Sink

Independent developer Cai Cbikai created Sink to provide a self-contained, serverless link shortener that avoids the sprawling infrastructure common in other open-source alternatives. By deploying directly to Cloudflare Workers and serverless storage, the project enables individuals and small teams to host branded links and analytics entirely within their own cloud account.

Why Sink instead of Bitly

Bitly has long served as the default tool for shortening web links, but its commercial model limits monthly link creation while gating custom domains, editable targets, and analytics behind expensive tiers. Commercial shorteners also route clicks through tracking systems that monitor visitor activity across the web. Sink moves that entire process onto your personal Cloudflare account. Because redirects resolve directly through your domain and Cloudflare Workers, you retain full authority over visitor logs, destination paths, and routing rules without leaking telemetry to an advertising network.

The trade-off is setup convenience. Bitly provides immediate onboarding with team workspaces, while Sink requires a one-time deployment to Cloudflare using Workers and database bindings. Non-technical users must follow a setup tutorial rather than registering with an email address. In return, Sink removes subscription fees and link expiration. Short links and QR codes remain permanently active, protecting printed materials and campaign assets from vendor price hikes or service shutdowns.

What it does well

• Branded custom domains: Users can publish clean links on their own domain rather than a generic third-party address, establishing trust with clients and readers.
• Permanent QR codes: Every short link generates a high-resolution QR code that never expires, making it dependable for physical print materials, flyers, and event signage.
• Privacy-conscious visitor statistics: Click metrics run on Cloudflare Analytics Engine, tracking visit counts, referrers, and locations without setting tracking cookies on visitors.
• Password protection and expiration: Links can be secured behind an access password or given an automatic expiration date for time-sensitive promotions.
• Editable destinations: Target URLs can be updated directly from the dashboard if a linked resource moves, avoiding broken links without reprinting materials.
• Device and country routing: Links can detect visitor device types and geography to redirect mobile traffic to app stores while sending desktop users to web documentation.