Branch alternative
The Branch.io Alternative Built for Developers
Rift covers Branch's deep-linking, AASA hosting, custom domains, attribution, and conversion webhooks — plus MCP for AI agents, x402 per-request billing, and a self-hostable core. Skip the contract. Use the API.
Rift vs Branch: side by side
| Feature | Rift | Branch |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Links / App Links (auto AASA + assetlinks) | ||
| Deferred deep linking | ||
| Click + install + conversion attribution | ||
| Custom short domains on free tier | ||
| Conversion webhooks (signed HMAC) | ||
| Mobile SDKs | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web, RN, Flutter, Unity |
| MCP server for AI agents | ||
| Pay-per-request pricing (x402) | ||
| Self-hostable | Yes — Rust + MongoDB | |
| Free tier | 100 links, 1k clicks/mo | <10k MAUs only |
| SKAN postbacks + ad-network fraud | Basic | |
| Transparent pricing page | Contact sales |
Why teams switch from Branch
- Branch gates custom domains, API access, and conversion webhooks behind an enterprise contract. Rift ships them on the free tier.
- Pricing on Branch's paid plans is quote-only. You talk to sales, get a number, and it scales with MAUs even when your link volume doesn't.
- Branch is built for marketing teams. The dashboard is the product. If your team is engineering-led and the API is the product, Rift's ergonomics feel native and Branch's feel like a wrapper.
- Branch has no MCP server. Agent-first integrations have to wrap the REST API by hand.
Where Branch is still the better pick
- SKAdNetwork postbacks at ad-network scale, Branch has years of infrastructure Rift does not replicate.
- Probabilistic attribution and ad-network fraud detection tuned by a dedicated team.
- 30+ out-of-box integrations into AppsFlyer-adjacent platforms (Singular, Kochava, etc.).
- Approval workflows, templates, and dashboards for non-engineering stakeholders.
Pricing at three scales
| Scale | Rift | Branch |
|---|---|---|
| Small app (50k MAUs, 200k clicks/mo) | $49/mo flat, or $0.01/req pay-as-you-go | ~$300–500/mo (Grow plan, quote-based) |
| Mid-size (500k MAUs, 2M clicks/mo) | Volume contract or ~$20k at per-request | ~$2k–5k/mo (Scale plan) |
| Agent workload (100k calls/day via MCP) | x402 per-request at 0.01 USDC/call | Not supported natively |
Migrating from Branch to Rift
- 1Export your existing Branch links via their API and re-create them on Rift with a one-time backfill script. Rift accepts a `custom_slug` on creation so the short URL stays stable.
- 2Swap the Branch iOS/Android SDK for the Rift SDK. The integration surface is similar: one initializer, one handler for Universal Links, one for cold start.
- 3Point your custom domain's CNAME at Rift. AASA and assetlinks.json auto-provision within minutes; TLS via Let's Encrypt.
- 4Update webhook consumers. Branch's payload shape differs from Rift's — write a small adapter, or change downstream consumers to read Rift's shape (it's simpler).
- 5Run a two-week parallel period with both services live, comparing click + install counts. Cut over once the numbers match within 2%.
- 6Keep Branch running for any legacy SKAN postback paths if you rely on ad-network fraud detection — Rift composes with MMPs, it does not replace them.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Rift a full Branch.io replacement?
- Rift replaces Branch's deep linking, AASA hosting, custom domains, click + install attribution, and conversion webhooks. It does not replace Branch's SKAdNetwork postback infrastructure, fraud detection, or ad-network integrations. If you use Branch primarily for deep linking and attribution, Rift is a direct swap. If Branch is your MMP, keep it — or move to AppsFlyer or Adjust — and use Rift for the link layer only.
- Is Branch still a good choice?
- Yes, if you are running paid user-acquisition campaigns at scale and need ad-network integrations, SKAN postbacks, and fraud detection. Branch is a mature mobile measurement platform and that is its strength. If you just need deep links that open your app and attribute installs, you are paying for features you do not use.
- How much cheaper is Rift than Branch?
- For most small-to-midsize apps, Rift is between 3x and 10x cheaper because Branch's pricing scales with monthly active users while Rift scales with actual link traffic. A 50k-MAU app with 200k link clicks per month pays roughly $300–500/month on Branch and $49/month on Rift, or less with pay-per-request.
- Can I import my Branch link history?
- You can import the links themselves via Rift's bulk-create API, preserving the short URLs via the `custom_slug` field. Historical click and attribution data stays in Branch — export it to your warehouse before cutting over if you need it for retrospective analysis.
- Does Rift support AI agents like Branch does?
- Rift is the only one of the two with a native MCP server. Any MCP-capable agent — Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Gemini — can call Rift's create_link, get_link, list_links, update_link, and delete_link tools directly. Branch does not ship an MCP server; integrating it with an AI agent requires writing a custom wrapper around their REST API.
Related reading
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