Looking for an easy way to monetize your website traffic? Affiliate marketing is the way to go.
Full list of Best and High Paying Affiliate Marketing Networks is coming, lets do some overview.
An affiliate network is a platform that connects publishers (like you) with companies, allowing you to promote their products or services in exchange for a commission on the sales you generate.
Instead of having to sign up for dozens of individual affiliate programs, you can join one network to get access to thousands of brands, streamlined payments, and tracking tools all in one place. This makes managing your partnerships and scaling your revenue much simpler.
So, what makes an affiliate network good? Three key factors are how quickly you get paid, cookie duration (the time you have to earn a commission after a click), and the quality of the merchants they partner with.
When looking for the best affiliate network for your needs, you should also consider the reliability of their tracking software, the level of support they offer, and the platform’s user-friendliness.
With affiliate marketing, you recommend products or services to your audience and earn a commission on purchases made through your referral links.
Promoting your affiliate links is easy. The hard part is finding good-quality, relevant products that are worth recommending. Ideally, you’ll want to look for something that resonates with your audience and pays a good commission rate.
To make this process a little easier, I’ve compiled a list of the best and High paying affiliate marketing networks and platforms on the market.
These platforms connect you with thousands of brands and merchants that offer affiliate programs so you should easily be able to find something that works for you.
1. Awin
Awin is a popular affiliate marketing platform with over 16,500 merchants and 225,000 affiliates.
strong candidate in our topic Best and High Paying Affiliate Marketing Networks
Awin caters more towards a European and global market, with a greater global reach and better multi-language and multi-currency support.
Awin charges affiliates a $5 application fee. This is a bit of a bummer, but it at least gets credited back to your account if/when you’re approved.
Awin gives you access to a wide range of affiliate programs for both physical and digital products, across all verticals. This includes programs by big names like Under Armour, StubHub, Etsy, Gymshark, and AliExpress.
I’d say it’s primarily a better fit for physical products but it now has a decent selection of digital software and services since it merged with ShareASale.
Commission rates vary by the merchant but are usually around 5%, and there’s a $20 minimum payout. This can increase dramatically for software-based products
Pros
- Greater global reach
- Low minimum payout
Cons
- $5 sign up fee
stats:
- Cookie duration: 30-90 days
- Minimum payout: $20
- Payment method: direct deposit, wire transfer, ACH
- Commission rate: varies by merchant
Did you know that Awin is the parent company of ShareASale? Although operating separately, Awin has roughly the same number of merchants as its subsidiary ‒ about 30,000 partners across over 180 countries, including big brands like Nike, Samsung, and Asus.
To join Awin, you need to make a deposit of $1 or equivalent. You’ll get it back with your first payout after hitting the $20 minimum threshold, which is quite low compared to other affiliate platforms on this list.
For influencers, Awin simplifies the signup process with Instagram integration. Just connect your Instagram business or creator account to the affiliate network to get started.
Awin offers many tools to help improve your affiliate marketing efforts. For example, with the Opportunity Marketplace, you can highlight your audience demographics, active sectors, and other affiliate details to attract the right merchant and boost visibility.
2. Refersion Marketplace
Refersion Marketplace is a lesser-known affiliate network that aims to connect content creators with brands that are willing to pay high commissions. top 5 in Best and High Paying Affiliate Marketing Networks
The marketplace was created by Refersion, a well-known affiliate marketing, and tracking software company. On the platform, commissions rates and cookie durations vary from brand to brand.
On average, commission rates vary between 5% and 15% per sale. Most brands offer quite lengthy cookie windows, with some even offering as much as 90 days. Brands using Refersion include names like Stately Wear, Plants by People, and Area Home. On the whole, you’ll find mainly physical products for you to market on Refersion.
Refersion Marketplace also boasts that they offer transparent brand relationships so that you can work with the brands, and create a marketing relationship that is successful. You can contact the brands you work with directly through social media and email to discuss products, sponsorships, and more.
Another perk with Refersion is their first-party cookie tracking. This advanced tracking means that brands can adequately track exactly which affiliate partners are driving sales, and this means that marketers never miss out on hard-earned commission.
As Refersion isn’t as well known as some of the other affiliate networks out there, the brands available on the platform are a little more obscure, and often cater to smaller niches. However, if you’re running a niche blog, and you need specialized products to offer to your readers, then Refersion Marketplace may be a good place to find them.
Pros
- High commission rates for some products
- Long cookie windows for some products
- Niche brands and products
Cons
- Smaller network of brands
3. Impact
Affiliate network stats:
- Cookie duration: 30-90 days
- Minimum payout: $10
- Payment method: direct deposit, PayPal, check, wire transfer, ACH
- Commission rate: starts at 3%, varies by merchant
If you’re looking for an affiliate network with free signup and a low minimum payout threshold, Impact is definitely worth considering.
Don’t have a website or social media account? No problem! Impact allows various methods to promote its affiliate programs, including mobile apps, podcasts, and offline ads. With its powerful tracking tools, you can easily join both online and offline affiliate programs to increase your earnings.
Impact collaborates with around 3,000 merchants, including Adidas, HSBC, and Lenovo. While commission rates vary, they typically start at 3% and can go over 20% with high-ticket programs.
Some reviews mention that the approval process to join an affiliate program can take time. If you can handle the wait, Impact can be a profitable affiliate network for you.
4. GiddyUp(Best and High Paying Affiliate Marketing Networks )
Affiliate network stats:
- Cookie duration: 45 days
- Minimum payout: $50
- Payment method: wire transfer, ACH, check
- Commission rate: varies by campaign
Focused on the direct-to-consumer space, GiddyUp has partnered with over 150 reputable merchants in that sector.
It offers dedicated account managers to help affiliate marketers set up their accounts, navigate the platform, look for profitable opportunities, and more. Having a contact person available 24/7 is a huge advantage, as they can answer your questions and help troubleshoot when needed.
GiddyUp values performance-based partnerships, so affiliate marketers work alongside merchants to create the best possible campaigns. This means you’ll get access to creative assets to boost your marketing efforts.
That said, this is a rather niche affiliate network. If you have no experience promoting direct-to-consumer products or aren’t interested in this sector, GiddyUp may not be for you.
5. PartnerStack
Affiliate network stats:
- Cookie duration: 90 days
- Minimum payout: $5
- Payment method: Stripe, PayPal, direct deposit
- Commission rate: 15-30%, varies by merchant
Interested in selling SaaS products? Then PartnerStack is a great network to start with!
It’s one of the top affiliate networks for publishers promoting digital products in the SaaS sector, offering programs for marketing tools, platform subscriptions, CRM software, and more.
You’ll have access to over 300 affiliate programs, including big names like Webflow and Vimeo, with commissions of up to 30%.
PartnerStack has the lowest minimum payout on this list, requiring only $5 to withdraw earnings. You can withdraw payments through Stripe, PayPal, or direct deposit, depending on your location.
The user-friendly dashboard is perfect for beginners, with guides, video walkthroughs, and fast-response email support.
While the number of merchants is smaller compared to other big affiliate networks, PartnerStack could be a great fit if you prefer quality over quantity.
6. Avangate Affiliate Network
Affiliate network stats:
- Cookie duration: 30-180 days
- Minimum payout: $100
- Payment method: wire transfer, check, PayPal, Avangate MasterCard
- Commission rate: up to 75%
Another great affiliate network focused on digital products is Avangate Affiliate Network. It offers access to over 1,200 IT merchants, such as BitDefender and SEO PowerSuite.
Since digital products like cybersecurity software and marketing solutions can be pricey, Avangate offers a great opportunity to earn high commissions. Some rates go as high as 75%.
However, the minimum payout is at a whopping $100. If you’re new to affiliate marketing, it may take time to reach that threshold, which can slow your revenue stream.
Avangate’s biggest plus point is its tools for maximizing conversions in local markets. Features like geo-targeted shopping carts and deep linking help affiliate partners attract local customers and send them directly to the checkout page, reducing cart abandonment risk.
The signup process is quick and free, but you’ll need a website to become an affiliate. Follow our tutorial on making an affiliate website if you don’t have one yet.
7. Amazon Associates
Affiliate network stats:
- Cookie duration: 24 hours
- Minimum payout: $10 by direct deposit, $100 by check
- Payment method: Amazon gift card, check, bank transfer
- Commission rate: 1-20%, varies by product category
The biggest perk of joining Amazon Associates is the huge variety of physical and digital products to promote. Whether you’re into tech, gardening, or crafts, you’ll find tons of options that fit your niche. Plus, Amazon’s well-known brand helps encourage more sales.
Amazon Associates’ commission rates range from 1% to 10% for popular categories like gadgets, personal care, and kitchen items. While the rates are lower than some affiliate platforms, you can make up for it with volume.
To compensate for its short cookie duration, Amazon offers commissions on everything the customer buys, not just the product you linked. This gives you more chances to earn, even if the customer doesn’t end up buying what you promote in the first place.
You can sign up with a website, mobile app, or social media, but each method has its own requirements. For example, websites need at least 10 blog posts, with the latest posted within the last 60 days.
8. Partnerize (Pepperjam)
Affiliate network stats:
- Cookie duration: 30-90 days
- Minimum payout: $25
- Payment method: PayPal, direct deposit, check
- Commission rate: varies by merchant
Known primarily as PepperJam, Ascend by Partnerize is home to brands in retail, fashion, health, beauty, and lifestyle sectors. The partner pool comprises less than 1,000 merchants, including Puma, Zalora, and HP. You’ll have better luck finding physical and digital products here, though niche options may still be limited.
Signing up is easy and straightforward, and it usually takes a few days to get approved. Once you’re in, you can generate affiliate links in different formats, including banners and coupons, and start planning your content around them.
Ascend sends out payments through PayPal, direct deposit, and check ‒ the former being the default method. If you don’t want to use PayPal, you must contact support to request a change.
This affiliate marketing network is ideal for those looking to test the waters.
9. Rakuten Advertising
Affiliate network stats:
- Cookie duration: varies by merchant
- Minimum payout: $50
- Payment method: PayPal, ACH, check
- Commission rate: varies by merchant
The partner pool in Rakuten Advertising is smaller than that of other popular affiliate networks like ShareASale and CJ, with around 1,000 merchants. However, its custom pricing model often attracts high-ticket merchants offering better commissions, giving you a better shot at making more.
You can sign up for free with your website, blog, or social media account. While there’s no specific pageview requirement, certain merchants might only partner with you if your traffic meets their minimum threshold, which can be tricky for beginners.
Merchants aren’t the only ones getting access to Rakuten’s premium tools. Audience Engine and Affiliate Conversion Journey especially stand out, allowing affiliate marketers to personalize strategies for different audience segments and optimize customer paths for better conversions.
For support, you have access to the help center, 24/7 chat support, and email support. The help center’s resources include a handy road map and video tutorials.
10. CJ Affiliate
CJ Affiliate (formerly known as Commission Junction) is another one of the largest affiliate marketing platforms in the world. It boasts a huge network of hundreds of brands and thousands of publishers, who collectively earn over $1.2 billion every year.
Some of the more recognizable merchants on the platform include Barnes & Noble, IHG, Priceline, Overstock, Office Depot, and more. Affiliate programs are ranked based on their average EPC (Earnings Per Click), so it’s easy to find the best performers.
The initial approval process for CJ affiliate is pretty fast too. It’s free to sign up and you can get on board pretty quickly, but once you’re on the platform, you’ll have to request approval from each merchant you want to promote before you can start earning. You may also lose access to the platform if you don’t make any sales for six months.
Like Rakuten, CJ provides some cutting-edge tools to help with your affiliate marketing efforts, like their innovative Affiliate Personalisation solution, cookieless cross-device journey tracking, detailed analytics, deep-link monetization tools, customizable product widgets, and more.
The minimum payout for direct deposits is $50. Commissions and cookie durations depend on the merchant.
Pros
- Useful integrated tools
- Fast initial approval process
- Good range of merchants to choose from
Cons
- The dashboard can be complicated to navigate
11. Walmart Affiliates
If you’re not happy with Amazon’s commission rates, you might want to check out Walmart’s affiliate program instead.
Walmart is a retail giant. It might not hold as great of a share of the online retail market as Amazon, but it commands equally strong brand recognition and has a similarly wide range of products — plus an (arguably) more generous commission structure.
Walmart offers greater commissions than Amazon in certain categories, such as toys. If you’re planning on promoting physical products in these categories, Walmart is probably going to be the better option. As an added bonus, Walmart also offers three-day tracking cookies (Amazon’s lasts just 24 hours).
There are tons of physical products to choose from on Walmart but if you’re hoping to promote digital or SaaS products, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Sign-up is simple and free, and the dashboard is easy to navigate. You can access text links and professionally-designed banners from the weekly newsletter, or generate affiliate links for any product on Walmart in a few clicks.
Pros
- Huge product selection
- Longer cookie duration than Amazon
- High conversion rates
Cons
- Still fairly low commission rates (but better than Amazon in certain categories)
- No digital products
12. Levanta
Levanta is the leading affiliate platform for ecommerce brands, with a network of over 50,000+ creators that drive high-quality traffic and sales through performance-based partnerships.
Levanta’s curated network of creators have a proven track record of generating significant ecommerce sales, and their full suite of affiliate management tools (one-click marketplace integrations, automated affiliate payments, product gifting, social listening, flexible commissioning and more) make scaling your program easy.
Onboarding is straightforward with no hidden fees, allowing brands to quickly tap into Levanta’s leading platform and network.
For creators, Levanta offers a seamless way to partner with top ecommerce brands and earn from authentic product recommendations. And get paid better rates in a lot of cases, too.
The platform simplifies collaboration through instant access to brand campaigns, automatic commission tracking, and on-time payments.
This lets creators focus on content instead of admin tasks.
Pros
- Curated network of 50,000+ creators with ecommerce expertise
- Automated product gifting workflows to send creator products for promotion
- Flexible commission structures tailored to brand goals
- Easy onboarding with no hidden fees
- Support for marketplace affiliate programs (ie. Amazon, Walmart, etc)
- Best-in-class customer success and support team
Cons
- Does not support B2B, finance, or any non-ecommerce affiliate programs
Which affiliate network is the best?
The best affiliate network depends on your niche and business model. For beginners or those focused on a wide range of physical products, ShareASale is an excellent starting point due to its ease of use and massive merchant list.
If you’re in the B2B or SaaS space, PartnerStack is the clear winner because of its focus on software programs with recurring commissions. For established marketers with significant traffic who want to work with premium brands, CJ and Rakuten Advertising offer the tools and high-caliber partnerships to maximize earnings.
Some networks are more popular than others because of their niche specialization, the quality of their brand partners, and a commission structure that aligns with their marketers’ needs.
Which network has the most affiliates?
Amazon Associates is the largest affiliate program in the world. With millions of products to promote and a globally recognized brand, it has the lowest barrier to entry, attracting everyone from hobby bloggers to large media companies.
While the vast product selection is a huge plus, the low commission rates and short 24-hour cookie duration can make it challenging to earn a significant income.
Relying solely on one program can be a trap for new affiliates, so it’s often wise to use it as a starting point or to supplement income from other, more specialized networks.
If you choose this path, it’s vital to learn how to build an Amazon affiliate website that converts traffic effectively despite the program’s limitations.
Best affiliate networks – FAQs
That concludes our roundup of the top affiliate marketing networks. Before we wrap up, here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the best affiliate marketing networks and affiliate marketing in general.
How do I join an affiliate network?
The first thing you’ll need to do is choose a suitable affiliate network that’s a good fit for you. All of the options in this list are worth considering but you should start with the one that you think suits your niche and that you meet the minimum approval requirements for.
You may need to have a certain amount of website traffic or if you’re an influencer, a certain number of followers in order to be eligible to sign up.
Once you’ve made your choice, head to the affiliate network website to sign up. Every signup process is different but you’ll typically be asked to provide details such as your blog URL or social media handles.
Once you’ve completed your application, simply wait for your account to be approved and you’re good to go. This might take a few days, depending on the network’s approval timescales.
How to become a successful affiliate marketer?
To become a successful affiliate marketer, you need to build an audience that trusts you, create high-quality content, and consistently test your strategies. Choosing an affiliate network is just the first step on your journey.
Understanding your affiliate marketing earning potential will help you set realistic goals and develop a strategy that aligns with your long-term vision. The key is to then focus on providing genuine value to your audience.
Is affiliate marketing worth it?
When done right, affiliate marketing can be very lucrative. But it’s a lot of work. The success of your efforts will depend on how relevant the products you choose are to your audience and how big your audience is.
To make real money from affiliate marketing, you need to constantly optimize your website to increase your traffic, clicks, and conversions. The greater your traffic and conversion rate, the more money you’ll make.
Choosing the right affiliate marketing network for your business
There’s a lot to consider when choosing an affiliate marketing network.
Most importantly, you’ll need to think carefully about your niche and what kind of products you want to sell. Aside from that, you’ll also want to think about things like approval requirements, fees, average commission rates, cookie windows, reporting tools, etc.
If you’re not sure which one to choose, then you can’t go wrong with any of our top 3 picks at the top of the post.
And remember: as a publisher, you’re not limited to just one network. You can join as many as you like! If you can’t find a program that’s a good fit for you on one network, move on to the next and keep looking.