9 best SaaS partner programs to monetize your audience in 2026

Many successful software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses build a partner network of experts who recommend, resell and integrate their tools.

For the businesses, these programs lower customer acquisition costs and unlock new markets.

For agencies, consultants and service providers, partner programs are a reliable way to monetize expertise and drive revenue growth.

In this guide, you’ll learn what a SaaS partner program is and how to find one that suits your business model. You’ll also discover the top SaaS partnerships to join, complete with a breakdown of requirements and commission structures.

Key takeaways for SaaS partner programs

1. SaaS partner programs let consultants, agencies and service providers earn recurring revenue for recommending tools their clients need.

2. The most profitable partner programs combine commission or revenue share with billable services like onboarding, migrations, training and optimization.

3. CRM and sales tools are the strongest place to start, since they sit at the center of a company’s tech stack and have long-term stickiness that compounds earnings over time.

4. Apply for the Pipedrive partner program today and unlock exclusive resources and competitive margins that help you scale your business.

What is a SaaS partner program (and why join one)?

A SaaS partner program is a revenue-sharing agreement where a vendor pays you to recommend its software.

Instead of building a product from scratch, you leverage the trust you’ve earned with your audience to promote tools they need. You (as the channel partner) provide the qualified leads and the vendor provides the product.

Joining a B2B partner program has three advantages. You can:

• Monetize your expertise. Turn your advice into a recurring revenue stream without the overhead of creating your own software.

• Enhance your credibility. Partnering with established brands signals that you’re a trusted industry player.

• Expand your services. Agencies can wrap their own implementation services around the software, increasing their average deal size.

With so many SaaS companies to choose from, the best strategy is to start with the main tools your clients use every day.

Since every business needs a way to manage customers, customer relationship management (CRM) and sales software are the most reliable places to begin.

3 best CRM and sales tool partner programs

CRM and sales tools sit at the center of most SaaS stacks, which makes their partner programs some of the most lucrative and durable.

When you help a company implement or optimize a CRM, you’re shaping how it runs its sales operation day to day. That creates long-term stickiness and natural opportunities to upsell services like onboarding, training and custom integrations.

Below, we’ll start with Pipedrive’s partner program, then cover Better Proposals and Aircall.

1. Pipedrive: best for consultants and agencies targeting SMBs

Pipedrive’s partner program rewards partners for both bringing in leads and growing with them.

It’s one of the most accessible and well-structured options for consultants, agencies and SaaS experts working with small businesses.

The Pipedrive SaaS partner program has three tracks:

• Affiliate partners drive traffic referrals

• Solution providers resell Pipedrive alongside their own services

• Technology providers add app integrations to Pipedrive’s partner ecosystem

In the solution provider track, you progress through three tiers – Authorized, Gold and Platinum – based on your annual sales volume. Climbing these tiers unlocks dedicated partner management, co-marketing budgets and higher visibility in the Pipedrive Marketplace.

Altogether, this capacity for growth offers the most revenue potential.

Pipedrive’s partner program at a glance:

As a CRM reseller (solution provider track), you’ll need to actively sell and onboard Pipedrive to new customers, support clients with setup and maintain product knowledge.

To move up from Authorized to Gold or Platinum, you need a business plan and certified staff.

• Authorized: You need one certified sales expert and one customer support expert

• Gold: Requires two sales, two support and one marketing expert

• Platinum: Requires three sales, two support, one marketing and one customer success expert

Agencies typically layer on additional revenue through setup fees, data migration projects and monthly pipeline support retainers.

The access to exclusive tools and dedicated partner success support makes it a highly scalable model for serious consultancies.

2. Better Proposals: best for design and sales consultants

Better Proposals is a document management tool that helps businesses create, send and track proposals without using word processors and email attachments.

Better Proposals’ straightforward referral program that pays a recurring 20% commission for the lifetime of every customer you refer.

The program is a single track open to agencies and influencers. You get a unique link and Better Proposals will attribute any client who signs up to you forever.

Better Proposals’ partner program at a glance:

To join, you must have:

• An established and relevant audience

• Original content (e.g., online courses, blog posts or videos)

• Prior experience using the Better Proposals platform

• Read and agreed to the Partner Program Agreement

Once accepted, you gain access to a partner dashboard with creative assets and real-time tracking.

For course creators and high-volume partners, Better Proposals also offers personalized landing pages to help increase your conversion rates.

This program is best for design and sales consultants who want a low-maintenance income stream. Because you don’t handle billing or technical support, it’s ideal for those who want to recommend a tool without becoming a dedicated implementation partner.

3. Aircall: best for IT managed services and CRM consultants

Aircall’s partner program rewards you for deploying a cloud-based phone solution that integrates with sales tools like Pipedrive.

The program splits into three clear tracks depending on your business model:

• Affiliate partners refer traffic and leads

• Channel partners resell or refer Aircall as part of a wider tech stack

• Technology partners build integrations for the Aircall marketplace

In the channel partner track, you progress through tiers based on your annual recurring revenue. Climbing these tiers unlocks lifetime commissions, dedicated account management and marketing development funds.

Aircall’s partner program at a glance:

To join, you must have:

• A relevant B2B audience (for affiliates)

• A valid business plan and commitment to training (for channel partners)

• Completed certifications in areas like Aircall AI to advance tiers

When Aircall adds you to the Partner Collective, you gain access to the partner portal, which houses sales enablement assets, deal registration tools and your certifications.

This program works best for IT consultancies and CRM integrators, since it streamlines cross-sells for those already implementing CRM solutions.

3 best marketing stack partner programs

Marketing automation platforms fuel the sales engine by filling your pipeline with leads.

Since marketing and lead generation need constant testing and content creation, these tools are an easy way to secure monthly retainers.

Below, you’ll learn about the three best SaaS partner programs for driving leads and improving the customer experience.

1. Unbounce: best for PPC and performance marketing agencies

Unbounce is a landing page builder that helps marketers get more conversions from their paid traffic.

Unbounce’s partner program is a single track that works for both content creators and agencies. You earn recurring revenue by referring new users or by setting up clients on their own Unbounce accounts.

For agencies, Unbounce offers specific features that make managing client work easier.

You can handle multiple clients from one master account, duplicate high-performing templates across sub-accounts and set specific user permissions for client teams.

Unbounce’s partner program at a glance:

To join, you must have:

• A valid PayPal or Stripe account to receive sales commission payouts

• A desire to promote Unbounce (no minimum audience size required)

• Accepted the partner program’s terms and conditions

Once you join, you get access to a partner dashboard powered by PartnerStack. You’ll get tracking links, marketing materials and real-time performance data.

Agencies can access features like domain-based pricing, which lets you add clients without paying for a new subscription each time.

To make selling easier, your referrals also get 20% off their first three months or 35% off if they purchase an entire year.

Unbounce estimates that referring 10 clients earns you around $591 USD per month, while scaling to 50 referrals pushes that income to nearly $3,000 per month.

Since Unbounce focuses on landing pages for ad campaigns, it’s the perfect add-on service for agencies managing Google Ads or social media traffic for clients.

2. Typeform: best for marketing and research agencies

Typeform is a form builder known for its design and user experience.

Its partner program allows agencies to earn commissions by referring clients to the platform.

The program consists of two tracks:

• Agency partners earn revenue share on referrals

• Technology partners build integrations for the Typeform App Marketplace

The agency track is the primary option for consultants. It lets you earn commission on the clients you refer while providing tools to manage client workspaces.

Typeform’s partner program at a glance:

To join, you must have:

• A professional website and business email address

• A relevant service-based business model (marketing, design or consulting)

• Familiarity with Typeform (you need a free account to apply)

As soon as you’re in the program, you gain access to a partner portal where you can track your sales referrals and performance.

A key benefit for agencies is the ability to manage client forms from your own account while keeping billing and data separate.

Because Typeform focuses on user experience, it’s a logical choice for clients who want their forms to align with their brand identity.

3. Semrush: best for SEO and consultant agencies

Semrush is an all-in-one marketing suite used by professionals to manage SEO, PPC and content marketing campaigns.

Semrush’s partner program offers two main ways to earn:

• Affiliate partners refer traffic and earn commissions on trials and sales

• Agency partners appear in the Semrush Agency Directory to help partners find high-quality leads

The affiliate track is one of the most generous in the industry. It offers a 120-day cookie window and commissions for every step of the funnel, including sign-ups, free trials and subscriptions.

Semrush’s partner program at a glance:

To join, you must have:

• A relevant audience (content creators, agencies or educators)

• A website with at least 1,000 monthly visitors (for affiliates)

• Original, high-quality content (blog, video or social)

• Completion of the Semrush Academy certification (recommended for agencies)

When you’re accepted, you’ll get access to Semrush’s Impact Radius for tracking and payments. You also receive pre-designed banners and landing pages to help convert your audience.

Agency partners gain exposure to the millions of users searching the Semrush directory for help with their marketing.

This program is a natural fit for SEO consultants. You can monetize the tools you probably already use and attract clients who are sold on the software but need an expert to run it.

3 best operations and commerce partner programs

Operations and commerce platforms offer high retention rates.

Once businesses set up e-commerce or project management workflows, they rarely switch providers. This stability creates reliable revenue for potential partners who manage the implementation and support.

Next, you’ll discover three programs that help you monetize the back office of your clients’ businesses.

1. Monday.com: best for project management consultants

Monday.com gives businesses a way to build workflows for project management, CRM and HR.

The Monday.com partner program supports consultants who want to monetize these setups through referrals or resale.

You can join one of three tracks:

• Affiliate partners refer traffic via a unique link

• Channel partners resell licenses and provide professional services

• Tech partners build apps for the marketplace

Channel partners operate on a tiered model that includes Member, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels.

You advance through these tiers by increasing your annual revenue contribution. Reaching higher levels unlocks lead distribution from Monday.com and marketing development funds.

Monday.com’s partner program at a glance:

To join the channel program, you need to demonstrate established success with other SaaS products and dedicate full-time resources to your practice. You also need to complete specific certifications in the Partner Academy.

Consultants specializing in process optimization will find the most value here.

Since clients often need expert help to configure the software correctly, you can charge for high-value implementation and training retainers alongside the license revenue.

2. Microsoft 365: best for managed service providers (MSPs)

Microsoft 365’s partner program lets you build revenue by reselling some of the world’s most popular business software.

Through the Cloud Solution Provider program, you bundle Teams, Outlook and other apps with your own support services.

Most consultants start as indirect resellers. In this model, you buy licenses from a distributor and resell them to your clients at a price you determine.

You’re in charge of the billing relationship and send a single monthly sales invoice that covers both the software and your service fees.

Microsoft’s partner program at a glance:

To join, you need to enroll in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and partner with an authorized distributor like Pax8, Ingram Micro or TD SYNNEX.

This program works best for IT consultants who want to own the client relationship. By controlling the license and the billing, you secure your position as the primary technology provider.

3. Shopify: best for web developers and e-commerce agencies

Shopify powers millions of online stores and relies heavily on partners to help merchants build, customize and scale their businesses.

Its partner program offers three tracks:

• Service partners build and migrate stores or provide marketing services

• Technology partners build apps that extend Shopify’s functionality

• Affiliate partners refer merchants via content and courses

The service partner track is the standard entry point for agencies. It lets you create unlimited stores for clients. When you transfer ownership of a development store to a client on a paid plan, you earn a share.

Shopify’s partner program at a glance:

To join, you must have:

• A valid business URL and active email address

• An upfront plan to refer merchants or build apps

• Compliance with the partner program agreement

When Shopify welcomes you into the program, you’ll get access to the partner dashboard. Here, you’ll manage your clients’ stores, track earnings and access Shopify Academy certifications.

High-performing partners can eventually qualify for the Shopify Plus Partner program, which offers exclusive access to enterprise clients and higher visibility.

This program is useful for web design and development agencies because it helps create consistent cash flow.

You can charge a one-time fee for the initial setup and design and the 20% recurring commission acts as passive monthly income. You get a stable financial baseline even during the months when you don’t land new project work.

How to evaluate a partner program

Before signing any agreement, you should make sure the program aligns with your business model and sales cycle.

Here are five things to pay attention to:

1. Look for product stickiness. Prioritize software that’s essential to daily work, like a CRM, rather than tools for one-off projects. High retention ensures your commissions stack up over time, whereas high customer churn products force you to hunt for leads.

2. Match the tracking window to your sales cycle. B2B purchases take months, so a short window may expire before your client signs. Look for 90-day or lifetime attribution windows to ensure you get credit for deals with a longer nurturing process.

3. Choose the revenue model that fits your cash flow. Do you want the immediate cash of a one-time bounty or the stability of recurring revenue? A 20% recurring commission on a sticky product usually far exceeds a fixed one-off payment over the client’s lifetime.

4. Assess the potential for billable service work. The best partnerships generate service revenue as well as commissions. Look for tools that need expert setup, migration or training, as these let you charge project fees on top of the software margin.

5. Verify the level of partner enablement and support. Check if the program offers direct access to a partner manager or engineering support. When you are responsible for a client’s tech stack, a direct line to the vendor is critical for protecting your reputation.

Once you find the right fit, you can confidently integrate the software into your service offering and start building a predictable revenue stream.

FAQs for SaaS partner programs

Final thoughts

Joining the right partner program means you can monetize the software recommendations you already make.

Start by listing the tools you currently use and recommend. If you find yourself setting up CRMs or configuring marketing platforms for clients, check whether those vendors offer a solution-provider track that rewards you for that expertise.

When you’re ready to turn your CRM expertise into a profitable revenue channel, apply for the Pipedrive Solution Partner program.

You’ll get the resources, support and high-margin incentives you need to build a scalable business around an intuitive sales CRM.