There are thousands of affiliate programs available in the US alone. But programs by software companies stand apart from the crowd as a kind of the affiliate marketing “royalty”. Considering the virtually unbeatable benefits they offer, it’s no surprise. Just think of the following.
All that makes software affiliate programs a great option for everyone looking for a high-paying side hustle. But how do you choose your ideal program? And what should you look at firsthand? Read on to learn the most important criteria.
People and businesses become affiliates to earn money, so commissions are the top priority. But to maximize your profit, consider more factors than just rates.
First and foremost, these factors include product price(s) and commission structure. For example, a 15% commission from a sale worth $699 is more money than a 30% commission from a sale worth $15.
Other things to consider include potential conversion rates (i.e., how many people will click on your affiliate link) and the company’s openness about commission structure. If the company doesn’t put all information about commissions on display immediately, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong — but it does mean you need to be more attentive to details of this particular program.
People don’t always make purchases right away. Sometimes, they visit a website, browse for information, and then take some time for consideration. Some of them come back and eventually buy. And that’s exactly why cookie life is important.
Cookie life (or duration, or window) is the period of time during which information about the traffic brought in through your affiliate links is stored on the company’s (or its partner’s) website. This period can vary from 24 hours to a year or more. For example, if cookie life is 30 days, and someone visited the website through your affiliate link, left, and then returned to buy the product within the 30-day period, you will still earn a commission because the purchase happened before cookie life expired.
Sometimes the details of certain affiliate programs might not be easy to understand, especially if you’re a beginner. That’s why most companies have support managers to guide their affiliate partners every step of the way. However, the quality and availability of this support may vary.
The best affiliate programs have support managers who are easily accessible, responsive, and have everything necessary to make your affiliate journey a breeze. A 24/7 support is the best option because affiliates often work after hours, or from a different time zone.
As a rule, top-quality products sell better than mediocre ones, even if the latter cost less. That is especially true in the software industry where quality is the major decisive factor. But how can you be sure the product is actually good? The best way is to try it out yourself. Research can also help — for example, unbiased customer reviews on trusted platforms such as G2, Capterra, TrustRadius and the like can be a gold mine of information.
It also helps to research the company before partnering with it to avoid brands with questionable reputation. Established brands are usually easier to promote because they are more familiar to the audience, and people generally trust them. However, small brands often pay more, so there’s no reason to shy away from them if their name is untarnished.
Last but not least, tracking and payment methods should be simple and convenient. Today, many companies offer visual dashboards where affiliates can see your performance in real-time.
As for the payment methods, the general rule is “the more — the better”. The most popular options include wire transfer, PayPal, and ACH (automated clearing house) payments. Some companies also process payments via Payoneer and other digital wallets, or pay by check. When choosing the program, make sure you can safely and easily receive payments via methods offered by the company or its partners.
Based on the above criteria, we’ve picked the 10 top software affiliate programs that are trustworthy, convenient, and well-paying. The products on this list range from professional digital marketing tools to security solutions to office programs and more, so that you could find the best option(s) to suit your content and audience.
Selzy is a professional email marketing service designed with small and medium-sized businesses in mind. Thanks to its user-friendly interface, 24/7 support, and a free plan, it’s also a perfect fit for beginners in email marketing. Paid plans have advanced features, with the Premium plan offering full campaign management service as well.
Selzy’s affiliate program is one of the most high-paying in the industry, offering a 60% commission for the first sale. What’s more, you’ll get 30-50% recurring payments within a year, depending on your affiliate level. The product pricing is flexible but transparent, so it’s easy to calculate your income. Promotional materials are provided by Selzy, but you can use your own as well.
The program is great for everyone with an audience potentially interested in email marketing: bloggers, content creators, freelance marketers, and marketing agencies. It’s not compulsory to be a Selzy customer to become an affiliate, but it’s still best to test the service first and learn the ropes.
Commission: Up to 60% commission on the first sale via your referral link; 30-50% commission on recurring payments within a year.
Payments: Wise, ACH, wire transfer, and other options. Monthly payments for referrals on monthly plans, payments every 3 months for annual-plan referrals.
Cookie duration: 1 year.
More details: Selzy Affiliate Program
Semrush is a software service that helps businesses optimize digital marketing activities. Primarily known for its tools for keyword research, competitive analysis, and SEO auditing, the service is popular with large audiences from individual entrepreneurs to global companies.
Currently, Semrush offers one of the most lucrative affiliate programs with fixed payouts (handled by Impact, an affiliate network that hosts the program). Affiliates get access to a range of promotional materials and support from dedicated managers. Extended cookie life and the last-click attribution model are among other notable features.
The program is fit for everyone involved in digital marketing, from content publishers and educators to marketing agencies. To qualify, you need to have a large enough audience and quality online assets.
Commission: $10 for every new free trial sign-up, $200 for every new first sale.
Payments: Handled by Impact network. Payments available via Electronic Funds Transfer or PayPal.
Cookie duration: 120 days.
More details: Semrush Affiliate Program
Grammarly is one of the best-known writing tools out there. It’s been around for over 10 years and has evolved from a grammar checker into a multi-purpose writing assistant used by everyone from students to businesses.
The basic Grammarly affiliate program includes two plans — Free and Premium. Payouts are fixed and might not seem awesome at a first glance. But Grammarly is a popular product with a huge audience, and the company claims conversion rates are around 20-30%. Plus there are extra bonuses for top performers and support from the company’s managers for all affiliates. Additionally, there’s also a Grammarly Business affiliate program with different terms and custom commissions.
What’s more, the program is easy to join, and the eligibility requirements are as simple as it gets. On the downside, there are not so many promotional materials available, and commissions are not recurring.
Commission: $0.20 for every free account sign-up, $20 for every Premium plan purchase (including upgrades), custom commissions for the Grammarly Business affiliate program.
Payments: check (US Residents only), bank wire, or direct deposit. Bank wire transfers to accounts outside the US available only in USD.
Cookie duration: 90 days.
More details: Grammarly Affiliate Program
WP Rocket is one of the leading caching plugins for WordPress-powered websites. For over 10 years, it’s been helping businesses enhance website performance, and has since garnered a reputation among experts as a top solution in its niche.
The program offers 20% for every sale, which, considering the product’s price of $59-299 a year (depending on the plan), seems rather modest. However, the company’s high reputation is a great asset when it comes to conversions, as is the product’s large target audience. Also, there are no specific requirements regarding the platform for promotion activities.
The program operates through ShareASale network, but applications are reviewed manually. Once approved, you’ll get access to the affiliate kit with promo materials, unique deals, and help from the dedicated support team. Web designers are the perfect fit for this program, but it is also good for everyone with businesses and entrepreneurs among their audience.
Commission: 20% per sale.
Payments: Handled by ShareASale network (part of Awin network). Multiple payment methods available, including check, direct deposit, and ACH.
Cookie duration: 30 days.
More details: WP Rocket Affiliate Program
AWeber is an email marketing solution primarily popular with small businesses. The service offers all the essential features most ESPs have plus some special features — most notably, a built-in Canva experience.
The company’s affiliate program is known for its convenience, reliable support, and clear commission structure. The product comes with several plans; paid subscriptions start at $12.50 per month, plus there’s also a free plan available. Partners get 30% lifetime recurring payments, and the cookie duration is very long. Top performers earn higher commissions, but there are no extra bonuses for a first sale.
Other highlights include 24/7 support and promo materials provided by the company. Besides, AWeber affiliate program is also available on CJ Affiliate network — but the details differ.
Commission: 30% recurring monthly payments for the whole lifetime of a paid account acquired through your referral, up to 50% for top-performing affiliates.
Payments: PayPal. $30-50 minimum threshold for money withdrawal depending on the affiliate’s location.
Cookie duration: 1 year..
More details: AWeber Affiliate Program
There’s no need to explain what Microsoft is: the name speaks for itself. However, they won’t pay you to promote Microsoft Windows. The product you can promote as an affiliate is another hit — Microsoft 365 for business. This suite includes all the tried and tested office software such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., but with some added features.
This means the product’s target audience is businesses, not individuals, and it’s crucial to keep this in mind when applying for this program. Also, commissions are fixed and awarded per seat, so the larger the business you attract to the product, the bigger the payout.
Also, the cookie life is notably short here. Plus the program it’s hosted on the Rakuten network, which is not exactly a drawback but can make things one bit more complicated. On the bright side, you won’t have a hard time promoting this huge brand.
Commission: $5-20 per seat depending on the product.
Payments: Handled by Rakuten affiliate network. Payments issued by ACH or PayPal, multiple currencies available.
Cookie duration: 14 to 30 days.
More details: Microsoft for Business Affiliate Program
ConvertKit is another email marketing platform on this list, only this one is mostly popular with creative professionals — writers, bloggers, musicians, podcasters, etc. Along with essential email marketing features, it offers a range of tools for creators, such as landing pages and broadcasts.
As an affiliate, you’ll receive 30% commissions recurring for up to 24 months on every sale generated via your affiliate link. Affiliates have access to creative assets and a training course to get them started. However, there are no affiliate tiers on bonuses here: you just get the same percentage regardless of the number of sales you generate.
On the bright side, ConvertKit offers flexible pricing, like most ESPs. This means you can earn more by attracting customers to the higher-priced plans.
Commission: 30% commission recurring for 24 months on every paid customer acquired through your referral. No minimum balance requirements for withdrawal.
Payments: PayPal.
Cookie duration: 90 days.
More details: ConvertKit Affiliate Program
VPN services have become increasingly popular lately, and NordVPN is currently one of the biggest brands in this niche. If you watch a lot of YouTube, chances are you’ve already seen the brand’s ads, as it often sponsors content creators on this platform.
It also runs an affiliate program that offers up to 100% commission. However, that offer is only valid for a new sign-up to a 1-month offer. In other cases, you’ll receive 30-40% commissions. The program is also single-tier, which means there are no bonuses for top performing affiliates — but commissions are lifetime recurring.
Among other benefits, the brand offers promo materials and help from a specialized account manager, plus promises high conversion rates. Though the potential audience for the service is fairly large, this program is best for content creators and businesses focused on all things tech.
Commission: 40-100% for each new sign-up depending on the offer, 30% lifetime recurring payments for all offers.
Payments: Information available after sign-up.
Cookie duration: 30 days.
More details: NordVPN Affiliate Program
If you’ve ever lost valuable data for whatever reason, you know how crucial data recovery tools can be. Stellar claims to offer the largest set of tools for data recovery, migration, and erasure currently available on the market. Thus, the target audience for that offer is quite large and includes businesses as well as individuals.
The brand’s affiliate program pays 30-50% commissions depending on the affiliate “band”. There are three of them, determined by the total sum of your sales. The price range for the products is wide, spanning from free plans to solutions priced at over $300 and more. Partners can also promote affiliate links on coupon websites, receiving 10% commissions per sale.
Other benefits of this program include promotional materials, affiliate support, and a relatively long cookie life. The program is available through two affiliate networks — CJ Affiliate (aka Conversant) and Verifone (aka 2Checkout).
Commission: 30-50% depending on the affiliate’s performance.
Payments: Handled by CJ Affiliate or Verifone affiliate networks. Payment methods include Payoneer, direct deposit, and paper check.
Cookie duration: 90 days.
More details: Stellar Affiliate Program
Autodesk offers a big range of highly-recognized software solutions for designers, architects, engineers, and animators: AutoCAD, 3DS Max, Maya, and more. For those prepared to promote such specific products, the company offers an affiliate program via CJ Affiliate network.
At a first glance, it might seem unattractive. The program offers a 7% commission for each new subscription, and that’s it — no recurring payments, no tiers, no bonuses — only promo materials and support from the managers. Plus the cookie life is just 60 days.
But this program has its advantages. For one thing, Autodesk is an absolute leader in certain verticals, meaning that its solutions don’t have equivalents on the market. That makes the program an ideal choice for affiliates with the relevant audience because these are the products many businesses and professionals simply can’t do without. Also, the products are expensive, so 7% can equal a considerable sum.
Commission: 7% for every new subscription (not renewal) on all products.
Payments: Handled by CJ Affiliate network. Payment: include Payoneer, direct deposit, and paper check.
Cookie duration: 60 days.
More details: Autodesk Affiliate Program
Affiliate marketing is a huge industry with abundant options to earn extra money for businesses, influencers, and content creators. For those with audiences interested in software solutions, software affiliate programs are a proven way to earn a sizable side income while recommending the products their audiences actually need.
In this article, we’ve listed some of the most lucrative and attractive software affiliate programs currently offered by the software industry. Whether you are a SEO specialist, a web designer, an email marketer, a content writer, or anyone using software products for life and work, we hope you’ll find the perfect fit for you on this list.
