Did you know that 80% of brands leverage affiliate marketing? It’s a powerful strategy that can significantly boost your income.
Popular software-as-a-service solutions are limited in the number of affiliates and sales they can handle.
Fortunately, there’s an alternative—a way to earn affiliate income without paying platform fees.
WordPress affiliate plugins.
They are efficient and cost-effective and make it easy to add affiliate marketing to your promotion strategy.
This post is going to cover why you need an affiliate marketing plugin, a quick overview of the top WordPress affiliate plugins and their benefits and what to look for in a WordPress affiliate plugin.
First, let’s cover what affiliate marketing plugins are and what they do.
The global affiliate marketing industry is expected to increase by 63% in the next 4 years.
Source
What are affiliate marketing plugins?
Affiliate marketing plugins integrate seamlessly with WordPress, enabling you to manage programs directly from your website.
They add features such as link generation, referral tracking, and commission management.
But there’s much more to them than that.
First, let’s discuss why you need a WordPress affiliate marketing plugin.
Why you need an affiliate marketing plugin
Here’s why we recommend integrating these plugins to boost your online business:
- Link management: Affiliate marketing involves a lot of links. Plugins simplify this by generating, cloaking, and organizing them.
- Accurate tracking and reporting: What links drive the most clicks and conversions? Affiliate plugins provide accurate data on clicks, conversions, and earnings.
- Increased affiliate engagement: The plugin dashboard gives affiliates easy access to performance data, promotional materials, and payment information.
- Scalability: Affiliate marketing plugins help you scale, accommodating more affiliates without compromising performance.
- Automate repetitive tasks: Plugins automate mundane tasks like tracking clicks, managing payouts, and generating affiliate links.
- Increase revenue: They streamline recruiting and managing affiliates, making expanding your network and reaching a larger audience easier.
- Security: Quality affiliate marketing plugins have robust security features, such as encryption, fraud detection, and secure payment gateways.
Next, let’s review 10 of the best WordPress affiliate marketing plugins for 2024.
List of the 10 best affiliate marketing plugins in 2024
We’ve made your job a little easier by preparing the following comparison chart of affiliate plugins for WordPress.
Here are 10 options to consider:
Plugin | Free Plan/Trial? | Start Price (USD) |
---|---|---|
Post Affiliate Pro | Yes | $129/month |
SureCart | Yes | $19/month |
SureTriggers | Yes | $9/month |
AffiliateWP | No | $149.60/year |
SureMembers | No | $69/year |
YITH WooCommerce Affiliates | No | $229/year |
ThirstyAffiliates | Yes | $99.60/year |
Easy Affiliate | Yes | $99.60/year |
WP Tasty | No | $49/year |
Pretty Links | No | $99.60/year |
Let’s now look at each plugin in a little more depth.
Post Affiliate Pro
![Post Affiliate Pro homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/40f8a226d18fd9b5e1fc8a08780181da/pap-homepage-1024x524.png)
Post Affiliate Pro is a flexible affiliate marketing solution. The plugin provides multiple tracking methods, including first-party cookies, third-party cookies, HTML5 cookies, user agents, and IP addresses.
Additionally, Post Affiliate Pro offers a diverse range of commission structures, including per action, lifetime, multi-tier, recurring, and split commissions.
While on the more expensive side, this plugin has a ton of useful features and is so easy to use you’ll make your money back in no time.
Top features:
- Tracking methods: Uses affiliate tracking and backup methods to capture referrals, conversion rates, and affiliate partner performance.
- Automated marketing tools: Includes time-saving automation features for email messaging, commission payments, and drip campaigns.
- Real-time reporting: Offers real-time reporting capabilities and immediate insights into an affiliate program’s performance.
- Multi-level marketing support: Supports multi-level marketing (MLM) options, enabling affiliates to recruit sub-affiliates.
Cost: Free / From $129/month.
SureTriggers
![SureTriggers homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/51874d91be46830def6d31ea1c9a2bda/suretriggers-plugin-homepage-1024x442.png)
SureTriggers is an advanced automation plugin for WordPress that offers a raft of advantages to affiliate website owners by automating lead management, communication, and performance tracking.
Manual tracking can be incredibly time-consuming. That’s especially true when MS Office is slow or when Google Docs doesn’t save properly. SureTriggers can help with that.
It also comes into its own when your affiliate program is getting busy, automating everyday tasks could be the game changer you’re looking for.
Top features
- Customizable workflows: Create tailored automation sequences based on specific triggers, such as new affiliate signups.
- Integration with popular marketing tools: Connect SureTriggers with your email marketing platform, CRM, or other tools to automate communication and data syncing.
- Conditional logic: Set up complex and conditional workflows, allowing for tailored automation based on specific criteria.
- Real-time triggers: Send information in real-time, ensuring that actions are executed immediately after a trigger occurs.
- Time delays: Schedule automated actions to occur at optimal times, such as sending follow-up emails or reminders.
Cost: Free / From $9 per month.
SureMembers
![SureMembers homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/353ebaf97f5a552abd13a93188872430/suremembers-website-homepage-1024x557.png)
SureMembers is a membership plugin for WordPress that, while not directly an affiliate tool, can be a valuable asset for affiliate marketers who offer exclusive content as incentives.
The plugin allows you to create a tiered membership system where higher tiers receive premium content or benefits.
High-performing affiliates can be rewarded with access to exclusive content, higher commission rates, or special promotional tools.
Top features
- Protected affiliate resources: Helps you restrict access to valuable resources, making them available only to authorized affiliates.
- Automated membership management: Automates memberships, including upgrades and downgrades based on affiliate performance.
- Customizable affiliate portals: Create dedicated affiliate portals where affiliates can access a dashboard tailored to their membership level.
- Integration with affiliate tracking: Integrates seamlessly with affiliate tracking plugins like AffiliateWP.
Cost: From $69 per year.
AffiliateWP
![AffiliateWP homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/97d5cb86ee54c33290252d9a8941fcdf/affiliatewp-website-homepage-1024x465.png)
AffiliateWP is simple and easy to use, making it excellent for beginners in affiliate marketing and is almost as easy to use as Post Affiliate Pro.
It integrates with popular e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads, further simplifying the tracking of affiliate-driven sales.
AffiliateWP has a simple user dashboard and makes short work of managing affiliates, links and payments. Affiliates can track everything too, which is a great touch.
Top features
- Comprehensive affiliate management: Provides extensive tools for managing affiliates, including easy registration, approval, and personalized dashboards. Affiliates can access their data through a user-friendly interface.
- Automated affiliate referrals: Supports automatic referral generation based on predefined criteria.
- Advanced affiliate coupon tracking: Allows you to assign specific discount codes to affiliates.
- Extensible and developer-friendly: API for developers allowing you to extend functionality to meet specific needs.
- Push notifications: Enhance your affiliate marketing efforts by sending push notifications to affiliates for real-time updates and promotions. See push notification examples to understand how effective this can be.
Cost: From $149.60 per year.
SureCart
![SureCart homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/cb51d88bfe06918a1926bc42d48e22eb/surecart-website-homepage-1024x451.png)
While primarily a WordPress e-commerce platform, SureCart’s robust features can enhance your affiliate marketing efforts.
It creates a high-converting checkout experience that maximizes affiliate-driven sales. It also works with subscriptions, recurring payments and even has its own affiliate program.
The built-in order bump feature allows affiliates to easily promote additional products or services during checkout, potentially increasing their commissions.
Top features:
- Affiliate signups and approval: Allows easy setup for affiliate signups with options to automatically approve new affiliates.
- Referral tracking: Offers flexible tracking options including setting the referrer type (first or last click) and tracking length (cookie duration).
- Commission and payout management: Set percentage or flat rate commissions, including options for subscription and lifetime commissions.
- Affiliate management dashboard: User-friendly management interface to approve, deny, or delete affiliate requests and referrals.
- Test mode for referrals: Allows merchants to test the referral tracking and commission process in a safe environment before going live.
Cost: Free / From $19 per month
Easy Affiliate
![Easy Affiliate homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/83aca266cd3faa24abe4705612a4a434/easyaffiliate-website-homepage-1024x466.png)
Easy Affiliate is a WordPress affiliate program management plugin that helps you create, track, and manage everything seamlessly.
It offers a complete suite of affiliate marketing tools within a single plugin. It’s easy to use for site owners and affiliates and looks and feels professional.
We like the affiliate recruitment and onboarding features, commission tracking, and fraud detection. Each is very useful when running an affiliate website.
Top features
- One-click payouts: Lets you pay affiliates quickly with just one click.
- Personalized affiliate dashboard: Provides a dedicated affiliate dashboard to track performance, view earnings, and access marketing materials.
- Built-in fraud detection: Proactively identifies and flags suspicious affiliate activity.
- Commission management: Offers flexible commission structures, including percentage-based and flat-rate commissions.
- E-commerce integration: Integrates with popular membership site platforms like SureMembers, MemberPress and e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads.
- Reports: Provides detailed reports on affiliate activity, referral traffic, and commissions.
Cost: Free / From $99.60 per year
YITH WooCommerce Affiliates
![YITH WooCommerce Affiliates pugin](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/052670e5810977c5bf932ce937902149/yith-woocomerce-affiliates-website-homepage-1024x494.png)
YITH WooCommerce Affiliates is a WooCommerce affiliate plugin, enabling you to manage programs within an online store.
It provides all the tools you need to run an affiliate program and has an intuitive user interface so affiliates can track progress and manage their accounts.
If you want to create an affiliate program to promote your store or signature products, this is definitely a plugin to try!
Top features
- Customizable affiliate management: User-friendly dashboard to manage affiliates, track referrals, and handle payouts. Tailor the registration process to gather the specific information you need from potential affiliates.
- Commission management: Allows you to set up and manage commission rates, including percentage-based, fixed amount, or product-specific commissions
- Coupon code integration: Allow affiliates to promote products with unique coupon codes.
- Payment gateway integration: Easily pay affiliates through popular payment gateways like PayPal or Stripe.
- Detailed reports: Provides reports on affiliate performance, referral traffic, and commissions.
Cost: From £179.99 ($229) per year.
ThirstyAffiliates
![Thirsty Affiliates homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/d0b32f28a9d37eef0fff021d02f81c57/thirsty-affiliates-website-homepage-1024x430.png)
ThirstyAffiliates is a WordPress affiliate link management plugin designed to help marketers cloak, manage, and organize their links.
Unlike typical affiliate plugins that focus on tracking and payouts, ThirstyAffiliates provides powerful link management tools that provide clean, branded URLs and geolocation links for international affiliates.
There’s a lot to learn with this plugin but it’s worth the effort. We would say it’s more suitable to more experienced affiliate marketers than beginners though.
Top features
- Link cloaking and redirection: Allows you to cloak affiliate links so that they’re easy to remember and share.
- Automatic keyword linking: Automatically convert specific keywords in your content into affiliate links.
- Advanced link tracking: Provides comprehensive reports and analytics on link performance, including clicks, top-performing links, and traffic sources.
- Geolocation links: Supports geolocation redirects, allowing affiliates to direct users to different URLs based on their geography.
- Google Analytics integration: Track affiliate link performance alongside other site metrics with Google Analytics.
Cost: From $99.60 per year.
WP Tasty
![WP Tasty homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/dbff6b1e5584ae5463c42f7327a5c483/wp-tasty-website-homepage-1024x627.png)
WP Tasty is a suite of WordPress plugins. They help food bloggers with affiliate marketing, recipe management, and site SEO. It’s a small but very lucrative niche.
The plugin we’re specifically interested in is Tasty Links. It’s a smart plugin capable of auto linking keywords and provides full control over links and affiliates.
You can add affiliate links to specific ingredients, kitchen gadgets, or related products, making it simple to monetize content.
Top features
- Recipe card integration: Insert affiliate links within recipe cards.
- Automatic Amazon affiliate link creation: Instantly generates Amazon affiliate links for products mentioned in content.
- Link management: Add, edit, organize and automatically link specific keywords to products.
- Pinterest integration: Allows bloggers to create optimized, pinnable recipe images.
- Nutrition Information: Include detailed nutrition information for each recipe to help conversion.
Cost: From $49 per year.
Pretty Links
![Pretty Links homepage](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/14c9198f26ec5e0a6b8d2c03f8eb65b3/pretty-links-website-homepage-1024x489.png)
Pretty Links allows you to shorten, cloak, and track affiliate links. It creates clean, branded links and updates them all simultaneously if the destination URL changes.
Links are a major part of affiliate marketing and this plugin can add a useful dimension to your programs. That’s why we like this plugin.
It also helps with analytics and reporting and makes it easy for affiliates to manage links, redirect links and manage payments.
Top features
- Link cloaking and branding: Cloak affiliate links into short, branded links that are easier to remember.
- Detailed analytics and reporting: Provides comprehensive analytics on link performance, including click counts, geographic data, and referrers.
- Link automation and bulk management: Includes automation features such as auto-linking keywords within content to specific URLs. It also supports bulk actions like creation, editing, and replacement.
- Advanced redirection options: Set up various redirect types, including 301, 302, and cloaked redirects for different use cases.
- Reporting: Provides detailed reports on link clicks, including referral sources, dates, and unique visitors.
Cost: From $99.60 per year.
So there you have it, our list of what we consider the 10 best WordPress affiliate plugins of 2024.
Let’s now show you key features to look out for when shopping for an ideal WordPress affiliate management plugin.
What to look for in a WordPress affiliate plugin
Choosing the right WordPress affiliate plugin is crucial for your website’s success.
We recommend considering the following key factors:
- Ease of use: Ensure the interface is easy to navigate. It should provide a user-friendly dashboard to access links, track earnings, and view reports.
- E-commerce integration: Make sure the plugin integrates with your favorite e-commerce platform.
- Tracking and reporting: Look for comprehensive reporting on metrics like clicks, conversions, and earnings.
- Flexible commission structures: Your chosen plugin should offer percentage-based, fixed-amount, or tiered commissions based on the type of affiliates you wish to have.
- Security: Ensure the plugin prioritizes security with features like encryption, fraud detection, and secure payment gateways.
- Customer support: Choose a plugin from a reputable developer with responsive customer support.
- Pricing: Affiliate marketing plugins have different pricing models. The one you choose should match your budgetary needs.
- Scalability: Your plugin should handle a growing number of affiliates and transactions without slowing down your website performance.
On average, affiliate marketing brings a 12:1 return on ad spend (ROAS)
Source
How to use affiliate WordPress plugins
Using affiliate WordPress plugins can help you manage your affiliate marketing effectively. While each plugin offers unique features, here are some general steps to get started:
- Install and set up: Install your chosen plugin from the WordPress directory or upload it to your server. Configure settings like commission rates and payment options.
- Add affiliates: Allow new affiliates to sign up or add them yourself. Ensure they can access a dashboard to view their earnings and link performance.
- Manage links and banners: Create and organize affiliate links and banners within the plugin for easy access by your affiliates.
- Track performance: Regularly check your plugin’s reports to see how links are performing and manage payouts accordingly.
Here are some screenshots from the Post Affiliate Pro WordPress integration plugin, showing how to navigate its interface and utilize some of its key features:
![Screenshot of Post Affiliate Pro’s affiliate plugin general options](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/4ed9bc92b8260a6fc323ecd82c6ceb82/post-affiliate-pro-general-options-1-1024x516.png)
General options: Configure your Post Affiliate Pro URL, merchant credentials, and account ID. This is where you set up the core connection between your WordPress site and Post Affiliate Pro.
![Screenshot of Post Affiliate Pro’s affiliate plugin tracking options](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/5265fc2c65338efa0a940037e5096bc4/post-affiliate-pro-click-tracking-options-1024x520.png)
Click tracking options: Enable click tracking to monitor every visit to your WordPress pages. This helps in analyzing traffic and conversion rates.
![Screenshot of Post Affiliate Pro’s affiliate plugin signup options](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/6d1b650a1d290b20359629bbe8faaa3f/post-affiliate-pro-signup-options-1024x522.png)
Signup options: Customize how new affiliates sign up, assign default statuses, and manage their information effectively.
![Screenshot of Post Affiliate Pro’s affiliate plugin integration settings](https://www.postaffiliatepro.com/wp/urlslab-download/5b0d7cbcf68c36c13f58e1f45c29afc2/post-affiliate-pro-general-integration-settings-1024x559.png)
Integration settings: Enable and manage integrations with other tools like WooCommerce and Contact Form 7 to enhance functionality and streamline operations.
By following these steps and using the features shown in the screenshots, you can easily manage your affiliate program and boost your marketing efforts.
Conclusion
Choosing the right affiliate marketing plugin can transform your website into a powerful revenue source.
Our comprehensive guide to the 10 best WordPress affiliate plugins for 2024 has highlighted some of the market’s top contenders.
As you explore, consider the specific needs of your business and affiliates.
Look for flexible commission structures, fraud detection, secure payment handling, and excellent customer support to assist you when needed.
With the insights and recommendations in this guide, you are well-equipped to make an informed decision and take your affiliate marketing to the next level.
Check out Post Affiliate Pro today to see how its robust features and user-friendly interface can help you achieve your goals!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WordPress good for affiliate marketing?
Yes, WordPress is good for affiliate marketing. It has a user-friendly interface and an expansive plugin ecosystem. It’s also a top choice for creating and managing affiliate marketing websites as it offers tools to promote products, track conversions, and manage payments.
What is the best affiliate WordPress plugin for Woocommerce?
The best WooCommerce affiliate plugin is Post Affiliate Pro. It offers robust tracking, detailed reporting, and comprehensive promotional tools. Its diverse commission structure allows for the definition and tracking of an unlimited number of campaigns, with commission types that include per action, lifetime commissions, multi-tier commissions, recurring commissions, and split commissions.
How secure are these plugins in handling affiliate data and payments?
The security of these plugins largely depends on the developers behind them. Reputable plugins from trusted developers protect sensitive affiliate data and ensure secure payment processing. We recommend always keeping plugins updated to the latest version, as updates often include security enhancements.
Can I manage multiple affiliate programs using a single plugin?
Yes, many affiliate plugins allow you to manage multiple affiliate programs from a single interface. Plugins like Post Affiliate Pro offer advanced features to efficiently handle various campaigns and commission structures.
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