Affiliate management software: features, benefits and 12 top tools

Affiliate marketing is a marketing model in which third-party partners promote a company’s products to their network. These affiliates receive commissions for any purchases new customers make as a result of their referral.

To run successful programs, affiliate managers need a system for tracking referrals and enabling sales. That’s where affiliate management software can come in.

In this article, you’ll learn about 12 top affiliate management software solutions and their benefits. You’ll also discover how to use your CRM as an affiliate management system.

What is affiliate management software?

Affiliate management software helps companies of all sizes conduct affiliate marketing – a type of channel sales.

The software helps teams track, manage and optimize referral programs. It achieves this by automating key processes, streaming workflows and providing detailed analytics.

What are the benefits of an affiliate management system?

You need a system in place to run a comprehensive affiliate marketing operation like Pipedrive’s affiliate program.

Here are the major benefits of using a robust affiliate management system:

• Improving efficiency by streamlining operations. Affiliate management software saves time by automating key tasks like calculating commissions and making affiliate payouts. It also streamlines landing page creation, referral link or coupon sharing and performance tracking.

• Supporting compliance and preventing fraud. The software helps companies manage risk by detecting fraudulent activity and ensuring compliance across an affiliate network. It tracks and verifies transactions, flagging suspicious activity through fraud detection alerts.

• Retaining high-performing affiliates. Many platforms include features for tracking affiliate progress and identifying top performers. Customized partner dashboards, unique bonus structures and built-in email and chat functionality help keep affiliates engaged.

• Boosting visibility and control for affiliate managers. Just like a sales leader managing a team of sales reps, affiliate managers need to oversee their affiliates’ sales activity. Affiliate management systems provide visibility and control with centralized dashboards and real-time performance monitoring.

• Enabling affiliate programs to scale. Affiliate management software helps companies manage multiple affiliates and campaigns with features like automated communications and streamlined commission calculations. Advanced tracking and segmentation functionality allows program managers to optimize campaigns for growing affiliate networks.

What are the top features to look for in affiliate marketing management software?

The best solutions support the following aspects of affiliate program management:

Now you’ve learned the software features to look for, let’s look at the 12 best affiliate management platforms.

The 12 best affiliate management platforms

Here are the 12 best affiliate management tools and a summary of their standout features.

Let’s look at these tools and their most helpful features in greater detail.

Best affiliate management software for e-commerce businesses

For businesses making online sales, affiliate management software typically integrates with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

Management platforms also provide tools for tracking referrals, managing discount codes and streamlining affiliate sales.

Here are three comprehensive affiliate management platforms for e-commerce businesses.

Refersion

Refersion provides affiliate program management support for e-commerce businesses through the following features:

• Automated affiliate recruitment and onboarding. The platform enables program leads to automate the entire signup and approval process to streamline affiliate recruitment and onboarding.

• Real-time conversion tracking. The software provides up-to-the-minute sales data, allowing companies to monitor the performance of their referral in real time.

• Seamless e-commerce integrations. Refersion integrates with popular platforms like Shopify, allowing businesses to track affiliate sales directly from their existing store.

The platform also includes SKU-level tracking, which enables businesses to monitor affiliate-driven sales of specific products.

UpPromote

UpPromote helps e-commerce businesses run successful affiliate management programs through the following features:

• Affiliate marketplace with auto-approval. UpPromote allows affiliate networks to scale quickly by providing a marketplace where unlimited affiliates can join the program automatically.

• Multi-tier commission support. The platform includes support for commission structures that allow companies to reward affiliates for the performance of other affiliates they refer to the program.

• Built-in email and messaging tools. The software includes email and messaging systems for program leads to communicate with affiliates easily and keep them engaged.

The platform also supports customized onboarding flows, enabling businesses to create tailored welcome messages and training materials for new affiliate partners.

Affiliatly

Affiliatly includes a wide range of functionality to support affiliate marketing in e-commerce businesses, including:

• Customizable referral tracking. The platform provides unique coupon codes and referral links for tracking sales connected to specific campaigns.

• Flexible commission structures. Affiliatly offers flexible options for setting commission rates, including flat fee, percentage-based and tiered commissions.

• Simple dashboard and reporting. The software includes a user-friendly dashboard that provides visibility of key program metrics and access to performance reports.

The platform also includes email automation functionality. Program leads can use this feature to send commission updates and performance insights to affiliates directly from the platform.

Best affiliate program management software for SaaS businesses

Affiliate management solutions for SaaS businesses offer subscription-based tracking for affiliate partner programs.

The software typically includes integrations with billing platforms like Stripe and features that help track recurring revenue from referrals.

Here are three examples of robust affiliate marketing solutions for SaaS businesses.

Rewardful

Rewardful helps SaaS businesses run successful affiliate management programs through the following features:

• Subscription-based commission tracking. This feature allows affiliates to earn commissions on recurring subscriptions rather than one-off purchases.

• Integrations with popular payment gateways (e.g., Stripe, Paddle). The software allows companies to track and pay commissions based on subscriptions and renewals by integrating with popular subscription billing platforms.

• Customizable affiliate tiers. This feature enables companies to pay different commission rates to affiliate partners based on their performance.

The platform also includes coupon code tracking, allowing businesses to attribute sales to affiliates when customers don’t use a referral link.

PartnerStack

PartnerStack provides affiliate program management support for SaaS businesses through the following features:

• Flexible referral links. Companies can give affiliate partners unique referral links or allow them to create their own custom URLs.

• Automated payment processing. This feature streamlines the payment process and ensures companies pay affiliates accurately and on time.

• Support for white-label customization. SaaS companies can create a branded experience for affiliates by offering partners a portal with their own branding.

The platform also includes partner segmentation, enabling program leads to categorize affiliates on factors like performance and region. Managers can use this knowledge to tailor affiliate incentives and communications.

FirstPromoter

FirstPromoter includes a wide range of functionality to support affiliate marketing in SaaS businesses, including:

• Advanced tracking for SaaS metrics. FirstPromoter tracks referrals based on SaaS metrics like trial signups, subscription upgrades and churn rates.

• Integration with popular SaaS billing platforms. The software integrates with Stripe, Paddle and other popular payment systems to automate commission payouts.

• Self-serve affiliate portal. Affiliates can track their performance, view commissions and access promotion materials independently from a user-friendly dashboard.

The platform also supports custom referral landing pages, which means each affiliate can have a personalized URL to share with their network online.

Best affiliate management platform for large or multi-channel programs

Affiliate management marketing tools that support large or multi-channel programs usually include:

• Multi-channel tracking

• Custom sales reporting

• Sophisticated API integrations

These enterprise-level platforms allow businesses to manage multiple referral programs and track conversions across various marketing channels (e.g., social media, SEO, email, etc.).

Here are three comprehensive affiliate management solutions for large or multi-channel programs.

Everflow

Everflow includes a wide range of functionality to support large and multi-channel affiliate management programs, including:

• Multi-channel partner management. The software allows marketing teams to manage multiple campaigns across various marketing channels (e.g., paid advertising, social media, etc.)

• Advanced reporting and attribution. Granular insights into campaign performance help managers track the impact of every affiliate channel, device and customer touchpoint.

• Support for white-label customization. Companies can offer affiliate partners a fully customized experience, including a branded affiliate portal.

The platform also includes rule-based fraud protection, automatically detecting and blocking suspicious activity.

Post Affiliate Pro

Post Affiliate Pro provides affiliate management support for large or multi-channel programs through the following features:

• Scalable affiliate tracking. The software can track large-scale affiliate networks, including sub-affiliates (who other affiliates refer to the program).

• Customizable commission structures. Companies can set up sales compensation plans for each affiliate network, including flat-rate and percentage-based payment models.

• Mobile app for affiliate management. Mobile apps for iOS and Android allow affiliates to engage with the program on the go.

The platform also offers custom tracking domains, allowing companies to issue affiliates with branded links instead of generic referral URLs.

Tune

Tune helps companies run large or multi-channel affiliate management programs through the following features:

• Cross-channel marketing support. Companies can track all their marketing efforts – including affiliate marketing – in one place.

• Flexible pricing and payouts. The software includes support for customized commission structures and payment schedules to suit different groups of affiliates.

• Advanced fraud prevention. Tune includes built-in tools for detecting and preventing fraudulent activity within affiliate programs.

The platform also provides deep analytics with multi-touch attributions, allowing program leads to track affiliate-driven customer journeys across multiple interactions.

Best affiliate manager software for small businesses and beginners

Software for small businesses, startups and business owners new to affiliate marketing focuses on ease of use. Platforms often include simple payout processing and user-friendly dashboards.

Here are three comprehensive affiliate management software solutions for small businesses.

LeadDyno

LeadDyno provides affiliate program management support for small businesses and beginners through the following features:

• User-friendly dashboard and interface. The software’s simplified interface provides new affiliate managers with easy-to-understand tracking and marketing reporting tools.

• Automated affiliate onboarding and communication. Companies can automatically send affiliates welcome messages, sign-up links, and promotional material.

• Scalable pricing plans. The platform offers tiered pricing, with a basic plan that companies can upgrade from as their affiliate program grows.

The platform also includes on-click affiliate link generation, helping new affiliates start promoting a product or service immediately.

Tapfiliate

Tapfiliate helps small businesses and beginners run successful affiliate management programs through the following features:

• Easy-to-use onboarding tools. Tapfiliate’s beginner-friendly affiliate onboarding tools allow small businesses to quickly set up and train new efforts.

• Customizable referral links and coupons. Affiliate managers can generate personalized referral links and coupon codes to track affiliates’ sales.

• Advanced reporting and real-time tracking. The software delivers data-driven analytics to help businesses monitor affiliate performance and optimize campaigns.

The platform also includes built-in social media sharing, helping affiliates promote links on social channels like Facebook and Instagram.

AffiliateWP

AffiliateWP includes a wide range of functionality to support affiliate marketing in small businesses, including:

• Built-in WordPress integration. A plug-in for the WordPress content management system (CMS), AffiliateWP software makes it easy for affiliates to share referral links from blogs and websites.

• Simple commission structures. Affiliate managers can use the software’s straightforward interface to set up simple affiliate commission structures.

• User-friendly affiliate portal. The platform includes an intuitive platform for affiliates, helping them track their performance and stay engaged with the program.

The platform also offers automated affiliate registration and approval workflows, enabling smooth onboarding for new affiliates.

4 best practices for implementing affiliate program management software

There are certain steps to ensure affiliate management software has a positive impact.

Here are four best practices for implementing affiliate management software.

1. Train staff and affiliates to ensure smooth onboarding

Effective onboarding is critical for ensuring internal teams and affiliates use the platform effectively.

It’s important to train internal staff on the software’s functionality. Ensure employees know how to use it to monitor campaigns, manage affiliate relationships and track performance metrics.

For affiliates, provide clear, easy-to-follow tutorials or guides to help them get started. Offer guidance on how to track links and use the platform to its full potential.

Providing this training can help ensure a smooth onboarding process. It can also create a positive first impression with new affiliates.

2. Make the most of features that improve efficiency

The features that streamline sales processes and drive efficiency are among the most valuable.

Many platforms automate repetitive tasks like referral tracking, commission calculations and payouts. These automations save time, improve accuracy and free team members to focus on strategic initiatives.

Once you’re up and running with new affiliate management software, be sure to learn about its full potential functionality to maximize its use.

3. Measure performance regularly to track campaign success

As with any sales and marketing activity, it’s important to measure your efforts against key performance indicators (KPIs).

As you’ve seen, affiliate management software makes it easy to track popular sales metrics. These include KPIs like click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates and affiliate-driven revenue.

Aim to set these metrics up in your affiliate management software promptly and start measuring sales performance regularly. You should be able to access most of the data you need from your dashboard.

Familiarize yourself with the software’s built-in reporting tools. These features can help you evaluate your program performance and make informed decisions about next steps.

4. Optimize campaigns for continuous improvement

Affiliate marketing is, in essence, a sales opportunity – one that is continually evolving and expanding. In a recent survey, 28% of marketers stated that a unique strength of affiliate marketing was the new and innovative partners entering the channel.

Affiliate marketing platforms can help you make the most of this opportunity. They highlight ways to optimize your program and boost sales.

For example, the software can help you identify top-performing affiliates. You may then work to strengthen your relationship with these individuals through personalized communication and attractive sales incentives.

The tools also provide data-driven insight that might inspire other optimizations. For example, you could experiment with different commission structures or try different referral methods (e.g., using custom coupon codes).

How to use Pipedrive to run an affiliate management program

You can use a CRM like Pipedrive as an alternative affiliate management system.

Pipedrive’s own affiliates team uses the software to double the number of applications it can process.

Gintare Pratuseviciute, Pipedrive’s Affiliate Manager, says:

The software’s Automations feature lets you streamline affiliate management operations. This functionality frees the team to focus on strategic initiatives like driving program growth.

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Using your CRM as an affiliate management system is a great way to get the most from your existing tech stack. With everything in one place, teams can collaborate across marketing initiatives and access all the data they need.

Affiliate management software FAQs

Final thoughts

Affiliate marketing software can help companies of all sizes run efficient and successful affiliate marketing programs.

Through automations and features like real-time referral tracking, the software supports operational and strategic affiliate marketing efforts.

Companies can also use a CRM like Pipedrive can serve as an alternative affiliate marketing system.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial to see how Pipedrive can help you streamline your affiliate marketing operations.