- Shopify affiliate apps side by side
- Ten affiliate and referral apps for Shopify
- Which affiliate app for which job
- What the free labels on affiliate listings mean
- Questions to ask before you invite affiliates
- Mistakes that sink a new affiliate program
- Referral programs versus influencer programs
- How these affiliate apps were chosen
- My plain advice on choosing an affiliate app
- Frequently asked questions
A Shopify affiliate app tracks the sales your affiliates, influencers and referring customers bring in, and handles their links, codes and payouts. Ten apps follow, listed alphabetically. The plan label decides more than you'd think: seven of the ten show a free label as of Oct 2026, but two show other labels, such as Free to install, which isn't a free plan.
Running affiliates through Shopify comes down to three jobs: giving each partner a link or code, crediting the right person for the sale, and paying them out without a spreadsheet. Some of the apps below lean towards referral programs for existing customers, some towards influencers, and several do both from one dashboard.
The ten apps are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the app's own Shopify App Store listing. If you haven't set up a program before, my guide on how to create an affiliate program walks through commission, terms and recruiting first.
Shopify affiliate apps side by side
The free plan column comes from each app's own Shopify App Store listing, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the listing says Free or Free plan available. Trial only means it offers a free trial and nothing more. Not stated covers any other label, including Free to install, which tells you the install is free, not that a free plan exists, so check the listing before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy | Referral and affiliate | Referral and affiliate programs together | Yes |
| Affiliatly Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate and influencer | A full featured affiliate program | Yes |
| Affilitrak Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate program | Referrals and influencers on a free label | Yes |
| GOAFFPRO: Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate and referral | Affiliate and referral marketing in one app | Yes |
| Referral Candy & Affiliate | Referral program | Customer referrals plus an affiliate program | Trial only |
| Refersion Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate tracking | Management and payouts for ecommerce brands | Yes |
| Shopify Collabs | Influencer app | Working with influencers to promote your brand | Not stated |
| Simple Affiliate | Influencer and affiliate | Automated payouts for affiliates and influencers | Yes |
| Snowball: Affiliate Marketing | Influencer and referral | Scaling influencer, affiliate and referral marketing | Not stated |
| UpPromote Affiliate Marketing | Referral and influencer | Referral sales loops with influencers and affiliates | Yes |
Ten affiliate and referral apps for Shopify
Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy
Best for: Stores that want a referral program and an affiliate program running side by side, rated 5.0 from 1,124 reviews as of Oct 2026.
Affiliatly Affiliate Marketing
Best for: A full featured affiliate and influencer program from a smaller listing, rated 4.6 from 74 reviews as of Oct 2026.
Affilitrak Affiliate Marketing
Best for: Running affiliate programs that include referrals and influencers, on a listing labelled Free and rated 5.0 from 268 reviews as of Oct 2026.
GOAFFPRO: Affiliate Marketing
Best for: Merchants after affiliate and referral marketing in one app, with 951 reviews and a 4.6 rating as of Oct 2026.
Referral Candy & Affiliate
Best for: Brands whose customers already recommend them, with a referral program and an affiliate program, rated 4.9 from 1,480 reviews as of Oct 2026.
Refersion Affiliate Marketing
Best for: Ecommerce brands that need affiliate tracking, management and payouts in one place, rated 4.8 from 495 reviews as of Oct 2026.
Shopify Collabs
Best for: Brands that want to work with influencers through an app made by Shopify, listed as Free to install and rated 4.2 as of Oct 2026.
Simple Affiliate
Best for: Owners who want affiliate and influencer programs with automated payouts, rated 4.9 from 124 reviews as of Oct 2026.
Snowball: Affiliate Marketing
Best for: Growing brands scaling influencer, affiliate and referral marketing together, rated 4.6 from 211 reviews; check the plan shown on its listing as of Oct 2026.
UpPromote Affiliate Marketing
Best for: Stores building referral sales loops with influencer and affiliate programs, with the most reviews here: 3,917 and a 4.9 rating as of Oct 2026.
Which affiliate app for which job
- You mainly want customers referring their friends: Referral Candy & Affiliate.
- You'd like influencers and affiliates under one roof: UpPromote Affiliate Marketing.
- You want to work with influencers through an app made by Shopify: Shopify Collabs.
- You want affiliate payouts handled automatically: Simple Affiliate.
- You need tracking, management and payouts for a growing brand: Refersion Affiliate Marketing.
What the free labels on affiliate listings mean
The Shopify App Store returned 1,059 apps for 'affiliate' as of Oct 2026, and 4 of the top results were labelled Ad. The store orders results by its own idea of relevance, not by rating, so the first rows you see aren't a quality list.
Among the ten here, seven show Free or Free plan available, one shows a free trial only, and two show something else. One of those says Free to install. That wording means adding the app is free; it doesn't promise a free plan once your program grows. The other shows a monthly plan on its listing, so read the plan details before you sign a single affiliate up.
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Review depth varies too. Counts among the ten run from 74 to 3,917, and only one has fewer than 100 reviews. The only app rated below 4.5 is Shopify's own influencer app, which is a good reminder that a familiar name and a free install don't guarantee a happy set of reviews.
Questions to ask before you invite affiliates
- Does it give each affiliate a link, a discount code, or both? Influencers often share codes in videos, where a link is harder to tap.
- How does it pay affiliates out, and can it do that automatically?
- Can affiliates sign up through a page you control, or do you add each one by hand?
- Does it credit the sale when a customer uses the code but never clicks the link?
- What changes on the plan when your number of affiliates or orders grows? Check the plan details on the listing, not just the label in the search results.
Mistakes that sink a new affiliate program
- Picking the app before deciding the commission and the rules. The app only enforces what you've already decided.
- Recruiting everyone. A handful of partners whose audience buys from you will do more than hundreds who never post.
- Forgetting refunds. Decide whether commission is reversed when an order comes back, and check the app can do that.
- Treating it as set and forget. Affiliates need fresh codes, new offers and a reason to keep sharing.
Referral programs versus influencer programs
A referral program rewards customers who send their friends. An affiliate or influencer program rewards partners who have their own audience. Several listings here say they run both, so if you're unsure which you need, pick one that covers both and start with whichever your customers are already doing.
Whichever you run, tell your existing customers about it by email first. My guide to running email marketing through Shopify covers the set-up.
How these affiliate apps were chosen
The ten apps are the first relevant, non-ad results the Shopify App Store itself returned for 'affiliate', one app per vendor, each with a rating and at least 20 reviews shown. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, so the order isn't a ranking. Ratings, review counts and plan labels are copied from the store as of Oct 2026 and will have moved since.
Do you make a Shopify affiliate app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing an affiliate app
Decide what kind of program you're running first: customers referring friends, influencers with an audience, or a mix of both. Then shortlist the apps whose listing names that job, read the plan details on the app's own listing, and install one with a free plan or trial before you invite a single partner. Moving affiliates from one app to another later is a pain, so it's worth getting the set-up right the first time.
If you're still choosing the store platform itself, my guide to picking an ecommerce platform for a small business is a good place to start.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Shopify affiliate app do?
It gives each affiliate or referrer a link or code, tracks the orders they bring in, works out their commission and, in many apps, pays them out.
Is there a free Shopify affiliate app?
Seven of the ten apps here show Free or Free plan available on the Shopify App Store as of Oct 2026. Read the plan details on each listing before you rely on the free plan.
Is Free to install the same as a free plan?
No. Free to install means adding the app is free. It doesn't say the app has a free plan, so check the plan details on the listing.
Can one app run influencer and referral programs?
Yes. Several listings here say they cover affiliates, influencers and referrals together, so you don't need a separate app for each.
How were these affiliate apps chosen?
They're the first relevant, non-ad results the Shopify App Store returned for 'affiliate', one per vendor, each with at least 20 reviews, listed alphabetically and in no particular order.
