Firebase Dynamic Links Replacement in 2026 — when and how should I migrate?
Mobile and growth teams that previously relied on Firebase Dynamic Links need a current replacement decision after the shutdown, balancing managed deep-link vendors against a self-hosted App Links and Universal Links fallback.
Blockers
- No blockers identified in the graph.
Who this is for
- cost-sensitive
- small-team
- low-ops
- enterprise
Candidates
AppsFlyer OneLink
AppsFlyer is a managed attribution and deep-linking platform whose OneLink product handles app-open, store fallback, and deferred deep linking. As of 2026-03-29, AppsFlyer publicly shows a free "Zero" plan for owned media with a 12K-conversion welcome package for the first year, and its "Growth" plan moves to pay-as-you-go at "$0.07 each" conversion after the same 12K free conversions. AppsFlyer states OneLink is available even if you are not a paid customer, and its official migration guidance explicitly targets former Firebase Dynamic Links users. This is the strongest public-price option if you need deferred deep linking without building it yourself.
When to choose
Use this when you are "cost-sensitive" plus "low-ops" and still need deferred deep linking, app-store routing, and attribution in one hosted product. It is the best fit when marketing already needs an MMP-style workflow and a public pay-as-you-go entry point matters.
Tradeoffs
Public entry pricing is clearer than most competitors, and OneLink covers deferred deep linking and analytics. The tradeoff is adopting a marketing attribution platform even if you only wanted simple deep links.
Cautions
As of 2026-03-29, the free Zero plan is explicitly marked as not suitable for apps with paid activities. The public price page does not expose a simple flat deep-link-only SKU; higher-end usage still moves into custom pricing.
Branch
Branch is a managed deep-linking and attribution platform with Branch-hosted short and long links, app-store fallback, and deferred deep linking. As of 2026-03-29, Branch publicly shows plan structure and a free trial on the Basics plan, but it does not publish simple numeric list pricing on its main pricing page, so exact spend requires checking official sales material. Branch documents that its short-link behavior changed earlier: short links created starting 2024-03-11 expire 380 days after creation unless refreshed by a click or a Deep Linking API read request. Branch also documents product-level caveats such as some redirect parameters requiring a valid credit card or Enterprise account.
When to choose
Use this when you need a mature managed deep-link stack with strong configurability and you can tolerate sales-led pricing. It is the better fit for "enterprise" teams or teams that need richer redirect controls and Branch-specific link behavior options.
Tradeoffs
Branch has extensive deep-link controls, custom domains, and strong deferred-deep-link coverage. The tradeoff is less transparent public pricing and more product-specific operational rules than a purely native setup.
Cautions
As of 2026-03-29, Branch's official docs say redirect parameters on Branch Links require a valid credit card on the account or an Enterprise setup. Branch also documents that certain social metadata capabilities, such as "$og_image_url", are reserved for paid accounts with a dedicated contract, and newer short-link expiration rules can surprise teams assuming Firebase-style permanence.
Self-hosted Android App Links plus iOS Universal Links
This is the vendor-light fallback: use your own domain, Android App Links, and iOS Universal Links instead of a managed deep-link provider. As of 2026-03-29, this is the officially recommended Firebase path if you only need installed-app deep linking, because Firebase says teams in that scenario should migrate to App Links and Universal Links directly. On Android, App Links work on Android 6+ and Android 15 adds "Dynamic App Links", which lets you refine server-side rules in "assetlinks.json" without shipping a new app version. On iOS, Universal Links require an "apple-app-site-association" file over HTTPS and open the website in Safari when the app is not installed.
When to choose
Use this when you are "cost-sensitive" and can accept doing more platform work to avoid a managed vendor. It is the right default when you mainly need installed-app routing and web fallback, not deferred deep linking and attribution.
Tradeoffs
There is no managed-vendor fee inherent to the approach, and you keep full domain control. The tradeoff is that platform-native links do not give you Firebase Dynamic Links feature parity by themselves, especially around deferred deep linking, single-link store routing analytics, and marketer-friendly link management.
Cautions
As of 2026-03-29, Firebase Dynamic Links has already shut down, so old FDL links return errors or 404s and cannot be treated as a fallback path. Firebase's auth migration docs also require SDK updates for mobile email-link flows: Android email-link auth migration needs Firebase Authentication Android SDK "23.2.0+" or BoM "33.9.0+", iOS needs Firebase Authentication iOS SDK "11.8.0+", and older Android OAuth flows need Authentication "v20.0.0+" or BoM "v26.0.0+". Firebase further notes that reusing an old custom FDL domain as the new domain does not preserve FDL behavior such as app-store redirect when the app is not installed.
Try with your AI agent
$ npm install -g pocketlantern $ pocketlantern init # Restart Claude Code, Cursor, or your MCP client, then ask: # "Firebase Dynamic Links Replacement in 2026 — when and how should I migrate?"