Here’s Our Review of The Best Affiliate Networks for Publishers

Helpful Summary

• Overview: This guide reviews the top affiliate networks for both new and experienced publishers, covering key network details, pros, and cons.

• Why You Can Trust Us: At Strackr, we’ve been supporting publishers for years, helping them optimize their affiliate marketing strategy with effective tools and insights.

• Why It Matters: Choosing the right affiliate network is crucial. It affects your earnings, the quality of partnerships, and the overall success of your affiliate campaigns.

• Action Points: Use Strackr to easily manage all your affiliate networks in one place, saving time and boosting your efficiency.

• Further Research: Visit the Strackr blog for more insights and advanced strategies on affiliate marketing.

Looking For a Reliable Affiliate Network?

Affiliate marketing offers publishers an excellent opportunity to transform their influence into a lucrative revenue stream. By promoting relevant products or services and earning commissions on each sale, you can build a sustainable business while creating value for your audience.

But how do you find the right brands to partner with? That’s where affiliate networks come in. These platforms connect publishers or content creators with top-tier companies, providing access to a wide range of affiliate programs.

In this Strackr guide, we’ll break down the top affiliate networks to help you find the right brands to partner with.

But first…

Why Listen to Us?

At Strackr, we’ve spent years helping top publishers maximize their affiliate potential by simplifying the management of multiple affiliate networks into one easy-to-use dashboard. No more jumping between platforms—we bring all your performance data, commissions, and insights together in one place, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: developing successful affiliate marketing strategies.

What Is an Affiliate Network?

An affiliate network is a platform that connects businesses (merchants or advertisers) with individuals or companies (affiliates or publishers) who promote their products or services. It simplifies the process for affiliates to find brands to partner with and for brands to recruit affiliates who will drive traffic and increase sales. Affiliates earn commissions for every sale or action generated through their unique referral links.

Key functions of an affiliate network include:

• Tracking sales

• Managing payments

• Providing promotional tools and materials to help affiliates succeed

If you manage several affiliate networks, Strackr can simplify your workflow by unifying them all into one streamlined dashboard, allowing you to manage everything efficiently in one place.

Top 6 Affiliate Networks for Publishers

1. ShareASale

2. Rakuten Advertising

3. Clickbank

4. Impact

5. Awin

6. CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction)

1. ShareASale

ShareASale is a popular affiliate network, highly regarded for its broad range of merchants. With around 4,500 merchants, ShareASale caters to a variety of niches, from technology and fashion to finance and home goods. This diversity makes it an attractive choice for content creators looking to monetize various types of traffic.

Network Details

• Signup Fee: None

• Product Niches & Brands: Includes notable brands such as Namecheap, Masterclass, and Qatar Airways, alongside thousands of small-to-medium enterprises.

• Commission Rate Range: Varies by merchant but can reach up to $300 per sale for certain offers.

• Promotional Tools: Advanced search filters, custom link tools, product showcases, and a “Make-A-Page” tool for creating product galleries.

• Payout Schedule: $50 threshold, payments made on the 20th of every month for the previous month’s commissions.

• Payment Methods: Direct deposit, check, Payoneer, no PayPal option.

Pros

• Provides detailed reports making it easy to monitor your campaigns

• User-friendly interface with powerful search filters

• Consistent monthly payouts with a low $50 threshold

• Supports two-tier programs and pay-per-call options, adding more revenue opportunities

Cons

• Outdated and cluttered dashboard, lacking modern design features

• Has fewer international merchants limiting opportunities for non-U.S affiliates

2. Rakuten Advertising

Rakuten Advertising, formerly known as Rakuten LinkShare, is a well-established affiliate network with a strong reputation for premium merchant partnerships and global reach. The network has evolved since its 1996 inception and continues to provide access to a wide variety of high-quality brands across multiple industries, from retail to travel and technology.

Network Details

• Signup Fee: None

• Product Niches & Brands: Offers access to renowned brands like Macy's, JetBlue, Microsoft, LEGO, and NordVPN, with over 1,000 merchants available across diverse categories.

• Promotional Tools: Rakuten offers an intuitive interface for creating affiliate links with just a few clicks, as well as tools like Audience Engine to enhance marketing strategies and boost sales.

• Commission Rate Range: Varies based on merchant agreements, with opportunities to earn through per-sale or per-lead offers, as well as paid ad placements.

• Payout Schedule: Payments are made on a net 60 basis—affiliates receive their earnings 60 days after commissions are earned. This means if you earn in October, you’ll receive payment by December.

• Mode of Payment: Direct deposit, check, or PayPal. The minimum payout threshold is $50.

Pros

• Provides strong customer support, with dedicated account managers

• Audience Engine helps customize your marketing approach and boost sales

• Long-standing relationships with big-name brands

• The interface is straightforward and easy to use

Cons

• Payments are issued on a net 60 basis

• Approval process is relatively stringent, requiring a well-established website with consistent traffic

3. ClickBank

ClickBank is one of the oldest and most well-established affiliate marketing networks, founded in 1998. Primarily known for its focus on digital products like eBooks, software, and online courses, it has earned a solid reputation in the industry.

With over 4,000 products available in its marketplace, affiliates can find a wide variety of offerings to promote, making it a popular choice for those looking to capitalize on high-commission opportunities.

Network Details

• Signup Fee: None

• Product Niches & Brands: Primarily digital products, including health supplements, eBooks, software, and online courses. Notable for promoting niche brands that might not be widely recognized.

• Promotional Tools: ClickBank offers a basic yet functional dashboard with tools to track sales, create affiliate links, and access product details. Some vendors provide additional resources like banner ads and email templates.

• Commission Rate Range: Typically between 50%–75%, with some products offering up to 90% on initial sales, along with recurring commission opportunities.

• Payout Schedule: Weekly or biweekly (every other week) payments

• Mode of payment: Direct deposit, check, wire transfer, or Payoneer

Pros

• ClickBank offers some of the highest commission rates in the industry

• A simple sign-up process without the need for SEO metrics or traffic details

• Immediate access to promotional materials and product links upon sign

• Many digital products come with recurring payment models

Cons

• Not suitable for affiliates looking to promote physical goods

• Products are of lower quality and have a higher refund rate

4. Impact

Voted the best cost-per-sale affiliate network of 2024, Impact is a leading affiliate marketing platform offering comprehensive partnership management solutions. Known for its powerful automation tools, real-time reporting, and detailed tracking capabilities, Impact allows publishers to optimize their campaigns for the highest ROI.

The platform offers access to a vast range of well-known global brands across multiple industries, making it an attractive choice for affiliates in any niche.

Network Details

• Signup Fee: None

• Product Niches & Brands: Fashion (e.g., Adidas, Levi’s), Beauty (e.g., Estee Lauder, Burt’s Bees), Technology (e.g., Lenovo, Best Buy), and many more.

• Promotional Tools: Easy-to-use deep linking, detailed performance tracking, customizable dashboard, and reporting tools.

• Commission Rate Range: Typically 3% to 20%, with some opportunities going up to 80%.

• Payout Schedule: Payments are made on the 1st and 15th of every month.

• Mode of Payment: Direct deposit, check, wire transfer, or Payoneer.

Pros

• Provides an easy-to-use, customizable dashboard to manage affiliate programs

• Partners with high-profile brands such as Uber, Airbnb, and Walmart

• Low payment threshold, starting at just $25 for ACH transfers

• Offers flexible commission models, including pay-per-click, pay-per-lead, and pay-per-sale

Cons

• Occasional technical glitches with their user interface

• The onboarding process is disjointed as each brand manages its own approval process

5. Awin

Established in 2000, Awin offers a robust platform with a wide range of tools for managing affiliate programs, including real-time reporting and tracking capabilities. The network features over 15,000 advertisers across diverse sectors, making it easy for affiliates to find suitable brands to promote.

Awin supports various commission structures, including cost-per-sale (CPS) and cost-per-lead (CPL), ensuring flexibility for affiliates.

Network Details

• Signup Fee: $1 deposit, refundable after account approval and reaching the first payment threshold.

• Product Niches & Brands: Awin boasts over 25,000 brands, including big names like Etsy, Under Armour, and HP. It covers a wide array of niches, from retail and shopping to finance, insurance, travel, and business services.

• Promotional Tools: Awin offers deep linking to product pages, a functional dashboard, and a browser extension for link building.

• Commission Rate Range: Varies by brand and product, but affiliates can easily find high-paying programs by filtering earnings per click (EPC).

• Payout Schedule: Payments are issued either on the 1st or 15th of the month, or the first working day if those dates fall on weekends.

• Mode of Payment: BACS, ACH, international wire transfers, and SEPA, though PayPal is not available.

Pros

• Gives affiliates access to international brands and products

• Offers detailed insights into campaign performance

• Offers multiple payment methods

• Allows affiliates to create deep links to specific product pages

Cons

• Not free to sign up

• Lacks dedicated email or phone support for affiliates

6. CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction)

CJ Affiliate is one of the most respected names in affiliate marketing. Established in 1998, it has maintained its reputation through high-profile partnerships, robust reporting tools, and a diverse range of products. It's an excellent platform for affiliates looking to work with well-known global brands.

Network Details

• Signup Fee: None

• Product Verticals & Brands: Includes big-name brands like Zappos, Verizon, Barnes & Noble, and over 2,800 other advertisers across various sectors.

• Promotional Tools: CJ Affiliate provides a range of tools including deep linking, product widgets, performance-based tracking, and ad placement options.

• Commission Rate Range: Varies by advertiser, with some programs offering competitive EPC (earnings per click) metrics.

• Payout Schedule: Payments are made on a net 30 basis, scheduled for the 20th or 28th of each month, once the closed commission balance meets the minimum threshold of $50.

• Mode of Payment: Direct deposit, check, or Payoneer (for international affiliates).

Pros

• Strong selection of high-profile brands to promote.

• Simple and intuitive interface with an uncluttered dashboard.

• Offers various link creation tools and options for monetizing ad placements.

• Delivers consistent payouts every month.

Cons

• Customer support options are somewhat limited

• Filtering and finding specific programs can be overwhelming for beginners

Streamline Your Affiliate Marketing with Strackr

The affiliate networks listed in this article offer robust tracking, diverse merchant opportunities, and user-friendly interfaces, but managing them all can be overwhelming.

Strackr simplifies this process by consolidating all your affiliate performance data into a single, intuitive dashboard. Instead of logging into multiple accounts or manually tracking metrics, Strackr brings everything—commissions, clicks, and conversions—together in real-time.

With seamless integrations across top networks and automated tools for tracking and comparison, Strackr helps you save time and maximize your affiliate earnings. Try Strackr for free today!