Best affiliate networks & Programs for new beginners {Recurring Commission}

Are you interested in affiliate marketing, but trying to figure out what are the best affiliate programs and networks to start with?

If so, this guide will give you all the information you need to help you choose the right affiliate networks and programs to easily start your affiliate marketing business and make money online.

In case you’re not sure exactly what affiliate marketing is, here’s a simple definition. Affiliate marketing is promoting products and services that belong to someone else in exchange for a commission.

Did you know that as an affiliate marketer you can make 4 to 6 figure income per month? (4 figure income = 5,000. 6 figure income = 200,000).

Unbelievable right? Perhaps, but definitely true. You can make that too.

The thing with affiliate marketing is the amount of money you make depends ultimately on You.

• The time and effort you put into building your affiliate Business. Notice I said business, this means you’ll have to start off by treating it like a business and not a get rich quick scheme.
• The programs you choose to join and the products you choose to promote. I’ll share a few recommended programs in a bit.
• How you choose to promote your products, that is, the method and platforms you use.
• Your discipline and commitment to your business.

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. If you click on any such links within this post and purchase or sign up for something, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you, this helps me to maintain this site. Please know that I will only promote products and services that I know/think will greatly benefit you.

I’m going to share with you some of the top affiliate networks and programs you should consider joining. You will discover that some are high-paying affiliate programs while others have recurring commissions.

Without further delay, let’s start off with

What Is An affiliate network?

An affiliate network connects merchants (service/product owners) with publishers (bloggers, vloggers, etc). The publishers promote the merchant’s products or services in exchange for a commission.

Affiliate networks are a marketplace that has many different programs that an affiliate/publisher can join. These networks are the middle man that connects advertisers and publishers.

Affiliate networks provide tools, training, and other resources to help publishers successfully promote. Some even provide affiliates with a manager.

Publishers have the option of scanning the marketplace and choosing which merchant’s program they want to join and the brand/products they want to promote.

Similarly, merchants have the option of deciding which publisher they want to promote their brands. Some networks as well as brands are easier to get accepted into than others.

You will not get accepted into every program or network that you apply to. However, don’t be discouraged, you can always try again later when your business gets more exposure.

Now

Should You Join an affiliate network?

You’re probably wondering if it makes sense to join an affiliate network. I would say yes it does, and for more reasons than one.

Here are a few reasons why you should consider joining one:

• You’ll gain access to thousands of merchants and brands to promote and maximize your earnings.
• Majority of the time when you apply to an individual program, you’re redirected to a network anyways. So by joining one, you cut out the need to be redirected.
• You won’t have to fill out long signup forms for each program you want to join.
• All your commission earnings are handled by the network.
• You’ll have access to top of the line analytics and tracking tools.
• With some networks you’ll get performance based rewards.

I’d say these are all pretty good reasons to join an affiliate network. So,

How do you choose the right affiliate networks And programs

There are many affiliate marketing networks to choose from and it can get quite confusing trying to figure out which is the best one to join.

Don’t overthink this step, because the affiliate network you choose to join is really not that important.

The most important thing is to make sure that the ones you join offer the programs and products that are the right fit for your niche and audience.

A few other points to consider when joining affiliate networks are:

• Cost to join: You should never have to pay to join an affiliate network.
• Products/Services: Must be the right fit for your audience.
• Performance & Tracking Tools: They should have tools that will give you data on the performance of your links.
• Cookie Life Duration: How long they track a link for, in order for you to get credit for the sale.
• Commission Rates: The % you’ll get per sale.
• Customer Support: Choose networks that offer excellent support.

The affiliate networks that best match those criteria will be the best affiliate networks for you to join.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the affiliate networks available.

List Of affiliate networks

Affiliate networks are important and necessary because they make the job of both advertisers and publishers easier.

Below I’ve compiled a list of affiliate networks that a beginner or seasoned entrepreneur can join. Some have been around a long time, some are a couple of years old, and some are more popular than others.

No matter which niche you’re in or thinking of getting into, I’m certain you will find a few networks below to fit your audience.

Check them out.

Impact

Impact first made its way on the market in 2008, today it is one of the most popular affiliate networks managing thousands of partnerships between merchants and publishers.

They’ll provide you with tutorials on how to get started, as well as tracking tools. You can also check your performance at any given time from your dashboard.

• Payouts: On the 1st and the 15th of each month & Weekly.
• Payment Method: ACH (direct deposit on the 1st and the 15th of each month) , Paypal with a processing fee of 2% & Wire Transfer (weekly).
• Payment Threshold: You set the minimum payout.

If you’re a brand looking to start your own affiliate program Impact is your one-stop-shop. They will even help move you from your current affiliate network onto their platform if necessary.

Rakuten

Rakuten originally was a Japanese e-commerce site, it has been around since 1996, today it is one of the top affiliate marketplaces on the net, bringing together thousands of advertisers and publishers.

Once you’ve been accepted into the network, you will have to apply to each brand that you wish to promote. They have deep linking tools and other great resources to make marketing easier for partners.

They provide different types of products and commission rates vary from merchant to merchant.

• Payouts: 60 days after sale. Weekly, every Wednesday; however, advertisers are invoiced monthly
• Payment Method: Direct Deposit, Paypal & Check.
• Payment Threshold: $50.

ShareASale

ShareASale is one of the largest affiliate marketing networks on the market and they have been around since 2000.

They host some of the biggest brands and carry a wide range of product types.

ShareASale provides brand recommendations, marketing tools, and resources, and affiliate marketing training for its affiliates to help them succeed.

• Payouts: 30 days after sale. On the 20th of each month
• Payment Method: ACH direct deposit, Payoneer & Wire Transfer.
• Payment Threshold: $50.

It is definitely a good place for a beginner to start their affiliate journey.

CJ

CJ used to be Commission Junction, it’s been around since 1998 and is one of the top players in the affiliate network arena.

They are the middle-man that connects thousands of brands with publishers looking to generate an online income through affiliate marketing.

Of course, after being in the game for so many years, they manage some of the biggest brands online.

• Payouts: On the 20th of each month
• Payment Method: ACH direct deposit, Payoneer & Check.
• Payment Threshold: $50.

Joining this affiliate network is no easy task. Be aware that your account will get deactivated if it sits for too long without making a sale.

Amazon Associates

We all know Amazon, but did you know that it is also an affiliate network?

It has a wide variety of products and services for affiliates to promote. You can earn commission on any product purchased through your link within a 24hr timeline.

• Payouts: 60 days after sale.
• Payment Method: Check, Direct Deposit & Amazon gift certificate.
• Payment Threshold: $100.

Amazon Associates affiliate program is probably the easiest affiliate marketing program for a beginner to join. However, pay careful attention to their terms and conditions as they don’t take that lightly.

Clickbank

Clickbank is another popular affiliate network that has been around since 1998. It has a wide range of physical and digital products in many different niches.

This top player has some of the highest commission rates available on the market today. It is the go-to network for thousands of affiliate marketers.

• Payouts: Weekly & Bi-weekly
• Payment Method: Direct deposit, Paypal & Check.
• Payment Threshold: $100.

Getting started with Clickbank is easy and they offer free training as well as paid training.

JVZoo

JVZoo is a digital product affiliate marketplace that is relatively new, they first made their appearance in 2011. They stock a wide range of digital products in the marketing and AI niche.

Joining JVZoo is easy to do and their platform is easy to use. There is no charge for merchants to join the network, however, they have to pay 5% on each sale.

If you refer an affiliate you can also get a commission from any sale that they make as well.

Affiliate payments are made as soon as a purchase transaction is completed, and the only form of payment is Paypal.

Awin

Awin is another affiliate network with thousands of advertisers. They provide affiliates with a wide variety of products to promote.

Unfortunately, joining this affiliate platform is not free, they charge a £5 application fee which is credited back to you once your application is approved. If the application is denied you can request a refund back to the card you used.

Payments are made on the 1st and 15th of each month.

Avangate

Avangate is a digital and SaaS product affiliate marketing network that first came on the scene in 2006. Since then it has been ranked #1 affiliate network for a couple of years.

Payments are made on the 20th of the month by check, wire transfer, or Paypal.

Max Bounty

Max Bounty is an affiliate network that has been around since 2004.

They are a great option for beginners to consider joining, as they offer a $1000 bonus to new affiliates who can earn $1000 per month within their first 3 months in the network.

They payout on a weekly basis and offer a number of payment options, such as Paypal, bitcoin, ACH, checks, and wire transfers.

Peerfly

Peerfly is more of a cost-per-action (CPA) affiliate network that has been around since early 2009.

They provide free training, tools, and other resources to help their affiliates succeed. They also run affiliate contests and offer rewards.

Payments are made on the 15th and 30th of each month via a variety of payment options, which includes checks, gift cards, direct deposit, etc.

Sovrn//Commerce

This affiliate network does its best to connect publishers with merchants paying high commissions.

They provide performance insights so you can know what links are working best and which merchants offer the highest earnings per click.

Payments are made on the 1st business day of each month via a number of payment options which include Paypal, wire transfer, checks, etc.

FlexOffers

FlexOffer is another affiliate network with a wide variety of products for publishers to promote. Their products are mainly physical products.

FlexOffer is one of the networks that provides its publishers with assigned managers, and they also have great customer support.

Payments are issued every 60 days.

Skimlinks

Skimlinks is a great affiliate marketing network that focuses on automatically adding links. The drawback here is that you don’t have much if any control over what is promoted.

Once you’ve been approved, just add the javascript to your site and they will take care of the rest.

Sadly, payments take a while to be issued, they make payments every 3 months.

what is an affiliate program?

An affiliate program is a contract between a merchant and a publisher, where the publisher agrees to promote the merchant’s products or services in exchange for a commission of the sale price.

With an affiliate program, only 2 parties are involved in the contract (advertiser & publisher), but 3 are involved in the cycle, that is the merchant, publisher, and the consumer.

The difference between an affiliate network and an affiliate program is that there are 3 parties (network, advertiser, publisher) involved instead of 2 parties.

Some programs use affiliate networks to run and manage their programs for them while others simply manage their own in-house affiliate program where an affiliate applies directly to them.

Let’s now take a look at some of the

Best affiliate programs

There are so many affiliate programs available on the market to choose from, however, not all are good.

You may be inclined to choose affiliate programs that pay the most commission or offer passive income, however, that does not mean it is the best affiliate program for your audience.

When choosing an affiliate program the criteria to look for are the same as when choosing an affiliate network (which I listed above). Choose the ones that are going to benefit your audience the most.

Some of the easiest and best affiliate programs for an affiliate to join are:

• Web Hosting
• Web Development
• Email Marketing

Web Hosting affiliate programs

Web hosts are companies that allow websites to be visible online.

Every affiliate should join a few web hosting affiliate programs because once an individual decides to start an online business they’re going to need a web host.

So, below I’ve compiled a list of some of the very best web hosting providers that offer an affiliate program.

A2 hosting

A2 Hosting is a hosting company that provides web hosting services to many entrepreneurs. They have high speed, great service, and stellar customer support.

They offer an affiliate program that anyone can join, promote and earn some extra cash on the side.

• Program: Easy to join
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: $55 & up per sale. You earn $5 every time an affiliate on your second tier commission structure makes a sale.
• Payment Process: 45 days after the sale and paid on the 15th of each month.
• Payment Method: Paypal
• Payment Threshold: $100 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 90 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, you lose the sale.

Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting companies available online, it supports more than 2 million websites and has excellent customer support.

Bloggers/entrepreneurs can make money from their websites by joining Bluehost’s affiliate program and promoting it.

There are a few good reasons to join its affiliate program.

• Program: Easy to join
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: $65 & up per sale
• Payment Process: 45-60 days after the sale and paid out between the 16th and last day of the month.
• Payment Method: Paypal
• Payment Threshold: $100 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 90 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, you lose the sale.

Hostgator

Hostgator is another popular web hosting provider, they have been on the market for a very long time now.

They provide hosting services to millions of entrepreneurs. Their service features are great, the hosting itself is also great, and their customer support is top of the line.

If you’re looking to do affiliate marketing I’d definitely recommend you give Hostgator a shot. The more you sell, the more you make per sale.

• Program: Easy to join. Join through Impact or CJ affiliate platform.
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: $65 & up per sale
• Payment Process: 45-70 days after the sale.
• Payment Method: Through your payment option on Impact or CJ affliate network platform
• Payment Threshold: $100 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 60 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, there is no gaurantee you’ll receive the sale.

Kinsta

Kinsta is a relatively new hosting company that provides fast speed and reliable services.

They have one of the best affiliate programs, offering high commission payouts and recurring income. I’d say this is one to promote.

• Program: Easy to join.
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: $50 up to $500 per sale
• Recurring Commission: 10% monthly for as long as customer remains active
• Payment Process: Between the 15th and 20th of each month.
• Payment Method: Paypal
• Payment Threshold: More than $50 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 60 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that sale will be lost.

Hostinger

Hostinger is another great web hosting company that provides great hosting features and excellent customer service support.

Their hosting plans are extremely affordable, with a plan for less than $2, it’s a great choice if you are strapped for cash.

Although they don’t offer recurring commissions Hostinger is also one of the best affiliate programs to join.

• Program: Easy to join
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 60% on all hosting packages. No commission on a 1 month plan.
• Payment Process: 45 & up days after the sale. After the 15th of each month.
• Payment Method: Paypal & bank transfer
• Payment Threshold: Bank transfer $500 minimum & Paypal $100 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 30 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that sale will be lost.

Web Development affiliate programs

Every online entrepreneur is going to need services, tools, and products to help make their websites user-friendly, attractive, and click-worthy.

In this category, I will list some of the best web development programs, which include page builders, designs, themes, analytics and tracking software among others.

Starting off with

Fiverr

Fiverr is a one-stop marketplace for all your online business needs. They have a huge database of talented individuals in every department.

The cover web designs, logo creation, all social media graphic creations and so much more. The best thing about it is that everyone can find a service within their budget, as they have services/gigs starting as low as $5.

Fiverr is by far one of the very best affiliate programs on the net, they offer high commission payouts and you have different options to choose from. As an affiliate, you can even promote gigs on your website.

• Program: Easy to join
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: $15-150 CPA, $10 CPA + 10% RevShare for Fiverr Hybrid & 30% of every Fiverr Learn Course.
• Payment Process: 30 days after sale.
• Payment Method: Paypal, Payoneer & bank transfer
• Payment Threshold: Bank transfer $1000 minimum & Paypal $100 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 30 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that sale will be lost.

Canva

Canva is a graphic design platform for creators and their teams. Most creators use Canva to create logos, pins, social media banners, and other graphics.

Create a free account with Canva and get access to tons of resources. There is also a pro version that will give you access to more premium features.

However, there is a Pro version that will give you access to more advanced features.

Canva has an affiliate program that is easy to promote and offers a good commission.

• Program: Easy to join
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: $36 per pro subscriber
• Payment Process: 45-60 days after sale.
• Payment Method: Wire Transfer & Paypal
• Payment Threshold: $50 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 30 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that sale will be lost.

Elementor

Elementor is a popular drag and drop website builder that helps website owners and creators build beautiful websites without any coding experience.

They have a very active and helpful community of web creators that provides tips and feedback to help you improve your site.

Create a free account with Elementor and start building your web pages yourself. There is also a pro version that will give you access to more advanced features.

They have one of the best affiliate programs on the market and anyone can apply to be an affiliate and make a good side income once approved.

• Program: Easy to join
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 50%.
• Payment Process: 60 days after sale. At the beginning of each month.
• Payment Method: Paypal
• Payment Threshold: $200 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 45 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that sale will be lost.

Envato

Envato is another marketplace that you can go to find a diversity of talented individuals to help you create beautiful websites.

They have logos, web and theme designers and so much more. You have the option of purchasing pre-made designs or getting customized designs.

They offer an affiliate program that is perfect for beginners and easy to promote.

• Program: Easy to join
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 30%.
• Payment Process: On the 16th of each month.
• Payment Method: Paypal & electronic funds transfer
• Payment Threshold: $10 minimum if you select payment to be triggered once payment reaches a certain amount. $50 minimum if you select payment to be triggered on a particular day of the month.
• Cookie Life Tracking: 90 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that sale will be lost.

Voluum

Voluum is an all-in-one affiliate software that allows affiliates to track, optimize, and automate their advertising campaigns.

They provide 30+ metrics to help you easily monitor the performance of your campaigns.

Voluum is one of the best affiliate programs and has recurring commissions.

• Program: Easy to join
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 20% recurring per sale + additional one-time bonuses. 5% one-time payment on yearly plans.
• Payment Process: 30 days after sale.
• Payment Method: Paypal
• Payment Threshold: $100 minimum for payment to be released.
• Cookie Life Tracking: 30 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that sale will be lost.

email marketing affiliate programs

Email marketing is the promotion of business services or products through emails.

There is an old saying that goes, “the money is in the list”, it pretty much means building an email list so that you can sell the people on your list products or services through email.

With email marketing software you have the potential to reach or send out automated messages to more than one person at a time.

Because there is a lot that can be done through an email marketing provider, every online business should have one. I have put together a list of some of the best email marketing platforms on the internet that has an affiliate program beginners can join.

Convertkit

Convertkit is one of the most popular email marketing platforms today with almost half a million creators.

You can send emails immediately, delay them, or schedule them for a more convenient time. With Convertkit you can also sell your products or services directly on their platform.

Create a free account with Convertkit, where you can have up to 1000 subscribers. There are also paid plans that will give you access to more subscribers and advanced features.

Converkit’s affiliate program is one of the best to join, it also has recurring commission earnings, so if you’re looking for a great program to promote, this is definitely one.

• Program: Not too easy to join.
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 30% recurring per membership.
• Payment Process: 60 days after the sale for the one-time payment. On the 2nd of each month.
• Payment Method: Paypal
• Payment Threshold: No minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 60 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, there is no gaurantee you’ll receive the sale.

Getresponse

Getresponse is an email marketing platform that has been around for a long time. It is one of the power players in the industry and they provide world-class email marketing services.

Recently they added a website builder feature to their services, allowing you to create a website right on their platform by simply dragging and dropping.

Create a free-forever account with Getresponse, where you can have up to 1000 subscribers. They also have a 30-day free trial on their premium features. There are also paid plans that will give you access to more subscribers and advanced features.

They have an affiliate program that is perfect for entrepreneurs looking to generate extra income while working from home. They also offer recurring commissions.

• Program: Easy to join.
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 33% recurring per membership or a one-time payment of $100 per sale.
• Payment Process: 60-75 days after the sale for the one-time payment. On the 20th of each month for the recurring option.
• Payment Method: Paypal, check, ACH & Euro transfer
• Payment Threshold: $50 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 120 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, there is no gaurantee you’ll receive the sale.

Moosend

This is an email marketing platform that allows creators to create beautiful newsletters using drag and drop features.

They have many great features to help entrepreneurs automate their newsletters and ultimately grow their businesses.

Create a free account with Moosend, where you can have up to 1000 subscribers. There are also paid plans that will give you access to more subscribers and advanced features.

Moosend also has an affiliate program with recurring income, another great option for entrepreneurs.

• Program: Easy to join.
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 30% recurring per membership.
• Payment Process: Within the first 20 working days of the next month.
• Payment Method: Paypal & Stripe
• Payment Threshold: $25 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 90 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, there is no gaurantee you’ll receive the sale.

Pabbly

Pabbly is another all-in-one email marketing platform that provides great features. They have powerful tools to make creation, automation, and tracking easy as ABC.

They currently feature 5 products that every online business needs. The best part is when you choose Pabbly plus one fee covers all 5.

• Program: Easy to join.
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 30% recurring per membership sale & 20% flat on lifetime sale.
• Payment Process: 60 days after the sale.
• Payment Method: Paypal & bank transfer
• Payment Threshold: $50 minimum for payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 30 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, there is no gaurantee you’ll receive the sale.

Constant Contact is a powerful email marketing provider that has customizable templates, an easy-to-use editor, and tracking and reporting tools for creators to use and take their business to the next level.

They offer a 30-day Free Trial which includes access to their premium features.

The platform also has one of the very best email marketing affiliate programs available, it is one worth taking a chance on.

• Program: Easy to join.
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: $5 per free trial & $105 per sale
• Payment Process: 40-90 days after the sale.
• Payment Method: Through your payment option on Impact or CJ affiliate network platform
• Payment Threshold: You decide the minimum payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 120 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, there is no gaurantee you’ll receive the sale.

Mailerlite

Mailerlite is another email service provider that has advanced tools to help creators create, optimize, automate, and grow their businesses.

They offer a 14-day Free Trial which includes access to their premium features.

They have an affiliate program as well with recurring commissions.

• Program: Easy to join.
• Cost: It’s free to join
• Commission: 30% recurring per sale
• Payment Process: 45 days after the sale.
• Payment Method: Paypal
• Payment Threshold: $50 minimum payment to be released
• Cookie Life Tracking: 30 days, however if the customer clears their cache or cookie before that, there is no gaurantee you’ll receive the sale.

This list of affiliate programs is just the tip of the iceberg as to the vast majority of programs that are available for an affiliate to promote.

Whether you’re new or you’ve been in the business a while, there is definitely a program here that is right for your audience.

To make things a bit easier below I’ve listed the best

High paying and Recurring Commission Programs

While there are many affiliate programs available to choose from with much higher paying commissions, the ones listed below are the easiest for a beginner to get approved for so they can start their affiliate marketing business.

Most email marketing platforms offer recurring commissions.

The wrap on best affiliate marketing programs

Affiliate marketing is a good online business to venture into, and its income potential can be scaled without limits.

If you’re a new affiliate marketers can start off with programs that are on the low end as these will be easier to get approved for, however, I suggest finding ones with recurring income. As your business begins to grow you can then join more high-paying affiliate programs.

There is no one-best affiliate program, there are many great programs, it is up to you the publisher to choose the best options for your audience and yourself, then invest the time and effort into making it work.

At the end of the day, your affiliate marketing program’s success depends on YOU.

I hope this guide answered all or majority of your affiliate marketing questions. Let me know in the comments below if you found it helpful.

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