diff --git a/lib/linkify.ex b/lib/linkify.ex
index 5a5e720..d15d01c 100644
--- a/lib/linkify.ex
+++ b/lib/linkify.ex
@@ -40,11 +40,20 @@ defmodule Linkify do
   * `hashtag_handler: nil` - a custom handler to validate and formart a hashtag
   * `extra: false` - link urls with rarely used schemes (magnet, ipfs, irc, etc.)
   * `validate_tld: true` - Set to false to disable TLD validation for urls/emails, also can be set to :no_scheme to validate TLDs only for urls without a scheme (e.g `example.com` will be validated, but `http://example.loki` won't)
+  * `iodata` - Set to `true` to return iodata as a result, or `:safe` for iodata with linkified anchor tags wrapped in Phoenix.HTML `:safe` tuples (removes need for further sanitization)
   """
   def link(text, opts \\ []) do
     parse(text, opts)
   end
 
+  def link_to_iodata(text, opts \\ []) do
+    parse(text, Keyword.merge(opts, iodata: true))
+  end
+
+  def link_safe(text, opts \\ []) do
+    parse(text, Keyword.merge(opts, iodata: :safe))
+  end
+
   def link_map(text, acc, opts \\ []) do
     parse({text, acc}, opts)
   end
diff --git a/lib/linkify/builder.ex b/lib/linkify/builder.ex
index 385f6b3..8edf7e8 100644
--- a/lib/linkify/builder.ex
+++ b/lib/linkify/builder.ex
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ defmodule Linkify.Builder do
       |> strip_prefix(Map.get(opts, :strip_prefix, false))
       |> truncate(Map.get(opts, :truncate, false))
 
-    attrs = format_attrs(attrs)
-    "<a #{attrs}>#{url}</a>"
+    attrs
+    |> format_attrs()
+    |> format_tag(url, opts)
   end
 
   defp format_attrs(attrs) do
@@ -123,23 +124,39 @@ defmodule Linkify.Builder do
     |> format_extra(uri, opts)
   end
 
-  def format_mention(attrs, name, _opts) do
-    attrs = format_attrs(attrs)
-    "<a #{attrs}>@#{name}</a>"
+  def format_mention(attrs, name, opts) do
+    attrs
+    |> format_attrs()
+    |> format_tag("@#{name}", opts)
   end
 
-  def format_hashtag(attrs, tag, _opts) do
-    attrs = format_attrs(attrs)
-    "<a #{attrs}>##{tag}</a>"
+  def format_hashtag(attrs, tag, opts) do
+    attrs
+    |> format_attrs()
+    |> format_tag("##{tag}", opts)
   end
 
-  def format_email(attrs, email, _opts) do
-    attrs = format_attrs(attrs)
-    ~s(<a #{attrs}>#{email}</a>)
+  def format_email(attrs, email, opts) do
+    attrs
+    |> format_attrs()
+    |> format_tag(email, opts)
   end
 
-  def format_extra(attrs, uri, _opts) do
-    attrs = format_attrs(attrs)
-    ~s(<a #{attrs}>#{uri}</a>)
+  def format_extra(attrs, uri, opts) do
+    attrs
+    |> format_attrs()
+    |> format_tag(uri, opts)
+  end
+
+  def format_tag(attrs, content, %{iodata: true}) do
+    ["<a ", attrs, ">", content, "</a>"]
+  end
+
+  def format_tag(attrs, content, %{iodata: :safe}) do
+    [{:safe, ["<a ", attrs, ">"]}, content, {:safe, "</a>"}]
+  end
+
+  def format_tag(attrs, content, _opts) do
+    "<a #{attrs}>#{content}</a>"
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/linkify/parser.ex b/lib/linkify/parser.ex
index fe72668..75717de 100644
--- a/lib/linkify/parser.ex
+++ b/lib/linkify/parser.ex
@@ -62,135 +62,139 @@ defmodule Linkify.Parser do
 
   def parse(input, opts) do
     opts = Map.merge(@default_opts, opts)
-    opts_list = Map.to_list(opts)
 
-    Enum.reduce(@types, input, fn
-      type, input ->
-        if {type, true} in opts_list do
-          do_parse(input, opts, {"", "", :parsing}, type)
-        else
-          input
-        end
-    end)
+    {buffer, user_acc} = do_parse(input, opts, {"", [], :parsing})
+
+    if opts[:iodata] do
+      {buffer, user_acc}
+    else
+      {IO.iodata_to_binary(buffer), user_acc}
+    end
   end
 
-  defp do_parse({"", user_acc}, _opts, {"", acc, _}, _handler),
-    do: {acc, user_acc}
+  defp accumulate(acc, buffer),
+    do: [buffer | acc]
 
-  defp do_parse({"@" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :skip}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer <> "@", :skip}, type)
+  defp accumulate(acc, buffer, trailing),
+    do: [trailing, buffer | acc]
 
-  defp do_parse({"<a" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :parsing}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer <> "<a", :skip}, type)
+  defp do_parse({"", user_acc}, _opts, {"", acc, _}),
+    do: {Enum.reverse(acc), user_acc}
 
-  defp do_parse({"<pre" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :parsing}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer <> "<pre", :skip}, type)
+  defp do_parse({"@" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :skip}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, "@"), :skip})
 
-  defp do_parse({"<code" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :parsing}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer <> "<code", :skip}, type)
+  defp do_parse({"<a" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :parsing}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, "<a"), :skip})
 
-  defp do_parse({"</a>" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :skip}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer <> "</a>", :parsing}, type)
+  defp do_parse({"<pre" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :parsing}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, "<pre"), :skip})
 
-  defp do_parse({"</pre>" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :skip}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer <> "</pre>", :parsing}, type)
+  defp do_parse({"<code" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :parsing}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, "<code"), :skip})
 
-  defp do_parse({"</code>" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :skip}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer <> "</code>", :parsing}, type)
+  defp do_parse({"</a>" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :skip}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, "</a>"), :parsing})
 
-  defp do_parse({"<" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc, :parsing}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"<", acc, {:open, 1}}, type)
+  defp do_parse({"</pre>" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :skip}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, "</pre>"), :parsing})
 
-  defp do_parse({"<" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc, {:html, level}}, type) do
-    do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"<", acc, {:open, level + 1}}, type)
+  defp do_parse({"</code>" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, :skip}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, "</code>"), :parsing})
+
+  defp do_parse({"<" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc, :parsing}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"<", acc, {:open, 1}})
+
+  defp do_parse({"<" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc, {:html, level}}) do
+    do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"<", acc, {:open, level + 1}})
   end
 
-  defp do_parse({">" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:attrs, level}}, type),
+  defp do_parse({">" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:attrs, level}}),
     do:
       do_parse(
         {text, user_acc},
         opts,
-        {"", acc <> buffer <> ">", {:html, level}},
-        type
+        {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, ">"), {:html, level}}
       )
 
-  defp do_parse({<<ch::8>> <> text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc, {:attrs, level}}, type) do
-    do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> <<ch::8>>, {:attrs, level}}, type)
+  defp do_parse({<<ch::8>> <> text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc, {:attrs, level}}) do
+    do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, <<ch::8>>), {:attrs, level}})
   end
 
-  defp do_parse({"</" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:html, level}}, type) do
-    {buffer, user_acc} = link(type, buffer, opts, user_acc)
+  defp do_parse({"</" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:html, level}}) do
+    {buffer, user_acc} = link(buffer, opts, user_acc)
 
     do_parse(
       {text, user_acc},
       opts,
-      {"", acc <> buffer <> "</", {:close, level}},
-      type
+      {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, "</"), {:close, level}}
     )
   end
 
-  defp do_parse({">" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:close, 1}}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer <> ">", :parsing}, type)
+  defp do_parse({">" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:close, 1}}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, ">"), :parsing})
 
-  defp do_parse({">" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:close, level}}, type),
+  defp do_parse({">" <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:close, level}}),
     do:
       do_parse(
         {text, user_acc},
         opts,
-        {"", acc <> buffer <> ">", {:html, level - 1}},
-        type
+        {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, ">"), {:html, level - 1}}
       )
 
-  defp do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:open, level}}, type) do
-    do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", acc <> buffer, {:attrs, level}}, type)
+  defp do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, {:open, level}}) do
+    do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {"", accumulate(acc, buffer), {:attrs, level}})
   end
 
   defp do_parse(
          {<<char::bytes-size(1), text::binary>>, user_acc},
          opts,
-         {buffer, acc, state},
-         type
+         {buffer, acc, state}
        )
        when char in [" ", "\r", "\n"] do
-    {buffer, user_acc} = link(type, buffer, opts, user_acc)
+    {buffer, user_acc} = link(buffer, opts, user_acc)
 
     do_parse(
       {text, user_acc},
       opts,
-      {"", acc <> buffer <> char, state},
-      type
+      {"", accumulate(acc, buffer, char), state}
     )
   end
 
-  defp do_parse({<<ch::8>>, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, state}, type) do
-    {buffer, user_acc} = link(type, buffer <> <<ch::8>>, opts, user_acc)
+  defp do_parse({<<ch::8>>, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, state}) do
+    {buffer, user_acc} = link(buffer <> <<ch::8>>, opts, user_acc)
 
     do_parse(
       {"", user_acc},
       opts,
-      {"", acc <> buffer, state},
-      type
+      {"", accumulate(acc, buffer), state}
     )
   end
 
-  defp do_parse({<<ch::8>> <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, state}, type),
-    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer <> <<ch::8>>, acc, state}, type)
+  defp do_parse({<<ch::8>> <> text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer, acc, state}),
+    do: do_parse({text, user_acc}, opts, {buffer <> <<ch::8>>, acc, state})
 
   def check_and_link(:url, buffer, opts, _user_acc) do
     str = strip_parens(buffer)
 
     if url?(str, opts) do
       case @match_url |> Regex.run(str, capture: [:url]) |> hd() do
-        ^buffer -> link_url(buffer, opts)
-        url -> String.replace(buffer, url, link_url(url, opts))
+        ^buffer ->
+          link_url(buffer, opts)
+
+        url ->
+          buffer
+          |> String.split(url)
+          |> Enum.intersperse(link_url(url, opts))
+          |> if(opts[:iodata], do: & &1, else: &Enum.join(&1)).()
       end
     else
-      buffer
+      :nomatch
     end
   end
 
   def check_and_link(:email, buffer, opts, _user_acc) do
-    if email?(buffer, opts), do: link_email(buffer, opts), else: buffer
+    if email?(buffer, opts), do: link_email(buffer, opts), else: :nomatch
   end
 
   def check_and_link(:mention, buffer, opts, user_acc) do
@@ -210,7 +214,7 @@ defmodule Linkify.Parser do
   end
 
   def check_and_link(:extra, buffer, opts, _user_acc) do
-    if String.starts_with?(buffer, @prefix_extra), do: link_extra(buffer, opts), else: buffer
+    if String.starts_with?(buffer, @prefix_extra), do: link_extra(buffer, opts), else: :nomatch
   end
 
   defp strip_parens("(" <> buffer) do
@@ -272,7 +276,7 @@ defmodule Linkify.Parser do
     end
   end
 
-  def link_hashtag(nil, buffer, _, _user_acc), do: buffer
+  def link_hashtag(nil, _buffer, _, _user_acc), do: :nomatch
 
   def link_hashtag(hashtag, buffer, %{hashtag_handler: hashtag_handler} = opts, user_acc) do
     hashtag
@@ -286,7 +290,7 @@ defmodule Linkify.Parser do
     |> maybe_update_buffer(hashtag, buffer)
   end
 
-  def link_mention(nil, buffer, _, user_acc), do: {buffer, user_acc}
+  def link_mention(nil, _buffer, _, _user_acc), do: :nomatch
 
   def link_mention(mention, buffer, %{mention_handler: mention_handler} = opts, user_acc) do
     mention
@@ -326,10 +330,21 @@ defmodule Linkify.Parser do
     Builder.create_extra_link(buffer, opts)
   end
 
-  defp link(type, buffer, opts, user_acc) do
+  defp link(buffer, opts, user_acc) do
+    Enum.reduce_while(@types, {buffer, user_acc}, fn type, _ ->
+      if opts[type] == true do
+        check_and_link_reducer(type, buffer, opts, user_acc)
+      else
+        {:cont, {buffer, user_acc}}
+      end
+    end)
+  end
+
+  defp check_and_link_reducer(type, buffer, opts, user_acc) do
     case check_and_link(type, buffer, opts, user_acc) do
-      {buffer, user_acc} -> {buffer, user_acc}
-      buffer -> {buffer, user_acc}
+      :nomatch -> {:cont, {buffer, user_acc}}
+      {buffer, user_acc} -> {:halt, {buffer, user_acc}}
+      buffer -> {:halt, {buffer, user_acc}}
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/linkify_test.exs b/test/linkify_test.exs
index 0128bc2..c92e9fa 100644
--- a/test/linkify_test.exs
+++ b/test/linkify_test.exs
@@ -7,6 +7,22 @@ defmodule LinkifyTest do
              "<a href=\"http://google.com\">google.com</a>"
   end
 
+  test "default link iodata" do
+    assert Linkify.link_to_iodata("google.com") ==
+             [["<a ", "href=\"http://google.com\"", ">", "google.com", "</a>"]]
+  end
+
+  test "default link safe iodata" do
+    assert Linkify.link_safe("google.com") ==
+             [
+               [
+                 {:safe, ["<a ", "href=\"http://google.com\"", ">"]},
+                 "google.com",
+                 {:safe, "</a>"}
+               ]
+             ]
+  end
+
   test "does on link existing links" do
     text = ~s(<a href="http://google.com">google.com</a>)
     assert Linkify.link(text) == text
@@ -24,16 +40,63 @@ defmodule LinkifyTest do
            ) == expected
   end
 
+  test "all kinds of links iodata" do
+    text = "hello google.com https://ddg.com user@email.com irc:///mIRC"
+
+    expected = [
+      "hello",
+      " ",
+      ["<a ", "href=\"http://google.com\"", ">", "google.com", "</a>"],
+      " ",
+      ["<a ", "href=\"https://ddg.com\"", ">", "https://ddg.com", "</a>"],
+      " ",
+      ["<a ", "href=\"mailto:user@email.com\"", ">", "user@email.com", "</a>"],
+      " ",
+      ["<a ", "href=\"irc:///mIRC\"", ">", "irc:///mIRC", "</a>"]
+    ]
+
+    assert Linkify.link_to_iodata(text,
+             email: true,
+             extra: true
+           ) == expected
+  end
+
   test "class attribute" do
     assert Linkify.link("google.com", class: "linkified") ==
              "<a href=\"http://google.com\" class=\"linkified\">google.com</a>"
   end
 
+  test "class attribute iodata" do
+    assert Linkify.link_to_iodata("google.com", class: "linkified") ==
+             [
+               [
+                 "<a ",
+                 "href=\"http://google.com\" class=\"linkified\"",
+                 ">",
+                 "google.com",
+                 "</a>"
+               ]
+             ]
+  end
+
   test "rel attribute" do
     assert Linkify.link("google.com", rel: "noopener noreferrer") ==
              "<a href=\"http://google.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">google.com</a>"
   end
 
+  test "rel attribute iodata" do
+    assert Linkify.link_to_iodata("google.com", rel: "noopener noreferrer") ==
+             [
+               [
+                 "<a ",
+                 "href=\"http://google.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"",
+                 ">",
+                 "google.com",
+                 "</a>"
+               ]
+             ]
+  end
+
   test "rel as function" do
     text = "google.com"
 
@@ -54,6 +117,16 @@ defmodule LinkifyTest do
     assert Linkify.link(text, rel: custom_rel) == expected
   end
 
+  test "strip parens" do
+    assert Linkify.link("(google.com)") ==
+             "(<a href=\"http://google.com\">google.com</a>)"
+  end
+
+  test "strip parens iodata" do
+    assert Linkify.link_to_iodata("(google.com)") ==
+             [["(", ["<a ", "href=\"http://google.com\"", ">", "google.com", "</a>"], ")"]]
+  end
+
   test "link_map/2" do
     assert Linkify.link_map("google.com", []) ==
              {"<a href=\"http://google.com\">google.com</a>", []}