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Top Affiliate Networks for Earning Passive Income in 2023 (4 min read)

Jan 27, 2023

Are you looking for profitable affiliate offers for your niche / audience, for real passive income opportunities, and for strong analytical tools and training to support your affiliate marketing business? Sounds like you're looking to compare some affiliate networks that can help you with all of this before you start associating yourself with too many affiliate programs.

Well, let's look at five of the most popular affiliate networks of 2023, so 1) you're not wading through overwhelming amounts of info, 2) so you can answer "What's the best affiliate network for me?", and 3) so you can start making money online quickly. To be quite honest, many of the affiliate networks out there will work fine for you, so my recommendation is to digest what I share here, do a bit more research, and then go with your gut so you can take action.

If you're totally new to affiliate marketing, check out my posts on affiliate marketing basics, then jump back here where I provide a summary on each of the 5 most popular affiliate networks in 2023.

What are Affiliate Networks?

First, just to make sure we're all on the same page, "What are Affiliate Networks?" Well, because affiliate marketing involves partnering with businesses and promoting their products or services to an audience in exchange for a commission on any resulting sales, affiliate marketers have a choice of whether to partner with the business directly or to work with intermediaries, known as affiliate networks, that connect affiliate marketers to businesses that offer affiliate programs.

Affiliate networks provide a platform for affiliate marketers to search for products or services to promote, as well as tools to track clicks and conversions and receive payments. They typically charge a fee or take a percentage of commissions earned by affiliate marketers. However, they offer several advantages over individual affiliate partnerships, including access to a wider range of products and services, simplified tracking and reporting, and the ability to earn commissions from multiple programs through a single platform.

Can You Really Make Money with an Affiliate Marketing Program?

Definitely. I've been in this game for a couple years, and I have earned commissions on many products. It's baby steps at the beginning, as you start to understand how things work, but once you've figured it out, you can figure out the best way for affiliate marketing to work for you and then scale.

Check out these top 9 affiliates you need to know about so you understand that they are just real people, who started out knowing nothing about affiliate marketing: Pat Flynn, Finch Sells, Missy Ward, Shawn Collins, Zac Johnson, Ian Fernando, John Chow, Kirsty McCubbin, and Andrew Payne. They've been able to build and scale because they serve people and didn't give up.

Best Affiliate Network for You?

Yes, I'm going to break down (in no particular order) the most popular networks, so you can choose which best fits your needs, but as I mentioned before, you're going to want to go with your gut and just get started, so you can begin making money online. Because as Harry S. Truman said, "Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction." And I'm including a graphic here, because I REALLY want you to take action!

Affiliate networks each have their own set of features, commission rates, and product offerings, etc... The five that I'm covering here are some of the most popular affiliate networks including:

Amazon Associates Affiliate Network

Amazon Associates is one of the largest affiliate networks, offering a wide range of products across various categories, and one of the best to start with.

Here are some key points of Amazon Associates:

One of the first online marketing networks. Started in 1996!
Huge selection Affiliates can promote Amazon’s massive number of physical and digital products, including Audible and more.
Backed by Amazon The Better Business Bureau only gives the company a A- rating (as of this blog post publish date), and because it’s a trusted company, Amazon products typically rank very well in Google search engine results.
Short cookie window: There is only a 24-hour cookie window, which means if someone clicks your affiliate link to purchase something on Amazon, you are only given a commission if they buy something within 24 hours (as compared to much longer periods with many other affiliate programs)
Conversion Rates The number of people who buy something after clicking your link is on the higher side, and they don't actually have to purchase what you promoted. TAKE NOTE: You get a commission for everything they purchase within the 24-hour cookie period after they click through your link.
Commission Rates The commission rates for Amazon Associates vary depending on the product category and don't exceed 10%. But things can add up fast.
Delayed payment schedule Amazon Associates pays you approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which you earned your commission.
Multiple payment options You can get paid by direct deposit, Amazon gift certificates, or checks in the mail. (read up on the different payment options before choosing yours, because some have processing fees.)

WARNING: Including affiliate links in emails is against Amazon’s company policy, so keep this in mind if email marketing is your primary method for promoting affiliate products. Sorry!

ShareASale Affiliate Network

ShareASale offers a large selection of affiliate programs across various niches, including fashion, home and garden, and health and wellness. The network offers a user-friendly platform and competitive commission rates, with some programs offering up to 50% commission on sales.

Here are some key points of ShareASale:

Long time running Founded in 2000 (and acquired by Awin, formerly known as Affiliate Window, in 2017)
Thousands of affiliate opportunities ShareASale offers over 21,200 brands across all sectors.
Confusing BBB ratings As of this blog post publish date, ShareASale has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau, but Awin (the parent company) has an A+ BBB rating. You'll want to understand more about this, because ShareASale has over 1,000 merchants and influencers, including some big names.
Monthly payout schedule Once you hit the payment threshhold, ShareASale sends your commissions monthly.
Payment options but no Paypal Get paid by direct deposit, wire transfer, or checks in the mail.

CJ Affiliate Network

CJ Affiliate, also known as Commission Junction, is one of the largest affiliate networks, offering programs from thousands of businesses across various niches. The platform offers advanced tracking and reporting tools, as well as competitive commission rates.

Here are some key points of CJ Affiliate:

One of the first affiliate networks Founded in 1998
Thousands of brands Access to more than 3,000 merchants within the CJ Affiliate network
Great BBB rating As of this blog post publish date, CJ Affiliate has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Best for those with an audience of modest size and engagement, because understandably, their merchants can be picky about who they accept as affiliate publishers and because accounts get deactivated after six months without earning a commission
Real-time reporting You can monitor activity on your affiliate dashboard in real time... as it happens.
Monthly payments CJ Affiliate combines all your affiliate commissions into one monthly payment.
Payment options but no Paypal Get paid by direct deposit or checks in the mail.

ClickBank Affiliate Network

ClickBank specializes in digital products, such as e-books and online courses. The network offers high commission rates, with some products offering up to 75% commission on sales. ClickBank also offers a user-friendly platform and advanced tracking and reporting tools.

Here are some key points of ClickBank:

One of the first affiliate networks Founded in 1998
4,000+ marketplace products ClickBank's vast marketplace features 4,000+ affiliate digital products from businesses from all over, but you'll want to do your research on which you choose, which is true of every Affiliate Network.
Great BBB rating As of this blog post publish date, ClickBank has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Comparatively high commission rates You can expect to earn anywhere from $15 – $50 for a single sale.
Flexible payment schedule You can choose how often you want to get paid whether monthly, weekly, etc...
Payment options but no Paypal Get paid by direct deposit, wire transfer, or checks in the mail.

Rakuten Marketing Affiliate Network

Rakuten Marketing (formerly LinkShare) offers a wide range of affiliate programs across various niches, including fashion, beauty, and home goods. The network offers competitive commission rates and advanced tracking and reporting tools, as well as a user-friendly platform.

Here' are some key points of Rakuten Marketing:

One of the first affiliate networks Founded in 1996 (like Amazon Associates)!
Only 1,000 merchants Although Rakuten’s list of associated brands is on the shorter side, it is made up of many household names.
Not the best BBB rating As of this blog post publish date, Rakuten has a B rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Two month turnaround on payments Rakuten only pays you after the merchant has paid them. This is most often a 2 month turnaround time (i.e. you earn commission in January, merchant pays Rakuten by end of February, and Rakuten pays you in March).
Payment options that work for most Direct deposit, check, and PayPal (in certain markets)

How to Choose an Affiliate Network

Okay, now that you've gotten some details on five of the most popular affiliate networks, you have a better idea of the factors to consider when choosing one for yourself, like commission rates, product offerings, and tracking and reporting tools. Hopefully, I've helped narrow things down for you, although I suggest some additional research, making sure you explore the following:

Consider your niche: Choose an affiliate network that offers products or services that are relevant to your niche. For example, if your niche is health and wellness, look for an affiliate network that offers programs for health supplements or fitness products.

Research the commission rates: Compare the commission rates offered by different affiliate networks to find the best deal. Look for networks that offer competitive rates for the products or services you plan to promote.

Look for tracking and reporting tools: Choose an affiliate network that offers advanced tracking and reporting tools to help you monitor clicks and conversions and optimize your marketing strategy.

Check for payment options: Make sure the affiliate network offers payment options that are convenient for you, such as PayPal or direct deposit.

Read reviews and testimonials: Research the reputation of the affiliate network by reading reviews and testimonials from other affiliate marketers. Look for networks that have a positive track record of paying commissions on time and offering responsive customer support.

>> By choosing the right affiliate network, affiliate marketers can access a wide range of products and services to promote and earn commissions on sales. Consider the factors listed above when selecting an affiliate network to ensure the best possible results for your affiliate marketing business.