TABLE OF CONTENTS
  • What Are The Criteria for Best Shopify Affiliate Apps?
  • UpPromote Affiliate Marketing: Best Affiliate App Choice for Shopify Merchants
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Why choose UpPromote
  • Refersion Affiliate Marketing: Advanced Affiliate Management Choice
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Pros vs. Cons
  • Shopify Collabs: Standout-yet-Polarizing Free Option By Shopify
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Pros vs. Cons
  • BixGrow Affiliate Marketing: Beginner Affiliate App of Choice
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Pros and cons
  • Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy: Lovely Affiliate App with Bizzard Pricing Model
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Pros and cons
  • GOAFFPRO ‑ Affiliate Marketing: A No-Brainer Shopify Affiliate App
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Pros and cons
  • Impact: Peak Enterprise Affiliate Marketing App
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Pros and cons
  • Referral Candy & Affiliate - Best for Customer-to-affiliate Brands
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Pros and cons
  • Simple Affiliate: Best for Tech-Naive Merchants
  • Overview
  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • Pros and cons
  • What Is The Best Shopify Affiliate App for Your Store?
  • Level of need
  • Budget
  • Shopify store plans
  • Recruiting affiliates
  • Managing affiliates
  • Tips and Tricks to Pick The Best Shopify Affiliate App
  • Free plan + free trials
  • Built for Shopify
  • Positive reviews
  • Customer support
  • Wrapping Up
  • FAQs
  • What is the best affiliate app for Shopify?
  • Is Shopify good for affiliate marketing?
  • What is the best reward app for Shopify?
  • What are the most popular Shopify affiliate apps?
  • Which is the highest paying affiliate program?
  • Which platform is best for affiliate marketing for beginners?
  • Growing your Shopify store with affiliate marketing is truly the smartest decision you can make. You only pay once the sales are due. You can see the performance in definitive metrics. You can also reach target audiences via the trusted figures of the community.

    But to make it work, you need the right affiliate solution.

    There are 1800+ variations on Shopify app listing, and they are not all winners. That’s why we give you the top 9 best Shopify affiliate apps to make your decision easier.

    We will break down what makes these tools special and why you should (and shouldn’t) pick them up as your affiliate app of choice.

    And if you’re only here for the number one solution. Here is a quick detour.

    Join 115,000+ UpPromote users to run affiliate programs and boost your sales.

    Try for free

    Let’s find you the affiliate app that perfectly aligns with your sales goals, shall we? But first.

    What Are The Criteria for Best Shopify Affiliate Apps?

    Every curated list needs a measurement. We do not expect you to take our words as face value.

    So, here are our parameters for picking these 9 apps. Every contender on this list must check every single point below:

    • Ease of use
    • Commission setting
    • Affiliate recruitment
    • Integration
    • Pricing
    • Scalability
    • Support & documentation

    We will also break down your optimal choice based on your needs, budgets, and more later down this post. Stay tuned!

    UpPromote Affiliate Marketing: Best Affiliate App Choice for Shopify Merchants

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 4.9/5
    • Capterra: 4.7/5
    • Getapp: 4.7/5
    • Software advice: 4.7/5
    • G2: 4.5/5

    shopfiy affiliate app

     

    UpPromote is undoubtedly the preferred affiliate solution on the Shopify app store. You can find UpPromote on Shopify’s best app list for marketing & conversion, advertising, Print-on-demand tech stack, customer acquisition, and countless more.

    And Shopify merchants adore UpPromote! 4.9-star rating over 2500+ reviews, making it the highest rated affiliate app in both quality and quantity.

    Outside of Shopify’s listing, merchants also express their satisfaction with the app on various review platforms.

    Truly, UpPromote is the people’s choice of affiliate marketing app.

    There are six reasons why Shopify merchants adore and trust UpPromote to handle their affiliate marketing:

    • Ease of use: It takes less than 5 minutes to start a program with UpPromote
    • Flexible pricing: No upfront cost with the free plan and adaptable to your growth with 3 paid plans.
    • All-powerful features: Freely create and customize everything about your affiliate program with minimal effort.
    • Sublime automation: Cut down your management time with various automation built in, from recruiting, sorting, motivating, and paying affiliates.
    • 24/7 dedicated support: There are always live agents who respond to your every need with clear & concise assistance in under 3 minutes.
    • Diverse application: 3-in-1 versatile solution for affiliate, influencer, and customer referral.

    Limited in-app payment options were the one thing that held UpPromote back. Thankfully, as of July 2025, Shopify merchants can integrate Wise – Bank transfer into the system and pay affiliates directly to their bank accounts from UpPromote.

    With over $1B in affiliate revenue generated across 150,000 merchants, this affiliate app has successfully helped Shopify merchants of all sizes grow their business vertically and horizontally.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Key features

    UpPromote’s features include three key pillars: creating affiliate programs, managing affiliates, and optimizing programs. Each has its own standout moments.

    Firstly, creating affiliate programs. Yes, program with an “S”.

    You can freely add an unlimited number of affiliate programs to your business. This ability is truly amazing because:

    1. You get to separate different affiliate types into different programs for easy management.
    2. Operating multiple programs simultaneously enables you to experiment and test out different approaches for optimization.

    For example, blog-writer affiliates get sorted into a program with a fixed commission rate but more help with ready-made marketing materials.

    Influencer affiliates, on the other hand, can belong to a program with commission on order value.

    This means that the more sales they bring in, the better they earn. You can also allow partners of this program to receive extra incentives such as samples, freebies, and new products to promote your brand better.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    You can then pitch the performance of both programs against each other and see which one is the better approach. A/B testing in real-time, if you will.

    Thanks to UpPromote’s dynamic affiliate commission & reward system, you can set up this system easily.

    You want to set commission on order value? UpPromote has your back.

    You want to set commission for inviting new customers? It’s possible.

    You want to set commission that changes based on your affiliate’s performance? You can do it with the number of sales or the order value; it’s your choice!

    Basically, the sky is the limit. Whatever way you want to reward your affiliates, UpPromote can offer you a solution.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    This affiliate app also understands the importance of motivating affiliates to perform at the top of their game. Hence, you have an abundance of options on this front, just to name a few:

    • Bonus/reward for celebrating a milestone
    • Product samples to strengthen the relationship
    • Custom link and discount code for personalization
    • Shared marketing materials to cut down on the creative process
    • Affiliate portal that contains all resources for affiliates to prosper

    shopfiy affiliate app

    And lastly, you can also count on UpPromote to bring you the detailed reports with precise tracking that you want from a performance marketing venture.

    You can view, sort, and download reports for each and every affiliate program with UpPromote. There are also visualizations in various graph types that help merchants like you quickly identify top affiliates and the most preferred products to optimize campaign results.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Furthermore, you can get the full customer journey for every referral order. It’s a treasure feature for merchants to learn where the customers came from, what the touch point was, and which affiliate brought them to the store.

    UpPromote truly understands that the keys to performance are insight and optimization. Every feature that UpPromote includes in your workplace directly gives you these two keys in various forms to ensure your success with affiliate marketing.

    Pricing

    There are 4 pricing plans that you could opt for with UpPromote: 1 free plan, and 3 paid plans based on your affiliate marketing needs.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    In detail:

    • Free forever plan
    • Growth plan: $29.99 + 2% successful referral sales per month
    • Professional plan: $89.99 + 1.5% successful referral sales per month
    • Enterprise plan: $199.99 + 1% successful referral sales per month

    You can easily estimate and visualize how much you will spend on UpPromote based on your affiliate’s performance. UpPromote has a live pricing calculator for you to try.

    UpPromote has helped Shopify merchants grow $1.1 billion in affiliate revenue. Time for you to join.

    Try for free

    UpPromote is a rather affordable choice for a premium affiliate marketing solution, making it the top contender for the best Shopify affiliate apps. The pricing is also heavy on the feature rather than on your growth.

    Meaning, you only move to a higher plan once you need to unlock certain features. You hardly need to pay more because you’re running out of the app’s quota.

    Why choose UpPromote

    UpPromote is the go-to choice for businesses starting & running affiliate marketing thanks to these four pluses: easy navigationpowerful featuresflexible pricing, and great support.

    You can see shining examples for each and every feature by just taking a look at UpPromote’s app listing page. The app won approval from both Shopify with the Built for Shopify badge and Shopify merchants with 2000+ 5-star reviews.

    Refersion Affiliate Marketing: Advanced Affiliate Management Choice

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 4.7/5
    • Capterra: 4.2/5
    • Getapp: 4.2/5
    • Trust pilot: 3.8/5
    • G2: 3.6/5

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Refersion is a powerful choice for Shopify merchants looking for professional affiliate management. You can count on their well-designed tools to recruit, manage, and grow affiliate programs.

    Plus, there is a marketplace of 500,000+ affiliates to ease your affiliate recruitment process.

    The in-app dashboard is user-friendly and intuitive. You can find high praise for Refersion on this particular feat across multiple review platforms.

    You can customize commission rates and track conversions in one place. And, your companion is email support and help resources with step-by-step tutorials.

    Yet, there is a fatal flaw within this app: there is no free plan, and no free trial. You really have to put your faith in this 12-year-old app and commit to paying it in full right off the bat.

    Key features

    With Refersion, you can manage unlimited affiliates and offers. Henceyou will have all the flexibility you need to adapt your growth spout brought in by affiliates.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Additionally, you can set custom commissions and bonus rewards for your affiliate program. While not as flexible as UpPromote, this feature will give you the freedom to mix-matching and optimizing your program with affiliate performance.

    Whether it’s rewarding top performers or creating tiered commissions, you have full control over how affiliates are compensated.

    Moreover, Refersion helps your brand to strike revenue growth through strong, direct relationships with affiliates. More than just commission, Refersion gives you the tools to take care of your affiliates with direct chat and provides ready-made resources.

    Pricing

    shopfiy affiliate app

    As mentioned above, the pricing is holding the app back from being the best Shopify affiliate app.

    There are three paid plans with no free trial offered:

    • Launch: $39/month+ 3% of affiliate-generated sales
    • Growth: $129/month+ 2% of affiliate-generated sales
    • Scale: $599/month+ 1% of affiliate-generated sales

    The jump from the last two plans is quite astronomical. Yet, you can see on the listing page that the top 3 reviews for Refersion are from merchants with 5 years of using the app, minimum.

    What they lack in pricing, Refesion completely makes up for with the quality of features and dedicated support.

    Pros vs. Cons

    Let’s bring out a comparison table for Refersion’s pros vs cons.

    Pros Cons
    User-friendly & integration Huge price gaps
    Affiliate management No free trial
    Performance tracking Double charge issue
    Customization

    As established, Refersion is a solid choice for its structure and support all throughout.

    It’s a reliable solution to create your custom affiliate program with accurate tracking and impeccable performance reports.

    Yet, while justifying, the pricing and especially the pricing gap, is an acquired taste for Shopify store owners. Paying upward of $600+ (counting in the % on sales fee) is a hefty price, regardless of your marketing budget.

    Some merchants even suggest that they have not made enough sales with affiliates to cover the app price monthly.

    There is also a warning that Refersion sent a bill to a merchant through Shopify and with our credit card. This is potentially a huge problem.

    Hopefully, this is just a standalone case, and Refersion will address this soon.

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    Shopify Collabs: Standout-yet-Polarizing Free Option By Shopify

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 3.6/5
    • Capterra: 4.2/5
    • Getapp: 4.8/5
    • Trust pilot: 1.3/5
    • G2: 3.6/5

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Shopify Collabs is Shopify’s take on the affiliate solution for merchants. And the results, well, leave a lot to be desired.

    From the rating overview above, you can see that there are a lot of opposite conceptions regarding this application.

    Some users like how easy it is to manage influencers. Others feel it is too restrictive and lacks proper support.

    Regardless, Shopify Collabs is still user-friendly and a good fit for new brands that want to try influencers as affiliates. However, it may not work well for long-term ambassador programs or brands that need more flexible collaboration features.

    Key features

    Shopify keeps this affiliate marketing app simple. Everything is stripped down to the basics with only core features included.

    The best and biggest selling point of Shopify Collabs is its marketplace with verified creators. You can also send an invite for your found influencers to join with ease.

    Since working with content creators, sending gifts and samples is a must. The ones that are accepted to your program will be able to choose their desired product directly from your store with no back-and-forth.

    Payment is also a great plus for Shopify Collabs. You can automatically pay creators using the trusted Shopify billing system.

    Pricing

    Great news: it’s technically free. Hurray! Best Shopify affiliate app is here – not so fast.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    The not-so-great news is that it’s charging you + 2.9% commission processing fee on automatic payments.

    For example, if you need to pay an affiliate $100 as commission, you need to pay Shopify $2.9 to process said payment.

    Hence, if you plan to have a lot of affiliates and make a lot of payments, your billing will be through the roof.

    Pros vs. Cons

    Let’s break down the app into pros and cons that make your choice easier:

    Pros Cons
    Simplified collabs with flow Lack of customization
    Access to the network Huge competition
    Automatic payment Huge processing fee
    Free to install

    Once again, nothing can beat the active network of influencers that are ready to work for your brand! They really nail down the huge pain of recruiting affiliates for any business that is interested in this form of marketing.

    Automation is also a huge part of Shopify Collab’s identity. You can connect the app to Shopify Flow and let the entire affiliate program work on autopilot, even the payment.

    Yet, since Shopify opts for a lighter application, there is little to no room for customization. Plus, the network is a public platform, so you will face a great deal of exposure to competition.

    Lastly, no one can get over the high processing fee.

    BixGrow Affiliate Marketing: Beginner Affiliate App of Choice

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 4.9/5

    shopfiy affiliate app

    This app is a killer Shopify affiliate solution. With a sensible pricing model and strangely good support for the price tag, BixGrow is the top choice if you are a beginner at affiliate marketing.

    There is no hidden fee, which is a big plus in BixGrow’s favor. You will get 90% of the must-have features to run a lucrative affiliate program without paying $300 for a premium app elsewhere.

    The paid plans are also reasonable, from $15-$25 monthly, which is perfect if you aim for affiliate marketing as a side revenue stream for your store.

    However, you need to be really careful since this is a rigid app. This means there is little to no maneuver for customization or personalization with your affiliate management.

    All and all, BixGrow is amongst the best Shopify affiliate apps for its price point and features.

    Key features

    BixGrow works best as an affiliate tracking app. You have multiple tracking methods that are secure and accurate on all fronts: via links, coupons, and emails.

    Speed is also a plus for BixGrow. The quick setup and smooth performance are notable and highly appreciated by their merchants. The reviews also highlight this app for responsive and knowledgeable customer support available via live chat.

    You can also set up commission tiers & performance bonuses that will motivate your affiliates to achieve higher sales results. They are only 2 commission variations behind UpPromote, which is quite a feat to achieve for their price point.

    Pricing

    We can’t get over how good and reasonable the pricing is with BixGrow.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    It’s simple, it’s to-the-point, and it’s cheap.

    You have 3 plans available:

    • Free for starters
    • Scale for $14.99/month
    • Pro for $24.99/month

    In contrast to Refersion, the gap between BixGrow’s paid options is narrow and acceptable. If you wish for a better commission structure and custom domain, the Pro plan is for you.

    And you only need to pay $10 more for it.

    Pros and cons

    Pros Cons
    Affordable pricing Limited functionality
    Intuitive interface Link performance issue
    Robust reporting
    Dynamic tracking options

    There is a lot to love about BixGrow. It’s cheap, but it doesn’t mean basic.

    You will have a nearly native app that runs straight from your Shopify’s backend and has all the features needed for affiliate marketing.

    Tracking and reporting are also great with BixGrow, which supports multiple tracking methods and gives real-time updates on your program performance.

    Yet, you will easily spot the lack of functionality as your affiliate program grows. Plus, there are reports that the links are not working as intended.

    Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy: Lovely Affiliate App with Bizzard Pricing Model

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 4.92/5
    • Getapp: 4.2/5
    • G2: 3.6/5
    • Trustpilot: 3.8/5

     

    shopfiy affiliate app

     

    ReferrLy Affiliate Marketing is a simple, user-friendly Shopify app. It helps businesses create and manage affiliate programs with ease. If you’re looking for an affiliate solution with no technical requirements, ReferrLy is a solid choice.

    Pricing is a huge plus for this app, ranging from $0-$15 among 4 plans. It’s affordable and reasonably priced for Shopify entrepreneurs, but the triggers to jump plans make no sense.

    Why the absolute must-have email notification feature comes in at $9 and the store credit nice-to-have option at $5 will forever remain a mystery.

    But, regarding how cheap the app is, it’s best not to think about it so much.

    Key features

    Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy makes setting up your affiliate program a breeze. You can launch an affiliate program in just minutes.

    With a clean, customizable portal, affiliates can easily track their performance and commissions.

    You will also get reports on sales generated by your affiliates that are recorded in real time. Yes, accurate, up-to-the-minute data at your fingertips.

    You’ll also benefit from flexible commission structures that will give you leeway to explore and encourage better performance from affiliates..

    Finally, affiliate payouts become a stress-free process with automated payments in Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy. This streamlined approach saves you time and keeps your affiliates motivated to keep driving sales.

    Pricing

    shopfiy affiliate app

    As mentioned above, Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy is one of the best-priced affiliate marketing solutions on the market.

    While the definitive features to upgrade among paid plans can not be identified, the pricing gap is entirely justifiable.

    Hence, the solution is simple: just pay the ultimate price, which is $15 a month, and you will have a great platform to run your affiliate marketing off the ground.

    Pros and cons

     

    Pros Cons
    Affordable pricing Limited functionality
    Intuitive interface Link performance issue
    Robust reporting
    Dynamic tracking options

    The pros of RefferLy can be wrapped up in its price point. Everything is great, for the price.

    The basicity is especially suited to beginners of affiliate marketing and budget-restrained Shopify merchants. There is no rocket science in creating and launching your first affiliate program with this app, even if you have no prior experience.

    Yet, the price point is also limiting your ability to make affiliate marketing your best growth channel. You can’t expect an app with $15 as the top plan to have advanced affiliate management features or business insight-induced reports.

    Still, this is a great affiliate app to try out if you want to seek new sales via word of mouth and affiliates.

    GOAFFPRO ‑ Affiliate Marketing: A No-Brainer Shopify Affiliate App

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 4.7/5
    • Getapp: 4.2/5
    • Capterra: 4.8/5
    • G2: 4.9/5
    • Trustpilot: 2.5/5

    shopfiy affiliate app

    GoAffPro is by far the most straightforward and easy-to-navigate affiliate app for any Shopify merchant. You have the freedom of scale with accommodating features without the complexity.

    It offers a wide range of features and tools to help merchants drive sales, increase brand visibility, and optimize their marketing efforts.

    You really get a bang for your buck with GoAffPro. A minor setback of this app, if any, is that you will outgrow this solution. With only two pricing plans and limited business intelligence features, it will never become the comprehensive affiliate platform that you will need down the road.

    Key features

    GoAffPro has a wide range of commission structures. Therefore, you can further incentivize affiliates via tiered commission, product commission, and more. You can see many types of commissions that UpPromote and GoAffPro provide here.

    This is also a great tool to segment affiliates into different groups that ensure your management is poised for the intended affiliate types.

    Another highlight is their feature set for recruiting affiliates. There are mostly passive recruiting features, aka putting your registration in different displays and waiting for affiliates to submit. ,

    Granted, you still have the ability to manually or automatically accept affiliates into your program.

    The professional and user-friendly affiliate portal is also a standout feature. It contains all the reports and resources for your affiliates to sell your products better and earn them the commission they deserve.

    Pricing

    shopfiy affiliate app

    The binary nature of GoAffPro’s pricing is both a blessing and a curse. You either choose to float with the free plan or pay the $49 monthly fee for the app. There is nothing in between.

    The difference between the price tags is justified. Once you upgrade to the premium option, you will be greeted with an abundance of customization in commission settings, resource providing, landing page specializing, and more.

    Hat off to GoAffPro for the 15-day free trial as well. You will have time to explore the app before fully committing.

    Pros and cons

    Pros Cons
    Affordable pricing Limited functionality
    Intuitive interface Link performance issue
    Robust reporting
    Dynamic tracking options

    The pros of RefferLy can be wrapped up in its price point. Everything is great, for the price.

    The basicity is especially suited to beginners of affiliate marketing and budget-restrained Shopify merchants. There is no rocket science in creating and launching your first affiliate program with this app, even if you have no prior experience.

    Yet, the price point is also limiting your ability to make affiliate marketing your best growth channel. You can’t expect an app with $15 as the top plan to have advanced affiliate management features or business insight-induced reports.

    Still, this is a great affiliate app to try out if you want to seek new sales via word of mouth and affiliates.

    Impact: Peak Enterprise Affiliate Marketing App

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 4.6/5
    • Crozdesk: 4.5/5
    • Software advice: 4.4/5
    • G2: 4.5/5
    • Trustpilot: 1.2/5

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Impact.com is a conglomerate of performance marketing tools ranging from affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, and partnership marketing. For the Shopify adaptation, impact focuses more on the affiliate marketing branch with all of its premium features.

    Similar to Shopify Collabs, impact brings in their ace card to the game: affiliate/partner marketplace. With 15 years of experience in the field, you can imagine the kind of trusted and best-performed partners that they offer.

    While not being the most native app to Shopify, impact makes it all up with the tracking and fraud protection. You will also experience the utmost automation down to payment with impact affiliate marketing.

    Pricing is impact’s kryptonite. Expecting merchants to pay $35 + 2.5% of monthly revenue just for the starter plan is one thing – the eye-watering price tag of $2500 for the Professional solution is another.

    This is not for businesses that do not 100% believe that affiliate marketing will bring in the revenue they want.

    Key features

    Putting the absurd pricing aside, impact does provide a lot of premium features with its Shopify app.

    As mentioned above, tracking is one of impact’s best-selling points. You will have a visualized dashboard with full information about clicks, leads, sales, and more.

    They also include an advanced option to alert to fraud-like behaviours with payment or click anomalies.

    Since this is a premium solution, you will have the ability to use this app across domains and set a fund limit per program.

    impact also leverages your Shopify app experience by giving you the freedom to integrate with 40+ technology partners.

    Pricing

    shopfiy affiliate app

    The only nice thing about this app pricing is that there is a 30-day free trial on the Starter plan. After that, it’s only going downhill.

    A lot of impact magics lies within their Essentials plan: access to marketplace, advanced reports, multi-domain, etc. And you need to pay $500/month for it.

    That’s the minimum price for Shopify merchants to try out impact’s premium experience. Then, there is the $2,500/month plan, which is the second most expensive Shopify app after Jioukou Group Buying at $6000/month.

    But this is the standard for such a powerful affiliate solution. There are two scenarios when one might consider opting for this plan:

    1. You have a global presence and try to grow affiliate marketing on that scale.
    2. You have an affiliate army that needs to go full digital with a trusted partner.

    Either way, impact.com is not for beginners or entrepreneurs. If you still want such premium features without the price tag, you can choose its top alternative.

    Pros and cons

    Now, let’s compare and contrast the best and worst parts of impact.

    Pros Cons
    All-in-one partnership management Feature complexity
    Massive & trusted partner network Cost and fee
    Customizable payout
    Smart tracking and report

    You can never go wrong with impact’s world-class partner networks. They have 300.000+ partners on standby with a proven track record of performance.

    It’s a truly all-in-one affiliate solution: from creating programs to recruiting affiliates, and then optimizing their effectiveness. All features are done to the utmost highest standard of quality and security.

    impact is also extremely smart with their payment structure. You can pay by various methods with condition-triggered automation payout. It’s a masterclass in setting a budget and increasing your ROI with affiliate marketing.

    Yet, you might find this app hard to navigate with all the features jumping at you on the screen. It’s hard to navigate and takes several screens for you to complete setting up a program.

    And we can’t not get over the 3-digit and 4-digit price tag of this app. It’s not for the faint of heart.

    Referral Candy & Affiliate – Best for Customer-to-affiliate Brands

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 4.6/5
    • Capterral: 4.5/5
    • Software advice: 4.4/5
    • G2: 4.5/5

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Referral Candy & Affiliate is a great app solution for merchants that want to grow sales from their happy customers.

    Since the app significantly narrows the scope of work to affiliates recruited from customers, the features they offer follow. Essentially, it’s a referral-first approach.

    The highlight of this app lies in its ability to reshape its templates into your own branding. Everything is customizable with Referral Candy, from the standard fonts and colors to structured changes with HTML and CSS editing.

    While the success sales fee leaves a lot to be desired, you will still have an easy time navigating this app and launching your campaign in no time.

    Key features

    Referral Candy & Affiliate is particularly proud of their automation feat.

    With the objective of convincing happy customers into active brand advocates, you can set these actions in motion completely automatically:

    • Send rewards for both referrals and friends
    • Send an inviting email after checkout or delivery is completed
    • Flag suspicious behaviors and ban the performers accordingly

    The report features are also much appreciated by the app’s users. You can see metric reports on performances, identify traffic sources + top referrals, and compare your program to the industry average.

    As mentioned above, the customizable templates of Referral Candy go crazy. It takes only minutes to have your professional offer live on your website, complete with your branding for optimal UX.

    Pricing

    shopfiy affiliate app

    This app has a clear cut on each and every paid plan they offer:

    • Basic: $29/month + 10.5% success fee on referral sales
    • Grow: $79/month + 3.5% success fee on referral sales
    • Scale: $249/month + 1.5% success fee on referral sales
    • Enterprise: $24000/year + unspecified success fee on referral sales

    The cut here is your margin. The more you pay for the app as a fixture, the less you will pay based on your performance.

    Of course, you also unlock features along the way. However, you unlock the quantity mostly since the biggest difference is the number of programs you can run and the number of customers you can onboard.

    Moving to the scale plan will open the door for deep integration via API that ensures your connected app system works harmoniously.

    Pros and cons

    Time to put it all out in a comparison table:

    Pros Cons
    Simple setup Complex integration
    Customizable campaign High % fee on successful sales
    Automated rewards
    Fraud protection

    Referral Candy keeps it simple with their features. It’s a step-by-step process with clear instructions and minimal screen jumps to set your program on track.

    You also benefit from their automation and fraud protection, which will reduce the manual work. To some degree, you can technically set it and forget it with Referral Candy and grow your sales on autopilot.

    That being said, their baseline integration for automation is mostly email and payment. And it’s simply not enough. You need to pay upward of $250 monthly (with a percentage cut on successful orders) to access API integration.

    And the cut is deep; you will need to bring out the calculator and set your commission smartly. Otherwise, running this app might result in a deficit for your overall growth.

    Simple Affiliate: Best for Tech-Naive Merchants

    Overview

    • Shopify app store: 4.96/5

    shopfiy affiliate app

    This is a hidden gem within Shopify’s affiliate app scene. Minus recruiting affiliates, Simple Affiliate does a wonderful job in creating and onboarding affiliates department.

    The app does live up to its name with a rather basic core toolkit. Everything is broken down into simple steps that are easy to follow and lead you to create your very own affiliate program with ease.

    You can see this appears in reviews for Simple Affiliate, which often praise the app’s intuitive design. Even at the time of this review, there are fewer than 100 verified merchant ratings.

    Key features

    Depending on your definition of flexible, Simple Affiliate does offer more than one way to set a commission structure. While the binary percentage or flat-rate is the common standard of the industry, you can’t deny that this option helps businesses to set up an attractive commission that attracts affiliates quickly.

    You can also expect a clean & professional affiliate portal. Once logged in, affiliates are able to access all the tools that you grant permission to. Reports, resources, links, coupons, and more.

    It’s built for Shopify certified, meaning you don’t have to do anything crazy to get this app up & running on your Shopify store – straight from your backend. Using the automated payout and tax oversee option, you can reduce your manual workload and focus on things that matter to your growth.

    Pricing

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Apart from the processing fee on auto-payout, the price tags of Simple Affiliate plans seem reasonable.

    There are four pricing plans:

    • Free plan with 10 affiliates limit
    • Pro plan: $39/month + 3.9% on bank transfers.
    • Premium plan: $69/month + 2.9% on bank transfers.
    • Enterprise plan: $189/month + 2.4% on bank transfers.

    Yet, we have to address the elephant in the room. Paying $30 more just to unlock manual payout is outrageous. This means that once you commit to a paid plan with this app, unless you choose to pay a premium price, you will be forced to pay a hefty processing fee on every commission payout.

    Pros and cons

     

    Pros Cons
    Easy set up & management Limit report analysis
    Customizable smart commission High bank transfer processing fee
    Automated payout
    Performance tracking

    Simply Affiliate is a great choice for Shopify merchants that want to start trying affiliate marketing. Simplicity is implied with the app name and how the app is constructed. You don’t need to be tech savvy to run this app effectively.

    One of its standout features is the customizable smart commission structure. You get to set rewarding affiliate tiers and extra incentives to move affiliates forward.

    Automated payouts are also included, which saves you time and effort. Plus, the performance tracking tools give you a practical look into affiliates’ activity and performance.

    However, the platform does have its setbacks. Reporting analysis is minimal, and you have to extract insights by yourself.

    Also, the processing fees from 2.5 to 3.9% can risk your margin if you’re not calculating your commission carefully.

    What Is The Best Shopify Affiliate App for Your Store?

    Level of need

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Here are our recommendations for you to choose your best affiliate solution based on what you want:

    • Basic needs of creating and tracking program: Simple Affiliate, BixGrow, UpPromote
    • Advanced demands for flexible commission structure: UpPromote, impact, GoAffPro
    • Vetted affiliate network: impact, Shopify Collabs
    • Fortification for fraud prevention: UpPromote, impact, Referral Candy
    • Integration for cross-app management: impact, Refersion, UpPromote

    Budget

    This is where it gets tricky. Of course, everyone loves a free plan, but you must accept its limitations.

    If you insist on choosing your free affiliate solution, here are your considerations: UpPromote, GoAffpro, Simple Affiliate, BixGrow, Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy, and Shopify Collabs.

    On the other hand, if you want your solution to grow with your business, look for these apps: BixGrow, Referral Candy, UpPromote, GoAffPro. 

    Lastly, if you already have your affiliate team and need an all-powerful management tool, you can choose among these top Shopify affiliate apps: impact.com, Refersion, and UpPromote.

    Shopify store plans

    Except for the Shopify Plus plan, you can pick and choose any affiliate solution from these 9 candidates.

    The Plus option for Shopify merchants is reserved for high-volume and complex businesses. Hence, you need an affiliate management app that can match your requirements and hold up to your sales surge.

    Your app choice should be reliable, powerful, and flexible with dedicated support. impact.com , UpPromote, and Refersion are the three apps that satisfy these conditions.

    Recruiting affiliates

    If you want to recruit affiliates that are seasoned and experienced, look no further than impact.com and its impeccable 300k+ partner network.

    UpPromote and GoAppPro are the two Shopify affiliate apps that are best for recruiting all types of affiliates.

    On the other hand, Shopify Collabs is exceptionally good for you if you’re interested in influencer and creator marketing.

    And if you want to explore customer referral as a lucrative business, you should give Referral Candy a try.

    Managing affiliates

    Managing affiliates requires the highest level of rewarding, fostering, and validating your partners.

    Hence, you should look for an affiliate solution that gives you multiple ways to celebrate your affiliates for the sales they bring in. You can give them better cut, lifetime commission, free product, dedicated landing page, and more!

    The best apps to ever do it in this category are: UpPromote, impact, BixGrow, and ReferrLy.

    Communication is also a huge part of managing your affiliate. The solutions we recommend in this lead all support this one way or another. Live chat, triggered email, or affiliate portal – it’s your choice!

    Tips and Tricks to Pick The Best Shopify Affiliate App

    Let’s help you quickly identify your best app choice! And by quick, we mean really really quick!

    Free plan + free trials

    So right when you type affiliate app into your Shopify app search bar, you will see a list of apps with brief synopses.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    The keywords that you need to look for here are: Free to install, Free plan available, and Free trial available. 

    As a rule of thumb, always look for the freemium aka free and paid plan available format in a Shopify App.

    Why?

    It’s best to test out the water before going in full force. You want to get a hold of the app and its capabilities before paying the developer their fair share.

    Especially with a technical-heavy application such as affiliate management. This one app will directly impact your sales and reputation.

    Furthermore, you should also consider choosing the app with free trials available. You need at least a 14-day trial period to make sure it works flawlessly.

    And it’s no coincidence that almost all Shopify affiliate apps we pick here belong to this category (except for Refersion), giving you the peace of mind.

    Built for Shopify

    Thanks to the Shopify developer team, you can quickly identify which are the high-quality apps by this one simple badge.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    This feature is a necessity since the Shopify app store currently hosts over 13,793 apps. With a quick glance, you can sort out the one affiliate app that satisfies Shopify’s standard in safety, performance, and usefulness.

    Yet, it’s unfortunate that Shopify’s own app, Shopify Collab, does not meet this standard.

    Within this list, UpPromote, BixGrow, Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy, Referral Candy & Affiliate, and Simple Affiliate are the best Shopify affiliate apps that have Built for Shopify certification.

    Positive reviews

    As always, listen to your fellow merchants. If they are happy with the app, they will be more than happy to share it with the world.

    While the app store is a good start to read up on your app pick’s reviews, you should also take a look at other review platforms.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Experience the best-rated affiliate solution by Shopify merchants today.

    Try for free

    G2, Getapp, Captera – just to name a few.

    In those reviews, pay special attention to these factors:

    • Ease of use and setup: if you’re a beginner.
    • Tracking and reporting: if you need in-depth insights.
    • Commission and payouts: if you want a dynamic reward structure.
    • Recruitment and management: if you focus on long-term affiliate relationships.
    • Integrations and compatibility: if you run a multi-store with tons of other apps.
    • Pricing and scalability: if budgeting and growing are your concerns.
    • Reputation and support: if you want a dedicated partner.

    This way, you can easily spot the one app that will be your ideal companion in growing your brand with affiliate marketing.

    Customer support

    Regardless of how easy breezy it is to run your affiliate app, you still need great customer support on standby. Sometimes, it’s not even that you get frustrated with a feature, but the need for a companion and recommendation that leads you to the support portal.

    Therefore, your ideal Shopify affiliate app should include 24/7 support, preferably live chat with a live agent. Some find the back-and-forth email support to be time-consuming, and most love to talk to a human.

    shopfiy affiliate app

    Luckily, you can easily spot this via the What merchants think brief that Shopify provides on each app listing! You’ll learn whether or not your app contender can be there for you when you need them by skimming through the snapshot.

    Wrapping Up

    That’s all for today! Hope that our list of best Shopify affiliate apps can be a helpful guide in your quest to grow your business.

    Affiliate marketing is truly the best performance marketing for customer acquisition, in both order volume and order value. All you need is a trusted solution, and the choice is yours to make.

    Whether your need is basic, optimization, or scale, we’ve got you covered.

    All and all, it’s clear that UpPromote stands out as the best affiliate marketing solution for businesses of all sizes. The proof is in the pudding – you don’t earn 2500+ 5-star reviews for being a subpar solution.

    BixGrow is your ultimate starter in getting familiar with Shopify affiliate marketing. Move up the ladder and you will consider applications such as Refersion and GoAffPro.

    Lastly, you can choose the 2nd most expensive app on the Shopify app listing and go with impact. You will experience the utmost luxury affiliate marketing experience and take your affiliate management to any direction you want.

    FAQs

    What is the best affiliate app for Shopify?

    UpPromote, Refersion and Affiliatly are some of the best affiliate apps for Shopify. They offer easy setup, tracking tools, and integrations to grow your affiliate program.

    Is Shopify good for affiliate marketing?

    Yes, Shopify is great for affiliate marketing because it supports affiliate apps and integrations, making it easy to track referrals and manage payouts.

    What is the best reward app for Shopify?

    Smile.io and BON Loyalty are popular reward apps for Shopify. They help create loyalty programs to reward customers for purchases, referrals, or reviews.

    What are the most popular Shopify affiliate apps?

    UpPromote, Refersion, Affiliatly, and GoAffPro are the most popular Shopify affiliate apps. They offer advanced tracking, commission management, and user-friendly dashboards.

    Which is the highest paying affiliate program?

    Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and Shopify’s affiliate program are some of the highest-paying affiliate programs, depending on the niche and commission structure.

    Which platform is best for affiliate marketing for beginners?

    Amazon Associates and ShareASale are beginner-friendly platforms. They are easy to use, have a wide range of products, and offer straightforward commission systems.

    Jodie Nguyen

    Jodie is an SEO content writer and part of the UpPromote team. For her, writing is not just a hobby but also a way to express her creativity and imagination. She enjoys the process of turning her thoughts into words and is always eager to learn more about SEO and content marketing to make her writing even more effective. Besides creating content, she loves cats and traveling.