The latest articles on DEV Community by Tech Boy (@iamvps). https://dev.to/iamvps https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3951939%2Fc2ee12ec-b870-4b50-a7c4-89059a263934.jpeg https://dev.to/iamvps en Tech Boy Tue, 26 May 2026 07:10:08 +0000 https://dev.to/iamvps/i-built-a-free-bitlytinyurl-alternative-and-self-hosted-it-on-a-6mo-vps-heres-the-full-stack-4cd https://dev.to/iamvps/i-built-a-free-bitlytinyurl-alternative-and-self-hosted-it-on-a-6mo-vps-heres-the-full-stack-4cd <p>I got tired of Bitly limiting me to 10 links/month for free and TinyURL having zero analytics. So I built <a href="//meshalive.com">meshalive.com</a> — a free URL shortener with real-time click analytics, dynamic QR codes, custom slugs, and a REST API. Here's how it's built.</p> <p><strong>The stack</strong></p> <ul> <li>Backend: Go + Fiber — fast, minimal, compiles to a single binary</li> <li>Database: PostgreSQL with sqlc for type-safe queries (no ORM)</li> <li>Cache: Redis for sub-2ms redirect lookups — the short slug is looked up from Redis, DB is the fallback</li> <li>Frontend: Next.js 15 (App Router) + TypeScript, zero UI framework, all inline styles</li> <li>Infra: A single $6/mo VPS, Docker Compose, Nginx reverse proxy, Cloudflare in front</li> <li>Auth: JWT access tokens (15min TTL) + HttpOnly refresh cookies (7 days), rotated on every refresh</li> <li>Short domain: msha.live → every shortened link resolves through the Go API in &lt;2ms</li> </ul> <p><strong>How the redirect works</strong></p> <p>Browser → Cloudflare → Nginx → Go API<br> slug lookup: Redis first → Postgres fallback<br> → 301 to destination<br> → async click event written to Postgres</p> <p>The redirect path never touches Next.js — it goes directly to the Go API so there's no Node.js cold start penalty.</p> <p><strong>What's free (forever)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Shorten any URL instantly — no account needed</li> <li>100 saved links with a free account</li> <li>Click analytics — geo, device, referrer</li> <li>Dynamic QR codes (update destination after printing)</li> <li>Custom slugs (msha.live/your-brand)</li> <li>Full REST API on paid plans from $4/mo</li> </ul> <p><strong>Why self-hosted on one VPS instead of cloud functions?</strong></p> <p>Cost. A Lambda function + RDS + ElastiCache would run $40–80/mo for the same workload. The VPS runs everything for $6. Docker Compose means zero ops complexity — docker compose up -d and it's running.</p> <p><strong>What I learned</strong></p> <ul> <li>NEXT_PUBLIC_ env vars in Next.js are baked at build time, not runtime — cost me an hour</li> <li>Docker bypasses UFW via iptables — remove port bindings from docker-compose.yml instead of using ufw deny</li> <li>backdropFilter: blur() on a parent element breaks position: fixed for any child — the mobile nav drawer was invisible for this reason</li> <li>Cloudflare caches 301 redirects in browsers permanently — test route changes in incognito</li> </ul> <p>Try it: <a href="//meshalive.com">meshalive.com</a> — shorten a URL, no account needed.</p> <p><em>Happy to answer questions about the Go API, the sqlc setup, or the Nginx config.</em></p> go showdev sideprojects webdev