Best affiliate marketing programs for beginners: How to make passive income now

Finding the right affiliate marketing programs drastically increases your chances of turning that dream of passive income into a reality.  

It’s an attractive reality too, with many affiliate marketers making over $50,000 just from including brand links in their content. 

And there’s a lot of opportunity, as 80% of brands use affiliate marketing to promote their products. 

But, where do you start? The choice is overwhelming. Fear not. We’ve summarised the 20 best affiliate marketing programs to help you decide.

Enough chat. Here are your options...

The top 20 affiliate marketing programs for beginners in 2025

1. Whop

Whop is a digital product, social commerce, and subscription platform all rolled into one that's provided over $15 million to around 78,000 affiliates.

Its affiliate program works in two ways: product affiliates and creator referrals. 

You can affiliate market every product, with no limits or approval. You just copy the store or checkout link and use it where you want. Reward levels vary, but can be extremely profitable if, for example, you get 20% of a $1,000 subscription. 

But check this - Whop’s creator affiliate system provides 30% of Whop's revenue generated from a creator you bring to the platform - for life. 

So, if you help someone sign up and they make $100,000. If the sales come through Whop, not through the creators own advertising, (i.e customers buy the product on the marketplace or Discover page), then Whop makes $30,000. You then make 30% of that - so $9000. All for referring a creator to sell on Whop. That's it!

Refer once and collect your payment over and over again. As long as the creator is making sales, you are cashing in.

Whop’s platform is super easy to use too, with the ability to browse products by category, pricing, and keywords - so you can find the optimal promotions for your website, blog, or social media.

• Earn recurring income by referring Whop products
• How to use the affiliate links app on Whop

Eligibility 

It’s very easy to get started. You must be at least 13 years old and agree that you won’t use paid ads to promote Whop products. 

The details

2. Amazon Associates Affiliate Program

‘Amazon Associates’ is Amazon’s affiliate marketing program. With over 310 million global active customers and around 12 million products, it’s arguably a no-brainer for this list.

Amazon provides enormous scope to sell, from cheap toys and e-books to high-value laptops and TVs.

Payment rates can vary dramatically, but you could make some big bucks if your commission rate was around 10-20% on high-value products. 

Payment is monthly, but you’ll have to wait 60 days for your first payment. 

Epic Gardening is a great example, as with an estimated 1.4 million readers, it makes a huge amount of money every year from Amazon’s affiliate program.

Eligibility 

Amazon Associates is free to join and anyone can apply to sign up if they have an active content creation presence (such as a website, blog, YouTube, Twitch, or TikTok). 

To get started, make an Amazon Affiliates account so you receive a unique Associate ID. If approved, you can start creating links on Amazon’s portal. Share them with your content and wait for the cash. 

For website:

• You must be the owner. 
• Have at least 10 original blogs. 
• Have a blog post within the last 60 days. 
• Be free to view it. 

Apps: 

• Be available for free on Apple, Google Play, and Amazon’s app store
• Host original content
• Not be a copy of Amazon’s app.

Social media:

• Account must be active and public. 
• Have relatively strong engagement. 

The details

3. Shopify

Shopify has around 2.1 million active users and an average order value of $85. 

It’s the world’s second-largest e-commerce technology platform, making it a great option for getting started as an affiliate marketer.

You’ll get rewarded for bringing in new users to Shopify, such as people who want to start an online business or drop shipping. Shopify also helps affiliates boost conversion rates, with a global creative library, a monthly newsletter, and lead magnets. 

As Shopify is so attractive to entrepreneurs, lots of conversions are possible. The rate of $150 per sign-up isn’t bad either. If you’re outside of the U.S. you’ll also have to swallow the cost of converting from USD. 

Eligibility 

To use the Shopify Affiliate Program, you’ll need to apply and get accepted. You must:

• Own or run an active website
• Have an established audience
• Create original content (including blog posts, videos, guides, and online courses)
• Have experience with e-commerce platforms. 

The details

4. Rakuten

Rakuten is a cashback website (customers get rewarded for every purchase they make) with around 1.8 billion members. It’s particularly big in Japan, second only to Amazon in the ecommerce space.

Needless to say, it’s huge - which is great as you’ll have vast product options to promote and a high chance of conversion due to preexisting customers. 

With over 150k partners, there are a lot of big-name brands on board, which is always attractive to buyers and it’s one of the long-standing affiliate programs. It’s been active since 2005!

Rakuten’s Affiliate Program offers three structures.

‘Dynamic’, which provides varied rates for each product and customer type; ‘Coupon’, which uses specific rules set by brands, and; ‘Multitouch’, which rewards the first click made en route to purchase. 

Eligibility 

To get started, you need to sign up for Rakuten Advertising and apply. After you’re approved, you can then apply to advertiser affiliate programs.

Each one has different eligibility criteria, but in general, you must have an active website with content relevant to the product you’re promoting. 

The details

5. eBay Partner Network

Who doesn’t know eBay? There are 135 million active users and around 1.7 billion active listings. 

The auction site has an affiliate marketing program that rewards you for bringing in sales, on a huge variety of items. I mean, eBay literally sells everything (that is legal) - from cars and boats to retro video games and art pieces.

And it’s not just old stuff. 80% of eBay listings are new items. 

Commission varies widely with each product category and some even have caps.  

Unlike many other of the best affiliate marketing programs, eBay offers various marketing tools that make link sharing and code integration much easier. 

The downside is that cookies only last 24 hours and there are caps on how much you can make per referral. 

Eligibility 

eBay requires very little information to get started and provides approval within a day. You just need to be over 18 years old and have an active website, blog, or social media account. 

You also need to be able to accept payment either via bank transfer or PayPal. 

The details

6. Commission Junction (CJ)

Commission Junction (CJ), or ‘CJ Affiliate by Conversant’, is a dedicated affiliate marketing network, partnering with big brands like Barnes & Noble, Nord VPN, Verizon, and Office Depot. 

It’s the largest affiliate marketing network in the world. So if you want something reliable and a lot of brand variety to promote, this is your go-to. 

With such big brands on its roster, it means your links are more likely to convert. With over 2,000 partners, there are also a large amount of lesser-known brands - there could be a diamond in the rough waiting for you.

Eligibility 

Signing up is entirely free. You just need to be 18 years old and own the website on which you want to share links. 

The details

7. ShareASale

ShareASale may not look like much from its presentation, but it's regarded as one of the best affiliate marketing networks around as it partners with 5,000 different brands. 

Although the majority of its partners are small, they can be very worthwhile, rewarding you with significant cuts for some high-value products (we saw examples of around $300 per sale).

The aged interface may be off-putting to some users, but there are convenient features such as the ‘PowerRank’ metric (which helps you identify the currently best-performing programs) and a product banner creator.

Eligibility 

Signing up with ShareASale is very simple, you just need to have an active website, or social media presence to get accepted. 

The details

8. Fiverr

With over 4.2 million active buyers and 380,000 freelancers, Fiverr is a huge freelancing platform where you can gain money for each referral you make. 

This makes it the perfect option for any blog or social media account that focuses on business, entrepreneurship, or tutorials. Fiverr is also known for being a money-making machine. Clicks convert to sales quite easily. 

Fiverr is listed on CJ.com too, but its in-house affiliate program is higher-paying. You can make up to $150 per referral and further revenue by getting people to buy from Fiverr Learn. 

If you bring a freelancer to the platform, you could even earn a lifetime of revenue from their work as a sub-affiliate! 

The downside is that commissions are capped on many niches and you can’t make commissions on sales made to existing Fiverr customers.

Eligibility 

You must be approved to get started, by completing the sign-up form. There’s no need to already be active on Fiverr and you can’t use paid ads.

The details

9. Etsy

Etsy is the world’s biggest e-commerce platform for handmade crafts and artisan products (although in recent years, it’s seen a rise in print-on-demand type items). 

Its affiliate marketing program gives you 4% of the price of a sale if it’s made from your link or review. 

That makes it far from the most lucrative platform, but one that converts well given the popularity of Etsy (500 million views per month) and the uniqueness of its handmade products. 

If your blog or social media supports sole traders, DIY, and creativity, then it could be perfect for you. 

Eligibility 

Registration is made via Awin (Etsy’s affiliate network) and a $5 refundable fee to get started, to help prevent spammers from signing up. 

Approval is provided if your website or social media is deemed active and relevant enough. 

The details

10. Awin

Awin is possibly the most popular affiliate network in the world, with over 30,000 advertisers and one million contributing publishers. If you need further proof, know that around 12% of affiliate marketers use Awin. 

Having launched in 2017, it’s also stacked with big brands and vast choices - from Samsung and Emirates to Under Armour and Grubhub.

Awin is considered one of the easiest affiliate marketing programs to use, with an intuitive interface. And there’s even a Chrome plugin to give you links to pages you're browsing online that are active on Awin.

But most of all it’s praised for its fast payments. And who doesn’t love that? You don’t need to wait for the advertiser to get paid like with most affiliate programs, instead, you just wait for the 1st or 15th of each month. 

Eligibility 

To use Awin you must be at least 18 years old and have an active public website. You also need to deposit $1 to join (unless you received an invitation). 

The process takes no longer than 10 minutes and you should receive an approval within 48 hours. 

The details

11. YouTube Shopping 

YouTube has more than 2 billion users and boasts over 1 billion hours of view per day. There are few better audiences to cash in on. 

Thanks to YouTube Shopping, you can tag products in your videos and make money from any viewers that purchase from your link. It’s highly successful, with 37% of affiliate marketers trusting it. 

If making videos is more your thing than creating a blog, YouTube Shopping is your answer. You can even use other affiliate programs, like Amazon, in your video descriptions, ‘i’ cards, and ‘End cards’. 

Given that YouTube can be quite lucrative thanks to ad revenue, going all-in on video content can be very rewarding. The most successful YouTubers use multiple revenue streams like this. 

Take Marques Brownlee, for example. His tech reviews utilize affiliate links and YouTube shopping captions to promote partnerships and his merch.

He makes $22 million a year, by the way.

Eligibility 

To use YouTube Shopping’s affiliate program your channel must:

• Be a part of the YouTube Partner Program.
• Have more than 10,000 subscribers. 
• Be based in the U.S., South Korea, Indonesia, India, Thailand, or Vietnam.
• Not be a music or music artist channel. 
• Not be set as a ‘Made for Kids’ channel, or have frequent ‘Made for Kids’ uploads.

The details

12. ClickBank

ClickBank was launched way back in 1998. Today, its annual sales are estimated at $864.2M per year. 

What makes it unique is that it sells digital products (just like Whop). There are also some physical products on its Marketplace, but it’s still predominantly digitally focused. 

With weekly or bi-weekly payments, it’s also a fast money maker (so you don’t need to wait months for payouts like most on this list).

But best of all, there are no caps on commission rates. So some brands and stores may reward you with as much as 90% for your work. Its 60-day cookie duration is also one of the best we’ve seen.

Note though that the interface is slightly dated and there are a large amount of low-quality products; so you might need to work hard to find ones that don’t make your site look rubbish.

Eligibility 

Sign up to ClickBank requires your name, location, phone number, and email. You must also live in a country eligible for direct deposit. 

The details

13. Refersion

Refersion is a dedicated affiliate network, with an impressive 60,000 brands to choose from. 

3.6 million affiliates use the platform and can be recruited and onboarded by brands, to help grow relationships and success. 

The majority of its brands are niche ecommerce names, giving you the chance to target customers who want something a bit different from the mainstream. 

In terms of commissions, the base rate is 15%, which can increase depending on each product. There is also the possibility to make recurring income via subscription referrals!  

Refersion can also be integrated into major e-commerce sites like Shopify, BigCommerce, Amazon, WooCommerce, and Magneto to make life even easier. 

Eligibility 

To become a Refersion affiliate you fill out an application form, showing that you have ‘legitimate channels of influence’. The use of paid ads and discounts is not allowed. 

The details

14. FlexOffers

FlexOffers is an affiliate marketing network with over 12,000 brands to work with. Like ClickBank and Refersion, it’s a dedicated platform with all your options under one roof. So, you don’t need to hunt around for your various payments. 

Founded way back in 2008, it has over 75,000 users and is respected within the affiliate marketer community for its ease of use. 

The streamlined interface makes it very easy to find a suitable brand to promote, and you can even earn additional revenue as a sub-affiliate via the Flex-Rev$hare program. 

FlexOffers is also great news for you if you’re using Wix or Blogger, as it accepts applicants from those sites.

Eligibility 

FlexOffers only accepts people with sites that it deems of a high enough quality; so having a website alone does not guarantee approval. Applicants should receive a response within a few days. 

Its site states they will analyze applicants for: 

• Website quality
• Website functionality
• Product or service offered
• Shopping path
• Conversion point
• USD currency at checkout
• Language
• Navigation

The details

15. Avangate Network (2Checkout)

Founded back in 2006, 2Checkout (owned by Avangate) is another digital product-only affiliate program.

To avoid confusion, know that Avangate is the affiliate software platform, but the affiliate network itself is called 2Checkout. 

Highly respected, the network features almost exclusively software, with a small amount of digital courses.  

There are 22,000 software brands signed up, from SEO tools to VPNs. If you run a tech blog, then 2Checkout could be perfect for you - especially as it offers up to 75% in commissions.

Eligibility 

To get started you need to fill out the 2Checkout application form, including information on yourself and the site. The barrier to getting started is quite low (all you need is an eligible website), so you should get accepted relatively quickly. 

The details

16. ShopifyCollabs 

Not to be confused with the affiliate program that promotes Shopify as a service, ‘ShopifyCollabs’ is an affiliate program for influencers to share products sold on Shopify. 

With around 5.2 million stores using Shopify, you can benefit from top ecommerce brands and products to share on your social media and website - including French Connection, Timeless Skin Care, Awe, and Kyte Baby. 

The system is very easy to use and allows you to get commission offers on thousands of products, very quickly. 

You can offer discounts to your followers, receive gifts, and samples, and get paid automatically every month. 

Eligibility 

ShopifyCollabs requires a social media presence (on any platform) with at least 1,000 followers. You’ll need to create a Shopify account and apply through the Shopify Collabs platform. 

The details

17. NordVPN

NordVPN is a very specific niche, so it doesn’t suit every blog or social media account. But we’ve included it because the commission rates are so high. 

Its commission structure is one of the highest around, with new one-month sign-ups at 100% commission and other sign-ups at 40%. Renewals will also bring you an extra 30%. 

As most people subscribe to VPNs for many years, it offers the chance for ongoing 30% revenue. Not bad!

Nord also offers resources and guidance to help you maximize your conversions. You can also promote Nord’s security products, such as NordPass and NordLocker.

Eligibility 

To be a NordVPN affiliate, you can use a YouTube channel, social media account, blog, or website. 

The details

18. Elementor

Do you target people that might want to create their own website? Then consider Elementor. 

Put simply, Elementor is a WordPress plug-in that makes site creation a drag-and-drop affair. I.e. It makes it easy. 

We’ve included it because it offers 50% commissions on each sale. Although it costs around a mere $6, a whopping 11% of worldwide websites were made with the tool - that’s over 17.7 million! So, it sells fast.

There’s also a lovely 90-day cookie duration, so someone who clicks your link can bring you a commission from a purchase made around 3 months later!

Eligibility 

There are no specific eligibility requirements to use Elementor, other than needing a website, blog, YouTube channel, or social media presence. 

The details

19. Impact

Impact is a highly popular affiliate marketing network, founded by the creators of the highly successful Commission Junction (covered at #6).

There are around 3,000 brands on the platform, in retail, beauty, travel, fitness, and finance niches - including the likes of Adidas, Fobes, BuzzFeed, and Airbnb. 

With automation tools and a sleek interface, it's very user-friendly. For example, there is a ‘brand to work with instantly’ section so you can get started without waiting for approval. 

Eligibility 

To use Impact affiliate marketing, you’ll just need to fill out a form and explain what your purposes are and where you’ll be promoting the brands you’re collaborating with. 

The details

20. MarketerHire

MarketerHire is a digital marketing talent platform, perfect for affiliate marketers with an audience in marketing, branding, SEO, email, and all that. 

But here’s why we included it.

For every new customer you convert, you’ll make a $2,500 upfront commission. Plus, the new customer will receive $1,500 in credit to spend on MarkterHire’s marketplace. 

There are no limits on how many customers you sign up for either. Convert 10 customers and you’ll make $25,000. Woah!

Plus, with a 90-day cookie duration, MarketerHire has certainly got our attention. 

Eligibility 

Sign-up is very easy, taking less than 30 seconds. You can then share the link wherever you want, from your site or socials to emails or Discord chats.

The details

What to look for in an affiliate marketing program?

So now we’ve given you a selection of the best affiliate marketing programs, how do you decide which one to go for?

Well, first, there’s no limit on how many you can try out. But here are some tips to help avoid wasting time with a bad fit:

Usability

Commission rates and cookie duration will mean nothing if the user experience sucks. The programs we’ve listed make generating affiliate links easy, which is crucial. You should also be able to track your earnings from a centralized dashboard.

If the program offers you marketing materials and guidance, then give it some bonus points. NordVPN, for example, offers SEO advice and resources to help you boost conversions. 

Support 

Before you commit, have a quick look at the program’s site to see if there are support options. Whether it’s a live chat, phone number, or form, you’ll need something to help you out if things go bad. 

Avoid services that only use a bot chat or unclear communication methods. If you’ve not been paid on time, the last thing you want is to have no way to complain!

Payment terms

Think carefully when it comes to payment. High rates may seem great, but make sure they don’t have a cap attached, or take around 6 months to pay you. If cash flow is important to you, you’ll want something with no more than a net 30 delay. 

Recurring referrals are also great because you can make money every month just from one sign-up. Whop, for example, pays you 30% of all revenue made from creators you bring to the platform. 

But perhaps most importantly, double-check the payment method. The vast majority offer a check or direct deposit, but you can’t accept USD in these formats, so you’ll want one that offers Stripe or PayPal.

Cookie durations

Cookie duration is all about how long the program remembers that someone clicked the link. So, you can still get rewarded for someone clicking your link - even if they buy the product weeks later. 

The higher the better in this case, as it means you’ll make money for the overthinkers in our world (like me). Most of the best affiliate marketing programs offer at least 30 days on their cookies.

The difference between affiliate programs and affiliate networks

The use of affiliate ‘programs’ and ‘networks’ is interchanged constantly throughout the industry. We’ve included both in this list, as networks can help find really rewarding brands.

But there are two fundamental differences between a program and a network:

• Program: A direct partnership with a brand, where you make a commission for bringing them sales. 
• Network: A platform that you can use to choose between many different brands and receive payment when you bring the brands a sale. It all happens under one roof. 

Use Whop to launch your affiliate marketing hustle

Getting started as an affiliate marketer can be overwhelming. From brand selection to knowing how to make conversions, some hard work is required before the passive income kicks in. 

Whop can help you out, with a wide selection of marketing and affiliate gurus offering courses, resources, and communities to be a part of. You can learn from the comfort of your smartphone and ask the pros for advice as you grow. 

People have made hundreds of thousands of dollars thanks to Whop creator guidance, and now it’s your turn! Simply head to the Discover page and choose from the dozens of highly-rated communities offering affiliate marketing coaching.

And remember, Whop has one of the best affiliate programs in the business. Head to the Discover page and rank whops by 'hottest affiliate offers' to find a whop to refer.