💵 My Top Affiliate Networks

Get started with these top 3 affiliate networks with the best publisher opportunities.

This newsletter is a foundational resource, identifying the best affiliate networks to get started with. 

In future newsletters  I’ll cover some great niche SPECIALIST affiliate networks. 

In this newsletter  I’ll get started with my top GENERALIST affiliate platforms.

Top Niche Agnostic Affiliate Networks

These are my top 3 networks for any niche and MUST ADDs to your stack. 

🔥 Shareasale: My Favorite General Aff Network

• Easy to sign up (approval in days)

• Offers in every vertical

• GREAT Brand discovery tools, sortable by EPCs, Power Rank (top converting offers), and NEW programs added

• Net 20 Payment terms (better than most networks)

• Easy to contact merchants directly

• Many smaller, undiscovered brands to grow

🚀 Impact Radius: Fastest Growing Affiliate Network

• Well funded, rapidly growing network

• Many brands are migrating towards Impact

• Solid discovery tools for new brands, including AI matching to your pub profile

• Brands in every category and vertical

• Strong data aggregation capabilities (recently acquired Affluent, Trackonomics)

• KEY UNLOCK: Make sure you get approved to their marketplace to unlock full discoverability

🛳️ Commission Junction: Many Large Brands

• Long track record in the industry, many major brands

• Strongest network for hybrid placement opportunities (flat fees, sponsored posts)

• Strong network team, the CJ team often proactively engages with publishers and brands to connect the dots

• Good sorting functionality by EPC, category

• EASY  browser link builder (CJ Link Builder) for affiliate link generation on the fly

Honorable Mentions:

• AWIN: Ironically AWIN OWNS Shareasale, but I find Shareasale to have a much better publisher experience. AWIN does have a great selection of global affiliate programs, particularly UK brands. 

• Rakuten: The interface is clunky and dated, but Rakuten has 1000s of brands to work with. If you find a good offer, the UI issues are almost a moat for publishers. 

• FlexOffers: A grab bag of offers, many brands also have a presence on FlexOffers, so if you can’t get approved for the primary program, a good back up.

• Amazon: The 800 pound gorilla. Converts like crazy, but check the rate card for your niche. Good to have in the mix, but I’m not a fan of 100% Amazon sites (too much dependency, historical rate cutting). 

• Skimlinks: Not a true network, but a third-party aggregator of almost every major affiliate program. Skimlinks takes a 20% cut, but often has higher negotiated rates than you might find on direct platforms AND some incredible data aggregation for publishers to see what’s working. 

• Partnerize: Similar to Impact, a platform for brands that also has a marketplace. A little technical to use, but some top tier programs, particularly in the travel space and pets (used by Chewy.com). 

• PepperJam: Recently acquired by Partnerize, PepperJam has some older legacy brands. Rates tend to be a bit low for my liking, but negotiable. 

• Refersion Marketplace: Refersion offers stand-alone technology to individual brands, but now also features a marketplace. Lots of smaller brands and they recently integrated functionality for Amazon brands to offer commissions on top of Amazon Associates. 

The Affiliate Infrastructure Landscape

For context, here’s how affiliate networks fit into the broader affiliate landscape:

Source: Grovia (now Acceleration Partners).

Other Great Newsletters I Recommend

Check out my reading list!

• Richard Patey’s Supercharge Newsletter: Affiliate ecosystem specifically for funnel builders.

• A Media Operator: Well developed deep dives into the media & publisher landscape.

• Mushfiq’s The Website Flip: Great resource for niche site flippers and operators.

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