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, otherwise web," 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/moon Linkfor Pro against Branch's ~$59+/moentry 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/promowith{ ios, android, web }) 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.