Dub vs Rebrandly: which link management platform is worth your time?

Last updated October 2026

Link management has become a category in its own right. Shortening a URL is table stakes; what teams need now is analytics, custom domains, developer-friendly APIs, and partner programs that tie link clicks to revenue. Dub and Rebrandly are two of the most frequently compared platforms in this space, and they serve overlapping but distinct audiences.

This comparison walks through each platform's strengths, pricing, and ideal use cases so you can pick the right tool without second-guessing yourself a month later.

Dub

Dub started as an open-source link shortener and has grown into a full link management and partner platform. The codebase is licensed under AGPLv3, which means you can inspect every line of code, self-host if you want to, and contribute improvements back to the project. For teams that care about transparency or need to run infrastructure in-house, that alone sets Dub apart from every closed-source competitor.

On the hosted side, Dub offers real-time analytics covering geolocation, device, browser, and referrer data. Custom domains are supported at no extra charge across all paid plans, and there is no cap on the number of domains you can bring on the higher tiers. The REST API is well-documented and rate-limited generously enough for most integrations, starting at 1,200 requests per minute on the Business plan and scaling to 3,000 on Advanced.

Where Dub pulls ahead of most link shorteners is its partner and referral program tooling. Dub Partners lets you run affiliate and referral programs directly from the same dashboard where you manage links. You can set dual-sided incentives, create program bounties, and track partner-driven revenue with the same analytics engine that powers your short links. The Advanced plan adds an embeddable referral dashboard, email campaigns, and a messaging center for communicating with partners. If your growth strategy depends on word-of-mouth or channel partnerships, Dub consolidates what would otherwise require a separate affiliate platform.

Dub is AICPA SOC 2 Type II certified, and the Enterprise tier includes SAML/SSO, audit logs, and a custom SLA. Migration tools exist for teams moving from Bitly, Rebrandly, or Short.io, which lowers the switching cost considerably.

Dub pricing

Dub offers a 14-day free trial on all plans. There is no permanent free tier.

Annual billing gives roughly 10 to 17 percent off the monthly rate, billed upfront for the year.

Rebrandly

Rebrandly has been in the branded link space for years and focuses on making it easy to create, manage, and track short URLs under custom domains. The platform provides traffic routing by geolocation and device type, conversion tracking, mobile deep linking, and retargeting pixels on links. These features are useful for marketing teams that need to segment audiences or drive users to region-specific landing pages.

The interface is designed around simplicity. Creating a branded link takes a few clicks, and the dashboard surfaces click data in a straightforward way. Rebrandly integrates with Zapier, Slack, Salesforce, Google Analytics, and several messaging platforms including Twilio, Bird, and Vonage. For teams that already live in those ecosystems, the integration layer saves time.

Rebrandly's analytics provide audience-level data, though the depth depends on your plan. On the lower tiers, you get audience data on a limited number of clicks per month (10,000 on Essentials, 25,000 on Professional). The Growth plan raises that to 150,000 and adds custom reports. Password-protected links and link expiration are available starting on the Professional plan.

The Enterprise plan includes HIPAA compliance, SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR controls, SSO/SAML, and dedicated infrastructure with a 99.99 percent uptime SLA. That positions Rebrandly for organizations in regulated industries, though pricing is available only on request.

One limitation worth noting: Rebrandly's free plan caps you at 10 links and 10 QR codes per month with watermarked QR codes. That is fine for personal use or evaluation, but any serious project will outgrow it quickly.

Rebrandly pricing

Comparison table

How to choose

The decision comes down to what you need beyond basic link shortening.

Choose Dub if you want an open-source platform you can audit and self-host, if you need a built-in partner or referral program, or if your team requires a robust API with generous rate limits. Dub is also the stronger choice for teams that anticipate high link volumes, since the Business plan alone supports 10,000 new links per month. The SOC 2 Type II certification across all plans, not just Enterprise, signals that security is a default rather than an upsell.

Choose Rebrandly if you need a low-cost entry point and your link volumes are modest. The Essentials plan at $8 per month (annual) is an accessible starting price, and the free tier can work for quick evaluations. Rebrandly's geo and device routing, retargeting pixels, and mobile deep linking are well-suited for marketing teams running multi-channel campaigns where link-level audience segmentation matters. If you operate in a regulated industry and need HIPAA compliance baked into your link infrastructure, Rebrandly's Enterprise plan covers that.

For teams that plan to grow into affiliate marketing or partner-led distribution, Dub is the more future-proof pick because you will not have to bolt on a separate referral platform later. If your needs are purely link shortening and click tracking at low volumes, Rebrandly's lower starting price makes it a sensible option until you outgrow it.

One more thing to consider: Dub provides migration tools specifically designed to move links from Rebrandly, Bitly, and Short.io. If you start with one platform and later decide to switch, moving to Dub is a well-supported path.

Related comparisons

• Dub vs Bitly

• Dub vs Short.io

• Best link management tool

Frequently asked questions

Is Dub free to use?

Dub offers a 14-day free trial on all plans but does not have a permanent free tier. After the trial, the Business plan starts at roughly $75 per month. Because the project is open source under AGPLv3, you can also self-host it at no licensing cost, though you are responsible for your own infrastructure.

Does Rebrandly have a free plan?

Yes. Rebrandly offers a free plan that includes 10 links and 10 QR codes per month with one custom domain. QR codes on the free plan are watermarked. It is suitable for personal use or a brief evaluation but not for any production workload.

Which platform has better analytics?

Both platforms provide click-level analytics including geolocation, device, and referrer data. Dub tracks events in real time across all paid plans, with retention ranging from three years on Business to unlimited on Enterprise. Rebrandly gates analytics depth by plan, with audience data capped at 10,000 clicks on Essentials and scaling up through Growth and Enterprise tiers.

Can I use my own domain with Dub and Rebrandly?

Yes. Both platforms support custom domains on all paid plans. Dub is notably generous here, allowing up to 100 custom domains on Business and 250 on Advanced. Rebrandly starts at two custom domains on Essentials and goes up to 10 on Growth.

Is Dub open source?

Yes. Dub is licensed under AGPLv3. The full source code is available on GitHub. You can self-host, inspect, and modify it, with the requirement that any modified version you distribute must also be open-sourced under the same license.

Does Rebrandly support retargeting pixels?

Yes. Rebrandly lets you attach retargeting pixels to your branded links, which enables you to build remarketing audiences from link clicks. This feature is available on paid plans and is one of Rebrandly's strengths for performance marketing teams.

Which platform is better for affiliate and referral programs?

Dub is the clear choice here. Dub Partners is a built-in affiliate and referral program system that lets you manage partner payouts, set dual-sided incentives, create bounties, and track partner-driven conversions. Rebrandly does not offer equivalent functionality, so you would need a separate tool.

How does pricing compare at scale?

At higher volumes, the comparison shifts. Rebrandly's Growth plan at $69 per month (annual) supports 3,500 links per month. Dub's Business plan at roughly $75 per month supports 10,000 links per month, nearly three times the volume for a similar price. If your link creation needs exceed a few thousand per month, Dub offers better value per link.

Can I migrate from Rebrandly to Dub?

Yes. Dub provides a dedicated migration tool for moving links from Rebrandly. The process preserves your existing short links and their associated data, reducing the risk of broken URLs during the switch.

Does Dub have an API?

Dub offers a well-documented REST API with rate limits starting at 1,200 requests per minute on Business and 3,000 on Advanced. The API covers link creation, analytics retrieval, and partner management. Enterprise customers can negotiate custom rate limits.

Which platform offers better security and compliance?

Dub is SOC 2 Type II certified across all plans, with SAML/SSO and audit logs available on Enterprise. Rebrandly offers SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance on its Enterprise plan, along with dedicated infrastructure and a 99.99 percent uptime SLA. If HIPAA compliance is a hard requirement, Rebrandly's Enterprise plan addresses that specifically.

Do either of these platforms support QR codes?

Rebrandly includes QR code generation on all plans, though QR codes on the free tier are watermarked. Dub does not prominently feature QR code generation as a headline capability, so if branded QR codes are central to your workflow, verify the current feature set on each platform before committing.