Architecture & Feature Breakdown

Shaf vs Dub: the edge infrastructure shootout.

Looking for an API-first, self-hostable link management platform? See how Shaf's Cloudflare-native D1 + KV architecture delivers sub-15ms global redirects, simpler self-hosting, and rich analytics.

By Shaf Research Team • Updated October 2026 • Live Benchmark Verified

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Sub-15ms Global Edge

Zero cold starts. Links resolve in milliseconds across Cloudflare's 300+ city Anycast network.

1-Command Self-Host

No multi-service microservice headache. Deploy with one Wrangler command to Cloudflare D1 + KV.

6 Official SDKs

First-party client libraries for TypeScript, Python, Rust, Go, Kotlin, and C++.

100M+ Clicks Proven

Battle-tested edge scale with over 100M+ clicks tracked and 99.99% production uptime.

Architectural & feature comparison.

Shaf vs Dub across runtime network, storage engine, SDKs, and self-hosting.

Criterion	Shaf	Dub.co
Edge Redirection Network	Cloudflare Anycast (300+ cities)	Vercel Edge / Serverless network
Authoritative Database Architecture	Cloudflare D1 (SQL) + KV write-through read cache	PostgreSQL (Prisma / PlanetScale/Neon)
Redirect Latency	Sub-15ms worldwide	40ms – 120ms (depending on region)
Self-Hosting Complexity	Single command Cloudflare Workers deploy or Docker	Multi-service stack (Upstash, Tinybird, PostgreSQL, Vercel)
Click Analytics Privacy	Zero cookies, server-side telemetry	Browser fingerprinting & cookie tracking
Scale Tested In Production	100M+ clicks, 5M+ links, 400k daily traffic	Scale varies by customer plan
Public API & Multi-Language SDKs	TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, Kotlin, C++	TypeScript / Node SDK primarily
Free Plan Quotas	Generous free tier with unlimited redirects	Restricted free tier (links & click limits)

Frequently asked questions.

Common questions when comparing Shaf to Dub.

How does Shaf's Cloudflare architecture differ from Dub's Vercel stack? +

Shaf is built ground-up on Cloudflare's Anycast edge with D1 distributed SQL and KV caching. Every link resolves at the closest edge datacenter in 300+ cities without cold starts or serverless spin-up lag, achieving sub-15ms redirect times.

Can I self-host Shaf on my own Cloudflare account? +

Yes! Shaf is designed for 1-command deployment onto your personal or enterprise Cloudflare account using Wrangler, with automated D1 migrations and KV bindings.

Does Shaf support Dub's core features like custom domains and QR codes? +

Yes. Shaf supports automated zero-config TLS 1.3 custom domains, vector SVG/PNG QR codes, UTM campaign builders, URL expanders, and link preview audits out of the box.

How does Shaf ensure privacy without cookies? +

Shaf computes real-time telemetry (country, city, device, browser, OS, referrer) server-side at the Anycast edge during the HTTP redirect handshake. No tracking scripts or persistent cookies are injected into the visitor's browser.

Experience edge link infrastructure without limits.

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