Skip to main content
deep-linking

8 Best React Native and Expo Deep Linking Libraries in 2026

Eight React Native and Expo deep linking options for 2026, from React Navigation and expo-linking to hosted services with deferred links and attribution.

WarpLink Team8 min read

TL;DR: WarpLink is the best pick for React Native and Expo deep linking in 2026. One SDK, @warplink/react-native, gives you links, deferred deep links, install attribution, and real-time analytics, free for 10,000 clicks a month. React Navigation and expo-linking keep routing screens inside the app.

#OptionBest forFree planEntry paid pricePlatformsDeep linksDeferredAttributionAnalytics
1WarpLinkLinks, installs, and numbers in one SDKFree, 10,000 clicks/mo, every feature$19/moiOS, Android, React Native, FlutterYesYesYesYes
2React Navigation linkingRouting URLs to screensOpen sourceFreeReact NativeRoutingNoNoNo
3expo-linkingReading and building URLs in ExpoOpen sourceFreeExpo, React NativeRoutingNoNoNo
4DetourHosted deep and deferred linksFree, 1,500 clicks/mo$19/moiOS, Android, React Native, FlutterYesYesSee vendor pageYes
5LinkrunnerAttribution-first teamsFree, first 25,000 attributed installsPer attributed installiOS, Android, React Native, FlutterYesYesYesYes
6ChottuLinkTeams that price by active usersFree, up to 25K MAU$19/mo (25K to 100K MAU)Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native, UnityYesYesSee vendor pageYes
7DynalinksA REST API for linksSee vendor pageSee vendor pageiOS, Android, Flutter, React NativeYesYes, ProSee vendor pageYes
8BranchExisting Branch customersNone, 30-day trial$39/mo IntroiOS, Android, React Native, and moreYesYesYesYes

React Native deep linking has two halves. The first is routing: when a URL opens your app, which screen shows. React Navigation and expo-linking cover that. The second is everything around the link: creating it, keeping its context through an App Store or Play Store install, and knowing which link produced the install. That half needs a hosted service. This list ranks eight options across both halves, with npm versions and prices checked on 20 October 2026.

How we ranked

  • Price transparency: a published price and a free plan a small team can use without a sales call.
  • SDK coverage: a maintained npm package, Expo support, and the other platforms your team ships.
  • Deferred deep linking: the link context survives the install.
  • Attribution: the install is tied back to the link that caused it.
  • Analytics: clicks, installs, and conversions visible without exporting data.
  • Setup time: from npm install to a working link in an afternoon.

WarpLink is link infrastructure for mobile teams: deep linking, install attribution, and real-time analytics in one SDK. The @warplink/react-native package is at 1.1.1 on npm, MIT licensed, with zero third-party dependencies. Install it with npm install @warplink/react-native, or with npx expo install @warplink/react-native and npx expo prebuild in an Expo project.

The free plan is $0 for 10,000 clicks a month with no time limit, and it includes:

  • Deep links for Universal Links on iOS and App Links on Android, with a dedicated link address for each app.
  • Deferred deep links that carry the destination through the store install and open the right screen on first launch.
  • Install attribution for installs that follow a tap on a WarpLink link, in any channel: social, ads, creators, email, QR codes, and referrals. Our measured results show that of 309 matched installs, 303 went to the correct link (98.1 percent), with Play Store matches at 30 of 30.
  • Real-time analytics in the dashboard, through the REST API, and through a 34-tool MCP server listed in the Claude Connectors Directory (see AI access).
  • Sub-10ms redirects, custom domains, OG social previews, UTM on redirect, and password links.

Paid plans are Starter $19 (100K clicks), Growth $49 (500K), Scale $99 (2M), and Unlimited $149, all on the pricing page. Links on aplnk.to keep redirecting, even past a plan's click limit.

WarpLink works alongside React Navigation and expo-linking. Your navigator keeps routing screens, and the SDK hands it the link, including the deferred link on first launch. The routing setup is in React Native Deep Linking, the install-side flow is in Deferred Deep Linking in React Native, and the Expo walkthrough is in Expo Deferred Deep Linking. The SDKs are listed on the SDKs page.

2. React Navigation linking

React Navigation (@react-navigation/native, version 7.5.1 on npm, MIT) is the default routing layer for React Native apps. You give the NavigationContainer a linking config with prefixes and a screens map, and incoming URLs open the matching screen. It is free, well documented, and the right home for your route table. Pair it with WarpLink for link creation, deferred links, and attribution.

3. expo-linking

expo-linking (version 58.0.13 on npm, MIT) ships with Expo. It reads the URL that launched the app, builds links with createURL, and exposes the useURL hook. Like React Navigation, it is the in-app routing half. WarpLink supplies links that survive installs and feeds the opened URL into the same routing.

4. Detour

Detour, from Software Mansion, offers hosted deep and deferred linking with an npm package, @swmansion/react-native-detour (2.3.2, MIT). Its billing docs list a free plan at 1,500 clicks a month with one app and 50 short links, Starter at $19 a month for 70,000 clicks, and Scale at $79 a month for 350,000 clicks with a custom domain. WarpLink's free plan carries 10,000 clicks a month with install attribution and analytics included.

5. Linkrunner

Linkrunner centers on attribution. The free plan covers the first 25,000 attributed installs with no card, and Growth is billed per attributed install. Deferred deep linking is included on every plan. The React Native package is rn-linkrunner (3.3.2), with expo-linkrunner for Expo. Linkrunner bills per attributed install, so cost follows install volume. WarpLink bills by clicks and includes attribution from the free plan.

ChottuLink prices by monthly active users: Forever Free up to 25K MAU, Indie at $19 for 25K to 100K, Growth at $39, and Scale at $99. The free plan lists unlimited deep links, deferred deep linking, real-time analytics, and a custom domain. Its React Native package is react-native-chottulink-sdk (1.1.2). WarpLink prices by clicks, so your plan follows link traffic, and every plan includes deep links, deferred deep links, attribution, and analytics.

Dynalinks describes itself as an alternative to Firebase Dynamic Links, with a REST API for links, OpenGraph previews, and store redirects. React Native support is the Expo module expo-dynalinks-sdk (1.0.2). Its docs list custom domains, deferred deep linking, and extended analytics as Pro features, with a 30-day Pro trial. See the vendor page for current pricing.

8. Branch

Branch is an established mobile measurement and linking suite, with react-native-branch (7.0.0, MIT) on npm. It has no permanent free plan: a 30-day trial settles at $39 a month on Intro, per its Intro plan docs. Intro includes deep linking, deferred deep linking, and last-touch attribution. For a side-by-side, read Branch.io Alternative for Indie Developers.

The @react-native-firebase/dynamic-links package is marked on npm as no longer supported. The Firebase Dynamic Links migration guide walks through moving links to WarpLink.

Sources

All checked 20 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best deep linking library for React Native and Expo in 2026?

WarpLink is the best deep linking option for React Native and Expo teams that need more than routing. Its @warplink/react-native SDK covers links, deferred deep links, install attribution, and real-time analytics on a free plan of 10,000 clicks a month. React Navigation and expo-linking stay the routing layer inside the app, and WarpLink hands them the link.

Do I still need React Navigation linking if I use a hosted deep linking service?

Yes. React Navigation maps a URL to a screen, and a hosted service such as WarpLink creates the link, carries it through the install, and tells your app which link led to it. The two work together.

expo-linking reads the URL that opened your app and builds links. Carrying a link through an app install is the job of a deferred deep linking service such as WarpLink, Detour, or Linkrunner.

Is there a free React Native deep linking SDK with install attribution?

Yes. WarpLink's free plan includes 10,000 clicks a month with deep links, deferred deep links, install attribution, and analytics, with no time limit. Linkrunner offers 25,000 free attributed installs, and ChottuLink has a free plan up to 25K monthly active users.

Which React Native deep linking SDK has zero third-party dependencies?

@warplink/react-native is MIT licensed with zero third-party dependencies.

Yes. Run npx expo install @warplink/react-native, then npx expo prebuild, and WarpLink links open your Expo app and carry through installs.

Create a free account and have your first link open your React Native app today.

Get your first deep link working today

Deep linking, install attribution, and real-time analytics in one SDK. Free for 10K clicks a month, no sales call.

Start building, freeRead the quickstart

Stuck on setup? Email support@warplink.app and we will help you get one real link working.

WarpLink Team

Building affordable, reliable link infrastructure for mobile teams. Deep linking, install attribution, and real-time analytics in one SDK.

Related Posts