Best Affiliate Marketing Networks & Platforms (ClickBank Alternatives)

Best Affiliate Marketing Networks & Platforms (ClickBank Alternatives)

Are you looking for some lucrative new affiliate products to promote?

ClickBank is an excellent beginner-friendly network, but it’s not your only option.

There are plenty of affiliate networks out there, but they all have their advantages and drawbacks.

Some are focused on a specific topic with a few hundred products, while others cover hundreds of different niches and millions of products.

To save you time, we’ve compiled the top 15 ClickBank alternatives.

You can see the different brands they work with, the types of offers you’ll find, and how easy it is to get accepted to the network.

Before we dive in and show you where you can find lucrative new offers to promote, what is an affiliate network?

What is an Affiliate Marketing Network?

An affiliate network acts as a middleman between publishers (affiliate marketers) and advertisers (merchants).

Affiliate marketers can find promotional opportunities and offers, and merchants can enlist affiliate marketers to promote their products.

As an affiliate marketer, you can access hundreds of different affiliate programs, utilize built-in reporting and analytics, and accept payments from a single dashboard.

Keeping your affiliate content fresh and updated with the best products for your audience is a continual process.

Affiliate networks make that process more manageable and less time-consuming.

A study by Forrester revealed that 39% of affiliate marketers use three or more affiliate networks, with 20% utilizing five or more.

So which are the best affiliate marketing networks?

Note: This top 15 list is presented in no particular order...

15 Best Affiliate Marketing Networks & Platforms

1. Rakuten Affiliate Network

Founded back in 1996 as LinkShare, Rakuten Affiliate Network once claimed to be the largest pay-for-performance affiliate network on the Internet.

That’s not the case anymore, but Rakuten is still one of the leading affiliate networks…

...And it has some great unique features to help it stand out from the crowd and make your life easier as an affiliate.

You’ll find household names like Macy’s and Farfetch among the 1,000+ merchants using the network.

Most of the offers are for physical products, and there’s a good mix of different merchants across a number of niches.

The automatic banner rotation feature is a great way to optimize your promotional offers for increased conversions.

After you include a small piece of code onto your webpage, Rakuten rotates multiple ads for your affiliate offers.

Signing up to the Rakuten Affiliate Network is free and straightforward…

...However, you’ll need to apply separately to each affiliate program once you’ve been accepted to the network.

Pros and Cons of Rakuten Affiliate Network

Pros:

Intuitive Dashboard - Even as a beginner, you can easily:

Affiliate Educational Tools - Rakuten provides some excellent educational materials and affiliate training tools to help you improve performance and increase sales.

Automatic Ad Rotation - A great time-saving feature for updating and optimizing your banner ads.

Deep Linking Feature - Boost your conversion rate by selecting which page on the merchant’s website you want to drive traffic to. You can send referrals directly to the product page rather than the merchant's landing page.

Cons:

Small Number of Merchants - While there’s a good range of merchants among Rakuten’s 1,000 partners, it’s still a much smaller amount than some of the more extensive affiliate networks on the list.

Irregular Payments - Affiliates are paid their commission after Rakuten receives payment from the merchant... ...This makes it difficult to predict when you will receive your affiliate earnings, as the timing on this can differ from offer to offer.

2. CJ Affiliate

CJ Affiliate is one of the biggest affiliate networks out there with an excellent reputation among affiliates.

Some of the biggest retailers in the world use the network, with affiliate programs for GoPro, Lowe’s, Barnes & Noble, and many more among the 3,000 merchants on CJ Affiliate.

It’s free to join, but each merchant has unique requirements to join their affiliate program.

Even with such a vast range of merchants using the platform, CJ Affiliate does an excellent job of segmenting affiliate programs and making it easy to find and compare offers.

Once you’ve been accepted to an affiliate program, adding tracking codes to your website and running different ads is a straightforward process.

Pros and Cons of CJ Affiliate

Pros:

Large Affiliate Network - With 3,000 merchants using the network, there's a massive range of offers available.

Regular Payment Schedule - As long as you have a balance of $50+, you’ll receive a direct deposit payment within 20 days after the end of the month.

Impressive Reporting - The CJ Affiliate dashboard helps you to optimize your performance with analysis of path to purchase and ad placement.

Cons:

More Suited to Established Affiliates - If you are a beginner with a new website, you’ll find it challenging to get accepted to most of the affiliate programs on the network.

Limited Support Options - CJ Affiliate currently only has a contact form to get in touch with a customer support representative…

...This can be frustrating if you need some quick help with an issue.

3. ShareASale

ShareASale is another popular affiliate network with partnerships with several high profile merchants.

You can access affiliate programs from over 3,900 merchants, with major names like Weebly, Grammarly, and the NBA Store alongside hundreds of smaller niche brands.

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll need to apply separately to individual affiliate programs.

The ShareASale dashboard is a bit clunky, but it does enable you to apply to affiliate programs, generate affiliate links, and see your performance data in one place.

There’s also phone support, which is a bonus you won’t find many of the affiliate networks on the list offer.

Pros and Cons of ShareASale

Pros:

Thousands of Affiliate Programs - With so many merchants, you’re guaranteed to find something that appeals to your audience.

Well Established Network - ShareASale is one of the most well-known affiliate networks, with an excellent reputation among affiliates, and some exclusive partnerships with leading brands.

Customized Reporting - You can customize your reports to remove irrelevant information and highlight the information you need to optimize your performance.

Reliable Payment Schedule - Payments are made on the 20th of the following month if you have a balance of $50+.

Cons:

Outdated Dashboard - Everything functions and works the way it should, but the ShareASale dashboard could do with an update.

Poor Affiliate Communication - ShareASale sometimes doesn’t notify affiliates when an affiliate program has been closed...

...If you’re signed up for the program, your affiliate links will suddenly stop working, and you’ll see a drop in earnings.

4. Market Health

Market Health is a beginner-friendly affiliate network with a focus on physical products in the health and cosmetic niches.

You’ll find weight loss pills, skin care cream, sports supplements, luxury cosmetic products, and much more among the hundreds of different affiliate offers.

The sign-up process is straightforward, and once you’ve joined, you can immediately access the affiliate offers and start promoting products on your website.

Each affiliate offer has a set rate of commission, with some products paying up to 50% of the sale price. If you manage to generate 20 sales per day, your rate of commission is increased to 60%.

Payments are made twice per month as long as you earn the minimum withdrawal amount of $20.

Pros and Cons of Market Health

Pros:

Fast Sign-Up Process - Market Health is one of the easiest affiliate networks to join. There’s no lengthy approval process or phone verification...

...Once you’ve signed up, you’re free to browse the offers and promote products.

High Commission - You can find affiliate offers that pay up to 50% commission on physical products, making Market health one of the highest paying affiliate networks.

Low Payment Threshold - The minimum payout of $20 is lower than many of the affiliate networks on the list. Payments are made twice per month.

Website Free Affiliate Marketing - You don’t need a website to join Market Health and start promoting products.

Cons:

Limited Payment Options - You can receive payment via Skrill, Payoneer, wire transfer, and check, but there’s currently no PayPal or direct deposit payment option.

No Educational Materials - There are no learning resources to help affiliates generate sales like you will find on some of the other networks on the list.

5. JVZoo

Founded back in 2011, JVZoo has carved out a reputation as a dependable affiliate network for digital products and services.

You’ll find affiliate programs for downloadable courses, video editing software, digital marketing products, membership websites, and more.

Rather than charging merchants a fee for using the network, JVZoo is purely performance-based...

...Merchants pay a slice of their earnings after a sale has been completed, and affiliates pay a percentage of their commission.

JVZoo also makes instant payments, so you don’t have to wait until the end of the monthly payment cycle to receive your earnings through PayPal.

If you’re looking for an alternative to ClickBank with a focus on digital products and services, JVZoo is well worth your attention.

Pros and Cons of JVZoo

Pros:

Instant Payout - Payment is immediately processed via PayPal after the refund for the period expires.

High Commission - Just like ClickBank, you can find affiliate programs for digital products and services that offer up to 50% commission.

Wide Range of Niches - You’ll find affiliate offers for products and services across hundreds of different niches.

Cons:

Some Poor Quality Merchants - There are plenty of inferior products listed on the network, so you need to spend some time searching for offers for high-quality products.

JVZoo Markets To Your Customers - It’s a bit crazy, but JVZoo will actually send out marketing emails to the customers of the products that you promote. This is worse news if you are a vendor, but even if you are an affiliate, there is a dilution effect going on here and it stops JVZoo being taken as seriously as they could be as an affiliate marketplace.

Refund Period - You have to wait for the product’s refund period to expire before you receive payment.

6. PeerFly

PeerFly is an affiliate network that uses a cost-per-action (CPA) system.

Rather than receiving a commission on the price of the product after you generate a sale, you are paid every time a user commits to desire action on the merchant’s website.

This can be when somebody fills out a form, requests a quote, or signs-up to a free trial.

The CPA affiliate model has some key advantages, but also some drawbacks.

Because you’re promoting a free resource or trial, you can generally expect to see a higher conversion rate when working on a CPA affiliate offer...

...But you’ll also receive a much smaller payment than you would if you generated a sale of a product or service.

There are currently around 8,000 offers listed on the website.

PeerFly works with some big names, and you can find affiliate offers for Fiverr, Target, and CBS alongside thousands of smaller retailers.

PeerFly can also be quite selective over their affiliates with a lengthy application process before you are approved.

Pros and Cons of PeerFly

Pros:

Affiliate Learning Materials - There’s heaps of educational material to help affiliates increase conversions and improve their performance.

Range of Payment Options - Affiliates can choose to be paid via PayPal, check, Amazon Gift card, Payoneer, and bank wire. If you have a crypto wallet, you can even choose to be paid in Bitcoin.

Open to International Affiliates - PeerFly welcomes applications from affiliates located in every country around the world.

Cons:

Complicated Application Process - They’re quite selective over the affiliates they accept and the promotional tactics they permit affiliates to use to promote offers.

Slow Support Team - PeerFly is run by a reasonably small team, so don’t expect a lightning-fast response to your request for customer support.

Some Poor Quality Merchants - There are plenty of spammy affiliate offers, so you need to be selective about the offers that you choose to promote.

7. Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates is a beginner-friendly affiliate program that enables you to promote any product listed by the 2 million+ sellers currently registered on Amazon.

From fishing rods to flatpack furniture, you’re guaranteed to find products that appeal to your audience on Amazon.

You can complete the affiliate signup process in minutes and start generating affiliate links and promoting products.

There are some significant advantages of promoting amazon products, but also some major drawbacks.

When somebody clicks on your affiliate link and is directed to Amazon, you receive a commission on everything they purchase for the next 24 hours...

...That means you can receive a commission on products that you don’t even promote on your website.

If you promote lawnmowers and somebody decides to purchase an expensive wristwatch, you still receive a commission on the sale.

On the negative side, almost all of the products sold on Amazon are physical items, and the rates of commission are significantly lower than digital products you can find on other affiliate networks...

...You can receive 10% on some categories, but the commission on some items is as low as 1%.

Pros and Cons of Amazon Associates

Pros:

Beginner-Friendly Dashboard - It’s easy to find products to promote, generate affiliate links, and view your performance using the dashboard.

A Vast Range of Products - With millions of products currently listed on Amazon, it’s guaranteed that you will find relevant products to promote.

Brand Recognition - Amazon is one of the most well-known brands in the world. It’s an e-commerce giant that people trust and are willing to buy from.

A Conversion Machine - Amazon invests millions of dollars every year, optimizing its website and checkout process for conversions...

...If you can get people to visit amazon through your affiliate link, there’s a good chance they’ll make a purchase.

Cons:

Low Rates of Commission - Amazon offers a low rate of commission on most product categories, so you need to generate a high sales volume to achieve a decent regular income.

Long Payment Schedule - Drawn-out payment cycle that means you have to wait around 60 days after you generate a sale to receive payment.

8. eBay Partner Network

eBay Partner Network is the affiliate program for eBay.

You can promote any listing on the eBay marketplace and earn a commission on the sale.

There are over 1.2 billion listings on eBay at any given time, so you have a massive range of products to promote.

While eBay started as an online auction site, it shifted its focus over the last decade, with the majority of its sales now coming through “buy it now” listings...

...You’ll want to focus on “buy it now” listings or high price auction items to make your affiliate promotion financially viable in the long term.

The majority of the listings are for physical products, but you can find some digital offerings.

Similar to Amazon, eBay has a 24-hour cookie duration, but you’ll still earn a commission if somebody bids on an auction product within the first 24 hours of clicking your affiliate link.

Pros and Cons of eBay Partner Network

Pros:

Over 1 Billion Listings to Promote - There’s a massive number of products, so you’ll always find something your audience will be interested in.

Collectables and Second-Hand Items - There aren’t many affiliate networks that enable you to promote second-hand collectibles and antiques.

Low Payment Threshold - The $10 payout threshold is easily achievable and much smaller than most of the affiliate networks on the list.

Cons:

Difficult to Get Accepted - you’ll need to have an established website with good traffic if you are going to make it through the approval process.

Low Commission - Affiliates receive a commission of 1 to 6%. If you’re going to make substantial profits, you’ll need to promote high turnover or high-cost products.

9. Affiliate Window (AWIN)

Founded in 2000, Affiliate Window is one of the most established affiliate networks on the list, with an excellent reputation among affiliates.

There are currently 16,500 merchants on the network and over 100,000 affiliate marketers.

Although the majority of the network’s merchants are European-based, Affiliate Window has been steadily growing its presence in North America over the last few years.

You’ll find lots of physical products from brands like Hyatt, Etsy, and Hewlett-Packard, but there’s a good selection of digital offerings as well.

The Affiliate Window dashboard is intuitive, and there’s a good range of affiliate tools to help you improve your performance and generate more sales.

The only negatives worth mentioning are the focus on European merchants and the $5 application fee that you need to pay to join the affiliate network...

...If you’re accepted, this fee is added to your balance.

Pros and Cons of Affiliate Window (AWIN)

Pros:

Great Selection of Merchants - Affiliate Window has a good range of merchants, with thousands of affiliate offers you can promote.

User-Friendly Dashboard - The interface for the Affiliate Window dashboard is one of the most intuitive, allowing you to easily browse affiliate programs, view your statistics, and see your affiliate earnings.

Useful Affiliate Tools - There’s a robust set of affiliate tools, including browser plug-ins, deep linking, real-time reporting, and more.

Cons:

Sign-Up Fee - You need to pay an upfront $5 fee to apply to join. If you’re accepted, this is added to your account balance.

10. FlexOffers

FlexOffers is a growing affiliate network with a good reputation among affiliates for fast payments and a wide range of merchants.

The NET 7 payment system used by FlexOffers allows affiliates to receive payment after seven days…

...This is much quicker than every other affiliate network except JVZoo.

Merchants are divided into 25 different categories, with the majority of offers for physical products, but there’s a substantial range of digital products too.

You can access affiliate programs for leading brands like Marriott Hotels, T Mobile, and Skechers, as well as smaller companies and brands.

The dashboard is beginner-friendly and has some similarities with the ClickBank interface...

...You can quickly sort through offers and generate links without any specialist technical knowledge.

Pros and Cons of FlexOffers

Pros:

Dedicated Account Manager - Flexoffers provides a dedicated account manager to help you make the most of the network and boost your affiliate marketing performance.

Beginner-Friendly Affiliate Network - FlexOffers accepts new affiliate sites, and there’s no phone verification required to be approved.

Massive Range of Merchants - With over 12,000 merchants, you’re sure to find products and services that will resonate with your audience and generate sales.

Cons:

Limited Payment Options - If you’re based outside of the US, you’ll be limited to accepting payment via PayPal.

11. Pepperjam

Founded back in 1998, Pepperjam is one of the oldest affiliate networks on the list.

With around 1,500 merchants, it’s not a particularly big network but is still used by over 200,000 affiliates.

Pepperjam places transparent communication at the center of its business model, encouraging affiliates to be open and transparent about their promotion tactics.

Affiliates receive a 0-5 rating according to how much information they provide about their promotional techniques...

...The higher the score, the higher the rate of commission the affiliate is rewarded for the sales they generate.

Pepperjam does an okay job of helping you to find merchants and affiliate offers, but it doesn’t make it easy to determine how well the offer is converting.

You’ll need to experiment and go through a process of trial and error to find the best converting offers.

Pros and Cons of Pepperjam

Pros:

Dedicated Account Manager - Just like Flexoffers, you’ll receive a personal account manager to help you make the most of the network.

Well-Known Merchants - Access the affiliate programs for major brands like Puma, 888Casino, Lindt, and Shutterfly.

Easy Sign-Up Process - registering as an affiliate with Pepperjam is simple and straightforward.

Cons:

Limited Payment Options - Affiliates can currently only receive payment via PayPal.

Lack of Performance Data - There’s no way to see how well a product is selling before you start promoting the offer for yourself.

12. LinkConnector

LinkConnector is an affiliate network that has grown in popularity with affiliates and merchants over the last few years.

They have a strict screening process, but if you are accepted, you can access affiliate programs from leading brands like the Disney Store, Writer’s Digest, and Everly.

This affiliate network has some drawbacks but does make up for its shortcomings with innovative new technologies to help you make sales.

The dashboard and website feel a little dated, and LinkConnector suffers from the same problem as Pepperjam…

...It’s hard to see how well a product is converting before you start promoting it.

LinkConnector has a reputation for industry-leading customer service, and the ability to use naked links should help you to boost your conversion rate and improve your SEO.

You can also access LinkConnector’s Shareable Offers technology, making it easy to share affiliate banners and promotions across your social media channels.

Pros and Cons of LinkConnector

Pros:

Exclusive Merchants - LinkConnector has exclusive deals with some major brands.

High-Quality Affiliate Programs - The strict screening process is not just for affiliates. Merchants are subjected to substantial vetting before they are accepted onto the network.

Excellent Customer Service - Reputation as the best affiliate network for customer service.

Cons:

Clunky Dashboard - Despite the innovative use of naked links and Shareable Offers technology, LinkConnector has neglected to update its dashboard - it’s well overdue a redesign.

Strict Screening of Affiliates - Around 60% of applications are rejected, so you need to have a quality site with an existing audience if you are going to be accepted.

13. MaxBounty

MaxBounty is a cost-per-action (CPA) affiliate network that focuses entirely on digital products.

There’s a wide range of merchants, with plenty of offers in the dating, weight loss, fitness, and real estate niches.

You can currently access around 1,500 affiliate campaigns.

Rather than paying affiliates a commission on sales, MaxBounty has a similar system to PeerFly.

When a user commits to a desired action on the merchant’s website, like filling in a form or subscribing to an email list, the affiliate is paid a set fee.

While the majority of offers are CPA based, some work on a cost-per-lead (CPL) and pay-per-call system.

They are quite strict on promotional tactics, so you’ll need to stick to the affiliate offer guidelines or risk your account being closed.

Pros and Cons of MaxBounty

Pros:

New Affiliate Bonus - If you manage to earn $1,000+ in your first three months as an affiliate, you’ll be rewarded with a $1,000 bonus.

Dedicated Account Manager - Affiliates are assigned a dedicated account manager. This is very useful if you’re new to CPA affiliate offers.

Regular Payment Schedule - MaxBounty offers weekly payments via PayPal, bank wire, check, direct deposit, Bitcoin, eCheck, or Intercash.

Intuitive Dashboard - MaxBounty's interface is easy to use, enabling you to filter results to find the best-paying offers.

Cons:

Strict Affiliate Regulations - MaxBounty has a reputation for terminating the accounts of affiliates that break their guidelines.

Small Affiliate Network - There’s a good variety of affiliate offers, but you won’t find anything like the number of affiliate programs you can access on some of the more extensive affiliate networks on the list.

Difficult Sign-Up Process - New affiliates need to go through a lengthy sign-up process, including a voice call.

14. AvanGate Affiliate Network

AvanGate is another affiliate network that focuses entirely on digital products...

...While you won’t find anything like the vast range of products available on ClickBank, there’s a good range of merchants and products to promote.

You can browse the marketplace for affiliate offers before you join, and new affiliates are provided with educational materials to help them make sales once they’ve registered.

AvanGate isn’t the biggest affiliate network, but it does have some great affiliate programs that offer a commission of up to 85% of the sale price.

The ability to create unique coupons is a great feature. You can reward your audience by dedicating a percentage of your commission to an exclusive discount coupon.

If you promote a product that offers a 60% commission, you can create a 10% discount coupon for your audience and boost loyalty and conversions while still receiving a 50% commission on each sale.

Pros and Cons of AvanGate

Pros:

High Commission Digital Products - The majority of the affiliate offers provide 30%+ commission, and there’s plenty of software products offering up to 85% commission.

Customized Reporting - You can see a detailed monthly report that can be customized according to the product, sales source, refunds, EPC, conversion rate, and more.

Deep Linking Feature - You can decide which page on the merchant’s website your referrals will land on after clicking your affiliate link.

Cons:

Small Affiliate Network - This is one of the smallest affiliate networks on the list, with much fewer products than some of the more extensive networks.

High Minimum Payout - The $100 payment threshold is much higher than most of the affiliate networks on the list.

15. AvantLink

Founded in 2005, AvantLink has built up an excellent reputation among affiliates and merchants...

...It’s got a vast range of affiliate programs from some of the most well-known retail brands in the world.

You’ll find offers from Adidas, Skullcandy, Walmart, and Life Fitness among the hundreds of merchants listed on AvantLink.

Before you sign up, you can browse through the list of merchants and view the details of the affiliate programs.

Most of the offers are for physical products, but the majority of affiliate programs offer commissions of around 15%, which is pretty good for physical products from established brand names.

However, AvantLink is pretty strict on their affiliate requirements, with only a third of applicants accepted onto the network...

...You’ll need an established site with existing traffic to be accepted.

Pros and Cons of AvantLink

Pros:

Established Brands - You can access affiliate programs from leading brands across multiple niches and product categories.

Great Set of Affiliate Tools - AvantLink provides a bunch of affiliate tools to help you generate sales, including a custom link builder, ad widget, data feed manager, and more.

Accessible Affiliate Program Overviews - The details of each affiliate program can be viewed before you even join the network.

Cons:

Difficult to Get Accepted - AvantLink only accepts around 30% of applicants, so you’ll need to be prepared to jump through some hoops to join the network.

Poor Customer Support - Lots of affiliates have complained about the lack of live customer support.

Conclusion

If you’re a beginner affiliate marketer looking for products to promote, ClickBank is a great place to start.

It’s easy to sign up, you can filter products according to their gravity, and there are plenty of high paying affiliate programs to join.

However, if you’ve already seen what ClickBank has to offer and you’re looking to expand your range of affiliate products, these networks are a great next step in your affiliate journey.

Some of the above affiliate networks are more difficult to join than others, but collectively they enable you to access millions of products across thousands of different niches.

Explore what each affiliate network has to offer, and choose the one that is a good fit for your niche and your level of experience.

Now it’s over to you.

Check out the affiliate networks and find some great products to promote.