Affiliate marketing is a popular way for individuals to earn passive income online. However, not all affiliate programs are created equal. Some offer low commission rates and low-value products, while others provide the opportunity to earn big commissions.
If you’re serious about making significant income through affiliate marketing, it’s crucial to find the right high-paying programs to promote.
Tapping into lucrative affiliate programs can be a reliable way to supercharge your income as an affiliate market. In fact, you can make anywhere from $100 to $1,000+ in commissions per sale with these affiliate programs.
But, with countless options out there, how do you know which ones are worth your time?
We’ve rounded up the top 9 affiliate programs with the most revenue opportunity in this guide. This post covers high-paying affiliate programs assessed by:
- Product range
- Conversion rates
- Cookie duration
- Affiliate rate
Whether you’re just entering the arena of premium affiliate marketing or you’re a pro looking for some new ventures, you’ll discover some new programs here.
From software vendors to online course creators, we’ll highlight what these heavy hitters are offering along with tips to make sure you don’t leave any commissions on the table.
Let’s dive in!
1. Semrush
- Niche: SEO, online marketing, content marketing
- Best for: Bloggers, website owners, digital marketers, agencies
- Commission rate: $200 for every sale you make, plus $10 for every free trial your referrals sign up
- URL: Semrush Affiliate Program
- Cookie duration: 120 days
- Perks: Trusted brand, no referral limit, fixed rate and/or revenue share commission structure
- Cons: Only earn commissions on first-time buyers
So you’re passionate about digital marketing and empowering your audience? Then buckle up, because Semrush’s affiliate program is about to become your new best friend.
Semrush isn’t just another SEO tool; it’s a one-stop shop for everything online marketing:
- Keyword research
- Rank tracking
- Competitor analysis
- Site audits
- & More
With Semrush, your audience gets the tools they need to boost their website traffic, improve their search engine ranking, and drive more qualified leads.
And you get rewarded handsomely for every successful referral – a flat $200 commission for each new paid subscription and $10 for every free trial signup. Plus, with a generous 120-day cookie duration, you have ample time to convert your audience into satisfied Semrush users.
2. ActiveCampaign
- Niche: Email marketing platform
- Best for: Novice affiliate marketers
- Commission rate: 20 – 30% recurring
- URL: ActiveCampaign Partner Program
- Cookie duration: 90 days
- Perks: Trusted brand and starter packs with tips
- Cons: You must be an ActiveCampaign user to get access to all affiliate program benefits and payouts are only possible through PayPal
ActiveCampaign is yet another email marketing platform on my list. Their services include customer relationship management automation, and email and SMS marketing.
They have four pricing plans on their site, and as an affiliate marketer, you can tap into commissions on any of these.
ActiveCampaign offers 20-30% recurring commissions on sales made through your unique link.
Sounds easy, right?
And when you consider the Professional marketing bundle is $386 per month, that commission is sure to get you excited.
Here’s how it works:
If someone clicks on your link and signs up for the Professional bundle at $386 per month, you’ll get up to $115.80 (30%) per month. Now imagine 10 people used your link to sign up… Nice!
3. ClickFunnels
- Niche: Sales funnel builder; Marketing
- Best for: Entrepreneurs
- Commission rate: Up to 30% recurring
- URL: Clickfunnels Affiliate Program
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Perks: Plenty of resources and templates to get you started
- Cons: A lot of competition since a lot of marketers are recommending ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels is a web-based software platform designed to help businesses create and manage sales funnels.
They offer two options for affiliate marketers:
- The ClickFunnels 14-day trial: You can promote the free 14-day trial and earn 30% recurring commissions if the person signs up to ClickFunnels after the trial ends.
- ClickFunnels plans: You can directly market any of ClickFunnels monthly or annual plans and earn commissions each month.
ClickFunnels is a reputable name in the industry, which means your affiliate marketing business will be off to a good start with its high-converting links. They’ve got more than 100k users worldwide.
4. Teachable
- Niche: Course creation platform
- Best for: Coaching businesses and entrepreneurs
- Commission rate: Up to 30% recurring commissions
- URL: Teachable Affiliate Partner Program
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Perks: Tracking limits, coaching on how to market, and monthly email updates
- Cons: No commission if someone unsubscribes in the first 2 months
Teachable is the go-to platform for businesses and entrepreneurs to create online courses and coaching. With more than 100,000 people using it, it’s safe to say it’s very successful. And it’s not just your average Joe recording himself giving advice either.
Large enterprises like The New York Times and revered authors Mark Dawson and Pat Flynn can be found on the platform.
The Teachable Affiliate Program is a referral program where you can earn up to 30% commission (recurring for up to a year) for each creator you refer who signs up to create a course.
The more creators you refer, the higher your commission rate will be.
Teachable reports that its affiliate partners earn $450/month on average – with some earning as much as $1,000 per month.
To help you convert, you can introduce your audience to Teachable’s free courses first. That way, you establish trust and then get them to use your referral link for paid courses.
5. Kinsta
- Niche: Website hosting
- Best for: Developers, publishers, and agencies
- Commission rate: Up to $500 plus 5-10% lifetime commissions
- URL: Kinsta Affiliates
- Cookie duration: 60 days
- Perks: Great payouts and resources via the Affiliate Academy
- Cons: Challenging to promote hosting and the minimum payout threshold is $100
Many people use shared hosting for their websites, but as they start to generate more traffic, they might find themselves outgrowing this hosting service. Kinsta is a managed WordPress hosting provider that offers brilliant load times and great support.
This kind of hosting comes at a premium price, which is why the Kinsta Affiliate Program is such a high-paying option.
For every client you get to sign up to Kinsta through your link, you’ll earn a one-time commission ranging from $50 to $500. You’ll also get a recurring 10% commission on every WordPress package.
Amazing.
But, that’s not all!
You can also earn a 5% commission on Kinsta’s resource-based services (application hosting and database hosting).
Here’s an example.
If you get 5 users to sign up for the WordPress Hosting Business 2 Plan ($150 annually), you can earn up to $1312,50 in 6 months, recurring!
The main drawback to this affiliate program is that you REALLY have to know your stuff if you want to successfully promote hosting.
6. WP Engine
- Niche: WordPress hosting platform
- Best for: SaaS businesses
- Commission rate: $200 per sale minimum
- URL: WP Engine Managed WordPress Hosting Affiliate Program
- Cookie duration: 180 days
- Perks: Dedicated affiliate managers, discounts on WP products, and pre-designed landing pages and banners
- Cons: Difficult to promote a web hosting platform
This is another managed WordPress hosting site’s affiliate program.
WP Engine offers an incredible affiliate marketing program with a great commission rate that you’re going to want to get involved with if you’re an affiliate marketer in the SaaS niche.
All you have to do to earn a weighty commission is promote the WP Engine plans. The WP Engine Affiliate Program requires you to recommend either the WP Engine or Genesis Pro plans. If you successfully make a sale through your referral link, you can earn a minimum of $200!
You can also earn some extra cash by referring other affiliate marketers – $50 each time your referred affiliate marketer makes a sale.
WP Engine offers discounts and coupons throughout the year (especially on holidays), which you’ll be able to take advantage of and convert some more customers with irresistible deals.
7. Shopify
- Niche: eCommerce
- Best for: Entrepreneurs, content creators, influencers, bloggers, and review sites
- Commission rate: Up to $150 for all full-price plan merchant referrals.
- URL: Shopify Affiliate Program
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Perks: Great affiliate marketing tools
- Cons: Strict affiliate marketer requirements
The Shopify Affiliate Program is incredibly popular, and for good reason.
Shopify is the top eCommerce site, with over a million retailers spread across 175 countries. It includes big brands, like Gymshark, Netflix, and Polaroid.
So, yeah, it’s a big deal.
Because of this, Shopify is not willing to work with just anyone. You need to:
- Own and run an up-to-date website
- Have an established audience
- Create unique and original content
- Have experience with Shopify or other eCommerce platforms
The Shopify Affiliate Program isn’t for beginners. But if you tick the boxes, you’re in for some nice income.
Shopify is kind of vague on their exact commission structure stating that your earnings depend on the location of the referred merchants. But what’s nice is that there’s no referral limit. Some affiliate marketers have reported $150 per referral, while others claim a 200% bounty commission.
So, no matter how you look at it, it’s lucrative.
8. Smartproxy
- Niche: Residential proxy network
- Best for: Business and technology
- Commission rate: Up to 50%
- URL: Smartproxy Affiliate Program
- Cookie duration: 60 days
- Perks: Helpful materials and templates for marketing
- Cons: Minimum payout of $100 and payments for Smartproxy using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency will not earn you a commission.
If you understand proxies and have a tech-minded audience, then Smartproxy offers one of the best affiliate programs. It is one of the highest-paying affiliate programs in the niche, with up to 50% commissions!
In reality, that means you can earn up to $2,500 for each new customer you refer via your affiliate link.
And with a 60-day cookie policy, you’re going to struggle to find better terms in this niche.
Once you’re approved by Smartproxy, you will gain access to valuable marketing materials to support your promotional efforts.
9. AuthorityHacker
- Niche: Affiliate marketing training
- Best for: Marketers
- Commission rate: Up to $1,979 per sale
- URL: AuthorityHacker Affiliate Program
- Cookie duration: 60 days
- Perks: Access to marketing professionals and technology
- Cons: May not appeal to a wide audience
An affiliate program for a company that trains affiliate marketers? What kind of inception is this?
AuthorityHacker is a marketing education company that teaches individuals and marketing agencies how to build successful, trustworthy websites.
If you’re an established affiliate marketer, you’ll probably benefit from some of their courses. But that’s beside the point.
You can potentially earn up to $1,979 per sale and also earn lifetime commissions on other products sold through your referral links.
Tips for Success with High Paying Affiliate Programs
There’s really no point in signing up for an affiliate program without knowing how to market the products or services.
Below I’ve compiled some tips to improve your chances of success.
Identifying Profitable Products
You can’t just promote any product. Not if you actually want to see some serious profits.
You have to vet the products and services from these affiliate programs and decide which one will be best for you.
Here are some factors to consider:
- Initial purchase/subscription price: Even if the commission rate isn’t sky-high, you can still make a pretty penny if the average order value is high.
- Recurring payments: Services with recurring payment models mean you can earn recurring commissions for each month that the user is signed up.
- Commission rates: Weigh up a high once-off rate with a lower recurring rate to see which one will be more beneficial.
- Established brand names: Your audience is more likely to trust you if you recommend products or services from trustworthy brands.
- Active affiliate community: It helps A LOT if you can talk to other affiliate marketers through a forum or Facebook group. Often there are mentors within these communities who are willing to help new affiliates get started.
And most importantly: Don’t trick your audience into buying stuff they don’t need.
It may be profitable to you in the short term, but you’re sure to ruin your reputation and break the hard-earned trust you had with your readers.
Creating High-Converting Content
You’ve picked a couple of the best high-paying affiliate programs. Great!
Now what?
Well, those four-figure commissions are not going to start rolling in by themselves.
You’re going to have to craft targeted content that will drive conversions. Here’s how:
- Focus on your audience’s pain points: What do your readers really need? How can your affiliate link help them address their issues? Create content that offers solutions.
- Move them through the sales funnel: You don’t have to shove your affiliate links into every nook and cranny of your site. Instead, carefully guide your readers from one page to the next using internal links until they’ve got enough information to convert. For example, if you have signed up for the Shopify Affiliate Program, you can start by writing an article titled “How eCommerce unlocks new revenue streams for entrepreneurs”. That informational blog will have an internal link that directs to “A step-by-step guide on launching your online store”. This guide will then link to “The 7 best eCommerce platforms for launching your online business”. On that final page is where you would place your affiliate link.
- Jump on product launches and special offers: You want to keep an eye on your affiliate program for any new features, discounts, free trials, or special offerings. These can be very enticing to your audience and be the push they need to convert.
Final Thoughts
The realm of high-paying affiliate programs offers a tantalizing avenue for affiliate marketers to unlock substantial income potential. The allure of earning generous commissions from high-value products or services is undoubtedly a driving force for many entering this space.
However, it’s crucial to acknowledge the inherent challenges that come with promoting items from some of the most profitable affiliate programs. The competition is fierce, requiring affiliates to employ sophisticated marketing strategies, build robust relationships with their audience, and constantly adapt to industry trends.
Providing valuable content, understanding your audience’s needs, and staying ahead of industry developments are key elements in navigating the challenges of affiliate marketing.
Have you signed up for any of these high-paying affiliate programs?
Or did we miss any on my list that you feel deserve a top 9 spot?
Let me know by commenting below.
