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Why LinkForty?

LinkForty is an open-source, self-hosted mobile attribution platform designed for teams that need complete control over their data and infrastructure.

Core Philosophy​

We built LinkForty on three principles:

  1. Data Sovereignty - Your attribution data should live in your infrastructure, not a third party's
  2. Transparency - Attribution logic should be auditable and understandable
  3. Developer Freedom - You should be able to modify and extend your attribution platform

Key Benefits​

Complete Data Ownership​

Your attribution data never leaves your infrastructure.

Perfect for:

  • Privacy-conscious companies
  • Regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government)
  • Organizations with data sovereignty requirements
  • Companies handling sensitive user information
  • GDPR/CCPA compliance needs

What this means:

  • No data sharing with third-party vendors
  • Full control over data retention policies
  • Choose your own backup and disaster recovery
  • Integrate with your existing data warehouse
  • No concerns about vendor data breaches

Open Source & Transparent​

The entire codebase is open for inspection and modification.

Benefits:

  • Audit the complete attribution logic
  • Understand exactly how attribution works (no black boxes)
  • Modify algorithms for your specific use case
  • Contribute improvements back to the community
  • Fix bugs without waiting for vendor releases

Tech Stack:

  • Frontend: React 18 + TypeScript
  • Backend: Node.js + Fastify
  • Database: PostgreSQL
  • Cache: Redis
  • Mobile SDKs: Native iOS/Android + React Native

All code is available on GitHub.

Self-Hosted Flexibility​

Deploy anywhere, scale however you need.

Deployment Options:

  • AWS (EC2, ECS, Lambda)
  • Google Cloud Platform
  • Microsoft Azure
  • DigitalOcean
  • Your own data center

Infrastructure Control:

  • Choose your instance sizes and regions
  • Scale horizontally or vertically
  • Implement custom caching strategies
  • Use your existing PostgreSQL cluster
  • No external rate limits or quotas

Developer-First Design​

Built by developers, for developers.

API & Integration:

  • Simple, well-documented REST API
  • Webhook support for real-time events
  • Bulk operations for efficiency
  • SDKs for iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter
  • TypeScript types included

Documentation:

  • Comprehensive guides and tutorials
  • API reference with examples
  • Migration guides from other platforms
  • Video walkthroughs
  • Active community forum

Modern Stack:

  • Written in TypeScript for type safety
  • React for fast, modern UI
  • Fastify for high-performance backend
  • PostgreSQL for reliability

No Vendor Lock-In​

Your data is yours, forever.

Data Portability:

  • Standard PostgreSQL database schema
  • Export data anytime (CSV, JSON, SQL)
  • No proprietary formats
  • Full database access
  • Own your complete attribution history

Migration Freedom:

  • Easy to import from other platforms
  • Easy to export to other solutions
  • No long-term contracts
  • No cancellation fees
  • Take your data anywhere

Feature Overview​

Core Attribution​

✅ Fingerprint-based attribution - Match clicks to installs without requiring user IDs ✅ Deep linking - Route users to specific in-app content ✅ Deferred deep linking - Preserve deep link data through app install ✅ UTM parameter tracking - Track campaign sources and performance ✅ Multi-platform support - iOS, Android, Web ✅ Configurable attribution windows - 1 hour to 90 days ✅ Custom event tracking - Track any in-app events

Analytics & Reporting​

✅ Real-time dashboard - See attribution data instantly ✅ Conversion funnels - Track user journey from click to conversion ✅ Campaign analytics - Measure performance by source, medium, campaign ✅ Geographic breakdowns - See where your users come from ✅ Device analytics - iOS vs Android performance ✅ Custom reports - Build the reports you need ✅ Data export - Download data in CSV or JSON

✅ Link templates - Reusable configurations for campaigns ✅ Bulk operations - Create and manage thousands of links ✅ QR code generation - Offline-to-online attribution ✅ Custom short codes - Memorable, branded links ✅ Link expiration - Time-limited campaigns ✅ A/B testing - Test different destinations ✅ Targeting rules - Route by country, language, device

Developer Tools​

✅ REST API - Full programmatic access ✅ Webhooks - Real-time event notifications ✅ SDKs - iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter ✅ TypeScript support - Type-safe development ✅ CLI tools - Automate operations ✅ Docker support - Easy deployment

Who Should Use LinkForty?​

Ideal For​

Privacy-First Companies

  • Need complete data sovereignty
  • Subject to strict data regulations (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA)
  • Handle sensitive user information
  • Value transparency in data handling

High-Growth Apps

  • Need unlimited attribution without per-install fees
  • Require scalability without vendor constraints
  • Process millions of attributions per month
  • Want control over infrastructure

Developer-Centric Teams

  • Comfortable managing infrastructure
  • Want to customize attribution logic
  • Need full API access and flexibility
  • Prefer open-source solutions

Custom Requirements

  • Need specialized attribution models
  • Require industry-specific compliance
  • Want to integrate with existing data pipelines
  • Need attribution logic modifications

Startups & Scale-ups

  • Want enterprise features without enterprise pricing
  • Need to prove attribution ROI before scaling
  • Require flexibility as requirements evolve
  • Value transparent, predictable costs

Consider Alternatives If​

You might prefer a managed SaaS solution if:

❌ You need 24/7 dedicated support with guaranteed SLAs ❌ You require pre-built integrations with 100+ ad networks ❌ You don't have DevOps resources to manage infrastructure ❌ You prefer fully-managed solutions with zero operational overhead ❌ You need fraud detection with machine learning (we focus on core attribution)

We believe in being transparent about trade-offs. LinkForty gives you control and flexibility, but requires some infrastructure management.

How LinkForty Compares​

LinkForty provides similar core functionality to enterprise attribution platforms like AppsFlyer®, Adjust™, and Branch®, with key differences:

What's the Same​

  • Fingerprint-based attribution
  • Deep linking and deferred deep linking
  • Multi-platform support (iOS, Android, Web)
  • Campaign tracking with UTM parameters
  • Real-time analytics dashboards
  • Webhook integrations

What's Different​

Architecture:

  • Self-hosted instead of SaaS
  • Open source instead of proprietary
  • You own the infrastructure instead of vendor-managed

Deployment Model:

  • No per-install fees - Scale without usage-based pricing
  • Unlimited attributions - No artificial limits
  • Flexible deployment - Self-hosted or cloud options

Philosophy:

  • Privacy-first by default
  • Full transparency in attribution logic
  • Complete customization capability

Honest Trade-offs​

What You Gain:

  • Complete data control
  • No vendor lock-in
  • Unlimited scale at fixed cost
  • Full code access
  • Privacy compliance

What You Trade:

  • Self-managed infrastructure
  • Community support vs. dedicated account manager
  • Smaller integration ecosystem
  • You handle updates and security patches

Getting Started​

Ready to try LinkForty?

Quick Start (5 minutes)​

Run LinkForty locally with Docker:

git clone https://github.com/linkforty/core
cd linkforty
docker-compose up

Visit http://localhost:3000 to see it in action.

Next Steps:

Evaluate Before Committing​

Try these features:

  1. Create a link with custom UTM parameters
  2. Generate a QR code for offline attribution
  3. Simulate a click-to-install flow
  4. View real-time analytics
  5. Test the REST API
  6. Export your attribution data

Production Deployment​

When you're ready to go live:

Migration Support​

Moving from another platform?

Community & Support​

Get Help​

Contribute​

Stay Updated​

  • GitHub - Star and watch for updates

Frequently Asked Questions​

Is LinkForty really free?​

Yes. LinkForty is open-source software licensed under the MIT License. You only pay for the infrastructure to host it (AWS, GCP, etc.).

Do you offer managed hosting?​

Yes! LinkForty Cloud provides a fully managed solution at $29/month for the Pro plan. For self-hosting, LinkForty is designed for deployment on your own infrastructure.

How does attribution accuracy compare to enterprise platforms?​

LinkForty uses the same fingerprint-based attribution methods as enterprise platforms. Accuracy depends on:

  • Proper SDK integration
  • Attribution window configuration
  • User behavior patterns

We've seen 85-95% attribution match rates in production deployments, comparable to enterprise solutions.

Can I customize the attribution logic?​

Yes! Since LinkForty is open-source, you can modify any part of the attribution algorithm. Common customizations:

  • Custom fingerprinting logic
  • Industry-specific attribution models
  • Multi-touch attribution
  • Custom attribution windows per campaign

What if I need help?​

Community support is available via:

  • GitHub Discussions
  • Community Forum
  • Stack Overflow

For teams needing dedicated support, we maintain a list of consulting partners who offer paid support contracts.

Is LinkForty production-ready?​

Yes. LinkForty is running in production for multiple companies, processing millions of attributions per month. We recommend:

  • Thorough testing in staging first
  • Gradual rollout to production
  • Monitoring setup before full deployment

See our Production Checklist.

AppsFlyer, Adjust, and Branch are registered trademarks of their respective owners. LinkForty is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.