11 Best Affiliate Marketing Software Options for WordPress

Looking for the right affiliate marketing software to launch the right strategy?

You're in the right spot.

Trying to build an affiliate marketing can be tricky, especially when it comes to finding the best software to fit your WordPress site. There are 100s of options out there -- and you have a limited amount of time to make the right decision.

If the thought of sifting through options makes you dizzy, we've got you.

We've put together an easy-to-follow guide on the 11 best affiliate marketing software options for WordPress. This isn’t just a list—it’s your first step towards affiliate marketing success. Let’s dive in and find the perfect match to help your affiliate network thrive.

Why Affiliate Marketing Matters for Your Business

Think of a strategy where everyone comes out ahead – that's affiliate marketing for your business.

At its heart, affiliate marketing is about leveraging relationships to drive sales and grow your brand. You partner with affiliates who promote your products or services to their audience, and in return, they earn a commission for every sale made through their referral.

This strategy also serves as an incredible way to extend your brand's reach and discover new markets and demographics, tapping into the trust and credibility your affiliates have built with their audience.

For businesses, launching an affiliate program means unlocking a cost-effective channel for growth, without the heavy lifting of traditional marketing campaigns. You're essentially turning your most enthusiastic customers and industry influencers into a sales force, motivated by their success in promoting your products.

The best part? It's a strategy that scales with your business. You can start small, with just a few affiliates, and grow your network as you see results. Plus, affiliate marketing provides valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors, helping you refine your offerings and marketing tactics.

Basically, affiliate marketing matters because it's about building partnerships that drive growth, increase brand awareness, and foster community around your products or services. 

Choosing the Right Affiliate Marketing Software (and What to Look For)

Picking the right affiliate marketing software is a bit like choosing the perfect running shoes.

Without the right fit, you're in for a lot blisters, or worse, giving up running altogether. In terms of actual affiliate marketing, using the wrong tools can mean inaccurate tracking of referrals, endless hours spent on affiliate management, and growth opportunities slipping through your fingers.

But lace up with the right software, and it's a whole different race. The right solution makes every step feel effortless, from tracking every referral accurately to managing your affiliates with ease.

Let’s break down what you should look for when considering the tools to use for your business:

• Ease of Use: You want software that's as easy to navigate as your favorite mobile app. If it feels like you need a degree in rocket science to use it, it's not the one for you.

• Integration Options: Your affiliate software should easily connect other tools you're using. Whether it's your email marketing platform, CRM software, or payment processor (PayPal, Stripe, etc.), seamless integration is key to a smooth operation.

• Tracking and Reporting Features: This is the heart of your affiliate program. Affiliate tracking software helps you stay on top of every click, sale, and commission in real-time.

• Affiliate Management: Look for features that help you communicate, pay, and support your affiliates effectively — allowing you to form solid partnerships. We also recommend using a tool that has fraud detection to help you identify any rogue affiliates.

• Customization and Scalability: Your affiliate program should grow with your business. The best software can adapt to your needs, whether you're just starting or ready to expand your affiliate empire.

• Customer Support: Even with the best software, you might hit a snag. When that happens, knowing you have a responsive and helpful support team can make all the difference.

• Pricing: Make sure the price of this tool is within your budget

With the right tools in hand, you’ll find yourself sprinting towards smashing your goals.

What Are the Best Affiliate Marketing Tools for WordPress Websites?

This list covers the best affiliate marketing tools for business owners who want to start their own program, and current affiliate marketers who want to get the most out of their content and promotions.

1. AffiliateWP: Track and Grow Your Own Affiliate Program Easily

First on our list is AffiliateWP, our top recommendation for any WordPress site owner who wants to start their affiliate program with no hassle — ideal for beginners and advanced users.

AffiliateWP stands out as affiliate management software for a lot of reasons, but the ease of integration with WordPress is a total game-changer. With a couple of clicks, you can start your own program in no time.

It fits into your site like it was made for it from the start, which, honestly, makes life a lot easier. You get to avoid all that technical headache and can instead focus on what matters – growing your business and supporting your affiliates.

Speaking of affiliates, AffiliateWP’s tracking system is spot-on. It tracks clicks, referrals, and payments without missing a beat, helping you ensure that everyone gets their fair share. 

This isn’t just about keeping things fair; it’s about building a relationship of trust with your affiliate partners. When they see how reliable the system is, they’re more motivated to put in the work, knowing they’ll be rewarded for their efforts.

In terms of integrations, this plugin connects with the top online course, membership, and payment platforms in the WordPress market. Which means you can easily integrate your new affiliate program with your current products to get even more sales.

Choosing AffiliateWP feels like you’re setting your affiliate program on the right track from day one. It’s user-friendly, powerful, and gives you the kind of data-driven insights that can really make a difference. For me, it’s not just a recommendation; it’s the tool I would trust to keep my affiliate marketing strategy on point.

2. ThirstyAffiliates: Protect Your Affiliate Earnings with Easy Link Hiding

ThirstyAffiliates is all about making your affiliate links clear and effective, making everything from link management to boosting clicks a whole lot simpler.

It’s a must-have for business owners who want their links to look clean and inviting, not long and intimidating. With ThirstyAffiliates, you get to shorten those links and brand them in a way that clicks with your audience – and keeps your site looking sharp.

Setting up? Super simple. ThirstyAffiliates integrates directly with WordPress (no need to wrangle with a complex API), letting you manage smart links right from your dashboard—no tech headaches, no wasted time.

This tool is all about making your life easier, freeing you up to focus on growing your business.

And another thing…

ThirstyAffiliates also protects your commissions from theft. By cloaking your affiliate URLs, it not only makes links look cleaner but also keeps them safe from being hijacked — preserving your attribution. This means you're less likely to lose out on earnings on the products you refer.

It's a smart choice for anyone looking to manage their affiliate links easily and keep their income secure.

3. Pretty Links: Turn Long, Basic URLs into Clean, Memorable Links

Pretty Links brings the power to clean up, manage, and track your affiliate links directly within your WordPress dashboard, turning that tangled web of links into a well-organized asset. 

This plugin excels in simplicity and effectiveness, enabling you to redirect URLs, track each click, and even automate the addition of affiliate links to your content, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to earn. No matter the marketing channel — social media messaging, emails, or blog posts, Pretty Links makes sure every link looks professional and is working hard for your business.

But it's not all about looks. Pretty Links also offers powerful tracking features that let you see exactly how your links perform. You can track hits, compare performance across different platforms, and understand what content resonates most with your audience. 

4. AdSanity: Easily Put Ads Anywhere on Your Site

AdSanity simplifies the ad management process on your WordPress site, making it a breeze to insert, manage, and track ads over time.

It's the perfect tool for business owners and bloggers looking to monetize their websites more effectively while keeping the user experience clean and engaging.

You gain the flexibility to work with both hosted (your own) ads and network ads (like Google AdSense). It stands out by offering an intuitive interface that allows you to add new ads, organize them into groups, and schedule their display across your site with just a few clicks.

This level of control means you can keep your site's content fresh and relevant without overwhelming your audience.

One of the plugin's strong suits is its powerful tracking capabilities. AdSanity provides detailed insights into how each ad performs, including views and clicks, enabling you to make data-driven decisions on what works best for your site and audience.

This information is gold when optimizing your ad strategy for maximum revenue and engagement.

5. Thrive Architect: Build Stunning Landing Pages Quickly and Boost Your Conversion Rates

Thrive Architect is your go-to when you want to create affiliate marketing pages that don’t just look good but practically convert visitors into revenue. Think of it as the stress-free way to design high-converting landing pages, sales pages, and all sorts of (SEO-friendly) customizable layouts on your WordPress site, no coding needed.

With this plugin, whipping up stunning, persuasive pages becomes a piece of cake. Whether it’s for your latest affiliate offer or a killer sales page, Thrive Architect gives you the drag-and-drop simplicity to put your ideas into action fast. And because it’s built with a focus on conversion optimization, every element you add is designed to get you results.

For affiliate marketers, the power to quickly create landing pages that resonate with your audience and drive clicks to your affiliate links is invaluable. Thrive Architect comes packed with templates that are not only sleek but also tailored for conversion—meaning you can launch your campaigns faster and start seeing results sooner.

So, if you're in the business of making your website work harder for your affiliate goals, Thrive Architect is pretty much a no-brainer.

It’s about getting those high-impact pages live, without getting bogged down in the tech stuff, so you can focus on what you do best: selling and making money.

6. MonsterInsights: Understand Your Visitors Better with Google Analytics

MonsterInsights is the tool you need to dive deep into understanding your website visitors to boost your affiliate marketing efforts. It bridges the gap between your WordPress site and Google Analytics, making the wealth of data from Analytics not just accessible but downright actionable.

With MonsterInsights, you get clear insights on what your audience loves. Which affiliate links are they clicking on? What content keeps them hooked? MonsterInsights lays it all out for you, making it easy to tweak your strategy for better results.

This plugin is a must-have for affiliate marketers who want to make informed decisions based on real visitor behavior. Whether it’s refining your content, knowing where to place your affiliate links for maximum visibility, or understanding the journey your audience takes on your site, MonsterInsights has you covered.

7. Easy Affiliate: Run Your Affiliate Program Smoothly with WordPress

Easy Affiliate is a straightforward WordPress plugin that turns your site into an effective affiliate marketing platform. 

It handles the essentials of affiliate marketing smoothly—tracking sales, managing affiliates, and generating insightful reports directly from your dashboard. This plugin also simplifies the recruitment, onboarding, and payment of affiliates, ensuring your program operates efficiently. 

With Easy Affiliate, you also gain access to real-time data to make informed decisions and improve your strategy. It’s designed to work seamlessly with popular eCommerce and membership plugins, making it a versatile choice for businesses looking to grow their affiliate network. If you’re after a no-fuss solution to manage your affiliate program and drive growth, Easy Affiliate provides the necessary tools and simplicity to get you there.

8. Ultimate Affiliate Pro: Upgrade Your Affiliate Game with More Features

Ultimate Affiliate Pro offers a suite of tools tailored for WordPress users eager to scale their affiliate networks creatively and effectively.

What makes this software solution unique is the depth of customization it offers—right from setting up tiered commissions that reward your top affiliates, to crafting special bonuses or coupons that incentivize sales.

The flexibility extends to payment options too, accommodating various payout methods to suit both you and your affiliates' preferences.

Ultimate Affiliate Pro also shines with its ability to integrate seamlessly with your existing WordPress setup, supporting popular eCommerce platforms and membership sites.

9. YITH WooCommerce Affiliates: Enhance Your Online Store with Affiliate Marketing

YITH WooCommerce Affiliates is specifically designed for WooCommerce store owners looking to dive into affiliate marketing.

This plugin seamlessly integrates with your WooCommerce setup (a much more afforable Shopify alternative), making it super easy to turn your customers into affiliates. It’s all about opening up new revenue streams by turning word-of-mouth into a digital affiliate referral program.

What sets YITH WooCommerce Affiliates apart is its user-friendly approach to affiliate management. You can easily set commission rates, track orders referred by each affiliate, and manage payments directly from your WordPress dashboard. This level of control ensures that you can tailor your affiliate program to align perfectly with your store’s goals and promotions.

10. SliceWP: Simple Affiliate Marketing in a Few Clicks

SliceWP makes affiliate marketing management straightforward and effective for WordPress site owners.

It’s designed for ease, allowing you to quickly set up and manage an affiliate program without any challenges.

With features that let you monitor performance, manage affiliate commission structures, and automate payments, SliceWP streamlines the process from start to finish.

It’s ideal for those who want a reliable tool to help grow their affiliate network efficiently, providing all the essentials without any complexity.

11. WP Affiliate Manager: Build an Affiliate Program on a Budget

WP Affiliate Manager is about making affiliate program management accessible to everyone, regardless of technical know-how.

This tool offers a simple way to add an affiliate marketing layer to your site, helping you track sales, manage affiliates, and pay commissions with ease.

Perfect for small businesses or startups looking to venture into affiliate marketing, WP Affiliate Manager provides a cost-effective solution that covers all the basics, ensuring you can focus on building your brand and boosting sales.

FAQs: Best Affiliate Marketing Software

Q: Can I do affiliate marketing with a WordPress Website?

A: Yes you can. You can use tools like AffiliateWP, Easy Affiliates, or WP Affiliate Manager. These tools are much easier to navigate compared to non-WordPress solutions like Amazon, Uppromote, Tapfiliate, Leaddyno, etc.

Q: What is the best free affiliate plugin for WordPress

A: The best free affiliate plugin for WordPress often recommended is Affiliates Manager, known for its unlimited affiliate support, real-time tracking, and seamless integration with popular eCommerce platforms.

Q: Which tool is best for affiliate marketing?

A: To build and manage your own affiliate marketing program, we recommend AffiliateWP.

Build Your First Affiliate Program Today

And there you go!

By now, you should have a clear idea of the exact tool (or tools) you need to set up your affiliate marketing program to grow your revenue — and even help other creators earn passive income.

Affiliate marketing is a low-risk strategy you can add to your marketing efforts and stand to gain high returns. And if you choose AffiliateWP to get started, you won't regret it.

AffiliateWP makes it super simple to get started and manage this program with minimal hassle — allowing you to focus on the rest of your business.

All you need is to give this strategy one try and a bit of time to watch it work its magic.

So don’t procrastinate any longer.

Get your AffiliateWP Plus or Pro plan today.