Have you been looking for the best Affiliate Programs for Recurring Commissions? If not, then you should be. When you start an affiliate marketing business and have your website primed to promote affiliate programs, you want to ensure you are partnering with the best recurring affiliate programs to maximize the value of your content and campaigns.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of affiliate programs offer recurring commissions or a hybrid approach. Recurring affiliate programs are the creme of the crop in terms of delivering recurring income. Thus, a successful referral to one of these programs provides recurring affiliate commissions for longer than a one-time payout.
Let's dive in to understand what sets recurring affiliate programs apart from other affiliate programs and how a hybrid model works. We'll also unveil 65 of the top recurring affiliate programs you should consider joining to ensure passive income well into the future.
Let's get started.
Affiliate Commission Types
As mentioned, there are three primary types of affiliate program commission structures that you'll find as you get started with affiliate marketing. Each has its own merit, and some allow you to select one or the other when you sign up, such as HubSpot.
HubSpot will allow you to select a larger one-time payout or a smaller recurring commission over the customer's lifetime. Therefore, if you think your lead will stay a customer for a long-time, you might select the recurring commission, but if you just want the single payout and to move on to the next, you might just opt for the one-time payout.
Other programs have other commission structures, which include what is typically referred to as the hybrid approach. In a hybrid setup, you might find an up-front payout and then a trailing recurring commission for a pre-determined period of time, say 12 months.
A hybrid can also be defined as a structure that provides a larger commission for the first 3 months and then lowers the commission for the rest of the time the referred customer stays active. For example, you might receive a 30% commission for the first three months, which lowers to 10% recurring.
Needless to say, plenty of hybrid structures are available, and as you gain momentum and successfully refer customers, your commission structure could improve.
Super affiliates often have the option not only to pick and choose the affiliate programs they want to promote but also to get set up with custom commission structures based on a high level of performance.
A note about referral programs
Referral programs are sometimes seen as the same thing and used interchangeably by affiliate marketers and advertisers, but there is a slight difference between the two.
They both sit underneath the performance marketing bubble, but referral programs typically mean you are a customer of the advertiser you are referring.
An affiliate can certainly be a customer, referred to as “related” or “involved,” but many affiliates are “unattached” and don't have a customer/vendor relationship with the brand they are promoting.
For each of the top 65 we selected, you will find the commission percentage, the cookie duration, and the link to join the affiliate program. We also need to add this note, as keeping up with this information takes time.
There is no rhyme or reason why these 65 recurring affiliate programs were chosen. We know there are hundreds and plan to grow this list over time, but we wanted to get these into your hands as these are all top programs to start your affiliate career.
Note: Commission rates, cookie durations, and sign-up links are subject to change. It's always best to check the affiliate program's website for the most up-to-date information.
65 of the Top Recurring Affiliate Programs
Provided here in alphabetical order.
1) ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign is a complete marketing automation platform with CRM, email, eCommerce functionality, and more. You can earn 20-30% recurring lifetime commission. The cookie duration is 90 days.
Sign-up link: https://www.activecampaign.com/partner/affiliate
2) AccuRanker: AccuRanker is an SEO's best friend as it tracks keyword rankings and provides tools for keyword research. It's not inexpensive software, but it provides quality results. The affiliate program offers 20% recurring commissions and a 120-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.accuranker.com/help/account/affiliate-program/
3) AgoraPulse Affiliate Program: AgoraPulse is a social media management platform that offers a 20% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 60-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://agorapulse.firstpromoter.com/
4) Aweber Affiliate Program: Aweber is an email marketing platform that offers a commission of up to 50% on all recurring payments made by your referrals. They have a 365-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.aweber.com/advocates.htm
5) Bitskout: Bitskout is a no-code AI platform that integrates seamlessly with your software tools in minutes, eliminating manual data entry tasks and saving time. Earn a 30% commission and a $20 bonus. The cookie duration is 90 days.
Sign-up link: https://www.bitskout.com/partners
6) Brand24: Discover the power of media monitoring. Get instant access to brand mentions across social, news, blogs, videos, forums, reviews, and more. Earn money with a 20% recurring commission and a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://brand24.com/partner-program/
7) BugHerd: BugHerd is a visual feedback tool for websites. Pin stakeholder feedback & track bugs directly on web pages. Earn 20% recurring affiliate commissions and enjoy a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://bugherd.com/partner-program
8) ClickMagick Affiliate Program: ClickMagick is a link tracking and optimization platform that offers a 35% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 30-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.clickmagick.com/affiliates/
9) Cloudways Affiliate Program: Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that offers a 5-7% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.cloudways.com/en/web-hosting-affiliate-program.php
10) ConvertKit Affiliate Program: ConvertKit is an email marketing platform that offers a 30% recurring commission for the lifetime of your referral. They have a 60-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://convertkit.com/affiliate
11) Crowdfire: Crowdfire is a social media marketing and management application with other great features. WTA uses this platform to manage the site's social media presence. They offer a 33% recurring commission and a 120-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.crowdfireapp.com/affiliates
12) Demio Affiliate Program: Demio is top-notch webinar software to help companies produce and execute better webinar creation and monetization. The Demio program offers 305 recurring commissions and a 30-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://www.demio.com/become-an-affiliate
13) Depositphotos Affiliate Program: A stock photo sourcing website for royalty-free images for commercial use. Depositphotos offers a lavish affiliate program with a 40% first-time purchase commission and a recurring commission of 15% for each user. The cookie duration is 6 months.
Sign-up link: https://depositphotos.com/partners.html
14) DraftKings: One of the world's most well-known online sports betting apps and companies. DraftKings offers one of the more lucrative affiliate programs in this arena, with revenue share commissions starting at 25% and scaling to 40%. The cookie duration is not published.
Sign-up link: https://www.draftkings.com/affiliates
15) Drip: Connect, engage, and relate to every customer on a personal level with smarter ecommerce marketing automation by Drip. Earn 25% recurring commissions on all referred customers. Drip's cookie duration is 90 days.
Sign-up link: https://www.drip.com/partners
16) Elegant Themes Affiliate Program: The makers of the popular WordPress theme Divi and associated Divi extras. Earn 50% recurring commission. The cookie duration is 30 days.
Sign-up link: https://www.elegantthemes.com/affiliates/
17) Ecwid Affiliate Program: Ecwid is an eCommerce platform recently acquired by Lightspeed. You can earn a 20% lifetime recurring commission. The cookie duration is 90 days.
Sign-up link: https://portal.ecwid.com/join-referral-partner
18) Fiverr: Fiverr offers a premier freelance service marketplace to buy and sell all online and offline freelancing services. Fiverr's affiliate program offers various options, from hybrid to flat payouts and revenue share options. The cookie duration is 30 days.
Sign-up link: https://www.fiverr.com/affiliates/signup
19) GanttPRO Partner Program: GanttPRO is a project management software and tool that provide companies with an online option for managing projects. In this area, it is one of the better recurring programs offering 50% commissions and unlimited cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://ganttpro.com/partners/
20) GetResponse Affiliate Program: GetResponse is an email marketing platform that offers a 33% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 120-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.getresponse.com/affiliate-programs
21) Groove.cm Affiliate Program: Groove.cm or GrooveFunnels is a multi-tenet marketing software suite that offers twelve applications to help businesses grow. Depending on your plan, they offer anywhere from a 10%-40% recurring commission with a 2nd tier of 10%. They have a lifetime cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://groovepages.groovesell.com/jv/KIhQJTpGf1NC
22) Hunter.io: A great tool for harvesting email addresses for improved outreach campaigns and other email marketing needs. The Hunter affiliate program offers 30% recurring commissions on revenue for the first 12 months and a 45-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://hunter.io/affiliate-program
23) Instapage: Instapage is a landing page builder tool offering additional features for social media marketers, eCommerce businesses, and lead generation needs. The affiliate program rewards affiliates with a 120-day cookie window and 30% recurring affiliate commissions.
Sign-up link: https://instapage.com/affiliate
24) IPVanish: Another powerful VPN platform to allow you to surf the web and protect your identity by switching your IP to other locations. This recurring affiliate program pays 50% for the customer's lifetime and offers a 45-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://www.ipvanish.com/partners/
25) Kartra: Kartra is a learning management platform offering membership sites and eCommerce capabilities and is geared at helping online creators earn recurring revenue. The affiliate program offers 40% recurring commissions or a fixed payout amount and a 30-day cookie duration. They also have a JV program offering 10% 2nd tier commissions.
Sign-up link: https://home.kartra.com/partners
26) Kinsta Affiliate Program: Kinsta is a managed WordPress hosting provider that offers a 5-10% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 60-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://kinsta.com/affiliates/
27) Landingi Affiliate Program: Landingi is a landing page builder tool that offers other features valuable for creating sales funnels and email marketing. This partner program offers a 25% recurring commission and a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://landingi.com/affiliate-program/
28) Leadpages Affiliate Program: Leadpages is a landing page builder that offers a 30% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 30-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://ap.leadpages.com/
29) LearnWorlds: LearnWorlds is top-quality learning management software that provides mgmt for online courses for creators. They have 30% recurring commissions and 60-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.learnworlds.com/partners-club
30) Ledger Affiliate Program: Ledger is an online wallet storing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. You can earn 10% recurring commissions for all referred sales generated as an affiliate partner. The cookie duration is one year.
Sign-up link: https://affiliate.ledger.com/
31) Linkody Affiliate Program: Linkody provides backlink monitoring and tracking service on their platform. Their affiliate marketing program offers a 30% recurring commission and a 30-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: Email them at support@linkody.com with the subject line “Me Your New Affiliate”
32) LiveChat: LiveChat offers a Live chat software solution for any type of website and is rated one of the top chat providers for B2B and B2C websites. They offer a 20% recurring revenue share for all customers. The cookie duration is 120 days.
Sign-up link: https://partners.livechat.com/help/affiliate-program/
33) Mailerlite: MailerLite is an email marketing solutions and software provider offering automation, a website builder, landing pages, and more. Earn a 30% recurring affiliate commission and enjoy a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.mailerlite.com/affiliate
34) MeetGeek: MeetGeek is an AI meeting assistant that automatically video records, transcribes, summarizes, and provides the key points from every meeting. Earn 30% recurring affiliate commissions for the customer's lifetime with a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://meetgeek.ai/partner
35) MemberPress Affiliate Program: MemberPress provides membership sites the plugin they need on WordPress to control access and offer eCommerce to patrons. They pay recurring commissions of up to 30% for each new referred customer and offer a 60-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://memberpress.com/affiliate-program/
36) NinjaOutreach Affiliate Program: NinjaOutreach is a blogger outreach and influencer marketing platform that offers a 20% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://ninjaoutreach.com/Affiliate
37) Outgrow: Outgrow helps businesses boost their traffic, leads & sales via engaging calculators, quizzes, polls, contests, chatbots, recommendations, and forms. This recurring affiliate program offers 20% on the sale and 20% on recurring commissions. The cookie duration is 30 days.
Sign-up link: https://outgrow.co/affiliate-signup/
38) Payhip: Payhip offers an eCommerce platform that enables creators to sell digital products to their fans and followers directly. As an affiliate, you can earn 50% recurring lifetime commissions on transaction fees and monthly paid plans of sellers with a 30-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://payhip.com/partner-program
39) Pipedrive: Pipedrive is a comprehensive CRM platform with some email marketing capabilities. With annual certification, you can earn a 20% recurring commission and additional perks. The cookie duration is 30 days.
Sign-up link: https://www.pipedrive.com/en/affiliates
40) Pixpa: Pixpa is an all-in-one marketing toolset to allow businesses to build a website, sell online, sell images, start a blog, and more. They offer a 60% recurring commission for the first year and a cookie duration of 45 days.
Sign-up link: https://www.pixpa.com/affiliates
41) Private Internet Access: PIA offers a VPN service and is the one we use at WTA. The plans are affordable, and as an affiliate, you can earn 33% commissions on qualifying purchases and 24% on subscription renewals and yearly plan sales, and 80% on monthly plans. The cookie duration is 30 days.
Sign-up link: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/affiliate-program
42) PureVPN: One of the many affiliate programs for VPN providers, PureVPN offers private internet identity through its VPN services. They offer a 35% recurring commission structure and a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://www.purevpn.com/affiliates
43) Samcart: SamCart offers powerful eCommerce software, and a sales funnel system to make it easier to sell online. Affiliates earn 40% commissions for up to 2 years with a 30-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://try.samcart.com/affiliate-sign-up/
44) Sellfy: Sellfy is top-of-the-line eCommerce for digital products, POD, and subscriptions. They offer 25-40% lifetime recurring commissions for every referred seller subscription plan and offer a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://sellfy.com/affiliates/
45) SEOPressor: SEOPressor offers SEO tools for WordPress websites. This is one of the stronger recurring income affiliate programs for SEO tools offering 50% commissions, but they do not reveal the cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://seopressor.com/seopressor-connect-jv/
46) Shopify Affiliate Program: Shopify is an ecommerce platform that offers a 20% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 30-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://help.shopify.com/en/affiliates
47) Social Boost: Social Boost is an Instagram growth agency with deep knowledge and experience in marketing, providing growth services using advanced targeting in any niche. Their affiliate program offers a 20% recurring commission for the customer's lifetime with a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://socialboost.partnerstack.com/
48) Spocket Affiliate Program: Spocket is superior dropshipping automation software and offers up to 30% recurring commissions on all paid plans for as long as your referred customer remains active. They offer a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.spocket.co/affiliates
49) StoryChief Affiliate Program: Content marketing software for startups, SEO marketers and editorial teams who want to increase their reach. StoryChief offers an affiliate program that pays recurring commissions of 20% and has a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://www.storychief.io/affiliates
50) Subbly: Subbly is an all-in-one subscription-first commerce platform with everything you need to run any subscription business, including transactional commerce. The affiliate commission is 30% recurring, and the cookie duration is 90 days.
Sign-up link: https://subbly.partnerstack.com/
51) Sumo Affiliate Program: Sumo is a scheduler tool for businesses and organizations that need online appointment scheduling, event booking management, and related services. The BOOST affiliate program offers 25% recurring commissions and a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.sumoscheduler.com/affiliates/
52) Supermetrics Affiliate Program: Supermetrics is one of the premier data source aggregation tools available on the web to build data models and improve reporting. The affiliate program for Supermetrics offers 20% recurring commissions and a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://supermetrics.com/partner
53) Surfshark Affiliate Program: Surfshark is another virtual private network service that allows you to remain anonymous while surfing the web. Affiliates are paid recurring commissions of 40% for the customer's lifetime, and the cookie duration is 30 days.
Sign-up link: https://surfshark.com/affiliate
54) SurveySparrow: SurveySparrow lets you create and share highly engaging, mobile-first surveys that offer a chat-like experience. They offer affiliate marketers a 25% recurring commission and have a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://surveysparrow.com/saas-affiliate-programs/
55) Tailwind Affiliate Program: Tailwind is a Pinterest and Instagram scheduling and analytics tool that offers a 25% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.tailwindapp.com/affiliates
56) TapClicks: TapClicks is a Smart Marketing Cloud powered by data to unify marketing efforts and create efficiencies at scale. The TapClicks affiliate marketer earns 20% recurring commissions. TapClicks does not publish the cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.tapclicks.com/revenue-partners/
57) Teachable Affiliate Program: Teachable is an online course platform that offers a 30% recurring commission for as long as your referral remains a customer. They have a 90-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://teachable.com/partners
58) Thinkific Affiliate Program: Thinkific is a learning management platform and offers 30% lifetime recurring commissions on all monthly or annual plans with a 90-day cookie period.
Sign-up link: https://www.thinkific.com/affiliates/
59) Thrive Themes Affiliate Program: A top provider of WordPress themes. Affiliates can earn 35% on every sale and an additional 25% on every recurring payment. The cookie duration is 60 days.
Sign-up link: https://thrivethemes.com/affiliate-program/
60) TimeDoctor Affiliate Program: TimeDoctor is a time-tracking software used by outsourcing companies, industries, freelancers, SMBs, etc. They have one of the more compelling affiliate programs and offer a 30% recurring commission and an infinite cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://www.timedoctor.com/affiliates
61) Transistor Affiliate Program: Transistor.fm is a podcast hosting platform for creators needing reliable hosting and monetization options. The affiliate program offers 25% recurring commissions and a 30-day cookie duration.
Sign-up link: https://transistor.fm/affiliates/
62) TubeBuddy: An essential tool for YouTube creators that want to leverage YouTube as their social channel of choice and optimize it for increased views and subscribers. The affiliate program offers 30% recurring commissions and a lifetime cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://www.tubebuddy.com/affiliateprogram
63) Webinar Ninja: Webinar Ninja offers webinar production software and solutions to help companies, creators, and coaches make money online. The affiliate program's terms are 30% recurring commissions and a 90-day cookie window.
Sign-up link: https://webinarninja.com/affiliate-program/
64) Wishpond: Wishpond is an email marketing tool that offers additional value-add features for e-commerce tools, social media scheduling, and much more. Using your affiliate link, marketers can earn a 30% recurring commission. Wishpond's cookie duration is not published.
Sign-up link: https://www.wishpond.com/affiliates/
65) Zaddons Affiliate Program: Zaddons integrated HRIS extensions simplify complex scheduling and bidding processes. With your affiliate link, you can earn 15%-20% recurring commissions.
Sign-up link: https://zaddons.com/partners/
Additional Resources
- 22 Best Affiliate Marketing Networks in 2023 – the best networks to start affiliate marketing.
- 5 Affiliate Marketing Strategies to Rely on in 2023 – Build upon these affiliate strategies for success.
- How to Apply for Affiliate Approval – Follow these tips to gain a higher level of affiliate approval.
- How Do Relationships Define the Best Affiliate Marketing Partnerships? – Building relationships to strengthen your affiliate program.
Recurring Commission Affiliate Programs Wrap-up
It's clear that affiliate programs come in all shapes and sizes, and there are many differences between them. One similarity we can all rely on is the ability to make monthly recurring commissions from promoting their products and services.
Monthly recurring revenue is the sweet spot for most affiliate marketers who want to make passive income well into the future. There are certainly other top-quality affiliate programs to explore in any niche, but most would agree that the best affiliate programs are usually recurring.
So get out there and promote with your unique referral link and let us know of new opportunities to add to this list. Have you got a great recurring affiliate program to share? We'd love to add it to our growing list.