Firebase Dynamic Links alternative
Firebase Dynamic Links is gone. Your links don't have to be.
Google shut down Firebase Dynamic Links on August 25, 2025, and every page.link URL now returns a 404. The replacements Google listed are mostly attribution platforms. I'm not one. I do what FDL did, and nothing else.
Why FDL was good
What people actually miss
- It was free. So is my Developer plan, up to 25,000 monthly active users.
- Links survived the install. Same here, on iOS and Android.
- You could build links in code. Here, any path on your domain is already a link. No API call, no parameters.
- It wasn't an ad product. Neither am I. No attribution, no advertising IDs, no ATT prompt.
What maps to what
| Firebase Dynamic Links | DeepLinkNow |
|---|---|
| yourapp.page.link | yourapp.deeplinknow.com, or your own domain from $49/mo |
| Long links built in code (?link=…&apn=…&ibi=…) | Any path on your domain, built in code. No parameters to remember. |
| Short links from the REST API | Optional: create links in the dashboard or the management API (paid plans) |
| Deferred link after install | checkDeferredDeepLink() on first launch |
| Opening the app when it's installed | Universal Links and App Links, with the well-known files served for you |
| Social meta tags (st, sd, si) | Custom social previews per app or per link (Startup and up) |
| Analytics in the Firebase console | Bring your own analytics. Click counts are in the dashboard. |
Switching
Moving over
- Sign up and add your app: bundle ID, package name, store IDs.
- Add the SDK (iOS, Android, React Native or Flutter) and call
checkDeferredDeepLink()on first launch, where you used to read the dynamic link. - Add your link domain to your app's associated domains (iOS) and intent filters (Android). I serve the verification files.
- Change the links you send from
page.linkURLs to paths on your domain. Your router probably already understands the paths.
The quickstart walks through each step.
Questions
- Can I bring my old page.link links back?
- No. Google owns page.link, and those links return 404 now. Nobody can redirect them. What you can do is make sure the next ones live on a domain you own.
- Does DeepLinkNow do email link sign-in for Firebase Auth?
- No. That's part of Firebase Auth, and Firebase has its own migration for it. I do deep links and deferred deep links.
- Is there a free plan, like FDL had?
- Yes. The Developer plan is free up to 25,000 monthly active users, with no credit card.
- What if DeepLinkNow shuts down too?
- Fair question after FDL. On a custom domain the links are yours: point the domain at whatever you use next and the paths come with you. That's why I push custom domains.
Try it on your app
Free plan, no credit card. Add the SDK, point your links at your domain, done.