Affiliate marketing has evolved into one of the most cost-effective and scalable growth strategies for SaaS companies. As customer acquisition costs rise and organic reach becomes harder to sustain, affiliate programs offer a powerful way to turn loyal users, influencers, and partners into revenue-driving brand advocates.
But running an affiliate program manually isn't scalable. That's where affiliate software steps in. Streamlining everything from tracking to payouts and partner management. In this guide, we explore the top 10 affiliate software for SaaS in 2025, breaking down features, pricing, and ideal use cases to help you find the perfect fit for your business.
What Is Affiliate Software for SaaS?
Affiliate software is a platform that helps businesses create, manage, and scale their affiliate marketing programs. It automates key processes such as:
- Tracking affiliate links and referral performance
- Managing and calculating commissions
- Creating partner dashboards and onboarding workflows
- Reporting on sales, clicks, and traffic sources
- Integrating with other tools like CRMs, payment gateways, and email marketing software
Unlike traditional marketing tools, affiliate software is specifically designed to build and nurture performance-based partnerships, ensuring you only pay for actual results. If you're just getting started, check out our guide on getting started with affiliate marketing.
Why Affiliate Software Is Essential for SaaS Companies
SaaS companies face unique challenges when it comes to affiliate marketing:
- Subscription Revenue Tracking: Many SaaS businesses rely on monthly or annual recurring revenue (MRR/ARR), making it critical to track and reward recurring customer payments (not just the first sale).
- Scalable Growth: Affiliate programs allow SaaS brands to expand their reach without inflating their paid advertising budgets.
- Automation Is Key: From onboarding new partners to issuing commissions, automation through affiliate software saves hours of manual work.
- Data-Driven Insights: Robust analytics help identify your most valuable partners and optimize campaigns based on performance.
- Integration with SaaS Ecosystem: Affiliate software often plug directly into popular platforms like Stripe, Paddle, Mailchimp, and more. Ensuring your affiliate program fits seamlessly into your tech stack.
To understand the full value proposition, read about the 10 benefits of using affiliate software.
Key Features to Look For in Affiliate Software for SaaS
Not all affiliate software is built equally. Especially when it comes to SaaS use cases. Here are the top features to prioritize:
Recurring Commission Support
SaaS businesses often use subscription models. The right affiliate software should support recurring commissions for every billing cycle, not just one-time rewards.
Deep Integrations
Look for platforms that offer built-in integrations with tools like:
- Stripe, Paddle, Polar.sh, Creem, Chargebee (for billing)
- HubSpot, Salesforce (for CRM)
- MailChimp (for email marketing)
- Zapier (for automation)
Real-Time Analytics & Fraud Detection
Accurate tracking and real-time data dashboards allow you to monitor performance and prevent fraudulent clicks or sales.
White-Label or Branded Partner Portals
Give affiliates a seamless, on-brand experience with customizable portals and dashboards.
Auto Payouts
Automated commission payouts save time and reduce human error. Some platforms even fully manage affiliate payments for you, handling taxes, thresholds, and schedules.
API Access & Webhooks
Advanced users may need API access or webhooks to connect affiliate data with custom tools or internal systems.
Partner Onboarding Automation
Streamline the sign-up, approval, and welcome process for new affiliates to reduce friction and get partners promoting faster.
Affiliate Marketplace
An integrated affiliate marketplace allows potential affiliates to discover your program without you having to do outreach. This increases program visibility and attracts active marketers.
Affiliate Finder
Built-in affiliate discovery engines to help you find top-performing affiliates in your niche. Great for scaling faster, though not essential.
1. Affonso
Affonso is built specifically for SaaS businesses looking to launch and scale affiliate programs without the complexity and cost of general‑purpose affiliate tools. From the moment you integrate with your payment provider to running recurring commissions, fraud protection, affiliate discovery and full payout handling. Affonso handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on growth.
Here's how it stands out:
- Works natively with major SaaS billing platforms for accurate affiliate tracking across the customer lifecycle.
- Automates payment processing, compliance, and affiliate management so you focus on growth instead of operations.
- Includes partner‑recruitment tools (marketplace, discovery) so you don't just manage affiliates, you find and onboard them.
- Designed with pricing and transparency in mind, making it accessible to SaaS teams of all sizes.
All of this makes Affonso an excellent choice for SaaS teams that want more than "just affiliate tracking", they want an engine that grows with them.
Key Features
1. Setup in minutes
Affonso is built to integrate directly with major payment processor and MoR. With just a few clicks, you can connect your Stripe, Paddle, Polar, Creem or Dodo Payments account and immediately begin tracking affiliate‑driven conversions, one-time purchases, subscription upgrades, downgrades and refunds. This means you avoid lengthy development work or custom webhooks. The affiliate program is connected to your subscription stack out of the box.
2. Auto Payouts
One of the most time‑intensive parts of running a SaaS affiliate program is managing payouts — invoices, currencies, tax forms, compliance, many affiliate platforms leave you with manual work. Affonso takes this off your plate by handling affiliate payments globally for you. You send one payment to Affonso, and they distribute commissions to your affiliates via multiple payout rails (e.g., PayPal or Wire Transfer). They handle multiple currencies, invoices and tax compliance. The result: less manual admin, fewer errors, faster and more reliable payouts — which increases affiliate satisfaction and drives loyalty.
3. Affiliate Finder
Rather than waiting for affiliates to find your program or manually prospecting one by one, Affonso offers an built‑in "Affiliate Discovery Agent". This feature helps you identify, evaluate and recruit potential top‑performing affiliates in your niche and spy your comeptitors affiliates. By surfacing high‑quality partners (who already promote SaaS) you accelerate growth. You spend less time sourcing, outreach becomes more targeted, and your program can scale faster. It gives you proactive partner acquisition instead of purely reactive.
4. Affiliate Marketplace
In addition to you recruiting affiliates, Affonso makes your program discoverable in their own marketplace of affiliate partners. That means your SaaS affiliate program shows up to affiliates browsing actively for new programs to join. This creates an inbound channel for affiliate acquisition. You get partner applications, interest and traffic without solely relying on outbound recruitment. For a growing SaaS program, that added visibility can reduce acquisition cost for affiliates and grow your partner pipeline faster.
5. Fraud Detection
For SaaS affiliate programs, paying out for fraudulent or low‑quality referrals can erode margins fast. Affonso includes fraud detection mechanisms like preventing self‑referrals. By reducing abuse and ensuring only genuine affiliate‑driven conversions count, you maintain program integrity, protect your ARR, and strengthen trust with real affiliates who value fair tracking and payout.
6. GDPR Compliance
Operating globally — especially in Europe — means your affiliate program must comply with data‑privacy and cookie‑consent regulations. Affonso supports GDPR‑friendly tracking flows, consent management, and integrates with your affiliate tracking so you can remain compliant while still capturing referrals and conversions. This ensures your SaaS business isn't exposed to regulatory risk from the affiliate side and helps maintain affiliate trust by showing your compliance credentials.
7. Custom Commission Rules
Not all affiliates or SaaS offerings are equal. You might want a different commission for annual plans vs monthly, or for upgrades vs new sign‑ups, or a higher rate for top tier affiliates. Affonso delivers full flexibility. You can set commission rules per product, plan type (monthly/annual), affiliate group or individual affiliate. You can choose one‑time or recurring commissions, combine fixed + percentage models, and tailor logic to your business model. This means you align affiliate incentives closely with your SaaS revenue goals and LTV rather than using one‑size‑fits‑all.
8. Human Support
Too many affiliate software platforms provide only chatbots or large help‑centres and leave you to figure it out. With Affonso you get real human support: onboarding assistance, live video calls if needed, and timely responses. For SaaS teams especially when you're scaling your affiliate program, having a partner who can walk you through setup, troubleshoot workflows or help optimise your program is a major advantage over tools where you're left on your own.
Pros & Cons
Here's a balanced view of what Affonso does well — and where you should still check your requirements.
Pros
- Built specifically for SaaS (subscription, upgrades, refunds, one-time payments)
- Rapid setup with native integrations (Stripe, Paddle, etc)
- Automated payouts and global compliance — huge time‑saver
- Affiliate discovery + marketplace built in — helps scale recruitment
- Strong fraud detection and custom commission logic
- Human support and modern UX
- Transparent pricing model and no hidden revenue cuts
Cons
- If you use exotic payment processors beyond those supported, you'll want to verify compatibility
- Very feature‑rich — some simpler programs might only need a subset of the tools, so overhead may feel slightly large
Conclusion for SaaS startups
If you're a SaaS company serious about leverage affiliate marketing as a growth channel — especially where recurring revenue, subscription upgrades, partner recruitment and global payouts matter — Affonso offers a purpose‑built solution that covers all major pain points. From setup to payouts, from discovery to compliance, it's engineered for growth.
When you compare it to more generic affiliate tools (or ones built for e‑commerce rather than SaaS), you'll notice that Affonso brings the specialized features you need without requiring a workaround or expensive customisation.
2. PartnerStack
PartnerStack is widely known as a heavyweight in the affiliate and partner marketing space, designed for high-growth SaaS companies that manage more than just affiliates. It shines particularly when you need to run layered programs — think affiliates, resellers, referral partners — all under one roof. For teams running complex or multi-touch partner ecosystems, PartnerStack delivers robust automation and a partner marketplace to scale fast. However, for companies focused purely on affiliate marketing, it might feel heavy and unnecessarily complex.
Key Features
- Built-in partner marketplace to recruit affiliates and agencies
- Multi-channel partner support (affiliates, resellers, referrals)
- Workflow automation for onboarding, tracking, and payouts
- Integrates with Stripe and CRM systems
- Commission tracking and payment automation
Pros
- Great for large SaaS businesses with multi-tier partner programs
- Access to a large pool of potential partners via marketplace
- Strong automation and scalability
Cons
- High price point (typically starts at $800+/month)
- Requires demo and onboarding — no instant setup
- May be overkill if you only need affiliate management
3. Impact
Impact.com is a global partnership automation platform that helps businesses manage all kinds of partners — from affiliates and influencers to B2B agencies. It's an enterprise-class system built for data-rich performance marketing at scale. You'll find sophisticated features like cross-device attribution, fraud prevention, and a polished marketplace to find top affiliates. That said, it has a steeper learning curve and cost, which might not suit smaller SaaS teams focused purely on affiliate strategies.
Key Features
- Enterprise-grade tracking and multi-device attribution
- Customizable commission logic and event triggers
- Built-in fraud protection and compliance tools
- Global partner marketplace
- CRM and Stripe integration
Pros
- Great for advanced, multi-channel performance marketing
- Deep reporting and tracking granularity
- Strong fraud and compliance suite
Cons
- Higher complexity and onboarding friction
- Requires larger budgets and internal resources
- More than needed for simple SaaS affiliate use cases
4. Tapfiliate
Tapfiliate is a versatile affiliate and referral marketing platform with a strong international focus. It supports multiple languages, integrates with various platforms like Stripe, WooCommerce, and Shopify, and gives developers flexibility through its API. Tapfiliate is a great option for businesses operating in multiple markets or using different payment stacks. For SaaS-only companies that rely heavily on Stripe, however, the experience might not be as tightly optimized as niche tools built specifically for SaaS workflows.
Key Features
- Multi-language affiliate dashboards
- Recurring commission tracking
- Broad integration support (SaaS, e-commerce, digital products)
- Customizable campaign settings
- API for custom workflows
Pros
- Strong for international programs
- Flexible campaign design
- Developer-friendly
Cons
- Stripe integration not as seamless as SaaS-first tools
- Dashboard can feel cluttered for SaaS-only use cases
- Basic fraud protection
5. Rewardful
Rewardful made its name by being one of the first Stripe-native affiliate platforms designed for SaaS companies. It simplifies affiliate and referral tracking with strong Stripe event handling and recurring commission logic. While it's still a solid option, the pace of development has slowed, and many growing SaaS teams feel limited by its rigid interface, lack of modern design, and minimal automation around affiliate payments.
Key Features
- Deep integration with Stripe and Paddle
- Supports recurring and lifetime commissions
- Attribution flexibility (first- or last-click)
- API and JS snippet for developer customization
- Basic fraud filters for coupon abuse
Pros
- Simple and reliable for early-stage SaaS
- Excellent Stripe billing event tracking
- Easy to set up and use
Cons
- Outdated interface
- No built-in payout automation
- Limited customization for branding or workflows
6. FirstPromoter
FirstPromoter is a long-standing affiliate platform tailored for subscription-based businesses. It integrates closely with Stripe, Paddle, and Recurly, and has earned a reputation for stability when managing recurring commissions. However, its interface hasn't aged gracefully, and its limited customization can frustrate growing teams that need more control or scalability.
Key Features
- Recurring, lifetime, and multi-tier commissions
- Referral, influencer, and partner campaign support
- Stripe, Paddle, and Recurly integrations
- Tracks upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, and refunds
- Supports basic fraud checks
Pros
- Strong automation for recurring SaaS billing
- Works across multiple campaign types
- Proven track record
Cons
- Dated user interface
- Limited partner branding options
- No affiliate discovery or marketplace
7. Tolt
Tolt is one of the newer affiliate tools made specifically for Stripe-powered SaaS startups. Its biggest selling point is its plug-and-play simplicity and friendly pricing, making it a great fit for small teams looking to get started quickly. While it covers the basics well, more advanced reporting and fraud detection features are still missing.
Key Features
- Instant setup with Stripe, Paddle, and Chargebee
- Branded affiliate dashboards
- Automated payouts via PayPal/Wise
- Simplified fraud detection
Pros
- Fast to set up and easy to use
- Clean UI with startup-ready tools
- Budget-friendly for early SaaS teams
Cons
- Basic analytics and limited reporting
- No affiliate marketplace
- Limited scalability for large teams
8. LinkMink
LinkMink is one of the original players in the Stripe affiliate tracking space. It offers a no-frills, reliable way to manage recurring commissions and refund logic. While dependable, it hasn't evolved as quickly as newer tools and may feel limiting for companies seeking modern UX, branding options, or deeper automation.
Key Features
- Recurring commission tracking
- Refund-adjusted payouts
- Stripe integration
- Easy onboarding
Pros
- Reliable for tracking recurring payments
- Minimal setup and clean logic
- Good for MVP-stage SaaS tools
Cons
- Outdated interface and design
- No automated payouts
- Weak fraud prevention and partner management
9. LeadDyno
LeadDyno is another legacy tool still active in the affiliate space, known for its broad integrations and appearance in the Stripe App Marketplace. It offers basic automation and dashboards, but its features and interface feel behind the curve when compared to newer tools built for SaaS growth.
Key Features
- Affiliate tracking through Stripe and e-commerce platforms
- Basic automation for payouts and tracking
- Available through the Stripe App Marketplace
- Dashboard for affiliate earnings and referral links
Pros
- Easy to install
- Familiar in SaaS circles
- Offers core functionality for small businesses
Cons
- Limited reporting and fraud detection
- Dated UI and UX
- Few branding or customization options
10. TrackDesk
TrackDesk is a newer tool focused on making affiliate marketing easy for non-technical SaaS founders. It's one of the fastest tools to set up with Stripe and offers anti-fraud protection and Zapier integration. While great for startups, it still lacks some of the advanced reporting and customization features of more mature platforms.
Key Features
- One-click Stripe onboarding
- Affiliate lifecycle tracking
- Bot and fraud detection
- Zapier integration for automation
Pros
- Super quick setup
- Built-in fraud prevention
- Affordable for small SaaS teams
Cons
- Lacks depth in reporting
- Payout options are limited
- Fewer options for scaling larger programs
How to Choose the Right Affiliate Software for Your SaaS Business
With so many affiliate software platforms available, choosing the right one for your SaaS business requires clarity on your goals and an understanding of your specific needs. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you make the right decision:
1. Define Your Program Goals
Are you focused on customer acquisition, brand awareness, or increasing recurring revenue? Your primary goals will determine the must-have features, such as recurring commissions or API flexibility.
2. Evaluate Integration Requirements
Check whether the software integrates seamlessly with your payment processor (like Stripe or Paddle), CRM (like HubSpot or Salesforce), and marketing stack. The more automated the workflow, the more scalable your affiliate program.
3. Consider Scalability and Partner Management
If you plan to scale your program rapidly, you'll need features like affiliate finders, marketplaces, and automation tools for onboarding, communication, and payouts.
4. Prioritize Automation and Ease of Use
Time is money, especially in SaaS. Look for intuitive dashboards, auto-approvals, scheduled payouts, and automated tracking so your team can focus on growth rather than admin.
5. Check Payout Methods and Policies
Auto payouts are a huge time-saver, especially when handled by the platform. Review how commissions are calculated, the frequency of payouts, minimum thresholds, and support for international affiliates.
6. Look for Affiliate Discovery Tools
If you're starting from scratch, having access to an affiliate marketplace or discovery engine can accelerate your partner recruitment efforts.
7. Explore Pricing and Trial Options
Pricing models vary. Some tools charge flat monthly fees, others take a percentage of revenue or offer tiered pricing. Many offer free trials, so test usability and fit before committing.
FAQs
What is the best affiliate software for SaaS startups?
The best affiliate software for SaaS startups typically includes a free plan or affordable tier, offers recurring commission tracking, and integrates easily with Stripe, Paddle or Polar. Affonso's pricing is designed specifically for startups with plans starting at just $12.50/month.
Can affiliate software handle recurring commissions for SaaS subscriptions?
Yes, many affiliate platforms are built specifically for recurring revenue models. They allow you to pay affiliates based on subscription renewals, upgrades, or ongoing usage.
How much does affiliate software for SaaS companies typically cost?
Pricing ranges from $12.50/month to several hundred per month, depending on features, scale, and managed services. Some charge commission on payouts; others offer flat-fee pricing.
Is there any free affiliate software for SaaS?
Some tools offer free trials or limited free plans ideal for testing. However, fully free affiliate software is rare for SaaS due to the complexity of recurring revenue tracking and "free" tools often charge percentage fees that cost you more over time.
