Airbridge emerged as a strong Firebase Dynamic Links alternative following Google's shutdown in August 2025. It offers an MMP-style platform with a dedicated DeepLink Plan targeting teams migrating from Firebase. But how does it compare to Smler ā a platform that has been focused on deep linking and mobile link management since the beginning? Let's find out.
Airbridge's Positioning
After Firebase's shutdown, Airbridge aggressively marketed its DeepLink Plan as the best replacement ā offering up to 10,000 tracking links per month, QR codes, and branded domains. It's a solid offering, but it comes with the complexity of an MMP platform underneath, and enterprise pricing for teams that need to go beyond the free tier.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Smler | Airbridge |
|---|---|---|
| Deferred Deep Linking | ā Free | ā Paid |
| Universal Links (iOS) | ā | ā |
| Android App Links | ā | ā |
| Custom Domains | ā Free | ā Paid |
| QR Codes | ā | ā |
| Link Analytics | ā Country, City, Device, Referrer, Browser | ā Advanced |
| Custom OG Tags | ā | Limited |
| Device-Based Routing | ā | Limited |
| Referral Tracking | ā Native REST API | Limited |
| Webhooks | ā Included, with retry logic | ā Paid |
| Flutter SDK | ā | ā |
| Zapier / n8n Integration | ā | Limited |
| Conversion Tracking API | ā Simple REST | ā Complex SDK |
| On-Call Support (All Tiers) | ā | ā Higher tiers only |
| Asset File Hosting | ā Managed by Smler | ā |
| Starting Price | Free (10k clicks/mo) | Free tier limited |
Webhook Reliability: Smler's Edge
One area where Smler stands out is webhook reliability. Smler's webhook system includes exponential backoff retry logic with defined retry schedules (12s, 2m 28s, 30m 8s, 6h 7m 6s, then 24h), automatic disablement after 20 consecutive failures with notifications at 5, 10, and 15 failures, and a simple re-enable button in the dashboard. This is enterprise-grade reliability baked into the free tier.
Developer-First Philosophy
Smler is built for developers. The documentation is organized around real use cases ā Android configuration, iOS configuration, Flutter SDK, deferred deep links, conversion tracking ā with working code examples, a sample GitHub repository, and a free Android Asset Links validator tool at app.smler.io/tools/android-assets-validator.
Airbridge's documentation is solid but reflects an MMP platform's priorities ā attribution, cohorts, and marketing analytics ā rather than a deep linking-first developer workflow.
Referral Programs: A Smler Specialty
Building referral programs with Smler is remarkably straightforward. Generate a unique short link per user, embed a ref param, read it post-install via the deferred deep link SDK, and call the conversion tracking endpoint. The entire flow is documented, with a working Flutter example on GitHub.
Airbridge does not natively optimize for this use case in the same way.
Support Philosophy
Smler provides on-call support to all customer tiers ā an unusual and valuable commitment that Airbridge does not match for smaller plans. For a startup navigating deep link configuration challenges, having access to real support without a premium plan matters enormously.
Verdict
Both Smler and Airbridge are strong Firebase Dynamic Links replacements. But for teams that want a developer-first deep linking platform with transparent pricing, strong webhook reliability, native referral support, and on-call support for all tiers ā Smler is the clearer choice in 2026.
Start for free at app.smler.io.