Why My Fake Review Detector Doesn't Use Affiliate Links

Jolly Good Apps — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 23:50:42 +0000

When Fakespot shut down in July 2025, it left 10+ million users looking for an alternative. I built one. But when it came to monetisation, I made a choice that many of my competitors didn't.

I don't use affiliate links. Here's why.

The Conflict of Interest Problem

Most "review checker" tools make money through Amazon affiliate links. When you click through to buy a product, they earn a commission.

Think about that for a second.

A tool designed to help you decide whether to buy something... makes money when you do buy something.

That's not a review checker. That's a salesperson with extra steps.

How This Plays Out

Imagine you're checking a product and the tool says "Reviews look good!" Now imagine that same tool earns 4% if you click "Buy Now."

Would you trust that rating?

The incentives are misaligned. The tool benefits from false positives (saying suspicious products are fine) and suffers from true positives (warning you away from products you might have bought).

I'm not saying affiliate-funded tools are lying to you. But I am saying their business model creates pressure in one direction.

The Alternative: Subscription

Review Radar for Amazon is subscription-funded. Free users get 150 scans/month. Pro and Power users pay £15-45/year for more.

My incentives:

I make money when you find the tool useful enough to pay for
I make the same amount whether you buy the product or not
I have zero reason to nudge you toward a purchase

This isn't altruism. It's just aligned incentives. I want you to trust the results, come back tomorrow, and eventually upgrade. That only happens if the analysis is honest.

The Tradeoff

Affiliate models have one big advantage: they're free to users. No paywall, no friction.

Subscription models have friction. Most users never pay. You need to deliver enough value on the free tier to build trust, then enough extra value on paid to justify upgrading.

It's harder. But I think it's the only way to build a review checker people can actually trust.

What I'd Ask Other Tools

If you're evaluating review checkers, ask one question:

How does this tool make money?

If the answer is "affiliate commissions," you're not the customer. You're the product.