The affiliate marketing hub ClickBank is favored by more than 200 million affiliate marketers and sellers, and it has a user base that has steadily been obtained since it was created in 1998.
It’s a trusted choice and lauded for its high affiliate commission rate, a staggering 65%. Even so, there are plenty of reasons you might consider ClickBank alternatives.
For example, maybe you sell products and wish you could make more than 35% on each sale. Perhaps you want to diversify your affiliate marketing strategies and want a secondary marketplace besides ClickBank, or maybe ClickBank’s product selection doesn’t do it for you, so you want to explore what else is out there.
Whatever your reasoning, you can rest assured that you have plenty of exceptional options if you don’t want ClickBank. In this blog post, we’ll examine eight ClickBank alternatives, their pros and cons, and how to choose the right platform.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Sellers may find ClickBank’s 35% commission rate too low.
- Some may find ClickBank’s penalization charges for inactivity a huge drawback.
- Top ClickBank alternatives include Amazon Associates, CJ Affiliate, eBay Partner Network, and more.
- There are many factors to consider before choosing the right affiliate network platform, including compatibility, commission structure, payout frequency, analytics, and reliability.
Why Look for ClickBank Alternatives?
First, I want to dig deeper into why you might seek an alternative affiliate marketing platform to ClickBank.
Essentially, it boils down to this. Other platforms may better serve the evolving needs of today’s affiliate marketers or by using additional marketplaces with ClickBank. Here are some reasons why that is.
Market saturation
With two million affiliate marketers and sellers strong, ClickBank has made a huge name for itself over almost 30 years. Joining ClickBank is easy, and the low barrier to entry partially explains why so many people have converged on this platform.
ClickBank’s generous commission rates, ongoing affiliate education through paid training, and free resources for sellers and affiliate marketers alike.
However, 200 million people are just an insane number. For comparison, in 2022, the United States had 333.3 million residents, so it’s at least the same number of people across the entire US, more or less.
Now that that helps you visualize the sheer multitude of ClickBank users, you can see where some trouble would arise, right? New sellers and affiliate marketers will have their work cut out for them, competing against more established names.
You can easily feel like a drop in an ocean of noise, not making much difference. You don’t want to flounder, so seeing which ClickBank alternatives are out there will better serve you.
Commission rates
ClickBank’s commission rates for affiliates are awesome. No one’s disputing that, as they’re higher than the 50% average most platforms offer.
However, if you’re a seller, you’re continuously getting the short end of the stick. In my article on ClickBank pros and cons, I discussed the payment structure on this platform. If you sell an item for $100 on ClickBank, between the 65% affiliate commission rate and ClickBank’s cuts, you only make about $30 on the product.
If you’re a seller hoping to generate a healthy profit, the 35% commission rate ClickBank offers probably will not cut it. The only exception is if you sell many high-ticket items but only make up 35% of the sales.
Surely, you can earn more on other platforms, right? Indeed, you can.
Product diversity
ClickBank has more than a million products in its roster, a number that’s always increasing. Its products include digital and non-digital items in categories such as dentistry, woodworking, dietary supplements, beauty, and more.
However, if none of ClickBank’s products match your brand, you shouldn’t have to settle. Veering away from your bread and butter, so to speak, can alienate your audience. They might not be interested in the products you move toward on ClickBank.
Other platforms might have products that suit your brand more.
Payment speed
While ClickBank issues payments every week or every other week, the payments sometimes take a while to clear. If you’re going paycheck-to-paycheck, using the money to keep your business afloat, the slow processing speed might not appeal to you.
Again, you’re not stuck using ClickBank, so get out there and see what else you can try.
Penalization charges
ClickBank also charges you if you stop using the platform for a while or don’t successfully sell. You’re charged by each pay period, anywhere from $1 to $50, depending on how long your inactivity period has lasted.
ClickBank doesn’t even tell you if your account is inactive, so if you miss it, you’re left to pay the fees.
8 of the Best ClickBank Alternatives
You have reasons for switching from ClickBank, but what are the best options? Here are some of my favorite ClickBank alternatives.
1. Amazon Associates
Amazon is arguably the biggest name in retail, so unsurprisingly, it has its affiliate program. More than 900,000 affiliates have joined, so its market is about half that of ClickBank. That’s somewhat better if you’re worried about oversaturation, although not by a huge margin.
Like ClickBank, joining the Amazon Associates affiliate marketing program is easy, as it only takes three steps. Make an account, begin recommending products, and then make money. The commission rate on Amazon Associates is 10%.
Amazon pays all commission income 60 days after the earning month ends. For example, your October pay will be sent out 60 days after the 31st.
Amazon Associates gives you access to many great tools, such as the Site Stripe toolbar, to track your earnings, share content on social media, or add banners or links.
You can also generate reports, including payment history, Tracking ID summary, daily trends, link types, miscellaneous referrals, orders, and earnings.
Pros
- Amazon Associates is one of the most robust affiliate marketing networks, and it has instant name recognition.
- The platform has about half the ClickBank userbase and many products to select.
- You can access reports and tools to maximize your affiliate earnings.
Cons
- The commission rate for affiliates is quite low versus ClickBank, 10 versus 65%. However, there’s a greater conversion potential since Amazon is so well-known.
- The rate of oversaturation isn’t that much lower than ClickBank.
- The long amount of time it takes to receive payment can be inconvenient.
Read more: ClickBank Pros & Cons for Affiliate Marketing — A Quick Guide
2. JVZoo
Although not known to the same degree as Amazon Associates, JVZoo is a major affiliate platform in its own right, and its users average nearly 6,100 sales a day.
Aspiring vendors or affiliates can sign up for JVZoo for free. You don’t need to make multiple accounts to sell as many products as possible, as JVZoo lets you sell unlimited products.
The ClickBank alternative offers digital delivery through its customer portal. Its auto-affiliate payments ensure commissions go out right away. You’ll also find it easier to manage your sales through JVZoo thanks to its Dime Sale Technology, which updates instantly.
Further, you can introduce recurring membership payments through JVZoo to maximize your income and use a variety of popular payment processors, including Stripe and PayPal.
Pros
- JVZoo is far less oversaturated than ClickBank, making it a valuable platform to explore if you’re having difficulty establishing yourself on the latter.
- Affiliates can earn a commission rate of up to 100%, exceeding even ClickBank’s high commission rate.
- It offers instant payouts and lots of digital products.
Cons
- There are a lot of inactive products that bloat the inventory, requiring you to sniff them out and avoid them.
- They don’t have the greatest reputation.
- JVZoo’s customer support could be better.
Read also: What is Amazon FBA? Fees, Requirements, and Optimization
3. ShareASale
Perhaps ShareASale is where you take your business next after ClickBank. ShareASale has 24,241 customers in the US alone as of 2024, and 29,886 global businesses rely on this affiliate marketplace.
For more than two decades, ShareASale has helped affiliates, merchants, and agencies earn more. Its affiliate network is designed for media partners, influencers, and content creators. With its merchant search function, this ClickBank alternative can help you discover lucrative deals and profitable partners.
You can promote products more seasonally using ShareASale’s updated seasonal and holiday calendar so you’re always on top of the next occasion. The reporting offered is phenomenal, allowing you to review your best-selling merchants and incoming sales.
Better yet, if your links have become inactive or broken, you can use the reporting feature to find those links and manually fix them.
Besides its detailed reporting, ShareASale is known for being easy to use for merchants and affiliates alike.
Pros
- ShareASale boasts a deep network with plenty of digital and physical products.
- You can gain access to major brands on this platform, from BuzzFeed to CNN, Honey, Acorns, and CBS Interactive.
- The interface is easy to use, even for affiliate marketing beginners.
Cons
- The characters used in ShareASale’s affiliate links can get wrecked and garbled in WordPress.
- The customer service is not that great.
Read more: 17 Affiliate Marketing Programs That Bloggers Should Not Miss
4. CJ Affiliate
You can’t go wrong with CJ Affiliate as a ClickBank alternative for your aspiring affiliate marketing business. Its audience exceeds one billion affiliate marketers spread across nearly 250 global territories and countries.
It’s a highly-rated affiliate marketing vendor with integrations for easy setup, partnership opportunities that resonate with your brand, and omnichannel marketing measures to connect with audiences at all levels.
You have access to insights and data whenever you need it so you can better discover what helps customers convert and keep buying. It goes beyond affiliate marketing at CJ Affiliate, as you can implement measures like SMS marketing, ambassadors, content commerce, influencers, paid search, CR optimizers, and incentive partners.
CJ Affiliate drives compliance with multiple measures, and its data gets in deep. You can reveal touchpoints and KPIs such as voice share, competitive performance trends, promotion models, market share over time, affiliate customer journey, customer analyses, concentration risks, and affiliate incrementality.
Pros
- The extensiveness of its product variety and big-brand partnerships makes CJ Affiliate a very appealing alternative to ClickBank.
- The advanced reporting and tracking tools let you learn more insights that can increase your bottom line.
- The commission structures are flexible, and the payments are dependable.
Cons
- CJ Affiliate’s commission rate is between three and 50%, leaving much wiggle room in the middle.
- Using CJ Affiliate can be more expensive than ClickBank.
5. Rakuten Advertising
I’m sure you’re familiar with Rakuten, a global retailer. Like Amazon, Rakuten has an affiliate marketing program called Rakuten Advertising. I couldn’t find the number of users on this platform, but given how prevalent the Rakuten name is, I’m willing to bet it’s many.
Rakuten Advertising is not an affiliate marketing platform; it is one of its specialties. According to Rakuten, you can launch your affiliate marketing aspirations in less than a month thanks to the hundreds of in-market experts available to help you every step of the way.
Rakuten Advertising has over 25 years of experience, about the same as ClickBank, and offers access to more than 150,000 high-end partners.
As you weigh your options, consider that Rakuten Advertising offers advanced data, such as global benchmarking, designed to help you find partners who will drive your goals forward without any performance gaps.
Part of Rakuten Advertising’s tech is AI-driven, allowing it to predict financial figures more accurately. Rakuten will also assist you with advertising and commissions.
Pros
- The brand collaborations available on Rakuten Advertising are exclusive to this platform.
- You can find many interesting promotional opportunities to better connect with your customers and keep them engaged.
- Rakuten Advertising offers deep, technologically-driven insights.
Cons
- The commission rate is way low compared to ClickBank, with Rakuten Advertising only offering a rate of three to seven percent per sale.
- Some users have complained that it’s repetitive.
6. MarketHealth
Do you specialize in beauty and health? Well, there’s an affiliate marketing platform called MarketHealth, a solid ClickBank alternative for you.
Joining the MarketHealth family gives you access to an assortment of offers, including in various languages and more targeted offers, such as general health products versus men’s health. The signup process is simple, and you can use an existing website to promote MarketHealth’s assortment of products. They include selections in skincare, weight loss, supplements, beauty, and health.
You can count on MarketHealth to issue payments twice a month, every 1st and 16th month. However, you must have earned at least $20 for a payout. Any sales made before the 15th go into your first payment for the month, and any sales after go into next month’s payment.
Pros
- MarketHealth is a niche platform, attracting far fewer affiliates than ClickBank.
- You can select from several payment options, including pre-paid debit card through Payoneer, Skrill, bank wire, and check by mail.
- The commissions on niche products are quite high, allowing your targeted marketing to be recognized.
Cons
- MarketHealth is a small network.
- You can’t use MarketHealth if you specialize in products outside its niche.
- You’ll have to plan for an accounting period of up to two weeks when calculating your payments.
7. Avangate
The award-winning Avangate received the 2023 Blue Book Global 20 prize for the Best CPS/Affiliate Network in Digital Goods. That’s a prize Avangate has earned for eight years running.
Its affiliate marketplace is geared toward publishers and advertisers. As an affiliate, you can insert links into product checkout pages, automate your data feeds, use geo-targeting on shopping carts, and choose from several payment options. Avangate offers PayPal, wire transfer, Avangate Mastercard, and check, but you must reach a minimum transfer amount of $100.
The reporting is also great, allowing you to monitor refunds, how much you make per click, your overall sales, and your conversion rates. If you want to share your data outside the Avangate platform, you can use APIs to export it.
Avangate has a network of more than 50,000 digital goods and software publishers, making it an appealing platform for advertisers. Advertisers can also use the 2Checkout platform, which handles global taxes to make each transaction effortless.
The tools for success are put right in your hands as an advertiser, as you’ll have access to high-detail reporting, advanced marketing measures and tools, and a dedicated account manager.
Pros
- Avangate is a robust platform for advertisers and affiliates alike. It also has a smaller customer base than ClickBank, making it less saturated.
- The commission rate is crazy good, up to 75%, exceeding ClickBank’s great rate.
- The support available will help you with onboarding and earning money online.
Cons
- Avangate doesn’t have much information online about it, making doing your due diligence difficult.
- You don’t have access to as many high-end partners besides maybe Cisco Systems and a few others.
8. eBay
Welcome to the eBay Partner Network, a ClickBank alternative you should consider. eBay is a global retail brand that needs no introduction. Its affiliate program is designed to help you grow and track your data with every step.
The eBay Partner Network can connect you with two billion listings and 132 million buyers across almost 200 markets. Up to 80% of its items are new, and 90% are “Buy It Now,” meaning no bidding is required.
You can create marketing and advertising campaigns within the Partner Network and track your results in real-time. Transaction details, performance by item or period, campaign performance, and more can break down the online reports eBay generates.
Once you get a full picture of your affiliate performance, you can optimize your approaches to perform even more efficiently next time. Better yet, you can discover innovative ways to connect with audiences through the Partner Network, such as via an app or another integration.
eBay uses a Rate Card to determine commissions, with the category and accompanying percentage per sale earned below:
- Real estate – 1.0% with an upper limit of $100
- Parts and accessories:
- Vehicle parts and accessories – 3.0% with an upper limit of $550
- eBay Motors – 4.0% with an upper limit of $100
- Media, such as music, movies, magazines, comics, and books – 3.0% with an upper limit of $550
- Lifestyle products, including tickets, sports, musical instruments, gift cards, and more – 3.0% with an upper limit of $550
- Home and garden products like pet supplies, baby items, appliances, food, and alcohol – 3.0% with an upper limit of $550
- Fashion items such as watches, jewelry, health and beauty, shoes, and clothing – 4.0% with an upper limit of $550
- Electronics:
- Networking, tablets, and computers – 1.5% with an upper limit of $550
- Video games and consoles, audio and video equipment, TVs, cell phones and accessories, and cameras – 2.0% with an upper limit of $550
- Collectibles, including games, hobbies, toys, entertainment memorabilia, money, crafts, and art – 3.0% with an upper limit of $550
- Business and industrial – 2.5% with an upper limit of $225
- All other – 4.0% with an upper limit of $550
Pros
- eBay is a household name, so joining its affiliate program is a wise choice, especially if you’re eager for a change from ClickBank.
- You’ll have access to billions of listings, with the assurance that no matter your niche or industry, there’s something for you here.
- eBay gives its Partner Network members all the tools they need to succeed, including fantastically detailed reports.
Cons
- The Rate Card commission rate can be low.
- You can’t use all advertisements without getting permission from the Partner Network. That’s true of:
- Paid traffic sources
- PLAs
- Sub-affiliate networks
- Mobile apps
- Any tool or software that requires the user to download and install it
- Incentive or loyalty programs
- Text message, chat, instant messaging, and email
Read also: Affiliate Marketing — A Complete Guide for SaaS Businesses
How to Choose the Right Platform
Which is the best affiliate marketing platform for you besides ClickBank? As you weigh your options, it’s important to consider the following factors.
Product niche compatibility
You can easily hack and slash your way through the above options by considering what kinds of product niches you specialize in versus what they offer. For instance, I refer back to MarketHealth because it’s such a niche affiliate platform.
Reading this will be wonderful for some of you, but for others, you’ll immediately have to disqualify MarketHealth because it doesn’t match your niche.
That’s okay, as there are always broader platforms like the eBay Partner Network.
Commission structure
Once you’ve determined that the platform you want to use suits your niche, the commission rate is the next big deciding factor for the ideal ClickBank alternative.
Some affiliate platforms are excellent but have low rates. Others are less promising but have incredible rates. The best ones are in between, offering rates as close as possible to ClickBank or even better.
Payout frequency
The most frequent payouts you can expect are weekly. Some platforms offer payments twice a month, and others biweekly, so it all depends.
Be careful when selecting a platform based on its payout frequency, as that isn’t likely to change. If the frequency doesn’t work for you now, it won’t be any better months from now.
Platform ease of use
Put, if an affiliate platform isn’t easy to use, what’s the point? You won’t feel inclined to use the program fully, digging deep into the analytics.
Worse yet, your sales may underperform, and you won’t know where to begin fixing them.
Reputation
I list this one with a caveat. You don’t want a platform with a poor reputation, but if it’s a newer one, it might not have much of an online footprint yet. That’s normal, and it will acquire that footprint as time passes.
It’s also normal for a service to have a few bad reviews. Any company will acquire bad reviews, whether it sells a globally beloved product or not. However, if the negatives outweigh the positives, that’s when you should worry.
Affiliate support services
Affiliate platforms can be complex, especially when you dig into the dashboards and analytics. You need a reliable support team to answer your questions and assist you when in a bind.
If the support is poor, you’re missing out on sales for prolonged periods, as you can’t operate at full capacity. Poor customer service can mean slow response times, limited hours, and unhelpful staff.
Analytics
The heart of any good affiliate program is its analytics. If yours doesn’t have them in spades, you’ll struggle to make heads or tails out of your metrics. That won’t help you make smart moves regarding which partners to choose and which products to promote. Your sales can also become a giant gray area.
ClickBank has great analytics, but some alternatives I discussed earlier outpace it in this area. Do your research conscientiously to ensure you get the level of analytics your business needs to excel.
Reliability
How prone is your affiliate network to outages?
If it goes down often, that precludes people from shopping and can degrade the quality of your professional relationships and partnerships. Outages occasionally happen to many businesses but should be amended quickly for a little downtime.
Read also: 3 Impressive Affiliate Marketing Examples to Inspire You + Tips
Earn 30% Recurring Commission With EngageBay
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Note: Self-referrals are not allowed. The point is to get you to refer other people. This is not a way to get a discount on your own account.
Read also: 5 Top Affiliate Marketing Networks Of 2024 Compared
Conclusion
ClickBank is one of the most renowned affiliate marketing platforms, favored for its high affiliate commission rate and ease of use. However, it’s growing increasingly oversaturated, hence the need to explore ClickBank alternatives.
Although a bigger network, Amazon Associates has the backing of one of the biggest retail brands. JVZoo has commission rates that rival ClickBank’s, while ShareASale is an excellent choice for digital and physical products.
CJ Affiliate is another major name in the affiliate marketing industry with advanced analytics, while Rakuten Advertising makes it easy to get started on its platform. MarketHealth is a specialist platform, Avangate is an award-winning platform, and eBay’s affiliate network offers millions of products.
Researching and selecting a platform that aligns with your marketing goals will help you supercharge your affiliate program.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What are the main differences in commission rates among these platforms?
The commission rate is as low as one percent for some products on eBay and as high as 100% on JVZoo. An average commission rate is more like 50%, which is still under what ClickBank offers.
2. Which platforms offer the quickest payouts?
JVZoo and Amazon are renowned for their fast payouts, which rival ClickBank.
3. Are there any platforms particularly good for beginners?
ClickBank is a beginner-focused product, as it offers lots of training and education on affiliate marketing. If you want an alternative, Rakuten’s affiliate network has plenty of assistance to maximize your success on the platform.
4. How do product offerings compare across these platforms?
Some platforms, such as MarketHealth, only specialize in one category, health/beauty, and thus only offer related products. Amazon and eBay have the most robust product offerings, providing even more than ClickBank.
5. What are the key features to look for in an affiliate marketing platform?
The right affiliate marketing platform for your business should have an agreeable commission rate, regular payouts, various products supported, tools for connecting with partners and growing, and detailed metrics and dashboards for measuring sales, clicks, and more.
