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Why LinkForty?

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

LinkForty comes in two flavors:

  • LinkForty Core - The open-source deeplink engine you self-host. It handles redirect routing, click tracking, analytics, and link CRUD via a Fastify server backed by PostgreSQL and optional Redis caching.
  • LinkForty Cloud - A fully managed SaaS platform built on top of Core. It adds a dashboard UI, team management, custom domains, and more - so you can get started without managing any infrastructure.

Both share the same battle-tested attribution engine. Choose the option that fits your team.

Core Philosophy

We built LinkForty on three principles:

  1. Data Sovereignty - Your attribution data should live in your infrastructure (or in a platform you trust)
  2. Transparency - Attribution logic should be auditable and understandable - Core is fully open source
  3. Developer Freedom - You should be able to modify, extend, and integrate your attribution platform however you need

Key Benefits

Complete Data Ownership

With Core, your attribution data never leaves your infrastructure. With Cloud, your data lives in a dedicated, secure environment managed by us.

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 (Core) or rely on managed backups (Cloud)
  • Integrate with your existing data warehouse
  • No concerns about vendor data breaches

Open Source & Transparent

The Core engine is fully open source and available 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

Core Tech Stack:

  • Server: Node.js + Fastify
  • Database: PostgreSQL
  • Cache: Redis (optional)
  • Mobile SDK: React Native

Cloud adds:

  • Dashboard: React 18 + TypeScript
  • Billing: Stripe integration
  • Custom domains: Cloudflare-powered
  • Team management: Organizations, roles, and invitations

All Core code is available on GitHub.


Self-Hosted or Fully Managed

Deploy Core anywhere, or let Cloud handle everything for you.

Self-Hosted (Core):

  • AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean, or your own data center
  • Choose your instance sizes and regions
  • Scale horizontally or vertically
  • Use your existing PostgreSQL cluster
  • No external rate limits or quotas

Fully Managed (Cloud):

  • No infrastructure to manage
  • Automatic updates and security patches
  • Built-in monitoring and backups
  • Dashboard for link management and analytics
  • Get started in minutes at linkforty.com

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
  • React Native SDK for mobile integration
  • TypeScript types included

Documentation:

  • Comprehensive guides and tutorials
  • API reference with examples
  • Migration guides from other platforms

Modern Stack:

  • Written in TypeScript for type safety
  • 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 - Customize matching timeframes

Analytics & Reporting

  • Real-time dashboard - See attribution data instantly (Cloud) or query via API (Core)
  • Campaign analytics - Measure performance by source, medium, campaign
  • Geographic breakdowns - See where your users come from (via IP geolocation)
  • Device analytics - iOS vs Android performance
  • 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

Developer Tools

  • REST API - Full programmatic access
  • Webhooks - Real-time event notifications
  • React Native SDK - Mobile integration for deferred deep linking and device fingerprinting
  • MCP server - Connect Claude, Cursor, and Claude Code to your workspace via natural language (open source, free on every plan)
  • TypeScript support - Type-safe development
  • Docker support - Easy deployment

Who Should Use LinkForty?

LinkForty Core Is 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

LinkForty Cloud Is Ideal For

Teams Without DevOps Resources

  • Want enterprise features without managing servers
  • Need a dashboard for non-technical team members
  • Prefer automatic updates and maintenance

Startups & Scale-ups

  • Want to get started quickly without infrastructure setup
  • Need team collaboration features (organizations, roles, projects)
  • Want custom domains for branded links
  • Value predictable, transparent pricing

Anyone Who Wants Both

  • Start with Cloud, move to self-hosted later - same underlying engine
  • Use Cloud for convenience, know you can always take your data and self-host

What LinkForty does

LinkForty gives you the core of modern attribution and deep linking:

  • Fingerprint-based install attribution and deferred deep linking
  • One link across iOS, Android, and web
  • Campaign tracking with UTM parameters
  • Real-time analytics and webhook events

What makes it different

Architecture:

  • Open source core engine — inspect exactly how attribution works, no black box
  • Self-hosted or managed - you choose your deployment model
  • You own your data regardless of which option you pick

Model:

  • No per-install fees and no artificial attribution limits
  • Core is free - you only pay for your own infrastructure

Philosophy:

  • Privacy-first by default (no IDFA/GAID, no persistent device IDs)
  • Full transparency in attribution logic
  • Complete customization (Core)

Honest trade-offs

LinkForty is focused and lightweight, which means:

  • Fewer pre-built integrations out of the box — wire up the ones you need via the API and webhooks
  • The open-source Core is community-supported (Cloud plans include direct support)
  • Self-hosting means running and patching your own infrastructure — or use managed Cloud to skip it entirely

Getting Started

Ready to try LinkForty?

Option 1: LinkForty Cloud (Fastest)

Sign up at linkforty.com and start creating links in minutes. No infrastructure to manage.

Option 2: Self-Host with Core

Run LinkForty locally with Docker:

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

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

Next Steps:

Migration Support

Moving from self-hosted Core to Cloud?


Community & Support

Get Help

Contribute

Stay Updated

  • GitHub - Star and watch for updates

Frequently Asked Questions

Is LinkForty Core really free?

Yes. LinkForty Core is open-source software licensed under the AGPL-3.0. 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 so you don't have to worry about infrastructure, updates, or maintenance.

How accurate is LinkForty's attribution?

LinkForty uses fingerprint-based attribution. Accuracy depends on:

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

We've seen 85-95% attribution match rates in production deployments.

Can I customize the attribution logic?

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

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

What if I need help?

Community support is available via:

For a managed experience with built-in support, consider LinkForty Cloud.

Is LinkForty production-ready?

Yes. LinkForty is running in production, 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.


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