Cloud vs Self-Hosted
Choose the deployment option that best fits your needs.
LinkForty is available in two forms:
- LinkForty Cloud - A fully managed SaaS platform with a dashboard, team management, custom domains, and billing. Get started at linkforty.com.
- LinkForty Core (Self-Hosted) - The open-source deeplink engine you deploy on your own infrastructure. It provides a REST API for all link operations but does not include a dashboard UI or team management features.
Both share the same core attribution engine. The key difference is what's built on top of it.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | LinkForty Cloud | Self-Hosted (Core) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | 30-60 minutes |
| Monthly Cost | Free and paid tiers — see the pricing page | Your infrastructure costs only |
| Maintenance | Zero - we handle it | You manage updates and backups |
| Dashboard UI | Yes | No (API only) |
| Team Management | Yes (organizations, roles, invitations) | No |
| Custom Domains | Yes (all plans) | You configure your own domain |
| Data Location | US data centers | Your infrastructure, any region |
| Source Code Access | No | Yes (AGPL-3.0) |
| Support | Email (Pro/Business) + Priority (Unlimited) + Community | Community only |
LinkForty Cloud
Best For:
- Startups and small teams
- Quick MVPs and prototypes
- Teams without DevOps resources
- Non-technical team members who need a visual interface
- Testing before self-hosting
Pricing
For current plan pricing, see the pricing page.
Free Tier
- Included:
- 1,000 links
- 5,000 clicks/month
- Core features (attribution, QR codes, analytics)
- 1 organization, up to 3 team members
- 1 custom domain
- 7-day analytics retention
- Community support
Pro Tier
- Everything in Free, plus:
- 25,000 links
- 100,000 clicks/month
- Up to 10 team members
- 5 custom domains
- 90-day analytics retention
- API access (3 keys, 60 req/min) and custom branding
- 5 webhooks
- Email support
- 99.9% uptime SLA
Business Tier
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- 100,000 links
- 500,000 clicks/month
- Up to 25 team members
- 15 custom domains
- 180-day analytics retention
- 10 API keys (200 req/min)
- 25 webhooks
- Priority email support
Unlimited Tier
- Everything in Business, plus:
- Unlimited links and clicks
- Unlimited team members and custom domains
- 365-day analytics retention
- Unlimited API keys and webhooks (1,000 req/min)
- Priority email + Slack support
What Cloud Provides
Dashboard and UI
- Visual link management - create, edit, and organize links without writing code
- Analytics dashboard with charts and graphs
- Accessible to non-technical team members (marketers, product managers)
Team Collaboration
- Multi-organization support
- Role-based access control (Owner, Admin, Member, Viewer)
- Team invitations via email
- Project-based link organization
Link Templates
- Reusable link configurations for campaigns
- Pre-configured platform URLs, attribution windows, and UTM parameters
Custom Domains
- Use your own domain for branded short links
- Cloudflare-powered with automatic SSL
Managed Infrastructure
- Automatic updates and security patches
- Built-in monitoring and daily backups
- Global CDN for fast redirects worldwide
- DDoS protection
Cloud Limitations
- Data stored in US data centers (cannot choose region yet)
- Cannot modify platform code or add custom features
- Cannot white-label or remove LinkForty branding
- Usage limits on Free, Pro, and Business tiers (unlimited on Unlimited)
When to Choose Cloud
Choose LinkForty Cloud if you:
- Want to get started immediately without managing infrastructure
- Need a dashboard for non-technical team members
- Want team collaboration features (organizations, roles, projects)
- Prefer automatic updates and maintenance
- Need guaranteed uptime and support
- Are okay with US data storage
Self-Hosted (Core)
Best For:
- Companies with strict data residency requirements
- Teams with DevOps resources
- High-volume applications (millions of clicks/month)
- Custom integrations and modifications
- Developers who want full API control
What Self-Hosted Provides
LinkForty Core is a Fastify API server with PostgreSQL and optional Redis. It provides the same core engine that powers Cloud, accessible entirely via REST API:
- Link CRUD operations (create, read, update, delete)
- Device-specific redirect routing (iOS, Android, web)
- Click analytics with geolocation, device type, and UTM tracking
- Deferred deep linking and fingerprint-based attribution
- QR code generation (PNG and SVG)
- Webhook notifications
- Social media previews (Open Graph tags)
- iOS Universal Links and Android App Links (
.well-knownendpoints)
What Self-Hosted Does Not Include
These features are Cloud-only and are not part of Core:
- Dashboard UI (all interactions are via API)
- Team management (organizations, roles, invitations)
- Link templates
- Custom domains via Cloudflare
- Billing and subscription management
- Managed backups and monitoring
- Email notifications
Infrastructure Requirements
You can deploy Core on any provider that supports Docker or Node.js:
| Provider | Instance Type | Approx. Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hetzner | CX21 (2 CPU, 4GB) | ~$5/month |
| DigitalOcean | Droplet Basic | ~$24/month |
| AWS | t3.medium | ~$30/month |
| Google Cloud | e2-medium | ~$25/month |
| Vultr | Regular Performance | ~$24/month |
Additional services (optional):
- SSL: Free with Let's Encrypt or Cloudflare
- Email (for webhooks/notifications): SendGrid, SES, etc.
- Monitoring: Datadog, New Relic, Prometheus + Grafana
Self-Hosted Advantages
Complete Control
- Full source code access (AGPL-3.0 license)
- Modify any feature or add custom integrations
- Modify attribution logic for your specific use case
Data Sovereignty
- Host in any region worldwide
- Meet GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA requirements on your terms
- Complete data ownership - no third-party access
Unlimited Everything
- No link limits
- No click limits
- No rate limits (unless you configure them)
- Scale with your infrastructure
Predictable Costs
- No per-install fees
- No overage charges
- No usage-based pricing
- Pay only for your infrastructure
Self-Hosted Limitations
- No dashboard UI - all management via API or your own frontend
- No team management - handle authorization in your own application
- You handle all updates, backups, and monitoring
- No SLA - uptime depends on your infrastructure
- Initial setup requires 30-60 minutes and basic server administration knowledge
When to Choose Self-Hosted
Choose Self-Hosted if you:
- Have DevOps or infrastructure team
- Need data stored in a specific region
- Want to modify source code or add custom features
- Need unlimited scale without usage-based pricing
- Process high volumes of clicks
- Have strict compliance requirements (HIPAA, GDPR, data residency)
- Want complete data ownership and no vendor dependency
Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature | Cloud (Free) | Cloud (Pro) | Cloud (Business) | Cloud (Unlimited) | Self-Hosted (Core) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Links | |||||
| Short links | 1,000 | 25,000 | 100,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Custom short codes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Link expiration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Targeting rules | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Link templates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Attribution | |||||
| Deferred deep linking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fingerprint matching | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Attribution windows (1-2160h) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Click tracking | 5K/month | 100K/month | 500K/month | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Install attribution | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| QR Codes | |||||
| QR code generation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom colors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple formats (PNG, SVG) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom sizes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | |||||
| Click analytics | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geographic data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Device breakdown | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics retention | 7 days | 90 days | 180 days | 365 days | Unlimited |
| Data export (JSON/CSV) | Basic | Advanced | Full | Full | Full (via API) |
| Analytics dashboard (UI) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (API only) |
| Team and Organization | |||||
| Organizations | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | N/A |
| Team members | 3 | 10 | 25 | Unlimited | N/A |
| Role-based access | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Projects | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Advanced Features | |||||
| Custom domains | 1 | 5 | 15 | Unlimited | You configure |
| API keys | No | 3 | 10 | Unlimited | N/A |
| Webhooks | No | 5 | 25 | Unlimited | Yes |
| API rate limit | No API | 60/min | 200/min | 1,000/min | Configurable |
| REST API | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UTM parameters | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Social previews (OG tags) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile SDKs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | |||||
| Dashboard UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Managed backups | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | You configure |
| Automatic updates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Manual |
| Customization | |||||
| Source code access | No | No | No | No | Yes (AGPL-3.0) |
| Custom features | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Support | |||||
| Community support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email support | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Priority support | No | No | Yes (email) | Yes (email + Slack) | No |
| Compliance | |||||
| Data residency | US | US | US | US | Any region |
| Reliability | |||||
| Uptime SLA | - | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | Your setup |
Migration Path
From Cloud to Self-Hosted
You can migrate from Cloud to Self-Hosted at any time:
Step 1: Export Your Data
From the Cloud dashboard: Settings, then Data Export, then Export All Data
This downloads all your links, analytics, and configurations.
Step 2: Set Up Self-Hosted Instance
Follow the Self-Hosting Guide.
Step 3: Import Data
# Using the Core API, import your links via the REST API
# or restore from the exported data
Step 4: Update DNS
Point your domain to your self-hosted server.
From Self-Hosted to Cloud
Step 1: Export Your Database
pg_dump -U linkforty linkforty > linkforty-backup.sql
Step 2: Sign Up for Cloud
Create an account at linkforty.com.
Step 3: Contact Support
Email [email protected] with your database export and we'll import your data (usually within 24 hours).
Step 4: Update DNS
Point your domain to Cloud servers.
Hybrid Approach
You can use both Cloud and Self-Hosted simultaneously:
Multi-Region Deployment
- Cloud: US customers (low latency, zero maintenance)
- Self-Hosted (EU): European customers (GDPR compliance)
Development and Production
- Cloud: Production environment (zero maintenance)
- Self-Hosted: Development and staging (full control)
Decision Matrix
Answer these questions to choose:
1. Do you have a DevOps or infrastructure team?
- Yes - Consider Self-Hosted
- No - Cloud
2. Do non-technical team members need to manage links?
- Yes - Cloud (provides a dashboard UI)
- No - Either option works
3. How many clicks per month?
- Under 5K - Cloud (Free)
- 5K-100K - Cloud (Pro) or Self-Hosted
- 100K-500K - Cloud (Business) or Self-Hosted
- 500K+ - Cloud (Unlimited) or Self-Hosted
4. Data residency requirements?
- Must be in a specific region - Self-Hosted
- US is fine - Cloud
5. Need to modify source code?
- Yes - Self-Hosted
- No - Cloud
6. Need team collaboration (organizations, roles)?
- Yes - Cloud
- No - Either option works
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I try both?
Yes. Start with Cloud (5 minutes setup) and migrate to Self-Hosted later if needed. Both use the same core engine, so your links and analytics data can be migrated.
Is data export available?
Yes. Cloud provides full data export (JSON and CSV) from the dashboard. Self-Hosted gives you direct database access.
Can I use my own domain on Cloud?
Yes, custom domains are available on all Cloud plans. The Free tier includes 1 custom domain; Pro includes 5; Business includes 15; Unlimited includes unlimited.
What about support?
- Cloud Pro: Email support + community
- Cloud Business: Priority email support + community
- Cloud Unlimited: Priority email + Slack support + community
- Self-Hosted: Community support only (GitHub Discussions)
How do updates work?
- Cloud: Automatic, zero downtime
- Self-Hosted: Pull the latest Docker image or git changes and restart (typically takes a few minutes)
Can I switch between Cloud and Self-Hosted?
Yes, migration is supported in both directions. See the Migration Path section above.
Does Self-Hosted include a dashboard?
No. LinkForty Core is an API-only service. You interact with it via the REST API. If you need a visual interface, choose Cloud or build your own frontend on top of the Core API.
Getting Started
Try LinkForty Cloud:
- Sign up for free - no credit card required
- Quick Start Guide
Deploy Self-Hosted:
Still have questions?
- GitHub Discussions - Community support
- Email: [email protected]