An affiliate network and affiliate tracking software sound alike, but a network introduces you to publishers while tracking software only measures the partners you already have. Merchants leaving the old network need to know which of the two they're replacing. The options split into networks and partnership suites, SaaS partner programs, and lightweight trackers for a single brand.
If you had a ShareASale account, you'll have noticed the old address no longer has a site of its own. It redirects to an Awin page saying the network has transitioned to Awin, which makes Awin the successor rather than an alternative, so it isn't on this list. Everything below is a separate company with its own way of running partners. What each tool does is taken from the vendor's own site.
The short answer for merchants and publishers
For merchants, the deciding question is whether you need new partners found for you or a tidy way to run partners you already have. Networks and partnership suites help with the first; trackers handle the second, inside your own program. For publishers, only a network or a partnership platform gives you a stream of brands to promote, since a tracking tool lives inside one brand's own program.
Whichever side you're on, test the move before you announce it. Your partners' links pointed at the old network, so the first thing to check in any new tool is how you'll issue fresh links and how quickly a click and a sale show up in reporting. A link that tracks in a demo and fails on your own shop is the problem you want to find first, not after a month of missing commissions.
Look at how commissions are assigned and payouts issued, too. Several tools here say they automate payouts, and that's the part your partners notice first, so walk through it from their side as well as yours.
Network, partner suite or tracker: how the ten split
Networks and partnership suites. Rakuten Advertising is a global affiliate network connecting advertisers and publishers. On impact.com, affiliate, influencer, creator and referral programs come together on one partnership platform. Partnerize automates affiliate work, from managing partners to tracking and paying them.
SaaS partner programs. PartnerStack is built for SaaS brands recruiting and managing affiliate, referral and reseller partners, while FirstPromoter runs affiliate, referral and influencer programs for SaaS companies from one place.
Trackers for a single brand. Refersion handles affiliate tracking and payments for ecommerce brands. Tapfiliate tracks and manages affiliate, referral and influencer programs. LeadDyno automates payouts and tracks conversions. Post Affiliate Pro manages programs, partner performance, commissions and payouts. AffiliateWP runs the whole program inside a WordPress site as a plugin.
Ten affiliate tools in a table, then A to Z
| Tool | Type | A sensible match for |
|---|---|---|
| AffiliateWP | WordPress plugin | Brands whose shop runs on WordPress |
| FirstPromoter | SaaS affiliate software | SaaS companies with mixed partner programs |
| impact.com | Partnership platform | Large brands combining partner types |
| LeadDyno | Affiliate tracking | Automated payouts for small programs |
| Partnerize | Affiliate automation | Automating partner management and payments |
| PartnerStack | SaaS partner platform | SaaS brands with resellers and referrers |
| Post Affiliate Pro | Affiliate software | Running commissions and payouts in-house |
| Rakuten Advertising | Affiliate network | Brands and publishers seeking a network |
| Refersion | Ecommerce affiliate tracking | Online shops tracking affiliates |
| Tapfiliate | Affiliate tracking | Mixed affiliate, referral and influencer programs |
The entries below run alphabetically, in no particular order of merit, and each line keeps to what the vendor says its tool does.
AffiliateWP
Best for: WordPress site owners who want to run an affiliate program from inside their own site with a plugin.
FirstPromoter
Best for: SaaS companies running affiliate, referral and influencer programs from one place; the vendor says you can launch in minutes.
impact.com
Best for: Brands joining up affiliate, influencer, creator and referral programs, which the vendor describes as unifying them.
LeadDyno
Best for: Small brands that want conversions tracked and payouts automated, as the vendor puts it.
Partnerize
Best for: Teams managing, tracking and paying sales partners, affiliates and influencers on what the vendor calls an AI-powered affiliate automation platform.
PartnerStack
Best for: SaaS brands recruiting and managing affiliate, referral and reseller partners across what the vendor calls their entire ecosystem.
Post Affiliate Pro
Best for: Merchants who assign commissions and issue payouts themselves while tracking each partner's performance.
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Rakuten Advertising
Best for: Advertisers and publishers looking for a global affiliate network, which the vendor says connects the two using AI and data.
Refersion
Best for: Ecommerce brands needing affiliate tracking and payments, in what the vendor calls the easiest solution for both.
Tapfiliate
Best for: Programs mixing affiliates, referrals and influencers that need tracking and management, with a wide set of integrations per the vendor.
Move one partner and one link before the rest
For most small merchants I'd run the switch with one trusted partner first: set up the new program, issue them a fresh link, place a test order and check that the click, the sale and the commission all land where they should. Only then invite everyone else, with the new link ready to paste.
Publishers have a different job. Before you apply to brands on a new network, list the merchants you promoted most often and check whether they're on it, because a network is only as useful as the brands you'd write about anyway. Then move your best-performing content first, swap its links, and watch a full reporting cycle before you touch the rest. It's slower than a big switch in one weekend, and it's far easier to spot a broken link when only a handful have changed.
Publishers comparing networks will find a wider set in my guide to affiliate networks, and brands that mostly want customers recommending them should look at referral program software instead.
Do you make affiliate or partner program software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Where did my old affiliate network go?
Its old address now redirects to Awin, whose page says the network has transitioned there. Awin is the successor, which is why it isn't listed here as an alternative.
What's the difference between an affiliate network and affiliate software?
A network is a place where brands and publishers find each other. Affiliate software tracks clicks, sales and commissions for partners you've already recruited, usually inside one brand's own program.
Do I need a network if I already have partners?
Not always. If your partners are loyal and you only need tracking and payouts, a tracker can be enough. A network helps when you want new publishers to find you.
Can a publisher use tracking software?
Tracking tools sit inside a brand's own program, so as a publisher you'd join that brand's program rather than use the tool yourself. Networks are where you find many brands at once.
Will my partners have to sign up again?
Usually, yes. A new platform means new accounts and new links, so tell partners early and give them the new link before the old one stops working.
Is there a WordPress option?
One plugin here runs an affiliate program inside a WordPress site, which suits a brand whose shop already lives there.
