I spent 2 weeks evaluating affiliate tracking software for my SaaS. Here's the decision framework I wish I had.
Step 1: Define your must-haves
Before looking at features, answer these:
- How will you pay affiliates? (PayPal, bank transfer, crypto)
- What's your monthly revenue? (Some tools take % of revenue)
- Do you need multi-tier commissions? (affiliates referring affiliates)
- What platform do you use? (Stripe, Shopify, WooCommerce, custom)
Step 2: The shortlist by use case
| If you are... | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS on Stripe | Rewardful or FirstPromoter | Stripe-native, clean API |
| E-commerce on Shopify | GoAffPro | Free tier, deep Shopify integration |
| Enterprise/partner ecosystem | PartnerStack | Built for B2B partner programs |
| Budget-conscious | Tapfiliate | $89 entry, good balance |
| Self-hosted control freak | Post Affiliate Pro | Own your data |
Step 3: The hidden costs
Don't look at the sticker price. Calculate:
- Monthly fee — obvious
- Transaction fees — some take 1-3% of payouts
- Affiliate payout fees — PayPal charges you, not them
- Integration time — developer hours to set up webhooks
Step 4: Red flags to avoid
- No free trial (they don't trust their own product)
- No public API docs (you'll regret it later)
- Commission caps (punishes your best affiliates)
- No crypto payouts (if your affiliates are global)
My pick for a small SaaS
Tapfiliate. $89 hurts, but the Stripe integration works, the dashboard is clean, and support answers in hours, not days.
Full comparison table with 7 platforms →
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