Earning money from affiliate marketing is a popular way for bloggers and website owners to monetize their content. By promoting relevant products and services to your audience, you can generate supplemental income or even replace your day job entirely.
But to be successful with affiliate marketing, you need access to quality affiliate programs that match your niche. That‘s where affiliate platforms and networks come in handy.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll compare the top 11 affiliate platforms and networks available in 2023. Whether you‘re just starting out or looking to expand your affiliate efforts, you‘ll discover networks that can connect you with thousands of great affiliate programs.
What Are Affiliate Networks and Platforms?
Affiliate networks and platforms act as middlemen, connecting publishers (you) with advertisers looking to pay for promotions.
Instead of applying individually to become an affiliate for each merchant, networks allow you to easily browse, join, and manage numerous affiliate programs from one unified interface.
Benefits include:
- Access to thousands of affiliate programs in one place
- Time savings from consolidated program management
- Higher earning potential through expanded options
- Useful tools and resources provided by networks
The major difference between affiliate networks and platforms lies in exclusivity.
Networks usually house both exclusive and non-exclusive offers. Exclusive means the merchant only works with that particular network.
Platforms feature solely non-exclusive affiliate programs that typically appear on multiple networks.
Now let‘s explore the top affiliate networks and platforms available in 2023!
With over 4,500 merchants, ShareASale is one of the largest and most popular affiliate platforms. They provide access to exclusive offers you won‘t find anywhere else.
Key Details
- 4,500+ affiliate programs
- 1,000+ exclusive offers
- Physical and digital products
- All niches and verticals
- Must apply and be approved by each merchant
ShareASale works with prominent brands like Disney, TurboTax, and Tripadvisor along with small shops across a diverse range of categories:
- Fashion & clothing
- Software & SaaS
- Home, garden & DIY
- Health, beauty & wellness
- Sports & outdoors
- And more
The platform also offers helpful resources like marketing material, product data feeds, coupon codes, and advice from the ShareASale blog.
With over two decades of experience, ShareASale provides a trustworthy choice to monetize your website through affiliate links.
Pros
- Huge merchant selection
- Many big name brands
- Great resources
- Reliable & longstanding
Cons
- Can be confusing for beginners
- Commission rates vary drastically
2. Awin
Previously known as Affiliate Window, Awin is ShareASale‘s main competitor.
Key features:
- 13,000+ merchants
- Leading retail & tech brands
- Physical, digital, and service products
- Lower account minimums
Awin offers online retailers, SaaS companies, financial service providers, and much more. You‘ll have no shortage of options for monetizing informational content.
We really like Awin‘s WordPress plugin that lets you easily import affiliate products to your site. Their minimum payout of $20 is also very reasonable.
Pros
- Massive brand partnerships
- Helpful WordPress tools
- $5 account fee is refunded
Cons
- Commission rates vary
- Must be manually approved
Take your affiliate strategy to the next level with Awin and its 13,000+ programs tailored to all niches.
Join Awin
3. Rakuten Affiliate
Formerly LinkShare, Rakuten Affiliate boasts an impressive roster of elite brands:
- Walmart
- Best Buy
- Staples
- Macy’s
- Lowe’s
- beyond!
While Rakuten doesn‘t have as many options as ShareASale or Awin with ~1,000 merchants, the focus on prominent retailers makes it very popular.
Tracking cookies last for an extended 60 days. You also get helpful tools for managing rotations without needing extra plugins.
With over $30 billion in sales generated, Rakuten is a steady player that’s been around since 1996 serving 500,000+ publishers globally.
Pros
- Leading household brands
- Generous cookies
- Built-in banner rotator
Cons
- Smaller merchant pool
- Outdated dashboard
Rakuten delivers an easy way to tap into affiliate marketing for major stores.
Join Rakuten
4. Impact Radius
Impact Radius differentiates itself through laser focus on attribution and partnership.
They provide extensive tracking and reporting so you get full credit for sales you help drive. Customizable commissions and co-op initiatives also foster collaboration.
Key Attributes
- Robust attribution and analytics
- Flexible commissions
- Curated digital offers
Impact leverages exclusive partnerships with prominent brands like Adobe, DocuSign, Norton, Intuit, and more.
Pros
- Powerful analytics
- Personalized support
- High earnings potential
Cons
- Mostly digital goods
- Complex onboarding
For those who want rich insights into campaign performance and revenue, Impact Radius delivers. The emphasis on technology and partnership fuel success.
Join Impact Radius
5. Pepperjam
One of the fastest growing networks, Pepperjam stands out through industry expertise, product curation, and smart optimization.
They focus largely on ecommerce, providing access to over 200 category-leading retail brands like Lego, KitchenAid, and Cabela‘s.
If you plan to monetize readers interested in shopping, Pepperjam is a top choice to consider.
Key features:
- 200+ major retailers
- Custom reporting
- Shopping focus, including coupons
Dedicated account managers help publishers select the best programs and optimize promotions over time based on performance.
You also gain access to exclusive coupons along with email and chat support options for personalized assistance.
Pros
- Rapid growth and innovation
- Account management guidance
- Promotions optimized over time
Cons
- Mostly physical goods
- Software still developing
With extensive category knowledge and service, Pepperjam empowers shopping sites and blogs to maximize revenue.
Join Pepperjam
6. CJ Affiliate by Conversant
As one of the oldest networks dating back to 1998, CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction) offers extensive reach, tools, and support.
They provide access to advertisers across all categories:
- Retail & lifestyle
- Travel
- Financial services
- Software & tech
- Subscription services
Notable brands include major players like Target, H&M, Groupon, FOX, and HP.
Robust coupons, product feeds, API integrations, on-demand reporting, and dedicated support resources help streamline management.
Pros
- Long track record
- Powerful platform and tools
- Wide range of advertisers
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Cookie duration varies drastically
With over 26 years perfecting their platform, CJ Affiliate makes it easy to succeed long-term with affiliate partnerships.
Join CJ
7. Tradedoubler
As the primary affiliate network across Europe, Tradedoubler grants access to 2,000+ merchants spanning 35 countries.
They offer deep insights into localized European markets to better help you monetize international traffic.
Key features include:
- 2,000+ merchants
- 35 European countries
- Localized consumer trends
- Multi-language support for 20+ languages
Extensive real-time reporting and analytics help you track performance and identify optimization opportunities.
Pros
- Specialized European expertise
- Site localization tools
- In-depth performance analytics
Cons
- Mostly physical goods
- Primarily serves European publishers
If you attract visitors across Europe, joining Tradedoubler is a smart way to boost earnings from affiliate marketing.
Join Tradedoubler
8. Avangate Affiliate Network
With a merchant base exceeding 22,000 digital products, Avangate dominates software and SaaS affiliate partnerships.
They offer seamless integrations to instantly enable digital fulfillment across your website or app.
You‘ll gain access to top software vendors such as:
- Bitdefender
- Norton
- DisplayFusion
- RoboForm
- Spytech
Avangate offers extensive flexibility including variable cookie lengths up to 180 days and the ability to customize tracking links.
Higher than average commission rates coupled with recurring earnings from subscription products hold major appeal.
Pros
- Thousands of software products
- Up to 85% commissions
- 180 day cookie duration
Cons
- Digital products only
- Manual approval required
Publishers who focus on software and SaaS guides can thrive with Avangate and its goldmine of high-converting offers.
Join Avangate
9. ClickBank
A legendary giant in digital products, ClickBank pioneered affiliate marketing for info-products like ebooks, online courses, and membership sites.
They make it easy to tap into passionate micro-niche audiences with specialized offerings tailored to their needs.
You‘ll gain access to products spanning:
- Health, fitness & diets
- Hobbies & crafts
- Homesteading & survival
- Wealth building
- Self-education
- Faith & spirituality
- Many more!
ClickBank manages payments, taxes, and compliance for you.
Pros
- Passionate niche audiences
- Higher commissions
- Automatically pays affiliates
Cons
- Lots of low-quality products
- High refund rates
If you focus on evergreen informational content around niche hobbies or interests, ClickBank delivers a perfect way to monetize readers.
Join ClickBank
10. eBay Partner Network
As one of the largest ecommerce sites globally, eBay offers extensive affiliate opportunities through its eBay Partner Network.
You can essentially promote any listing on eBay to earn commissions between 50-70%.
Benefits include:
- Broad range of affiliate opportunities
- Mature marketplace with high buyer intent
- Easy earnings from used goods too
- Low $10 payout minimum
eBay manages all order processing, customer service, and returns so it’s a passive way to earn. Cookie duration could be longer than 24 hours but it works.
Pros
- Anything on eBay
- Huge buyer audience
- $10 payout minimum
Cons
- High seller fees
- Just 24 hour cookies
Overall eBay Partner Network gives you an easy way to tap into their massive buyer traffic across diverse products.
Join eBay Partner Network
11. PartnerStack
A fast-rising ingénue exclusively focused on high-paying tech partnerships, PartnerStack connects top SaaS brands with publishers seeking access.
They target business software companies willing to pay ongoing referral fees for sales you help create. These include:
- Monday.com
- Notion
- Calendly
- Drift
- Ahrefs
-
- Many more!
PartnerStack automates custom affiliate integrations to embed offers tailored to your content. Performance dashboards provide transparency into lifetime earnings per program.
Pros
- white-glove partnerships
- lifetime referral fees
- custom content integrations
Cons
- Centered on high-ticket B2B
- Invite-only application
With its emphasis on premium SaaS partnerships, PartnerStack unlocks lucrative recurring affiliate promotions.
Join PartnerStack
Choosing the Best Affiliate Platforms and Networks
The top affiliate programs align closely with your website‘s niche and target audience.
Analyze site analytics to understand reader demographics and buying interests. This helps inform ideal affiliate partnerships.
Those selling services or digital subscriptions will find the most options in business tech platforms like PartnerStack.
Bloggers attracting shoppers may achieve greater success through retail-focused networks like Pepperjam or Rakuten.
Don‘t restrict yourself to just one or two though. Join multiple networks relevant to your niche for diversity.
Managing Multiple Affiliate Programs
While joining several affiliate platforms grants helpful variety, it can also complicate management.
Monitoring statistics across a dozen dashboards while manually generating links proves extremely inefficient.
That‘s where affiliate management plugins for WordPress prove useful.
Solutions like Affiliatly help centralize:
- Performance tracking
- Link building
- Offer discovery
- Payouts
- And more!
These tools alleviate the tedious grunt work so you can focus on big picture strategy.
For more information, explore our guide on the best WordPress affiliate plugins.
Ready to Discover High-Paying Affiliate Programs?
Now that you know the top affiliate marketing networks of 2023, it‘s time to start exploring relevant offers!
Keep your website‘s niche top of mind as you browse options to ensure maximum relevance.
And don‘t forget the power of niche communities on platforms like ClickBank along with white-glove partnerships offered by newer players like PartnerStack.
Apply to multiple networks so you always have new programs that resonate with your evolving content and audience over time.
