Dub

Dub.sh, which rebranded to Dub.co, operates as an open-source link management platform tailored for modern marketing teams. Founded in 2022 by Steven Tey, the company originated as a side project to explore and utilize new edge middleware features. Tey, the company's CEO, previously worked at Vercel, where he gained experience in both development and marketing, a combination of skills that proved instrumental in Dub's rapid growth. His journey began with learning to code during the COVID-19 pandemic and evolved through his experiences at Vercel and building various projects, which ultimately led to the creation of Dub.

The company provides a comprehensive solution for creating, sharing, and tracking short links. Its business model appears to be freemium, offering a generous free tier alongside paid plans (Pro, Business, Enterprise) for users requiring more advanced features and higher limits. Dub serves a wide range of clients, from individual marketers to large enterprises like Vercel, Perplexity, and Prisma, who use the platform for link management in their marketing campaigns. The service is built on the premise of being more than a simple link shortener, positioning itself as a link attribution platform that helps businesses understand the entire user journey from the initial click to the final conversion.

Dub's core product is a suite of tools that gives marketers enhanced capabilities. Key features include the ability to use custom domains for branded links, a powerful link builder with UTM parameters, device and geo-targeting, and link expiration. A standout feature is the ability to customize social media preview cards, offering users control over how their content appears when shared. The platform provides detailed analytics, including data on geolocation, device type, browser, and referrers. Additionally, every short link created can have a corresponding branded QR code. The system is designed for team collaboration, allowing multiple users to manage links within a single account. As an open-source platform, Dub emphasizes transparency and security, having completed a SOC 2 Type II audit. The initial domain, Dub.sh, was chosen for its brevity but was later complemented by Dub.co to address user confusion and accessibility issues with the .sh top-level domain. All original links continue to function, with dub.sh remaining the default short domain.

Keywords: link management, open-source, marketing analytics, URL shortener, short links, custom domains, link tracking, QR codes, marketing attribution, Steven Tey, Vercel, conversion tracking, affiliate programs, link analytics, branded links, marketing campaigns, SaaS, freemium, developer tools, API, deep linking