Sixty-nine percent of consumers rely on recommendations from friends, family, and trusted content creators when choosing products to purchase. Given consumers rely on word of mouth over brand advertisements, growing businesses continue to invest in robust affiliate marketing programs. And those numbers are only growing; the global affiliate marketing industry is expected to grow to a market size of $27.78 billion by 2027.
If your business hasn’t invested in an affiliate marketing program yet, you should consider starting one now to drive sales. Read on for the top-rated apps to get an affiliate marketing program up and running for your ecommerce store.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a strategy in which businesses reward affiliates (customers, influencers, or content creators) for promoting products. Content creators share affiliate links on their social media posts or blogs, driving traffic to the business’s website. From there, affiliates earn money or other rewards based on the sales they generate from shoppers who clicked on the link.
Affiliate programs are mutually beneficial: Businesses reach more of their target audience and content creators can monetize their online presence.
Affiliate marketing vs. customer referrals
Affiliate marketing and customer referral programs are similar in that they encourage word-of-mouth promotion of a product. They differ in how they work: Customer referral programs typically offer discounts or store credit, while affiliate programs pay a cash commission. Many businesses use both affiliate marketing and customer referrals, and they may even manage both within the same app.
Best affiliate marketing apps for Shopify stores
The best affiliate programs provide access to affiliate networks and management tools to streamline onboarding, tracking, and rewarding affiliates. Affiliate marketing apps can automate many onerous tasks and provide valuable performance insights. Here are eight of the highest-rated apps for Shopify store owners to consider:
1. UpPromote
With more than 3,000 five-star reviews, UpPromote Affiliate Marketing is the highest-rated app on our list. Its user-friendly interface lets businesses onboard, manage, and reward affiliate partners all from one place. Key features include affiliate links and coupon code generation, real-time tracking and analytics, and automated commission payments.
UpPromote offers a free plan with up to 200 referrals a month. Paid plans offer more referrals and range from $29.99 to $199.99 per month.
2. Referral Candy
Referral Candy is a great tool for supporting your affiliate marketing efforts with custom affiliate links and detailed analytics. Reward your loyal brand advocates with cash, store credit, discounts, or other benefits. You can easily customize your referral program affiliate site with your business’s images, colors, and logo. Setting up an affiliate program is quick, and it requires little effort to maintain.
Plans for Referral Candy start at $59 per month. The basic plan includes unlimited customers, emails, rewards, marketing campaigns, and fraud protection. The platform takes a 3.5% commission on successful referral sales. A comprehensive plan goes for $299 per month, and it gives you a dedicated account manager, a quarterly campaign review, and only takes a 1.5% commission.
3. Refersion
Refersion specializes in affiliate and influencer marketing. It gives you access to the Refersion Marketplace, an affiliate network where you can find content creators whose target audience matches yours. Other key features include affiliate link generation, customizable commission structures, multiple payment methods, and an individualized dashboard for each affiliate partner.
Refersion plans start at $119 per month for up to 50 affiliate conversions per month. For 200 affiliate conversions per month, you’ll have to shell out $299 per month. The most comprehensive plan allows for unlimited conversions for $599 per month.
4. LeadDyno
LeadDyno offers affiliate links, real-time reporting, automated affiliate payouts, and extensive recruitment features, including a one-click invite function for new users. It includes tools that let you communicate more efficiently with your affiliates. You can set up automated emails to keep them updated on new leads or purchases they’ve generated and share marketing materials, such as copy, images, or platform-specific guidelines to help them promote your brand.
Plans range from $49 for up to 50 affiliates to $749 per month for unlimited affiliates.
5. GOAFFPRO
GOAFFPRO gives your affiliates a branded portal to receive their affiliate links and view their referrals, including on mobile apps.
GOAFFPRO is more affordable than some of the other high-performance options on this list. Its free plan includes unlimited affiliates as well as basic analytics. At $29 per month, its premium plan also offers an affiliate portal on your website, bulk emails, advanced analytics, and customization options.
6. Affiliately
Affiliatly is a great option for small businesses getting started in affiliate marketing. It’s easy to set up and includes all the key features necessary to run a successful affiliate marketing program, such as multiple tracking methods, a variety of reward structures, and automated payouts.
Affiliatly offers a 90-day free trial, and plans starting at just $16 per month for up to 50 active affiliates. Paid plans are $24 per month for 200 affiliates, $59 per month for 1,000 affiliates, and $129 per month for unlimited affiliates.
7. BixGrow
BixGrow is easy to use and lets businesses manage both affiliate programs and referral programs in one place. Its key features include simplified onboarding, detailed analytics, and multiple automatic payment methods.
BixGrow offers a free plan for up to 30 affiliates. Or, you can get unlimited affiliates and customized links for $9 per month. Unlock even more features, including commission tiers, store credit, and PayPay integration for just $15 per month.
8. Snowball
Snowball is a good option for affiliate marketers who want to scale their affiliate marketing program. It automates the entire affiliate marketing process, from recruitment to tracking and payouts. One of its features is seamless integration with social media platforms, enabling content creators to easily promote products. You can also use it to create a tiered referral structure, so you can run separate programs for high-performing influencers.
Snowball’s basic plan costs $199 per month, plus a 2% commission, for up to two programs and unlimited affiliates and customer referrals. Its high-end plan goes for $499 per month, and it includes customization options for the affiliate dashboard, up to 10 separate affiliate programs, and no commission fees.
Affiliate marketing apps FAQ
What apps are used for affiliate marketing?
There are various marketing tools and apps that businesses can use to help them run their affiliate marketing programs. You can find some of the best ones on Shopify’s app store.
What is the highest-paying affiliate program?
Some of the best affiliate marketing programs that pay high commission rates include Shopify, WP Engine, and Liquid Web.
Which platform is best for affiliate marketing for beginners?
If your small business is getting into affiliate marketing work, consider a platform that offers the key features you need for an affordable price. GOAFFPRO, UpPromote, and BixGRow all offer free plans to help you get started. When you’re ready to scale the program, you can switch to a paid plan, if needed.
