Dub review: the link management platform built for attribution

Last updated October 2026

Dub started as an open-source link shortener and has grown into a full link management and attribution platform used by more than 100,000 companies, including Twilio, Vercel, Perplexity, and Framer. Built by Steven Tey, formerly of Vercel, it won Product Hunt's #1 Product of the Month in March 2024 and has steadily added conversion tracking, partner management, and a developer-first API on top of its core link shortening engine.

What sets Dub apart from older link shorteners is its focus on what happens after the click. Most link management tools stop at counting clicks by country and device. Dub follows the visitor through to a sign-up, a purchase, or any other event you define, then ties that conversion back to the link, campaign, and referral source that drove it. If you run affiliate or referral programs, Dub can handle those too, with built-in partner dashboards, custom commission structures, and global payouts.

This review covers everything you need to decide whether Dub is the right fit: features, pricing across all five tiers, and the specific use cases where it shines or falls short.

What Dub is

The basics

Dub is a link management and attribution platform that lets you create branded short links on your own custom domains, track clicks and conversions in real time, and manage affiliate or referral programs from a single dashboard. It is open source under the AGPL license, which means you can inspect the code, contribute to it, or self-host it on your own infrastructure if you prefer.

The platform is organized around three core products. Dub Links handles link creation, shortening, and organization. Dub Analytics provides click and conversion tracking with breakdowns by geography, device, browser, referrer, and UTM parameters. Dub Partners powers affiliate and referral programs with partner dashboards, commission management, and automated payouts.

Unlike legacy link shorteners that were designed primarily for social media marketers, Dub was built with developers and growth teams in mind from the start. The API is documented thoroughly, SDKs exist for TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP, and Ruby, and webhooks let you pipe link events into whatever systems you already use.

Who it's for

Dub serves several distinct audiences. SaaS companies use it for attribution, tracking which links, channels, and campaigns drive paying customers rather than just traffic. Marketing teams use it to create branded short links with custom social previews, UTM templates, and A/B testing. Growth teams use the partner management features to run referral and affiliate programs without bolting on a separate tool like Rewardful or FirstPromoter. Developers use the API to create and manage links programmatically at scale, often embedding link creation into their own products or workflows.

The platform is less suited to someone who just wants to shorten a handful of links for personal use. It can do that, but the free tier caps you at 25 links per month, and much of what makes Dub valuable, the conversion tracking and partner management, requires setup work that only pays off at a certain scale.

Features

Link shortening

At its core, Dub creates branded short links on your own custom domains. You can add up to three custom domains on the free plan, ten on Pro, and a hundred on Business, with the higher tiers going well beyond that. Every workspace also gets a free .link domain to use right away.

The link builder includes a UTM builder with reusable templates, so you can enforce consistent campaign naming without relying on spreadsheets. Custom link previews let you control the title, description, and image that appear when someone shares your link on social media, which is useful when the destination page's Open Graph tags are missing or generic.

Device and geo targeting let you send visitors to different destinations based on their device type or location. A link could point mobile users to your app store listing and desktop users to your website, or route visitors from different countries to localized landing pages. Password protection and expiration dates add another layer of control for time-sensitive campaigns or gated content.

A/B testing is available on Pro plans and above, letting you split traffic between different destination URLs and measure which one drives more conversions. Deep linking routes mobile users directly into the relevant screen inside your app rather than dropping them on a generic web page. Link cloaking keeps your branded domain in the browser's address bar instead of redirecting to the destination URL, which can matter for brand consistency.

Links can be organized into folders with role-based access controls on the Business plan, making it practical for larger teams to keep campaigns organized without stepping on each other's work.

Analytics

Dub goes well beyond basic click counting. The analytics dashboard shows clicks broken down by country, city, device, browser, operating system, and referrer source, with UTM parameter tracking for campaign-level analysis. A real-time events stream lets you watch clicks as they happen, which is useful during campaign launches when you want immediate feedback.

The standout capability is conversion tracking. By installing a lightweight tracking script or SDK on your site, you can define custom events like sign-ups, trial starts, or purchases, and Dub ties each event back to the originating link and referral source. If you connect Stripe or Shopify, revenue attribution happens automatically, so you can see not just which links drive traffic but which ones drive paying customers.

Customer journey views show the path from first click to conversion, giving you a clearer picture of how different touchpoints contribute to a sale. Data retention varies by plan: 30 days on Free, one year on Pro, three years on Business, five years on Advanced, and unlimited on Enterprise. Data export is available for teams that want to run their own analysis or feed link data into a data warehouse.

Custom domains

Custom domains are a core part of Dub rather than a paid add-on. Even the free plan supports three custom domains, so you can start using your own branded short URLs without spending anything. Pro bumps that to ten domains, Business to a hundred, Advanced to 250, and Enterprise has no limit.

Setting up a custom domain involves adding a DNS record and verifying ownership through the Dub dashboard. The process is straightforward and well-documented. You can use multiple domains for different brands, campaigns, or business units within the same workspace, which is helpful for agencies or companies with multiple product lines.

Every workspace also receives a complimentary .link domain, which serves as a quick starting point before you set up your own branded domain.

QR codes

Dub generates QR codes for any link you create, with customization options for colors and branding. QR codes are included on all plans at no extra cost, making them useful for print materials, event signage, product packaging, or anywhere you need to bridge the gap between physical and digital.

Because the QR codes point to your Dub short links, every scan is tracked with the same analytics you get for link clicks, including geographic location, device type, and conversion attribution if you have tracking set up. This means you can measure the performance of a QR code on a conference banner with the same precision you measure a link in an email campaign.

API and developer tools

The developer experience is where Dub pulls away from most competing link shorteners. The REST API is comprehensive and well-documented, covering link creation, bulk operations, analytics retrieval, and partner management. Rate limits scale by plan: the Pro tier allows 600 requests per minute, Business gets 1,200, and Advanced supports 3,000, with Enterprise offering custom limits.

Native SDKs are available for TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP, and Ruby, so you can integrate Dub into your stack without writing raw HTTP calls. Webhooks deliver real-time event notifications for link clicks, conversions, and partner activities, letting you trigger downstream workflows in tools like Zapier, Make, or your own backend systems.

Integrations extend beyond the API. Dub connects with Stripe and Shopify for revenue attribution, Zapier and Make for workflow automation, Google Tag Manager and Segment for analytics pipelines, Slack for notifications, HubSpot for CRM enrichment, and WordPress for content publishers. The open-source codebase means you can also audit the code, contribute fixes, or self-host the entire platform if your compliance or data residency requirements demand it.

Pricing

Dub offers five tiers, from a free plan for individuals to custom Enterprise agreements. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial, and annual billing saves 10% compared to monthly pricing. The prices listed below are monthly rates.

Free

The free plan gives you 25 new links per month, 1,000 tracked events, one user seat, three custom domains, and 30 days of analytics retention. You also get basic API access and all the core link features like QR codes, UTM templates, and custom link previews.

This tier works for individuals who want to try Dub before committing, or for very low-volume use cases where 25 links per month is sufficient. The 30-day analytics retention is the biggest limitation, as you lose historical data quickly.

Pro

At $30 per month, Pro increases your limits to 1,000 new links per month, 50,000 tracked events, three user seats, and ten custom domains. Analytics retention extends to one year, and you unlock A/B testing and conversion tracking.

Pro is the entry point for serious use. The jump from 25 to 1,000 links and from 1,000 to 50,000 tracked events opens the door to running real campaigns with meaningful attribution data. Three seats support a small marketing or growth team.

Business

At $90 per month, Business is built for startups launching affiliate and referral programs alongside their link management. You get 10,000 new links per month, 250,000 tracked events, ten user seats, a hundred custom domains, and three years of analytics retention.

The key addition is Dub Partners, with support for up to 500 partners, custom commission structures, dual-sided incentives, and up to $2,500 in partner payouts per month. Payout fees are 5%. You also get 20 folders for link organization, role-based access control, and event webhooks. The API rate limit increases to 1,200 requests per minute.

For teams that would otherwise need both a link shortener and a separate affiliate management tool, the Business plan consolidates both into a single platform, which can save money and reduce complexity.

Enterprise

Enterprise pricing is custom and requires annual billing. You get unlimited links, events, users, domains, and analytics retention. Payout fees drop to 3%, and you gain access to SAML/SSO, audit logs, a dedicated customer success manager, partner network access, and program marketplace listing. Enterprise agreements also include custom SLAs, Slack-based support, and custom API rate limits.

This tier is for large organizations with high-volume needs, strict compliance requirements, or the kind of scale where negotiated pricing makes a material difference. The SSO and audit log requirements alone push many larger companies to this tier.

Pros and cons

What works well

Dub's greatest strength is its ability to follow a visitor from first click to paying customer. Most link shorteners give you a click count, a country breakdown, and not much else. Dub's conversion tracking connects link clicks to downstream revenue, which makes it possible to calculate the actual ROI of a campaign, a channel, or an individual affiliate partner. For growth teams that need to justify marketing spend, this is a meaningful upgrade over the competition.

The built-in partner management is another significant advantage. Running an affiliate or referral program typically means paying for a separate platform, syncing data between tools, and managing multiple dashboards. Dub bundles this into the Business tier, with partner dashboards, custom commission structures, and automated payouts. It may not have every feature of a dedicated affiliate platform, but for most early-stage programs it covers the essentials without the overhead.

The developer experience is strong across the board. The API is well-documented, the SDKs cover the major languages, and the open-source codebase means you can verify exactly how things work before building on top of them. The self-hosting option is rare among link management platforms and removes a potential objection for teams with strict data residency or compliance requirements.

Where it falls short

On the downside, the free tier is quite limited. Twenty-five links per month with 30 days of analytics retention is enough to explore the interface but not enough for real work. The gap between free and Pro ($30 per month) is reasonable, but teams that only need basic link shortening might find it hard to justify the cost when free tools exist for simpler use cases.

The conversion tracking and attribution features require proper setup. You need to install tracking scripts, define events, and potentially connect your payment processor. This is not difficult, but it is more involved than just pasting a URL into a shortener. Teams that skip this setup will only get basic click analytics, which undercuts much of what makes Dub worth paying for.

SSO and audit logs are locked behind the Enterprise tier, which means growing teams that need these compliance and security features cannot simply upgrade to the Business or Advanced plan. This is a common pattern in SaaS pricing, but it is worth noting if these features are on your requirements list.

Dub also does not offer bio link pages (the Linktree-style landing pages that aggregate multiple links on a single page). If that feature is important to your workflow, you will need a separate tool.

Who Dub is best for

Dub is the strongest choice for SaaS marketing and growth teams that need to connect link clicks to revenue. If you are already tracking conversions through Stripe or Shopify and want attribution data tied directly to your links, campaigns, and referral sources, Dub delivers this out of the box with less stitching than a combination of separate tools.

Startups launching affiliate or referral programs benefit from having link management and partner management in a single platform. The Business plan at $90 per month is competitive when you consider that a basic affiliate tool alone often costs $50 or more, and you would still need a separate link shortener on top.

Developer-led teams will appreciate the API-first design, multi-language SDKs, webhooks, and the transparency of an open-source codebase. If your workflow involves creating links programmatically, whether for a SaaS product, an e-commerce operation, or a content platform, Dub's developer tools are a step above most alternatives.

Content creators with affiliate-heavy businesses can use the Pro or Business plan to shorten links, track which content drives the most revenue, and manage partner relationships from a single dashboard.

Who should look elsewhere

If you only shorten a handful of links for social media posts and do not need conversion tracking, analytics retention, or partner management, Dub is more platform than you need. A simpler tool like Bitly or Short.io will cover basic link shortening and click tracking at a lower price or even for free.

Teams that need bio link pages as a core feature should look at Linktree or similar tools, since Dub does not offer this functionality.

Organizations that require SSO and audit logs but cannot commit to Enterprise pricing may find the jump from the Advanced plan to a custom Enterprise agreement frustrating. If these features are non-negotiable at your current scale, compare the total cost against platforms that include them in their standard tiers.

If your link management needs are primarily internal, with links shared within a company intranet or internal tools rather than used for public-facing marketing, a general-purpose URL shortener or even a simple redirect service might be a better fit than a platform optimized for marketing attribution.

Related comparisons

If you are evaluating Dub against other link management platforms, these comparisons break down the differences in detail:

• Dub vs Bitly: Bitly is the most established link shortener on the market, but it lacks conversion tracking and affiliate management. This comparison covers where each platform has the edge.

• Dub vs Short.io: Short.io offers competitive pricing for basic link shortening. This comparison examines whether its feature set holds up against Dub's attribution capabilities.

• Dub vs Rebrandly: Rebrandly focuses on branded links with a strong custom domain management system. This comparison weighs its branding features against Dub's analytics and partner tools.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dub free to use?

Yes. Dub offers a free plan that includes 25 new links per month, 1,000 tracked events, one user seat, three custom domains, and 30 days of analytics retention. It is enough to explore the platform and handle very light usage, though most teams that use Dub seriously will move to a paid plan for higher limits and longer data retention.

How much does Dub cost?

Dub has four published pricing tiers: Free ($0), Pro ($30 per month), Business ($90 per month), and Advanced ($300 per month). Enterprise pricing is custom and requires a conversation with the sales team. Annual billing saves 10% on all paid plans. Every paid plan includes a 14-day free trial.

Can I use my own domain with Dub?

Yes, and this is one of Dub's core features. Even the free plan supports up to three custom domains. You add a DNS record, verify ownership through the dashboard, and your short links will use your branded domain. Higher plans support up to 250 custom domains, and Enterprise has no limit.

Does Dub track conversions, not just clicks?

Yes. Dub offers conversion tracking on Pro plans and above. You install a lightweight tracking script or SDK on your site, define the events you care about (sign-ups, purchases, trial starts), and Dub ties each conversion back to the originating link and referral source. With Stripe or Shopify connected, revenue attribution is automatic.

Is Dub open source?

Yes. Dub's codebase is open source under the AGPL license, hosted on GitHub. You can inspect the code, contribute to it, or self-host the entire platform on your own infrastructure. The managed cloud version at dub.co is the most common way to use it, but the self-hosting option exists for teams with specific compliance or data residency needs.

Can Dub replace my affiliate management tool?

For many teams, yes. Dub Partners, available on the Business plan and above, includes partner dashboards, custom commission structures, dual-sided incentives, automated global payouts with tax compliance, and an embeddable referral dashboard. It handles the core workflows of tools like Rewardful or FirstPromoter. That said, mature affiliate programs with complex tiered commissions, marketplace features, or deep CRM integrations may still need a dedicated platform.

What analytics does Dub provide?

Dub's analytics cover clicks by country, city, device, browser, operating system, referrer source, and UTM parameters. A real-time events stream shows clicks as they happen. Conversion tracking adds funnel views and customer journey analysis. Data retention ranges from 30 days on the free plan to unlimited on Enterprise. You can export data for external analysis.

Does Dub have an API?

Yes, and it is one of the platform's strongest features. The REST API covers link creation, bulk operations, analytics, and partner management. Native SDKs are available for TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP, and Ruby. Rate limits range from 600 requests per minute on Pro to custom limits on Enterprise. Webhooks deliver real-time event notifications.

How does Dub compare to Bitly?

Bitly is the most widely recognized link shortener, but its feature set focuses on link creation and click analytics. Dub goes further with conversion tracking, revenue attribution, and built-in affiliate management. Dub's Pro plan at $30 per month is also less expensive than Bitly's Core plan. The trade-off is that Bitly has a longer track record and broader name recognition. See the full Dub vs Bitly comparison for details.

Does Dub support QR codes?

Yes. Every link you create in Dub can generate a branded QR code with customizable colors. QR codes are included on all plans at no extra cost. Scans are tracked with the same analytics as link clicks, including geographic location, device type, and conversion attribution.

What integrations does Dub support?

Dub integrates with Stripe and Shopify for revenue attribution, Zapier and Make for workflow automation, Google Tag Manager and Segment for analytics, Slack for notifications, HubSpot for CRM enrichment, and WordPress for content publishing. The API and webhooks let you connect to virtually any other tool in your stack.

Can I self-host Dub?

Yes. Because Dub is open source, you can deploy it on your own servers. This gives you full control over your data, which can be important for organizations with strict data residency requirements, security audits, or compliance frameworks that require hosting in specific regions. The self-hosted version uses the same codebase as the managed cloud product.