Affiliate marketing helps to multiply income for merchants and affiliates alike. However, the signup and renewal fees for an affiliate platform like ShareASale can be expensive. That’s where affiliate plugins come in as an excellent alternative.
They help businesses set up a custom affiliate program on their WordPress sites. Bloggers or affiliate promoters can also use another kind of affiliate plugin to organize and monitor their affiliate links.
This article will explain the criteria of a good affiliate plugin and lists the best options for merchants and affiliates. By the end of this article, we hope you can choose the perfect plugin for your needs and avoid common affiliate marketing mistakes.
This section lists the best WordPress plugins to help businesses create an affiliate program and easily manage it. There are options that offer free plans, while others are premium plugins.
| Product | Best for | Price | Rating | Active installs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AffiliateWP | Merchants who already use other plugins under AffiliateWP's development team | Paid | ||
| SliceWP | Beginners who wish to create a simple yet scalable affiliate program | Free + paid | 4.9/5 | 10,000+ |
| WP Affiliate Manager | Small businesses | Free + paid | 4.1/5 | 8,000+ |
| YITH WooCommerce Affiliates | WooCommerce site owners who use other YITH plugins | Free + paid | 4.2/5 | 6,000+ |
| Ultimate Affiliate Pro | Custom affiliate marketing settings | Paid | ||
| Post Affiliate Pro | Businesses with an extensive affiliate network | Paid | 4.6/5 | 400+ |
| Solid Affiliate | WordPress website owners who need accessible and dedicated support | Paid | ||
| ThirstyAffiliates | Affiliate promoters with an international audience | Free + paid | 4.6/5 | 30,000+ |
| Easy Affiliate Links | Managing affiliate links on your WordPress site | Free + paid | 4.2/5 | 6,000+ |
AffiliateWP
AffiliateWP Stats:
- Downloads: 23,000+
- Rating: 4.6/5
- Best for: merchants who already use other plugins under AffiliateWP’s development team
- Price: starting at $149.50/year
AffiliateWP is a premium plugin with a robust affiliate management system. This plugin is developed by the same team behind popular plugins like All in One SEO, SeedProd, and WPForms. Therefore, you can be sure about their seamless integrations.
Key Features
- Unlimited affiliates and creatives. Have an unlimited number of affiliate partners to promote your brand and give them limitless visual resources or text links.
- Automatic affiliate registration. Enable automatic account creation for all users registering a new account on your WordPress website.
- Various affiliate approval methods. Manually or automatically accept affiliate registrations and grant them access to affiliate portals.
- Cookie expiration. Set how long the referral link cookie remains valid for tracking.
Cons
- No free version or trial. If you’re curious, AffiliateWP provides a list of all its features. It also offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Tracks referrals and visits across many commerce and membership plugins
- Affiliate area, creatives, custom links and coupons in one plugin
- Built-in payout methods, including PayPal and Stripe
Cons
- Commercial licence required; add-ons use their own licence checks
- Weekly usage check-in to a vendor server, with no opt-out in the code
SliceWP
SliceWP Stats:
- Downloads: 2,000+
- Rating: 5/5
- Best for: beginners who wish to create a simple yet scalable affiliate program
- Price: freemium, with paid plans starting at $169/year
SliceWP is one of the most beginner-friendly WordPress affiliate plugins. This free affiliate plugin launched in 2020, making it relatively new. Fortunately, it has received highly positive feedback from users.
Key Features
- User-friendly interface. It has an intuitive interface and step-by-step setup wizard to help users create affiliate marketing programs within minutes. You can also install this plugin and manage affiliates from the WordPress dashboard.
- Integration with eCommerce stores and membership sites. Connect your eCommerce and membership plugins, including WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, and MemberPress.
- Front-end affiliate dashboard. Affiliates can generate affiliate links, edit their account details, and monitor commissions and visits via a single portal.
- Product commission rates. Offer different commission rates for each product or service you sell.
Cons
- Expensive premium plans. SliceWP’s premium plans are priced higher than other affiliate plugins. You can only use them for up to 10 sites.
Pros
- Affiliate registration, login and account pages
- Connects to WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads orders
- Percentage or fixed commission options
Cons
- Add-ons need a paid SliceWP licence key
- Premium features arrive as separate add-on plugins
- Commission rules are set inside the plugin's admin screens
WP Affiliate Manager
WP Affiliate Manager Stats:
- Downloads: 10,000+
- Rating: 4.2/5
- Best for: small businesses
- Price: freemium, with paid plans starting at $39/license
WP Affiliate Manager offers generous features on its free package when compared to premium WordPress affiliate plugins such as AffiliateWP or Solid Affiliate. Some overlapping features include unlimited affiliates and coupon codes.
Key Features
- Customizable affiliate registration forms. Add custom fields to collect the affiliates’ data. You can mark each field as required or optional.
- High compatibility with other plugins. The plugin integrates with popular eCommerce solutions like WooCommerce and Sell Digital Downloads and other essential tools like Google reCAPTCHA for security purposes and MailChimp for email marketing.
- Automated affiliate system. Automate many processes, like affiliate approval, referral link generation, and profile maintenance.
- Real-time reporting. Monitor affiliates’ traffic and sales as soon as they happen.
Cons
- Outdated interface. This plugin may appear problematic for some users and affiliates.
Pros
- Affiliate sign-up, login and dashboard pages via shortcodes
- Tracks commissions from WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads orders
- PayPal mass payment support for paying affiliates
Cons
- Some integrations are only offered as separate add-ons
- Mailchimp, GetResponse and AWeber are listed only as add-on links
YITH WooCommerce Affiliates
YITH WooCommerce Affiliates Stats:
- Downloads: 8,000+
- Rating: 4.1/5
- Best for: WooCommerce site owners who use other YITH plugins
- Price: freemium, with a paid plan starting at $139.99/year
YITH WooCommerce Affiliates is one of the best WordPress affiliate plugins for eCommerce businesses. It’s an excellent option for store owners looking for a user-friendly yet powerful affiliate management tool.
Key Features
- Real-time referral monitoring. Track referrals and purchases using this plugin.
- Automatic commission payouts. Automate affiliate payments after reaching a certain threshold.
- Event notifications. Get email updates for affiliate registrations, commission payouts, and withdrawal requests.
- Exclusions. Exclude specific products, categories, or users from an affiliate program.
Cons
- Limited features. Most of this plugin’s features are available on the premium version, like custom forms and automatic approvals and payments.
Pros
- Referral links with click tracking
- Commissions per affiliate
- Affiliate dashboard in My Account
- PayPal payout gateway and privacy export
Cons
- Requires WooCommerce
- Premium version is referenced for extra features
- Affiliate payouts need a payment setup by the store owner
Ultimate Affiliate Pro
Ultimate Affiliate Pro Stats:
- Downloads: 14,000+
- Rating: 4.6/5
- Best for: custom affiliate marketing settings
- Price: $69
Ultimate Affiliate Pro is a popular affiliate plugin on CodeCanyon. Its advanced features – like custom rewards and affiliate slugs – give users a personalized experience.
Key Features
- Various payment metrics. Pay affiliates based on multiple metrics, such as cost per action, tiered ranks, and multi-level marketing (MLM).
- Custom commissions and currencies. Set a percentage, flat, or custom commission, like MLM rewards. Users can also give specific bonuses to affiliates with recurring referrals.
- Pre-made templates. Find templates for the register, login, and account pages. Customize them however you like.
- PayPal and Stripe payouts. Pay your affiliates via Stripe or PayPal directly from the Ultimate Affiliate Pro dashboard.
Cons
- Limited support channels. The plugin developer only provides a knowledge base and support via the Envato profile page. You may have to wait for a response for up to two business days. Unfortunately, there’s no email support or other communication channels.
Post Affiliate Pro
Post Affiliate Pro Stats:
- Downloads: 1,000+
- Rating: 4.6/5
- Best for: businesses with an extensive affiliate network
- Price: starting at $129/month
Post Affiliate Pro is award-winning affiliate software. This plugin has gained various recognitions from independent review sites, like SourceForge and GetApp.
Key Features
- Multiple affiliate programs. Users can create several affiliate marketing campaigns, including private ones for selected affiliates.
- Mobile app. Merchants can use this app to manage their affiliate program on the go and get push notifications for new affiliate signups. For affiliates, it’s a handy tool to track traffic and earnings generated from referral links.
- Free trial. This plugin doesn’t offer a free version, but it offers a 14-day free trial.
- Multilingual module. Currently, the software is available in 35+ languages. Merchants can add new language translations from the settings.
Cons
- More expensive. Compared to other affiliate program plugins, this plugin is costly and charges users who exceed the tracking request limits.
Pros
- Sends clicks, sign-ups and sales to the affiliate account
- Affiliate shortcodes for links
- Settings for WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads
Cons
- Needs a paid Post Affiliate Pro account
- Many integration pages to configure
- Depends on an external affiliate server
Solid Affiliate
Solid Affiliate Stats:
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Best for: WordPress website owners who need accessible and dedicated support
- Price: starting at $149/year
Solid Affiliate is one of the most feature-rich, intuitive, and well-supported affiliate plugins. A step-by-step installation wizard helps users create a simple or full-featured affiliate program directly from the WordPress dashboard.
Key Features
- Automatic affiliate coupon tracking. This plugin supports WooCommerce coupons. Therefore, affiliates can receive rewards whenever they redeem the coupons.
- Affiliate link generator. Allows affiliates to create their own referral links from their affiliate dashboard.
- Responsive support team. This plugin offers friendly customer support and a quick response time.
- Refund protection. Prevent paying commissions for refunded purchases by setting a refund grace period.
Cons
- Limited customization. Users can’t add custom fields to the affiliate registration forms.
ThirstyAffiliates
ThirstyAffiliates Stats:
- Downloads: 40,000+
- Rating: 4.6/5
- Best for: affiliate promoters with an international audience
- Price: freemium, with paid plans starting at $49/license
ThirstyAffiliates is a popular WordPress plugin for managing affiliate links from different merchants.
Key Features
- Automatic linking. Automatically connect the links to specific keywords throughout your WordPress site. Alternatively, add new links without leaving the WordPress editor.
- Geolocation redirects. Show different destinations depending on visitors’ locations.
- Advanced reports. Receive performance statistics of your links sorted by categories and time intervals. They also display geolocation details to help affiliates understand their audience’s locations.
- Google Analytics click event pushing. Track clicks from anywhere on the page, including non-content areas, like sidebars and headers.
Cons
- Limited integration. This plugin doesn’t integrate with popular WordPress eCommerce plugins, like WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads.
Pros
- Short redirect URLs on your own domain for affiliate links
- Editor button and shortcode for inserting links
- Click reporting in the plugin's reports screen
Cons
- Some features need the paid Pro licence
- Redirects depend on rewrite rules and can 404 after permalink changes
- ThirstyPay Stripe options add a second payment setup to manage
Easy Affiliate Links
Easy Affiliate Links Stats:
- Downloads: 10,000+
- Rating: 4.1/5
- Best for: managing affiliate links on your WordPress site
- Price: freemium, with a paid plan at $29
Easy Affiliate Links help site owners manage all of their links in one place. It’s compatible with the classic editor and Gutenberg.
Key Features
- Affiliate links management. Name, describe, and organize your links in different categories. For example, use a Sponsored attribute for sponsored posts or a UGC label for user-generated content.
- Shortlink slug. Easy Affiliate Links lets users shorten long affiliate links or leave them uncloaked to meet specific merchants’ requirements.
- Ability to export and import files. Update your links in bulk by exporting or importing XML and CSV files.
- Automatic broken links checker. Premium users can get email notifications when the links are outdated or broken.
Cons
- Software issues. Some users report problems after certain updates, like their links disappearing or the plugin clashing with others applications.
Pros
- Cloaked short links on your own domain
- Click tracking and link manager
- CSV and XML import and export of links
Cons
- Statistics and other extras need the paid Premium add-on
- Statistics moved to the separate Premium plugin
What to Look For in a WordPress Affiliate Plugin?
WordPress affiliate plugins should effectively help merchants create, commission, and track affiliate links. Most affiliate plugins offer these features, so we tested multiple options and checked reputable reviews sites like Capterra and TrustPilot to filter the best ones.
After the research, we concluded that the top affiliate WordPress plugins generally have the following aspects:
- Ease of use. A good WordPress plugin should be easy to set up, navigate, and operate. An installation wizard and complete documentation are also essential factors.
- Flexible pricing. Vendors and affiliate promoters have specific needs and budgets, so a plugin should offer different pricing plans.
- Customization options. Having the flexibility to personalize settings and designs is important to help businesses and affiliates stand out. Examples include customizable emails and custom rewards.
- Automation. An affiliate program’s workflow can be tedious and complicated, like sending emails to affiliates and paying commissions. A good WordPress affiliate plugin should have automation features to help users speed up processes and scale their business.
Conclusion
Affiliate plugins help to create your own affiliate programs or manage affiliate links. Crucial factors to consider when choosing an affiliate marketing plugin include ease of use, personalization options, and price.
Beginners with a flexible budget can choose SimpleWP for its intuitiveness or Solid Affiliate for its reachable support team. Post Affiliate Pro and AffiliateWP are the best options for an advanced affiliate program.
For affiliates, we recommend ThirstyAffiliates for managing links. It offers more features than other affiliate plugins for WordPress while being reasonably priced.
We hope this article has helped you choose the best WordPress affiliate plugin for your needs and create a successful affiliate marketing program. Good luck!
WordPress Affiliate Plugins FAQ
Here are frequently asked questions about WordPress affiliate plugins.
Does WordPress Take Commission From an Affiliate Plugin?
No, WordPress does not take a commission from affiliate plugins. Affiliate plugins are third-party plugins that allow website owners to earn a commission by promoting other products or services. WordPress does not have any direct involvement in these transactions and does not receive any commission as a result.
How Do I Integrate an Affiliate Program Into My Website?
To integrate an affiliate program into your website, you can use a third-party plugin such as AffiliateWP. After installing the plugin, you can set up your affiliate program and customize the settings. Then, add affiliate links to your website and track clicks and sales through the plugin’s dashboard.
Do You Need a Website to Sell Affiliate Products?
No, you do not need a website to sell affiliate products. You can promote affiliate products through social media, email marketing, or other channels. However, having a website can help you build a brand and increase your credibility with potential customers.
