Dub

Dub.co is the open-source link shortener built by Steven Tey (formerly at Vercel) — and it's quietly become the link management tool of choice for modern marketing teams who got tired of Bitly's clunky UI and overpriced enterprise tiers. Built on Next.js, Cloudflare, and Tinybird, Dub is what happens when a great frontend engineer rebuilds a category from scratch with 2025 stack and design sensibilities. What you actually get: branded short links on your own custom domain (yours.co/promo), real-time click analytics (geography, devices, referrers, browsers, OS), UTM builder, QR code generation, link preview customization (OG image, title, description), workspace + team management, conversion tracking with attribution, A/B testing for destination URLs, link-in-bio pages (dub.co/yourname style), and an excellent API for programmatic link management. The killer differentiator for many teams: it's open source (AGPL-3.0). You can self-host the whole thing on your own infrastructure if you need data residency, compliance, or just want zero dependence on a SaaS provider. The hosted version exists for the 95% of teams that don't want to operate it themselves. This is the same model Cal.com pioneered and it's increasingly common. Design quality is genuinely top-tier. The dashboard feels like Linear or Vercel — fast, clean, dark mode by default, keyboard shortcuts everywhere. Compared to Bitly's enterprise-circa-2018 UI, it's a different universe. Marketing teams who've used Linear or Notion will feel instantly at home; people who like ugly enterprise dashboards will find Dub uncomfortably modern. Analytics are the standout feature. Real-time click data with sub-second updates (powered by Tinybird), with breakdowns by every dimension you'd want. Conversion tracking lets you attribute revenue back to specific links — particularly useful for affiliate programs, influencer campaigns, and paid acquisition channels. Comparable to Bitly's enterprise tier at a fraction of the cost. Honest comparison: Bitly has more enterprise SSO/SCIM features, more legacy integrations, and the brand recognition (clients ask 'send me a Bitly link'). Rebrandly has cleaner enterprise tooling for global teams. Short.io is the budget competitor. Dub wins on modern UX, developer experience (the API is genuinely excellent), open-source flexibility, and price/performance. Where it shines: marketing teams running multiple campaigns + needing clean attribution, developer-led teams who'll use the API + webhooks, influencer + affiliate programs needing conversion tracking, startups wanting Bitly capabilities without enterprise pricing, agencies managing multiple client domains, and teams who care about design + DX. Where to look elsewhere: enterprises with strict SSO/SCIM requirements (Bitly Enterprise or Rebrandly still ahead), teams needing the absolute cheapest option (Short.io or Bitly free), teams who already have deep integrations with existing tools, and anyone who needs the brand recognition factor (Bitly links still get more trust from average users than custom-domain shorteners). Pricing is fair: Free with generous limits, Pro at $24/mo, Business at $59/mo, Advanced at $174/mo. Self-host is free forever (you pay your own infrastructure).