My 10 Favorite Affiliate Marketplaces

While it’s awesome to rake in a percentage of another company’s products just by placing a link to their site on yours, it’s hard for beginners (and, honestly, all of us) to find the right affiliate programs to work with.

We know it, we’ve tried it, we’re here to help.

To save you the time and stress we went through, we put together this list of tried-and-true affiliate marketplaces.

10 Best Affiliate Marketplaces

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You can make $75-$300 recurring monthly for each person you refer if you sign up as an affiliate.

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Check out our list of affiliate networks. All of these are free to join and apply to affiliate programs (don’t ever sign up for a marketplace that tries to charge you, unless you are trying to advertise your own product).

Our Favorite Affiliate Marketplaces

• PartnerStack (4.9/5 stars) – Best for B2B SaaS
• FlexOffers (4.9/5 stars) – Best Referral Program
• ShareASale (4.8/5 stars) – Best for Beginners
• Rakuten (LinkShare) (4.8/5 stars) – Best for Enterprises
• Pepperjam (4.8/5) – Best for eCommerce
• CJ Affiliate (4.7/5) – Best Advanced Tools and Features
• Impact (4.7/5) – Best for CPA
• Avangate Affiliate Network (4.7/5) – Best for Software & Digital Goods
• ClickBank (4.5/5) – Best for Smaller Niche Merchants
• Fiverr (4.4/5 stars) – Best for Small Businesses
• Amazon Associates (4.5/5) – Bonus

How We Evaluate & Rank Our Favorite Affiliate Marketplaces

Here’s how we picked out favorites:

Commission Rates

The most important thing we looked at was commission rates. We want to make sure you’re making the maximum amount of commission possible.

Payment Threshold

We also looked at how much money you have to make before you can cash out.

Ease of Use

Earning commission shouldn’t be hard. That’s why we looked into how easy it is to use each of these marketplaces.

Marketplace Reputation

Last but not least, we looked into how reputable and trusted each of these marketplaces is.

1. PartnerStack

Best affiliate network – 4.9/5 Rating

PartnerStack is an incredibly popular tool, with some businesses going as far as to say it’s their absolute favorite among all affiliate marketing networks. Many of our partners across our portfolio of websites have switched to use PartnerStack this year.

It is one of the easiest platforms to use in terms of finding new partners, creating custom links, and then tracking performance. If you do experience any snags, the customer service is excellent.

All of your affiliate programs and partners’ contact information are kept in one centralized place, making the process of tracking the success of their partnerships. Plus, users receive regular notifications and updates when they score new partners or get new deals.

One of the best things about this SaaS tool is how easy and streamlined it makes cashing out payments.

PartnerStack Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by merchant
• Cookie Duration: 90 Days
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: $5 minimum payout

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2. FlexOffers

Best affiliate integrations – 4.9/5 Rating

Flexoffers is a great option for beginners to affiliate marketing who have a smaller business and less experience since there is no minimum sale requirement.

Another feature that makes this affiliate platform beginner-friendly is its connections to a large variety of programs across numerous industries and the dedicated rep that can help folks who are new to affiliate marketing through the process.

Advertisers on Flexoffers offer cost per sale, cost per action, cost per lead, and cost per click commission, so businesses can choose the model that best suits them.

A bonus: Flexoffers will give businesses the ability to earn recurring commissions for the people who sign up as affiliates.

FlexOffers Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by merchant
• Cookie Duration: Varies by merchant
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: Net60 pay

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3. ShareASale

Best for beginners – 4.8/5 Rating

With over 20 years in the business, ShareASale has figured out a unique, effective approach to providing affiliate connections.

While partnering with huge companies may seem attractive, they’re less likely to want partnerships and more likely to ghost you. ShareASale has made the smart move to focus on smaller companies that offer publishers a higher acceptance rate and produce more profitable relationships for partners.

In the past, the interface and overall design of ShareASale were kind of clunky. It seems the folks at ShareASale listened to this feedback and revamped their site because the design has recently improved dramatically.

ShareASale Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by seller
• Cookie Duration: Usually 30 days (varies)
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: Monthly or semi-monthly, $20 minimum threshold

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4. Rakuten (Formerly LinkShare)

Best for enterprises – 4.8/5 Rating

If the name “Rakuten” sounds familiar to you, that’s because it probably is. They recently rebranded their cashback system for online orders to “Ebates,” which you’ve probably seen ads for. But they also have a huge affiliate marketing platform.

This huge company is a global force with reach across over 200 countries. They partner with big companies like Walmart, Papa John’s, and Best Buy, which means they can offer medium-to-large-sized companies huge partnerships.

Unfortunately, their strongest selling point to some companies is a dealbreaker for others. Since it is so hard to get approval for relationships with giant corporations, small businesses aren’t likely to land any connections like that. They also have fewer advertisers since they focus on nurturing their relationships with their big-name ones.

Rakuten Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by advertiser
• Cookie Duration: Varies by advertiser
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: Advertisers pay by end of 30-day mark, Rakuten distributes pay the following week, $50 minimum threshold

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5. PepperJam (with Partnerize)

Best for eCommerce – 4.8/5 Rating

Though they have a relatively smaller number of advertisers than some on this list, Pepperjam makes up for it with the quality of their service. Some of the bigger names they partner with include Puma, Bath & Body Works, and Nordstrom Rack.

The user interface is one of the most intuitive and easy-to-use out there, but if you do encounter any issues, the customer service is reliable and helpful.

They promise an average 18:1 return on ad spend and the offers that you’ll get through Pepperjam are all legit, compared to some of the iffy deals you could be getting with similar sites.

PepperJam Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by the merchant
• Cookie Duration: Varies by merchant
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: $25, pays on the 1st and the 15th

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6. CJ (Commission Junction)

Best Advanced Tools/Features – 4.7/5 Rating

If you look up CJ (aka Commission Junction) reviews, you’re going to get quite the mixed bag. That being said, it’s my favorite marketplace.

They have an extensive catalog of affiliate marketers large and small, making it likely that you will find a service or product that fits within your niche.

Unfortunately, with such a large variety of affiliates, there are bound to be a few scammy ones. Some users have chosen to work with companies that have ended up weaseling their way out of fair payment. But I don’t think that’s entirely CJ’s fault.

The simple interface, customer service, reliable payment system, and variety of businesses make this my favorite platform.

CJ Affiliate Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by merchant
• Cookie Duration: Varies by merchant
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: $50 direct deposit, $100 check

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7. Impact

Best for CPA – 4.7/5 Rating

One of the “new kids on the block,” Impact has made quite the… impact in the affiliate network scene.

Comprehensive, cross-device tracking makes it easy to keep an eye on the progress of your various affiliate relationships and they offer some pretty great commission plans.

Compared to other, older affiliate networks, there is a somewhat shorter list of partners.

The site’s big sell is also its biggest obstacle for some. Since the company is newer, the interface has a modern, “fancy” sort of design. Though pretty darn cool, this interface can be cumbersome to navigate.

Overall, Impact is a solid option with some great opportunities for affiliate marketing, just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve in the beginning.

Impact Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by merchant
• Cookie Duration: Typically 30 days (varies by merchant)
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: Flexible threshold, minimum $10, dispersed 1st and 15th

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8. Avangate Affiliate Network

Best for software and digital goods – 4.7/5 Rating

Named the best software affiliate marketplace for 8 years in a row, Avangate Affiliate Network is the best option for software or digital goods affiliates.

With an impressive commission rate of up to 85%, if your niche site features a lot of software tools or digital goods, this is the affiliate marketplace you should look into. 

You’re also guaranteed your cookies to last 30 days at minimum and up to 180 days, so longevity is a big plus here, too.

Affiliate Network Details

• Commission Rate: Up to 85% (varies by merchant)
• Cookie Duration: 30-180 days
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: $100

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9. ClickBank

Best for Smaller Merchants – 4.5/5 Rating

The focus on this particular site is placed not on big-name products and companies, but rather on smaller, more niche digital products. Online courses, eBooks, and membership sites are a few examples of the types of digital/information products they work with.

These smaller digital goods are a perfect match for niche sites, and commission rates on some can be up to 90%, meaning you won’t be missing out on the money that could come from physical products.

ClickBank Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by merchant
• Cookie Duration: 60 days
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: Weekly/bi-weekly, default threshold $100 

Created back in 1998, ClickBank has had decades to improve its affiliate marketplace platform.

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10. Fiverr

Best for small businesses – 4.4/5 Rating

Fiverr is the largest marketplace for digital services in the world. Because of how many services they offer, the chance of folks following your affiliate link and purchasing a service is high.

The flexibility for commission plans is a huge selling point that we love about Fiverr’s affiliate program. You can choose to earn a CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) of up to $150, or $10 CPA + 10% revenue share. See Fiverr's full commission plan here.

They also support sub-affiliates so you can earn a percentage of the revenue that the affiliates you refer earn (like I do if you were to sign-up as an affiliate through my link— rest assured, you still earn the same amount!)

Unfortunately, Fiverr’s program is limited to the first purchase made using your link, but we think the sheer size and popularity of the site make up for it.

Fiverr Affiliate Details

• Commission Rate: Varies by product and plan ($15-$150)
• Cookie Duration: 30 days from first click
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: Once per month, net30, $100 minimum

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Bonus: #11. Amazon Associates

4.5/5 Rating

While not technically a marketplace, Amazon is worth adding to your arsenal because they are the biggest online retailer in existence, and you can make a commission off of anything they sell.  Commissions range based on the product vertical.  Aside from low commissions compared to other marketplaces, the other big downside is an extremely short cookie duration of only 24 hours.

You can find a variety of products to promote within these sites, but remember they are certainly not the only game in town.  Also, many advertisers run their own in-house affiliate programs.

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of these as well since they’ll often pay higher commissions because they don’t have to pay a listing fee.

Amazon Associates Details

• Commission Rate: Varies (1%-20%)
• Cookie Duration: 24 hours
• Minimum Payout/Pay Structure: Monthly

Amazon Associates' Commission Fee by Product Category

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Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners

The best affiliate programs for beginners are highly profitable, easy partnerships like Content at Scale, Amazon, and Fiverr. There’s no guesswork or risk involved and the setup is easy to understand.

How Do Affiliate Programs Work?

Affiliate programs work by a site, usually, a blog or other content/niche site, referring their audience to a product or service using a specific link. This drives traffic to the affiliate’s site.

Advertisers get these referrals by offering a commission or a certain percentage to other sites in exchange for these referrals. The affiliates can track which customers were brought to their site by that specific publisher using the unique link created.

It’s a win-win for both parties since advertisers get a wider audience to expose their products to, and publishers earn a portion of sales.

What Is the Difference Between an Affiliate Network and an Affiliate Program?

Affiliate Networks: Takes the guesswork out of creating partnerships by providing blogs with a list of advertisers and providing advertisers with a list of content creators that are ready to promote their products.

Affiliate Programs: Offered directly by the company selling the product or service to content creators. Blogs and content creators looking for an affiliate program reach out directly to the advertiser or vice versa to create an agreement themselves.

Here's an analogy to get a better understanding of the key differences between affiliate networks and programs.

Affiliate networks are like the dating app of affiliate marketing, while an affiliate program is like trying to meet someone at a bar.

For affiliate networks, multiple advertisers and content creators have plenty of options to choose from, but you will have to pay a commission to the platform in exchange for this service (like paying for a dating platform with a pool of potential dates).

With an affiliate program (or romantic interest that you meet the old-fashioned way), you have to seek that advertiser (or person) out. Your efforts could ultimately lead to a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship, where you make more money without swiping endlessly through incompatible profiles (advertisers).

The pool is larger with affiliate networks, but you do have less control over the deals since the network sets the terms. Networks also take a percentage of the commission as a sort of “finder’s fee.”

What To Look For In A Good Affiliate Marketing Program

Not all affiliate marketing programs are built alike. Wasting your time with a bad affiliate marketing agency or program could cost more stress than it’s worth.

There are a few things that you can look out for to make sure your affiliate’s program is going to be mutually beneficial.

Relevance

If you’re going to make any money off of the affiliate product, you need your audience to actually buy it.

This is why it’s important to partner with goods and services that fit your site’s niche so that you’re more likely to get those sales.

Commission Rates

You’re also going to want to make sure that the commission rates and payment are worthwhile.

The average affiliate commission rate is 5%-30%, but obviously, the higher the better.

Consistency and Organization

Lastly, if it seems like the company you’re partnering with turns out to be a total trash fire, don’t work with them.

Even with the highest commission rate possible, if the organization of the company is messy and communication seems inconsistent, they probably won’t be forthcoming with payment or easy to negotiate with.

Plus, you don’t want to be associated with a business that’s shady anyway, right?

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best affiliate network?

PartnerStack is the best affiliate network.

What is the highest-paying affiliate program?

Content at Scale is the highest-paying affiliate program.

Are affiliate networks free?

Though some affiliate networks have a fee required to join, many affiliate networks are free to sign up for. They make their money by taking a percentage of your commission made from your affiliate partnerships.

How can I start affiliate marketing as a beginner?

Using an affiliate marketing network is a great way to form relationships with businesses with little knowledge of how it all works.

How much can a beginner affiliate make?

A beginner affiliate can make up to around $60,000 per year, though this is rare.

How much does Amazon Affiliate pay?

Amazon Affiliate pays usually around 3%-5% commission depending on the sale.