What is Pygmy used for?

Pygmy is an open-source URL shortener written in Python with link analytics, custom short URLs, expiring links and a user dashboard. It is a good fit for self-hosted branded short links and tracking clicks on shared URLs.

Is Pygmy open source?

Yes. Pygmy is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at amitt001/pygmy and is written mainly in Python.

Yes. Pygmy is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Pygmy?

Yes. Pygmy can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Pygmy an alternative to?

Pygmy is an open-source alternative to Rebrandly, Short.io and Bitly. Other open-source alternatives to Rebrandly include YOURLS, Kutt and Shlink.

Is Pygmy actively maintained?

The most recent commit to Pygmy was on 7 March 2024, and the latest release is 1.2, published on 25 May 2019. The project has 728 stars on GitHub.

Pygmy: open-source alternative to Rebrandly, Short.io, Bitly

About Pygmy

Pygmy is a URL shortener and analytics tool written in Python, designed to be easy to host and run as your own custom shortener. Its architecture is loosely coupled so custom integrations can be added without much effort.

The project has three parts: the core shortening code, a REST API built with Flask, and a Django-based user interface. Features include custom short URLs, links that expire automatically, secret key protected URLs, user sign-up and login, a dashboard for tracked links, and link statistics that you reach by adding a plus sign to the short URL.

It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite through SQLAlchemy, uses JWT for API authentication, and can be run with Docker using the published image or set up manually from source. Pygmy is MIT licensed, and a public demo shows how it works. It suits individuals and small teams who want their own branded short links.

Key features

URL shortening with custom aliases
Auto-expiring short links
Secret key protected URLs
Link analytics via plus-sign suffix
User accounts and dashboard
REST API built on Flask
PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQLite storage

Good fit for

→Self-hosted branded short links
→Tracking clicks on shared URLs

Built with: Python; Flask; Django
Tags: url-shortener; analytics; python; flask; django; docker; link-analytics; self-hosted

Pygmy: questions and answers

What is Pygmy used for?: Pygmy is an open-source URL shortener written in Python with link analytics, custom short URLs, expiring links and a user dashboard. It is a good fit for self-hosted branded short links and tracking clicks on shared URLs.
Is Pygmy open source?: Yes. Pygmy is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at amitt001/pygmy and is written mainly in Python.
Is Pygmy free?: Yes. Pygmy is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Pygmy?: Yes. Pygmy can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Pygmy an alternative to?: Pygmy is an open-source alternative to Rebrandly, Short.io and Bitly. Other open-source alternatives to Rebrandly include YOURLS, Kutt and Shlink.
Is Pygmy actively maintained?: The most recent commit to Pygmy was on 7 March 2024, and the latest release is 1.2, published on 25 May 2019. The project has 728 stars on GitHub.