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Redirect Supply vs re:Director: Managed redirects or your own server?
re:Director is a free, open-source redirect manager you run yourself in Docker, with 301 to 308 redirects and a clean interface. Self-hosting means the server, the HTTPS setup through a reverse proxy, updates, and uptime are yours to look after. Redirect Supply gives you the same control over every redirect without any of it: connect a domain, add rules, and certificates, uptime, and updates are handled for you.
Redirect Supply vs re:Director: what self-hosting really includes
Decision factor
Redirect Supply
re:Director (self-hosted)
Choose based on
Where it runs
Managed for you, nothing to install
A Docker container on your own server
Whether you want to run infrastructure
HTTPS
Automatic SSL on every domain, renewed for you
Set up separately through a reverse proxy
Whether you want to manage certificates at all
Uptime and updates
Monitored and maintained by Redirect Supply
Your server, updates, backups, and monitoring
Who gets the call when redirects stop working
Project stage
A maintained service with support
An early open-source release (0.0.x)
How much you rely on redirects for business traffic
Real cost
Free plan to start, page rules from $6 a month
Free software, plus a server and your time
Whether your time is cheaper than a subscription
Best fit
Rebrands, migrations, and teams without DevOps
Developers who want full control on their own infrastructure
If you'd rather not run a server, Redirect Supply
Why Redirect Supply
Choose Redirect Supply for redirects that stay out of your way. Every old URL lands on the right page, every domain runs on HTTPS, and nothing breaks when your website moves.
re:Director or Redirect Supply? The short answer
Pick re:Director if you're a developer who wants redirects on your own infrastructure, and you're happy to manage Docker, a reverse proxy, and certificates.
Pick Redirect Supply if redirects need to just work for clients, campaigns, or a rebrand, with HTTPS, uptime, and support handled for you. There's a free plan to start.
For business-critical redirects without the server work, that makes it a Redirect Supply job.
FAQs
Questions about re:Director and Redirect Supply
What is re:Director?
re:Director is an open-source, self-hosted redirect service released under the Apache 2.0 license. You run it as a Docker container and manage redirects with 301, 302, 307, or 308 status codes through its web interface.
Does re:Director handle HTTPS automatically?
HTTPS isn't listed as a built-in feature. The project's documentation covers running it behind a reverse proxy, which is where certificates are usually handled. Redirect Supply issues and renews an SSL certificate for every connected domain automatically.
Is self-hosting redirects cheaper?
The software is free, but the server, the reverse proxy, monitoring, and your time aren't. For a few domains, Redirect Supply's free plan or $6 monthly plan usually costs less than the hours spent keeping a server healthy. See pricing.
Who's responsible if a self-hosted redirect goes down?
You are. When re:Director runs on your server, outages, failed updates, and expired certificates are yours to notice and fix. With Redirect Supply, the infrastructure is monitored and maintained for you.
When does self-hosting redirects make sense?
When you need redirects on internal infrastructure, have strict data-hosting requirements, or simply enjoy running your own stack. For agencies, marketers, and teams without DevOps, a managed service is usually the better trade-off.
Can I move my redirects from re:Director to Redirect Supply?
Yes. List your redirects with their source, destination, and status code in a CSV using Redirect Supply's import format, import the file, then point your domains' DNS records to Redirect Supply.
Have more questions?
Daniel Kouba
Founder of FREAKS
Vojtech Elias
Reflektor Studio
