Deep linking platform dilemma. Do we optimize for setup or long term control?

We’re rebuilding our deep-linking setup before launching in 3 new markets. The flows include paid ads, influencer links, referral codes, QR campaigns, email and users who click before installing.

A few tools can make the happy path work. What i’m struggling to compare is the boring long-term stuff: link ownership, fallback rules, param governance, debugging, redirects when the app isn’t installed and reporting when someone changes a campaign halfway through.

Branch looked very polished for link management. Appsflyer fit better with the attribution stack we already use. A custom setup gives engineering full control, but Iim not convinced we want to maintain every edge case ourselves.

For teams managing many deep links, what became painful after the first 6 months?