When I first started exploring affiliate tracking solutions for WordPress, I quickly realized that choosing the right software makes a big difference.
The success of a referral program isn’t just about tracking clicks – it’s about having a reliable system that both you and your affiliates can trust.
In this guide, I’ll share the best affiliate tracking solutions for WordPress. I’ve thoroughly tested these platforms to show how they perform in real-world scenarios, so you can choose the right one with confidence.
My Verdict: Best Affiliate Tracking and Management Software
If you are in a hurry, take a quick look at the top picks to choose the right affiliate tracking software for your site.
| # | Plugins | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | AffiliateWP | Affiliate tracking and management | $149.60/yr. + Free |
| 🥈 | Easy Affiliate | Tracking self-hosted affiliate programs | $99.60/yr. |
| 🥉 | ShareASale | Sending payments to each affiliate | $625 |
| 4 | Impact | Tracking customer interactions and campaigns | $500/mo. |
Understanding the Two Types of Affiliate Software
Before I dive into the showcase, it’s helpful to understand the two main types of affiliate solutions you’ll come across — self-hosted plugins and affiliate networks.
Self-hosted plugins (like AffiliateWP and Easy Affiliate) run directly on your WordPress site.
They give you full control over your data, branding, and commission rules, usually for a fixed annual fee. The trade-off is that you’ll need to recruit and manage your own affiliates.
Affiliate networks (like ShareASale) are external platforms that connect you with thousands of ready-to-promote affiliates. They handle tracking and payments automatically, but in return, they charge setup and transaction fees.
This makes them a good choice for businesses that want quick reach and less manual management.
How I Test And Review Affiliate Tracking And Management Software
Different businesses have different goals when choosing affiliate software.
Some prefer using complete affiliate networks like ShareASale to reach a wider audience, while others go with self-hosted tools like AffiliateWP to have more control over their data, branding, and commissions.
While testing each tool, I kept these different needs in mind—whether it was a small store launching its first affiliate program, a digital product seller managing everything in-house, or an established business scaling its existing setup.
Here’s what I focused on:
- Ease of Setup: I looked at how simple it was to get started. Self-hosted tools usually took a few quick steps inside WordPress, while network-based platforms handled most of the setup for you but often required approval before going live.
- Affiliate Reach: I checked how easily vendors could find affiliates. Networks offered instant access to a large pool of partners, while self-hosted plugins relied on your own outreach and marketing, so you can save costs.
- Customization and Control: I tested how flexible each tool was with branding, commission rules, and program settings. Self-hosted tools gave full freedom, while networks were more limited but required less manual management.
- Automation and Tracking: I reviewed how well each tool handled tracking, payouts, and reporting. Self-hosted options integrated smoothly with WooCommerce or EDD, while networks provided built-in fraud prevention and automated commission payouts.
- Scalability and Cost: I compared pricing models to see what worked best as affiliate programs grew. Networks often charged transaction fees, while self-hosted plugins had a one-time or yearly cost without taking a cut from your sales.
Why Trust WPBeginner?
At WPBeginner, we don’t just write about tools — we actually use and test them.
When it comes to affiliate tracking and management plugins, we’ve tried many of them firsthand on real websites. We look at how easy they are to set up, how well they work with WordPress, and whether the tracking is accurate.
Some of our partner brands use AffiliateWP to manage their own affiliate programs, and we’ve seen how powerful and flexible it can be. We’ve also explored other popular tools to compare features like payouts, reporting, fraud protection, and ease of use.
So when you read a recommendation on WPBeginner, know that it’s based on real experience. For more information, see our complete editorial process.
Let’s take a look at the best affiliate management solutions for WordPress.
1. AffiliateWP
| ✅ Affiliate WP Pros | ✅AI-powered affiliate application reviews ✅Fully self-hosted affiliate program with full control ✅Integrates with EDD, WooCommerce, iThemes Exchange, and more ✅Real-time reporting for both admins and affiliates ✅Identifies top-performing affiliates ✅Bulk payouts via PayPal and integrated payout services |
| ❌ Affiliate WP Cons | ❌Uses your hosting resources, which may require upgrades for larger sites ❌No built-in affiliate network, so affiliates must be recruited manually |
| Pricing | Starts at $149.60/year + Free |
| Best For | Running a self-managed affiliate program directly from your WordPress site |
AffiliateWP is the best affiliate tracking and management software, and it’s actually built as a WordPress plugin. This makes for a seamless process since you can manage your affiliate program right from your WordPress site.
It was developed by Pippin Williamson and Andrew Munro, the folks behind Easy Digital Downloads. It beats other solutions regarding cost-effectiveness and the control it offers over your affiliate program.
I have thoroughly tested the tool on a real website and have found it to be super beginner-friendly. To learn more about our experience, you can take a look at our AffiliateWP review.
It is a reliable system in the market and is used by other WordPress plugin developers to sell their products. This is a great solution for those looking to build a small group of affiliates.
I love that AffiliateWP comes with a clean, central dashboard that makes managing your entire affiliate program super easy.
Right from your WordPress admin area, you can see how your affiliates are performing, track clicks and referrals, view real-time reports, approve applications, and manage payouts.
It’s designed to be intuitive, so even if you’re new to affiliate marketing, you’ll quickly feel comfortable navigating everything.
For more experienced marketers, AffiliateWP includes advanced features like custom commission rates, referral link tracking, affiliate coupon codes, and integrations with top WordPress plugins like WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, and WPForms.
Whether you’re running a small store or scaling a larger program, it gives you the tools to grow confidently from one central place. To get started, see our tutorial on how to create a referral program in WordPress.
Why I recommend AffiliateWP: If you want to run and manage an affiliate program for your website all by yourself, then I recommend AffiliateWP.
Get started with the AffiliateWP plugin!
2. Easy Affiliate
| ✅ Easy Affiliate Pros | ✅Easy setup with a user-friendly dashboard ✅Manage affiliates, edit accounts, access links/banners, and view payment history in one place ✅Detailed reports with commission tracking and multiple commission levels ✅Built-in fraud detection to secure payments ✅Integrates with WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, PayPal, and email marketing tools |
| ❌ Easy Affiliate Cons | ❌No free trial available ❌Does not include a built-in affiliate network (requires manual recruitment) |
| Pricing | Starts at $99.60/year |
| Best For | WordPress site owners who want a self-hosted affiliate program with detailed tracking and built-in fraud protection |
Easy Affiliate, formerly known as Affiliate Royale, is one of the most beginner-friendly affiliate tracking plugins for WordPress. It’s designed to give you everything you need to run a self-hosted affiliate program, without relying on third-party platforms or complicated integrations.
When I was evaluating the tool, I really liked that you can manage your entire program directly from your WordPress dashboard, which makes things simple and easy to control.
For more information about the plugin’s features, you can see our Easy Affiliate review.
With this tool, you can track clicks, referrals, and sales in real time, manage affiliate applications, and set commission rules — all in one place.
Plus, I love that it includes built-in fraud detection, which keeps your program safe by alerting you to suspicious activity. That’s super helpful if you’re just starting out and want peace of mind.
It integrates smoothly with tools many online businesses already use, like WooCommerce, MemberPress, PayPal, and major email marketing services.
That means you can set up your affiliate program to work alongside your online store or membership site with minimal hassle.
Whether you are a small business owner or growing a large program, Easy Affiliate offers the flexibility and control you need to track performance, reward your affiliates, and grow your revenue.
Why I recommend Easy Affiliate: If you are looking for a self-hosted affiliate program to track and manage your referrals, then I think this is a great solution.
Get started with the Easy Affiliate plugin!
3. ShareASale
| ✅ ShareASale Pros | ✅Hosted on ShareASale servers (no updates or management needed) ✅Automatic tracking and payments for affiliates ✅Access to a large network of affiliate marketers ✅No monthly recurring fee for basic setup; pay only a percentage per sale ✅Features include real-time tracking, top-performer segmentation, and multiple site management |
| ❌ ShareASale Cons | ❌Clunky user interface ❌One-time setup fee of $625 ❌$35 monthly platform fee plus 20% commission on transactions |
| Pricing | $625 one-time setup + $35/month + 20% commission on transactions |
| Best For | Merchants who want automated tracking and payments without managing the system themselves |
ShareASale is one of the most well-known affiliate networks and has been around for 20 years.
With over 270,000 affiliates in their network, it’s a great option if you want to get your products in front of an audience fast, without having to manually recruit and manage each affiliate yourself.
One of the biggest reason of ShareASale being on this list is how they handle affiliate payments.
Instead of you having to send payments to each affiliate individually, the tool collects all the data, handles payment processing, and ensures each affiliate is paid on time.
This can be a huge time-saver, especially as your program grows. We use ShareASale for our own products like OptinMonster and WPForms, and it’s been reliable in making sure affiliates get paid accurately and consistently.
Just keep in mind that the platform does charge a per-transaction fee, which can add up — so I usually only recommend it for businesses that are ready to scale or have a strong product-market fit.
Why I recommend ShareASale: If you want a system that sends automatic payments to each affiliate, then ShareASale is a great choice.
4. Impact
| ✅ Impact Pros | ✅Provides detailed analytics and insights for marketing campaigns ✅Identifies top-performing affiliates for strategic partnerships ✅Powerful, user-friendly interface ✅Features include mobile tracking, SEO-friendly URLs, coupon tracking, and CRM integrations ✅Built-in fraud protection for secure payouts |
| ❌ Impact Cons | ❌Monthly recurring fee ❌Smaller affiliate network compared to other platforms |
| Pricing | Starter plan: $500/month |
| Best For | Businesses that want to track customer interactions and campaigns consistently with advanced analytics |
Impact offers an affiliate marketing solution where you pay only for the affiliates you work with and not the network fees.
This significantly reduces the cost as you pay only for the platform and the number of affiliates you work with.
Plus, I love that Impact lets you track customer interactions across different devices. Its cross-device tracking feature gives you a detailed picture of your customer journey and the devices your affiliates and customers are using.
The software also has tracking options that help you accurately measure your affiliate campaigns. There is also fraud protection, so you can easily identify suspicious affiliates before payout.
Why I recommend Impact: If you want to consistently track customer interactions and campaigns, then Impact is a great choice.
Which Affiliate Tracking Software Should You Choose?
You need to choose a solution based on your own budget and requirements. If you’re looking for a cost-effective solution for WordPress, then I recommend going with either AffiliateWP or Easy Affiliate.
Both are excellent options, however, AffiliateWP’s payout services really give you the best of both worlds.
If you want more advanced features and don’t mind the per-transaction cost and higher fees, then ShareASale is the way to go.
Frequently Asked Questions About Affiliate Tracking Software
Here are some questions that our readers frequently ask about using affiliate tracking software:
When should I choose a WordPress plugin vs. an affiliate network?
You should choose a WordPress plugin like AffiliateWP or Easy Affiliate if you want maximum control over your program and prefer a fixed annual cost.
This approach is best if you are confident in recruiting your own affiliates from your existing customer base, audience, or industry contacts.
On the other hand, go for an affiliate network like ShareASale if your primary goal is to gain access to a large, established pool of affiliates quickly.
This is a better option for businesses that are ready to scale and are comfortable with higher setup and transaction-based fees in exchange for convenience and reach.
Are there any free affiliate tracking plugins for WordPress?
Yes, there are free affiliate tracking plugins available. However, I typically don’t recommend them for businesses. Free plugins often lack crucial features like reliable real-time tracking, fraud protection, and dedicated support.
Running a successful affiliate program depends on trust. Using a premium, well-supported plugin ensures that both you and your affiliates can rely on the accuracy of the tracking and payments.
How do I recruit affiliates if I use a self-hosted plugin?
Recruiting affiliates for a self-hosted program is a proactive process. A great place to start is by emailing your most loyal customers and subscribers to see if they’d like to partner with you.
You can also create a dedicated “Affiliate Program” page on your website and add a link to it in your footer. Finally, you can personally reach out to bloggers and content creators in your niche who you believe would be a good fit for your brand.
I hope this article helped you find the best affiliate tracking software for your WordPress site. You may also want to look at our other WordPress guides for affiliate tracking and management sites.
Best WordPress Guides for Affiliate Marketing Sites
- How to Create an Affiliate Product Box (No Coding Required)
- How to Cloak Affiliate Links on Your WordPress Site
- WooCommerce Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Tutorial [+ Resources]
- How to Generate Leads Through Affiliate Marketing in WordPress
- How to Build an Amazon Affiliate Store Using WordPress
- Best WooCommerce Plugins for Your Store (Most are FREE)
- How to Easily Add an Affiliate Program in WooCommerce
- How to Add Affiliate Disclosure for Each Blog Post Automatically
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Dennis Muthomi
I’ll personally go for AffiliateWP because of integration with Easy Digital Downloads. That’s a plus for me.
jamiesbw
is there an affiliate program with little or no setup fees that works on the basis of commission for sales made.