When you initially created your blog, it is likely that you had the intention of one day profiting from it.
Affiliate marketing is an effective way to monetize your blog and generate higher revenue from the web traffic. It provides a lucrative opportunity to make money from your blog.
For affiliate marketing to be successful, it is essential to have quality products that your visitors are interested in. Moreover, you should be able to recommend the products with conviction and enthusiasm.
For your convenience, we’ve gathered the leading affiliate networks and platforms on the market. With their help, you can connect with tens of thousands of sellers and explore millions of products.
Affiliate platforms can present a great opportunity for businesses to increase their market reach and get higher sales. This list offers something beneficial regardless of if you wish to promote physical or digital products, or big or small brands. There is definitely an option that matches your needs.
Let’s begin our exploration by looking into one of the more significant affiliate programs available…
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ShareASale has garnered a lot of attention among affiliate networks, making it one of the top picks for many people.
Unlike Amazon Associates, ShareASale includes a much larger catalog of 4,500+ merchants from different sizes and backgrounds. This gives affiliates more options when it comes to choosing merchant partnerships.
With ShareASale, you can easily make the process of signing up to merchants, producing links and managing stats much simpler. The dashboard offers you a one-stop spot for all these activities.
It is important to keep in mind that you need to go through the process of getting approval from each merchant when using an affiliate network. This is a typical requirement for this type of network.
To sum up, ShareASale is an ideal platform for promoting both digital & physical merchandise.
On the digital front, there are many WordPress-themed stores and plugin providers as well as hosting services, etc. which you can use.
And on the physical side, you’ll find plenty of big and small merchants. For example, there’s Warby Parker (sunglasses), Sun Basket, Wayfair, Reebok, NFL Shop, plus thousands of other small and large businesses.
Irrespective of the niche of your blog or website, you are bound to discover some worthwhile offers to promote.
What you need to know about ShareASale
- Niche/product types: A little bit of everything, including both physical and digital products.
- Average commission rate: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Cookie duration: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Minimum payout: $50
ShareASale pros and cons
Pros:
- Thousands of merchants for both physical and digital products, including lots of well-known merchants
- Trustworthy – They’ve been around for many years and work with lots of big brands
- Lots of exclusive merchants. Over 1,000 of the merchants at ShareASale only work with ShareASale
- Has a bookmarklet that makes it easy to generate custom affiliate links
Cons:
- The dashboard design is a little clunky, though it’s gotten a lot better
2. Awin (Formerly Affiliate Window)
Awin, which used to be known as Affiliate Window, is now a widely used affiliate network. It provides access to over 13,000 merchants of various kinds.
In 2017, Awin took over ShareASale and both are working independently from one another but with the same set of merchants.
Awin is a great platform to shop for physical and digital products with more than 13,000 merchants offering a variety of options.
Some of the notable big names are:
- Etsy
- AliExpress
- HP
- XE (money transfer)
- StubHub
- Under Armour
- Gymshark
There’s a vast array of smaller businesses operating in different sectors that you can explore.
Awin originally started in Germany, giving their merchant list an international reach with a focus on European countries. Furthermore, there are also numerous US and global companies as well.
Joining ShareASale or CJ means having to apply to each merchant directly. After you’re approved, you can begin generating links and start tracking your performance stats.
What you need to know about Awin
- Niche/product types: With over 13,000 merchants, you’ll find both physical and digital products for almost every niche.
- Average commission rate: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Cookie duration: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Minimum payout: $20
Awin pros and cons
Pros:
- Lots of merchants to choose from
- Dedicated WordPress plugin to help you import products
- Low minimum payout (only $20)
Cons:
- $5 sign up fee (it’s refunded if you’re approved, but you’ll lose it if you’re not approved)
3. PartnerStack
For anyone looking to establish B2B tech partnerships, PartnerStack is the right choice of an affiliate network.
By joining our network, you’ll be able to take advantage of some of the highest-paying & most trusted B2B affiliate marketing programs such as Notion, Monday.com & Webflow. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity!
If you’re new to B2B affiliate marketing, you’ll find that it works almost the same as B2C affiliate marketing. However, one of the main differences is that commissions are usually higher and last for longer periods. By helping to create a customer, you can generate recurring revenue of 20-50% for the lifetime of them (depending on the brand – some only offer 12 months or single payment commissions).
Using the built-in dashboard, you can easily keep track of all your performances within the various programs that you are currently a part of. Partner engagement features including challenges, in-app messaging and learning materials enable a deeper level of connection and engagement with partner program managers.
Unlike other affiliate networks, you need to individually apply for each partner program. But once you reach the network’s $5 payout threshold, your payments will be processed monthly via either Paypal or Stripe.
PartnerStack Network is the best place to start looking when you want to connect with high-grade B2B companies who offer appealing commission & conversion rates. You can easily find suitable affiliate marketing programs through this platform.
What you need to know about PartnerStack
- Niche/product types: B2B SaaS and tech products, digital-first products only
- Average commission rate: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with, but commissions include cost-per-action and percentage structures.
- Cookie duration: Up to 90 days, depending on the merchant that you sign up with.
- Minimum payout: $5 USD
PartnerStack pros and cons
Pros:
- Hundreds of exclusive, world-class B2B companies to partner with
- Dedicated partner program managers who are invested in your success
- Cookies last up to 90 days, 30 days longer than the average affiliate marketing link cookie.
- Low payout threshold at $5
Cons:
- Partner reporting could be more robust than where it is currently at today
4. Amazon Associates
If you’re looking to advertise tangible items on your website, the Amazon Associates program is a great choice. It’s a convenient & simple way to start having products promoted on your site with no major hassle.
Amazon Associates is an easy way to monetize your website and it gives you the opportunity to make money by advertising Amazon products. And best of all, you can earn a commission on nearly any product sold on Amazon.com!
This program is even more profitable as you get a commission from any new purchase made by someone you refer, no matter what product it is. Thus, it provides an opportunity to generate passive income.
For instance, you can earn a commission for any product purchase the customer makes, even if it’s not the product you linked them to – as long as it is within the established cookie duration. Similarly, if the item was already in their cart prior to clicking through your link then unfortunately you won’t be eligible for a commission.
Prior to 2017, Amazon Associates generated commissions based on the amount of revenue/sales you drove. After that year, Amazon changed their commission setup and instead, opted for a flat-rate plan where you receive a certain percentage depending on the product category.
The recent change in Amazon Associates has been a huge benefit for small websites. No longer do they need to strive for a certain level of sales volume in order to earn a higher commission rate. Despite some large-scale affiliates not being too keen on the shift, this change makes the program increasingly attractive at lower levels.
What you need to know about Amazon Associates
- Niche/product types: Anything sold on Amazon’s website (including products from third-party vendors).
- Average commission rate: Ranges from 1% to 10% depending on the category.
- Cookie duration: Cookies last for 24 hours. However, if you have people directly add a product to their carts, you’ll get a 90-day cookie but only for the specific product that’s in their carts.
- Minimum payout: $10 for Amazon gift card or direct deposit.
Amazon Associates pros and cons
Pros:
- Massive selection of products
- Universal cookie, so you get credit for everything people buy within the cookie duration
- Amazon is by far the biggest name in eCommerce
- Very low payout threshold – only $10
Cons:
- The universal cookie only lasts for 24 hours
- Some categories – like video games – have very low commissions (1%)
- You need to register for each country individually
- Amazon has been known to slash commissions every so often
5. CJ Affiliate (Formerly Commission Junction)
CJ is an affiliate network, formerly known as Commission Junction. It essentially serves as a gathering point for merchants with thousands of different products – much as ShareASale does.
ShareASale and CJ are two of the biggest affiliate networks, providing access to thousands of merchants – both large and small. As of now, there are 2,696 distinct merchants that you can partner with.
Some of the big physical and digital companies using CJ are:
- Lowes
- Overstock
- Office Depot
- Priceline
- GoPro
- IHG (Hotels)
- Grammarly
You’ll also find lots of smaller merchants, as well.
Leveraging the CJ dashboard, you can easily apply to different merchants and generate corresponding links. You will also be able to check out various performance statistics from the same platform. ShareASale works similarly in this regard.
CJ’s dashboard may be more complex to use compared to ShareASale, however with a bit of practice, I find it much easier to navigate and better suited for my needs than ShareASale.
What you need to know about CJ
- Niche/product types: Like ShareASale, CJ covers a range of niches and both physical and digital products.
- Average commission rate: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Cookie duration: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Minimum payout: $50 for direct deposit or $100 for check.
CJ pros and cons
Pros:
- Huge range of big and small merchants to choose from
- A nice back-end dashboard to help you manage your affiliate marketing efforts
- Has a deep link generator bookmarklet that makes it really easy to generate links
Cons:
- The dashboard is a little complicated when you’re just getting started (though I like it overall).
Rakuten Marketing (previously referred to as LinkShare) is one of the leading affiliate networks, which includes a number of well-known brands. Merchants like these can be found on the platform:
- Walmart
- Best Buy
- Macy’s
- Papa Johns
While their merchant network isn’t as expansive as ShareASale, CJ or Awin (approx. 1,000 merchants), they also offer a selection of more narrow and niche affiliations.
So if you want access to a huge variety of merchants, you might be better off with one of the other networks. Rakuten can be a great choice when you’re looking to access heavy-hitting marketing solutions. Furthermore, they offer features like ad rotation that aren’t available on any external plugins, such as WordPress advertising management plugins.
What you need to know about Rakuten Marketing
- Niche/product types: With 1,000+ merchants, you can probably still find offers in most niches.
- Average commission rate: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Cookie duration: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Minimum payout: $50
Rakuten Marketing pros and cons
Pros:
- Gives you access to big-name merchants like Walmart and Best Buy
- A trusted name (Rakuten is a billion dollar company)
- Nice-to-have features like easy ad rotation
Cons:
- The back-end dashboard looks a little dated in my opinion
- Not as big a selection as some other affiliate networks
7. Avangate Affiliate Network
Avangate Affiliate Network is an affiliate network that’s focused on digital goods and software, rather than physical products.
For example, you’ll get access to popular software merchants like:
- Bitdefender
- Kaspersky
- Hide My Ass (the VPN)
- Awario
In total, Avangate Affiliate Network gives you access to 22,000+ pieces of software, so if your site promotes a lot of digital products, you’ll definitely want to join this one.
What you need to know about Avangate Affiliate Network
- Niche/product types: Avangate Affiliate Network focuses on digital goods and software products. You can browse the full merchant marketplace without needing to sign up.
- Average commission rate: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with, but Avangate advertises up to an 85% commission rate and Avangate Affiliate Network’s digital products usually have a higher commission rate than the physical products you’ll find at other networks.
- Cookie duration: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with. Avangate Affiliate Network lets merchants set their cookie length anywhere between 30 to 180 days, so you’re guaranteed at least 30 days at a minimum.
- Minimum payout: $100
Avangate Affiliate Network pros and cons
Pros:
- You can opt to be paid via PayPal
- Lots of unique software products to choose from
- Most merchants offer pretty high commissions. It’s not uncommon to see 50%+ commissions
Cons:
- The $100 minimum payout is higher than most other affiliate networks
8. ClickBank
ClickBank is a prominent affiliate network, similar to Avangate Affiliate Network. It has quite a few products in the digital domain, plus a selection of physical items.
ShareASale and Awin tend to feature more well-known, larger merchants, but ClickBank specializes in working with smaller merchants.
There are many lesser-known merchants who offer interesting eBooks, online courses & membership sites. While they may not have the same level of name recognition as larger brands, they can still be lucrative opportunities if they fit into your niche.
While ClickBank makes an effort to get rid of unreliable merchants, some low-quality products still remain. Consequently, it’s crucial that you adequately research each merchant before selecting them as a partner for promotion.
What you need to know about ClickBank
- Niche/product types: ClickBank definitely leans towards digital products, but you’ll find some physical products as well (and ClickBank makes it easy to filter between the two).
- Average commission rate: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with, but usually pretty high. You’ll find both percentage and flat-rate commissions.
- Cookie duration: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with, but usually ~60 days.
- Minimum payout: $10
ClickBank pros and cons
Pros:
- Lots of smaller niche offers that you won’t find at other affiliate platforms
- Pretty high commissions for most merchants
- $10 minimum payout makes it easy to get paid
- Offers weekly payments
Cons:
- ClickBank’s generous refund policy means you might lose commissions after the fact
- You have to wade through some low-quality products
9. FlexOffers
FlexOffers has been around for a while and is very popular in the world of affiliate marketing. It gives you access to over 12,000 different businesses & advertisers to promote your services.
If you’re looking for a visually appealing interface, FlexOffers is the way to go. Plus, it also adds 50+ new merchants daily, so there’s always something fresh & exciting for you to explore!
FlexOffers has something for everyone – small companies, big brands, and even some household names like priceline.com, Macy’s, Skechers and Lenovo. If you’re interested in seeing what offers are available before joining up, you can always check out their full directory of merchants.
FlexOffers has been a reliable and trusted affiliate platform for many years, so you can rest assured that they won’t be going anywhere soon.
Additionally, FlexOffers offers each publisher a dedicated account manager – a convenient feature. Your account manager can assist you in selecting the right offers to promote and will work with you in order to enhance your affiliate marketing endeavors.
What you need to know about FlexOffers
- Niche/product types: With over 12,000 merchants, you can find physical and digital products across all niches.
- Average commission rate: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Cookie duration: Depends on the specific merchant you sign up with.
- Minimum payout: $50 within the USA or $100 outside the USA.
FlexOffers pros and cons
Pros:
- Huge selection – 12,000+ merchants to choose from
- Nicely designed backend dashboard
- You get a dedicated affiliate manager
Cons:
- If you’re outside the USA, the only payment option is PayPal (unless the payment exceeds $5,000 – then you can use a wire transfer)
10. Walmart Affiliates
Walmart has its own affiliate program as part of Rakuten Marketing, which is worth exploring. It can be a useful contrast to Amazon Associates in terms of understanding what value their affiliation might bring to your business.
With regards to physical product sales, Amazon Associates is undeniably the most renowned & successful affiliate program. It’s success can be attributed to its large influence on the US ecommerce market with nearly 50% market share.
By contrast, Walmart has only 3.7% of the e-commerce market, with eBay in second place with 6.6%.
In response to Amazon’s transition to a category-based commission system, Walmart’s affiliate program has become more alluring since it offers higher commissions in certain categories compared to Amazon.
For instance, Walmart has a higher commission rate of 4% for toys compared to Amazon’s 3%.
Walmart’s tracking cookie has a duration of three days, compared to Amazon whose cookie only lasts for a single day (24 hours).
Testing is essential if you deal with a large number of physical products. Ultimately, this is the best option for you to find out what works and what doesn’t.
Consider making the switch from Amazon to Walmart if you can get higher commissions for your product line. Analyze the impact it might have on your revenue and decide which program fits best for you.
What you need to know about Walmart Affiliates
- Niche/product types: Anything sold on Walmart’s website (which includes some third-party vendors)
- Average commission rate: Ranges from 1% to 18%. Most categories are 4% or 1%.
- Cookie duration: Cookies last for three days.
Walmart Affiliates pros and cons
Pros:
- Huge product selection
- Higher commissions than Amazon in some categories
- A well-known, trusted brand
- Longer cookie than Amazon
Cons:
- $50 minimum payout, which is higher than Amazon
- While the product selection is bigger than almost every other store, it still doesn’t come close to Amazon
