links, recreate them in GoloLink, and run both side by side until you're confident in the new click data.
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.
Don't delete your YOURLS links right away - they may already be published across old videos, social posts, and other pages. Keep them active until you've swapped every reference over.
Looking for more YOURLS alternatives?
Bitly
Bitly is one of the most widely used general-purpose link shorteners, offering custom domains, QR codes, and API access for bulk link management.
GoloLink vs BitlyRebrandly
Rebrandly is a link management platform for marketing teams - branded domains, QR codes, link-in-bio pages, geo/device redirects, and API-driven automation, with conversion tracking layered on top of click data.
GoloLink vs RebrandlyShort.io
Short.io is a link management platform for developers and marketers - custom domains, a full API with SDKs, detailed click analytics, geo/device targeting, UTM tools, dynamic QR codes, and a genuine free-forever tier.
GoloLink vs Short.ioGeniuslink
Geniuslink is an intelligent link-management platform built for affiliate monetization: it automatically localizes supported Amazon (and other retailer) links to the shopper's own country store, supports mobile deep linking, "Choice Pages" for presenting multiple buying options from one link, retargeting pixels, and Link Health monitoring. It also ships a dedicated YouTube Link Optimizer that bulk-updates affiliate links already published across a channel's video catalog.
GoloLink vs GeniuslinkFrequently 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 last verified 2026-09-09.
Ready to see per-video attribution for yourself?
Start free