Top Affiliate Marketing Platforms for Beginners: Boost Your Online Income in 2024

In today’s digital world, creating a passive income stream online has become increasingly popular. Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective ways to achieve this, by collaborating with businesses to expand their consumer base. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, about 80% of marketers have an affiliate marketing strategy. By transacting online through affiliate marketing platforms, you can earn a significant profit. Whether you work in any business or niche, you can benefit from affiliate marketing in India by using the right techniques and choosing the right platforms.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is the activity of making money from commissions. These are made from products or services sold through affiliate links. It is one of the most trending terms in the digital marketing world today. That’s because not only is it the most accessible source of passive income, but it also requires comparatively less effort.

However, before you start, you must learn about the best platform for affiliate marketing. Moreover, ever since introducing the 4-hour workweek system, making money by doing smart work has become everyone’s goal.

So, do you want to make an easy extra income from it? If yes, then you are in the right place. This blog will help you find out all that you need to know about affiliate marketing. This includes answers to questions like:

• How to start affiliate marketing?
• What are the best affiliate marketing platforms to make money?
• Is affiliate marketing platforms worth it?

How to Start Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing, as opposed to common belief, is not another job for an online salesman. Of course, you need to pass on links for people to click on and buy products to make money. However, that does not offer a guaranteed income if you don’t know how to promote the products correctly.

At the same time, if you own a business or a blog, then affiliate marketing platforms are the best source of adding to your wealth. Therefore, the answer to the question of how to start affiliate marketing in India includes the following factors:

1. For Bloggers

If you have a blog with many followers, then you can generate enough revenue by using Ad links.
However, some important factors that determine your profits are:

• Connection of product links: If you own a fashion blog your followers will be interested in buying things related to that. In this case, you can promote beauty products, clothes, and accessories. This is to increase your chances of people clicking more on these links. It gradually leads to more sales and hence a higher commission.
• Quality of the product: You can try the affiliate product or go through customer reviews before promoting it. You don’t want to mislead your viewers by exposing them to fake companies that sell cheap goods.

Amazon Associates is one of the best platforms for affiliate marketing for bloggers. The main reason behind this is the availability of various products. So, there is something for every blog niche.

2. For Business Owners

Businessmen already have some prior marketing knowledge. So, there are many ways in which they can benefit from affiliate marketing. Likewise, whether you are an entrepreneur or a small start-up, affiliate marketing can help to fund your projects without any investment. After all, all you have to do is educate people about the product. Likewise, affiliate marketing platforms can help you produce a great passive income.

Related Article: Affiliate Marketing in India- Best Guide for Beginners

How is affiliate marketing different from influencer marketing?

Understanding Influencer and Affiliate Marketing

Influencer marketing and affiliate marketing share similarities but are distinct strategies. Here’s a breakdown of how they work:

1. Influencer Marketing
   • Involves partnerships with individuals (influencers) with significant followings.
   • Companies pay influencers to promote products or services, aiming to sway their audience’s purchasing decisions.
   • Helps brands connect directly with target audiences and boost visibility.
2. Affiliate Marketing
   • Businesses pay affiliates a commission for each sale generated through their unique links or codes.
   • Affiliates promote products on websites or channels, earning a commission for successful conversions.

Key Tip: Choose an affiliate marketing platform that aligns with your business needs to maximize revenue potential.

3 Step Process to Start Affiliate Marketing

1. Sign up with an affiliate program:

The first step is really simple i.e. Sign up with an affiliate program that aligns with your niche. We have suggested some of the best affiliate programs in the next section of this blog.

2. Create content:

Sharing links is not the only thing in affiliate marketing. You need to write on-point product reviews as well to help the buyer decide better and make a purchase from your link. This is what makes some affiliates better sellers than others.

3. Add affiliate links: 

You can either post them on social media websites such as Instagram and Facebook. Or, send direct invitations to potential buyers with the help of email marketing. Additionally, if you own a website, you can add these links there too.

Top 23 Affiliate Marketing Platforms with Advantages & Disadvantages

Now that you know the basics of affiliate marketing, it is important to have a clear idea about India’s best affiliate marketing platforms and websites. The first step is to sign up with one of the reliable affiliate marketing platforms. As soon as you do this, you can create your unique links. Following this, share the links on various affiliate marketing platforms to make an income from it.

Here are India’s most liked affiliate marketing platforms:

1. Amazon Associates
2. Flipkart Affiliate
3. VCommission Affiliate
4. Admitad
5. Cuelinks Affiliate
6. DGM
7. Shopify Affiliate Program
8. CJ Affiliate
9. Impact
10. PartnerStack
11. Tapfiliate
12. Zinfi
13. Affise
14. Everflow
15. Offer18
16. Voluum
17. LeadDyno
18. Awin
19. Avalon
20. Trackdesk
21. UpPromote
22. TUNE
23. ClickBank

1. Amazon Associates

Amazon.com is one of the biggest names in the E-Commerce world today. The shopping site that sells almost everything online started in 1995 and originally sold books. Because of the wide variety of all kinds of products available on the site, Amazon’s Associates marketing program is one of India’s high-paying affiliate marketing platforms. It is one of the top-used affiliate marketing platforms for the following reasons:

• There is no registration fee for signing up.
• More than 2 million sellers selling all types of goods are available. This gives you the power to choose the products according to your needs.
• Amazon offers great seasonal bonuses every now and then. So, you get special promotions on occasions like Cyber Monday and Black Friday deals.

Advantages

• Wide range of products.
• All purchases made by customers during the cookie’s validity will be credited to you.
• The biggest brand in e-shopping.
• Low payout threshold.

Disadvantages

• A universal cookie is only valid for 24 hours.
• Some categories have very low commissions.
• You need to register separately for different countries.

2. Flipkart Affiliate

When it comes to online shopping, most Indians prefer to shop from Flipkart over Amazon. Henceforth, since the number of people wanting to buy from Flipkart is higher, it gives Flipkart affiliates a lead over other affiliate marketing platforms. Moreover, adding Flipkart ad banners to your website can help you earn a 12% commission every time someone buys from your link. Like Amazon, Flipkart also does not charge any money for signing up.

Advantages

• Easy to join.
• Reputed and trustable
• Tons of products you can promote
• Decent commission rate

Disadvantages

• Poor implementation of the program
• Tight, lengthy rules.

3. VCommission Affiliate

VCommission Affiliate is one of the oldest affiliate marketing platforms, having more than 18,000 affiliates. In India, it has become a major leader because of its CPA offers. CPA refers to Cost per Action. It tells about all the details and requirements that must be met by an affiliate during marketing. Moreover, Vcommission has a large network tied to several well-known E-Commerce names like Myntra and Snapdeal. So, you can promote a great number of marketing and digital solutions.

Advantages

• Traffic coming from India can be easily captured by promoting Indian products.
• Various tools are available for advertisers and affiliate brands, so they can ensure that they will get results with vCommission.
• Real-time tracking is the best feature.
• Because of strong morals and values, it always gives what it says.
• Publishers having good traffic can earn really good returns from it.

Disadvantages

• Small publishers can not reach the minimum payment threshold, which is $100 and it would take years for them to reach there.
• The bad thing about this network is that its conversion rates and payment levels are really low.

4. Admitad

If you are looking for global affiliate marketing platforms, then Admitad is the perfect solution. Being connected with some major global brands like Samsung And Tata Cliq, it offers many ways to step into the affiliate marketing industry.

• Contextual Advertising
• Promo Codes
• Banner Advertising
• Coupons

Additionally, it also allows monetization of content to its publishers. This includes the monetization of social media communities and email newsletters. Lastly, to withdraw your earnings, you must use at least one of the following methods:

• Bank Cards
• Payoneer
• PayPal

5. Cuelinks Affiliate

Cuelinks Affiliate is one of the easiest-to-use affiliate marketing platforms. Apart from having more than 400 advertisers’, it offers features like:

• Automatic insertion of affiliate links. Suppose you are writing an article about kitchen appliances in India. In this case, it would automatically add an affiliate link to a related product without you having to do anything.
• For the people who use WordPress, you can get free access to the WordPress plugin making the task even simpler.

All in all, it provides a 360-degree view of your content. This way not only you can drive more sales but also traffic to your website. As a result, causing you to make more money.

Also Read: A details guide on How to Use WordPress

6. DGM

DGM is one of India’s most famous digital ad networks. Having established its name 12 years ago in the digital marketing industry, it is no doubt one of the top choices of affiliate marketing platforms all over India.

• You get to choose the affiliate campaigns you want to work in.
• Other than earning a commission, you also get rewarded with bonuses for exceeding profit expectations.

However, you must note that not all advertisers will offer you the same fees. On one hand, some will only pay a small amount from their total earnings. On the other hand, others may agree on a fixed price. But in both cases, you can create a fair income.

Advantages

• Oldest affiliate platform network.
• Tons of products to promote.
• Own tracking platform.

Disadvantages

• Pay-out is not very competitive.

7. Shopify Affiliate Program

Affiliate marketing Platforms for beginners on the Shopify Affiliate Program are just a piece of cake. It is one of the best affiliate marketing platforms, especially if you have no experience in marketing. This is because of:

• Affordability.
• It is quick to start.
• Easy to use.

Again, it has affiliates from all fields including:

• Entrepreneurs.
• Educators.
• Content Creators.
• Top-notch Influencers.

Therefore, because it is one of the all-in-one affiliate marketing platforms, it keeps up with its name. Therefore, providing the right Shopify partner support will make things easier. As a result, you can drive more traffic and increase public engagement. And hence, make more affiliate sales. In short, the access to tutorial tools makes Shopify the most versatile among various affiliate marketing platforms in India.

Advantages

• Great product
• Good support
• High demand solution
• High conversion to sales
• High ticket sale potential

Disadvantages

• You can be banned
• It’s not a recurring commission so your income can fluctuate from month to month

8. CJ Affiliate

CJ affiliate is another great option for beginners. Since it has 14 offices worldwide it is one of the top international favorite affiliate marketing platforms of 2021.

Key features of CJ Affiliate:

• Cookie-less tracking enables smooth tracking across all devices and environments.
• Offers a large number of choices. Thus, you can choose the finest digital marketing services to promote on your blog.
• Publishers can maximize the price of affiliate partnerships on CJ.

Besides this, this is one of the affiliate marketing platforms that connect with leading brands such as GoPro and Office Depot. So, you never run out of great deals to offer to your audience.

Advantages

• Trusted by the world’s largest brands for their affiliate needs.
• Extremely robust reporting infrastructure.
• Access to trusted fraud detection software.

Disadvantages

• The onboarding process can be quite long to get up and running.
• This affiliate marketing platform is built for more experienced affiliate marketers.
• An affiliate marketing network is historically built for B2C brands, rather than B2B companies.
  

9. Impact

Impact.com is one of the global partnership management affiliate marketing platforms that helps businesses connect with affiliates, influencers, and other partners to manage and optimize partnerships.

Features:

• Builds genuine and rewarding relationships with publishers and consumers.
• Provides transparency through cross-device tracking and fraud detection.
• Offers visibility across the customer journey to optimize partnerships.

Advantages:

• One of the best marketplaces.
• Easy to use.
• Excellent customer support.

Disadvantages:

• Expensive.
• Reports of crashes and bugs.
• Poor link performance reporting.

Pricing: Quote-based.
G2 Rating: 4.6

10. PartnerStack

PartnerStack is one of the affiliate marketing platforms that simplifies the process of building and scaling partnerships, offering tools for partner recruitment, onboarding, and performance tracking.

Features:

• Single workspace for managing your partner ecosystem.
• Expands partnerships efficiently, saving time and cost.
• Tools for recruiting, tracking, rewarding, and optimizing campaigns.

Advantages:

• Clean and intuitive user interface.
• Transparent partner management platform.
• Excellent customer service.

Disadvantages:

• Limited reporting features.
• Poor payment system.

Pricing: Quote-based.
G2 Rating: 4.7 | Capterra Rating: 4.9

11. Tapfiliate

Tapfiliate is one of the cloud-based affiliate marketing platforms software for e-commerce and SaaS brands, providing tools for creating and managing affiliate marketing programs.

Features:

• Integrates with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Stripe.
• Customizable affiliate pages and referral links.
• Supports multiple languages and currencies for global campaigns.

Advantages:

• Excellent customer service.
• Versatile user interface.
• Supports multiple currencies.

Disadvantages:

• Complex integration with Spotify.
• Steep learning curve.

Pricing: Free trial available, with plans ranging from $89 to $499.
G2 Rating: 3.6 | Capterra Rating: 4.5

12. Zinfi

ZINFI helps businesses expand their partner networks and manage affiliate marketing platforms with intuitive cloud applications.

Features:

• Customizable, user-friendly platform for managing partnerships.
• Facilitates collaboration and communication with partners.

Advantages:

• Feature-rich and user-friendly.
• Highly customizable platform.

Disadvantages:

• Complex workspace.
• Requires time to learn.

Pricing: No free trial available.
G2 Rating: 4.9 | Capterra Rating: 4.9

13. Affise

Affise is one of the partnership affiliate marketing platforms designed to help businesses manage and scale their affiliate programs.

Features:

• Comprehensive tools for tracking, assessing performance, and managing partner marketing.
• Includes products for performance, reach, and mobile attribution.

Advantages:

• User-friendly interface.
• Multilingual workspace.
• Reliable customer service.

Disadvantages:

• Frequent technical issues.
• Limited tracking features.

Pricing: Free trial available; plans range from $500 to $1,500.
G2 Rating: 4.6 | Capterra Rating: 4.6

14. Everflow

Everflow is one of the partner affiliate marketing platforms offering tools for tracking, integrating, and analyzing ROI from partnerships.

Features:

• Monitors traffic sources and conversions.
• Analyzes performance to optimize revenue-driving traffic sources.

Advantages:

• Easy to use.
• Great response time and support.
• Seamless integration.

Disadvantages:

• Expensive.
• Poor dashboard design.

Pricing: Free trial available; pricing starts at $750.
G2 Rating: 4.7 | Capterra Rating: 4.9

15. Offer18

Offer18 is one of the performance affiliate marketing platforms for tracking and optimizing affiliate networks.

Features:

• Advanced tools like Anti-Fraud, Offer Automation, and Link Tester.
• Monitors campaign performance, including clicks, leads, and conversions.

Advantages:

• Great customer support.
• Good value for money.

Disadvantages:

• UI improvements are needed.

Pricing: Free trial available; plans range from $49 to $349.
G2 Rating: 4.7 | Capterra Rating: 4.7

16. Voluum

Voluum provides analytics tools for optimizing performance across paid and organic traffic sources.

Features:

• AI-powered traffic optimization.
• Secure data management.

Advantages:

• Excellent support service.
• Robust reporting tools.
• User-friendly interface.

Disadvantages:

• Costly add-ons.
• Requires learning.

Pricing: Plans range from $199 to $349; no free trial available.
G2 Rating: 4.7 | Capterra Rating: 4.6

17. LeadDyno

LeadDyno simplifies affiliate program management with tools for tracking, automated emails, and social media marketing.

Features:

• Tracks affiliate performance and program metrics.
• Automated lead management tools.

Advantages:

• Value for money.
• Beginner-friendly.

Disadvantages:

• Poor customer support.
• Lacks advanced features.

Pricing: Free trial available; plans range from $49 to $749.
G2 Rating: 4.2 | Capterra Rating: 4.3

18. Awin

Awin connects businesses with a variety of publishers and partners while providing performance insights.

Features:

• Performance tracking tools.
• Email updates for campaign performance.

Advantages:

• Simple to use.
• Intuitive features.

Disadvantages:

• Signup fee.
• Complex registration process.

Pricing: Free trial available; quote-based pricing.
G2 Rating: 4.2 | Capterra Rating: 4.1

19. Avalon

Avalon offers a cost-free platform for managing affiliate programs with tools for monitoring discount codes and payouts.

Features:

• Integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce.
• Advanced attribution capabilities.

Advantages:

• Free to use.
• Data accuracy.

Disadvantages:

• Slight learning curve.

Pricing: Free.

20. Trackdesk

Trackdesk is an affiliate management platform offering features for tracking and optimizing campaigns with no upfront cost for beginners.

Features:

• ROI evaluation tools.
• Supports multiple users and languages.

Advantages:

• Feature-rich and simple interface.
• Free plan available for startups.

Disadvantages:

• No mobile app.
• Steep learning curve.

Pricing: Free trial available; plans start at $67.
G2 Rating: 4.8 | Capterra Rating: 5.0

21. UpPromote

UpPromote is a Shopify-focused affiliate platform designed to simplify campaign management.

Features:

• Personalized affiliate link creation.
• Multiple compensation models.

Advantages:

• Easy to use.
• Great value for money.

Disadvantages:

• Confusing UI.
• Challenging onboarding.

Pricing: Free trial available; plans range from $0 to $199.99.
G2 Rating: 4.5 | Capterra Rating: 4.7

22. TUNE

TUNE provides a customizable SaaS platform for managing partner and affiliate networks.

Features:

• Comprehensive performance tracking.
• Tools for scaling partner programs.

Advantages:

• Excellent reporting system.
• Flexible functionality.

Disadvantages:

• Expensive.
• Requires a learning curve.

Pricing: No free trial; plans start from $599 to $1,500.
G2 Rating: 4.1 | Capterra Rating: 4.6

23. ClickBank

ClickBank supports businesses in managing affiliate programs and promoting digital and physical products.

Features:

• Tools for affiliate onboarding and management.
• Extensive affiliate network access.

Advantages:

• Beginner-friendly.
• Large product database.

Disadvantages:

• Poor product quality.
• Limited geographic accessibility.

Pricing: Quote-based.

Is affiliate marketing platforms worth it?

Money is the most important asset and necessity of all time. After all, whether it is food, shelter or fun, you need money for everything. Affiliate marketing platforms, therefore, are a great money-making system. In particular, if you want to get into the digital marketing and business fields, then this can be a great start. Since most of the top business people and entrepreneurs do affiliate marketing on the side, it is no doubt worth giving it a try.

Still, the amount of money you make will largely depend on your advertising and convincing skills. This means that to start, you need to first prepare your communication skills. Plus, a good review writing ability is not needed but surely makes you better than your competitors as an affiliate.

Income Status of Affiliate Marketers in India

According to Glassdoor, the average salary of an affiliate marketer in India is almost Rs. 19000 per month. It starts from Rs. 11,000 and goes up to Rs. 26,000. In fact, as you level up your skill and network you can earn even more.

Become an Expert at Chegg

Becoming an expert at Chegg India is a great alternative to earning money online. Being an expert is all about answering questions posted by students on the website. No extra effort or investment is needed to join the Chegg affiliate marketing Platforms.

The best part is that you get paid for every correct answer that you give. You can work from anywhere, anytime, on a completely flexible schedule. Sign up, choose the subject you want, and get started!

Tips for Success with High-Paying Affiliate Marketing Platforms

Signing up for any of the affiliate marketing platforms is just the first step. To truly succeed, you need to know how to market the products or services effectively. Here are actionable tips to help you maximize your earnings and grow your affiliate business.

Identify Profitable Products

Choosing the right products is crucial for generating significant profits. Consider these factors:

• Price of Purchase/Subscription: High-value orders can yield good returns, even with moderate commission rates.
• Recurring Payments: Opt for services with subscription models to earn recurring monthly commissions.
• Commission Rates: Compare one-time high payouts with lower, recurring payments to determine the most profitable option.
• Brand Reputation: Products from established, trustworthy brands are easier to promote and build trust with your audience.
• Active Affiliate Community: Look for programs with forums or groups where you can connect with experienced marketers for guidance and tips.

Build Trust with Your Audience

Never mislead your audience into buying products they don’t need. While it may bring short-term profits, it will damage your reputation and lose the trust of your readers in the long run. Focus on promoting products that genuinely provide value.

By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to building a sustainable and profitable affiliate marketing strategy!

Get Started with Affiliate Marketing Platforms

One way to extract maximum money through affiliate links is to research the most trending products and become a part of trusted affiliate marketing platforms. The high-demand goods popular amongst your viewers are what will get you the most cash out of them. So, choose the product, get the link and apply the right marketing strategies to win the affiliate marketing game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some useful resources:

• 12 Ways on How to Make Money Online in India
• Start Your Side Hustle Journey | Find Your Passion & Earn Extra Income
• Top 10 Side Hustle Ideas You Can Start In 2023
• How to Sell Products Online and Start an Online Store?