Linkfor vs Branch: universal deep links without an SDK
Branch is the deep-linking incumbent. Linkfor renders /.well-known/apple-app-site-association and assetlinks.json per tenant the moment you add iOS / Android bundle IDs — UA routing happens at the edge, no Branch SDK to integrate.
Pick Branch if you need its full attribution stack — install fingerprinting, deferred deep linking, post-install attribution to ad networks — and you have the engineering capacity to integrate the SDK on iOS, Android, and web.
Pick Linkfor if what you actually need is a deep-link URL that opens the app when installed and falls back to web when not — without an SDK, on your own domain, with redirects and a Notion site sharing the same subscription.
Linkfor vs Branch.io, feature by feature
| Feature | Linkfor | Branch.io |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid tier | $1/mo | ~$59+/mo (Essentials) |
| Custom domain | ||
| Notion content rendering | ||
| Branded short links + UTM | Native /go/* redirects | Yes (deep-link first) |
| Deep linking (iOS / Android) | AASA + assetlinks.json | Universal Links + App Links |
| SDK required for deep linking | No | Yes (iOS, Android, web) |
| Deferred deep linking / install attribution | ||
| File hosting (raw endpoints) | ads.txt, /.well-known/* | |
| Analytics | Pageviews + redirect counts | Strong (attribution-grade) |
| SEO control (meta, OG, sitemap) | Limited | |
| SSL | Auto, on every mount | |
| White-label (drop "Powered by") | Business plan | Higher tier |
| Scheduled publishing | Limited | |
| Password gate | Roadmap | |
| Multi-site / org | 3 sites on Pro, 10 on Business | Per-app pricing |
The bundled subscription you're already paying for
Branch Essentials starts at ~$59+/mo and scales with monthly active users. Linkfor Pro is $1/mo flat and includes deep-link primitives (AASA + assetlinks.json, UA routing) along with a Notion site and branded redirects on the same domain.
The trade-off is honest: Linkfor doesn't do deferred deep linking or install attribution. If you need those, Branch is the right pick. If you only need open-in-app-when-installed, see the home-page consolidation table.
When to pick Branch.io
- You need install attribution — knowing which ad placement drove an install, surviving the App Store gauntlet, and tying that to first-session events. Linkfor does not do this.
- You need deferred deep linking — the user clicks a link without the app installed, installs it, and lands on the originally intended deep destination on first launch. Branch is the canonical implementation of this.
- You're running ad campaigns through Meta / TikTok / Google with MMP integrations, and the attribution wiring is the reason the deep-link layer exists.
- You have an iOS + Android engineering team that can keep the SDK current with each OS release; the SDK earns its keep when the attribution data feeds growth decisions.
- Your scale (millions of MAU) gets enterprise volume pricing where Branch's per-MAU model becomes efficient.
When to pick Linkfor
- You want a deep link that opens the app when installed and falls back to the web URL otherwise — no SDK, no fingerprinting, no attribution dashboard. Add a bundle ID, you're done.
- You want AASA + assetlinks.json served at the right paths on your own domain, generated from your config — not hosted on a third-party redirect domain.
- Your domain also needs to render a Notion site, host branded short links, or serve raw ads.txt / /.well-known/* — Linkfor folds those into the same plan.
- You're budget-sensitive: $1/mo on Linkfor Pro against Branch's ~$59+/mo entry tier — and you don't have an MMP attribution requirement.
- You're a small / mid team that wants the deep-link surface to be a config file, not a six-month engineering project.
How to switch from Branch.io to Linkfor
If you're using Branch only for the Universal Links / App Links primitives (no attribution), swapping to Linkfor is mostly a DNS change and a config file. If you rely on Branch's attribution stack, this migration only applies to the URL layer.
- Inventory your Branch link domains and the iOS / Android bundle IDs each one is associated with. Note any fallback URLs.
- Sign up for Linkfor and create a site. Attach your deep-link domain (the one currently in your AASA file). Linkfor will provision SSL automatically.
- Add iOS bundle ID + team ID and Android package + SHA fingerprints to the site config. Linkfor renders
/.well-known/apple-app-site-associationand/.well-known/assetlinks.jsonautomatically. - Recreate any deep-link routes (e.g.
/go/promo) in the Linkfor route tree. UA routing happens at the edge. - Test on a real iOS and Android device. Cut DNS over. Cancel Branch (or downgrade to a free attribution-only tier if you still need it).
Also see deep links · short links · Notion sites · pricing.