Are you looking for the best WordPress affiliate plugins? If you are, keep reading this article. Here, we will show you the top 7 affiliate plugins you should consider to run an affiliate program or manage affiliate links.
Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money online. If you are a blogger and need to boost your online income, we recommend joining affiliate networks and promoting products that suit your niche.
Similarly, if you are a brand, you can start your affiliate program. This way, you can get people to promote your product without spending a penny. It is a win-win since you only pay them while they make a sale.
There are so many ways to handle and run an affiliate program. We will not recommend using any hosted tools since you use WordPress as the CMS. If you use the self-hosted version of WordPress (WordPress.org), you have dedicated plugins and need to launch your affiliate program/handle affiliate links.
Wondering which are the best WordPress affiliate plugins?
No issues. Here, we will list the top seven plugins you should try if you are into affiliate marketing. By the end of this article, you can choose the ideal plugin for your affiliate needs.
But first, let’s see why using affiliate plugins is good.
Table of Contents
Why Using Affiliate Plugins Is Good?
As we mentioned earlier, there are two different situations:
- Starting an affiliate program for your brand
- You are an affiliate marketer and need to handle all the affiliate links
Starting an affiliate program would be one of the wisest choices for a brand owner. You can use a dedicated affiliate plugin for the task without using any third-party hosted platforms. This way, you can manage the affiliate program right from the dashboard.
On the other hand, if you are an affiliate marketer and need to handle affiliate links efficiently, choose a plugin. This way, you can cloak and optimize the affiliate links. Doing these manually would be challenging.
Using WordPress affiliate plugins can simplify the process.
Now you know why using WordPress affiliate plugins is good. The next section will show you the top seven plugins you can use for affiliate marketing.
Best 7 WordPress Affiliate Plugins to Try
In a nutshell, the best WordPress affiliate plugins are:
- ThirstyAffiliates
- AffiliatePress
- Pretty Links
- AffiliateWP
- YITH WooCommerce Affiliates
- SliceWP
- Solid Affiliates
Each plugin comes with unique features and integrations. Below, we will explain what makes each tool unique. Based on your preferences, you can pick an option.
| Plugin | Best For | Author Rating |
|---|---|---|
| ThirstyAffiliates | Link cloaking and affiliate link management | 4.8/5 |
| AffiliatePress | Advanced affiliate program management with flexible commissions | 4.7/5 |
| Pretty Links | Beginners who want simple link tracking and shortening | 4.8/5 |
| AffiliateWP | Professional affiliate program management with strong integrations | 4.6/5 |
| YITH WooCommerce Affiliates | WooCommerce stores are looking for built-in affiliate systems | 4.5/5 |
| SliceWP | Lightweight and beginner-friendly affiliate management | 4.6/5 |
| Solid Affiliates | All-in-one affiliate solution for WooCommerce businesses | 4.7/5 |
1. ThirstyAffiliates
The first option for managing your affiliate links is ThirstyAffiliates. If you are an affiliate marketer and need to handle your links efficiently, you should use ThirstyAffiliates. By default, when you join affiliate programs, they will give you a random URL with your affiliate ID. This needs to be more user-friendly and optimized.
With ThirstyAffiliates, you can cloak your affiliate links and match them with your domain name. The best part is that you can also categorize your affiliate links. For example, if you promote affiliate links of Kinsta and WP Engine, you can create a category called web hosting and move them all there. This way, you can keep the links well organized.
The automatic keyword link insertion is another good feature you will love. If you are running a huge blog and forgot to add affiliate links, the automatic keyword linking feature will be there to help you. ThirstyAffiliates automatically links affiliate URLs to specific keywords without any manual work.
This is an excellent way to boost your affiliate revenue. You can see detailed stats on link clicks from the reports section.
Features
- Automatic keyword linking
- Link categorization
- Redirection control
- CSV import/export
- Dedicated stats
Pricing
ThirstyAffiliates is a freemium plugin. The free version can be downloaded from the WordPress plugins repository. On the other hand, the premium version costs $99.60 a year.
2. AffiliatePress
If you are looking for the most reliable WordPress affiliate plugin, AffiliatePress is the answer. The plugin comes packed with features every affiliate manager needs. It allows you to create and manage affiliates, track performance in real time, and automate payouts, all from your WordPress dashboard. The plugin is particularly strong in commission flexibility.
You can configure percentage-based, fixed, recurring, tiered, or multi-level commissions depending on your strategy. This makes it suitable for both small businesses and advanced affiliate systems. It also includes detailed reporting, fraud detection, and seamless integration with WooCommerce and other tools, making it easy to scale your affiliate marketing efforts.
AffiliatePress also focuses heavily on usability, providing a smooth experience for both admins and affiliates. The backend interface is clean and well-organized, so you can manage affiliates, commissions, and payouts without confusion.
On the other hand, affiliates have access to a dedicated dashboard to track their performance, view earnings, and generate referral links with ease. This balance between powerful features and user-friendly design makes AffiliatePress a practical choice for long-term affiliate program management.
Features
- Multiple commission types, percentage, fixed, recurring, tiered, multi-level
- Real-time tracking for clicks, conversions, and earnings
- Built-in fraud detection system
- Automated payouts with PayPal and Stripe
- Affiliate dashboard and registration system
- Integration with WooCommerce and other WordPress plugins
Pricing
AffiliatePress is a freemium WordPress plugin. You can download the lite version from their official website. The premium version starts at $79 a year for a yearly license and $179 for a lifetime license.
3. Pretty Links
If you need another link-cloaking plugin, check out Pretty Links. With Pretty Links, you can transform your regular affiliate links into user-friendly ones. Adding affiliate links in content would also be easy. You will see an option inside the editor to insert affiliate links to the article. From there, you can insert any affiliate links you have.
Redirection options are another excellent feature offered by Pretty Links. You can use 301 and 302 redirection rules for your affiliate links. This will help you avoid search crawlers indexing your affiliate links on Google search result pages, thereby avoiding penalties. You can choose a global redirection type. You will also get an option to select different redirections for individual links.
Integrating Google Analytics with the plugin lets you track the link clicks more deeply. Pretty Links has a limited reports section that shows how many clicks you got. Connecting GA will give you more insights, such as the user’s country and device. You can also modify the slugs according to your preferences.
Features
- Redirection control
- Google Analytics integration
- Import and export links
- Nofollow links
- Custom slugs
Pricing
PrettyLinks is a freemium WordPress plugin. From the plugin repository, you can download the free version of the plugin. On the other hand, the premium version will cost you $99.60 a year.
4. AffiliateWP
When you need to use the most powerful WordPress plugin to create an affiliate program, check out AffiliateWP. You can use this plugin to have unlimited affiliate partners, creatives, commissions, and payouts, with no monthly fees. The fraud prevention feature offered by AffiliateWP helps protect your business from scams.
Another unique feature offered by AffiliateWP is the creative scheduling option. The creative scheduling option would be handy if you have an upcoming event, such as Black Friday, and need to provide your affiliates with unique Black Friday creatives.
This way, you can provide the creatives for only a limited time. After the specific date, the banners will be removed from the dashboard, and affiliates won’t be able to access them. With the Zapier integration, you can connect the AffiliateWP plugin with multiple tools and services.
Features
- Unlimited affiliate registrations
- Fraud prevention
- Creatives scheduling
- Direct link tracking
- Zapier integration
Pricing
AffiliateWP is a premium tool. The plugin will cost you $149.50 a year.
5. YITH WooCommerce Affiliates
YITH is a popular name in the WooCommerce industry. They have created a plugin that helps you manage your brand’s affiliate program without hassle. You can customize every inch of the affiliate registration form and add a unique touch to your brand. The main advantage of YITH WooCommerce Affiliates is its features.
The controls available in the plugin are great. You can use a custom rate rule if you have an influencer and need to give them a better commission rate. This way, the selected people will get a better commission than regular affiliates. You can also create custom coupons for affiliate partners, which will benefit you and your partner.
You can use any payment gateway, such as PayPal or Stripe, to pay your affiliates. YITH WooCommerce Affiliates integrates with both networks, making it easy to send payments from your website. The integration process is also simple. You do not need to have any technical knowledge to complete the integration. Once you have pasted some API keys, you can move forward.
Features
- Customize the form
- Dedicated affiliate management
- Custom commission control
- Multiple payment options
- Payment gateway integrations
Pricing
YITH WooCommerce Affiliates is a freemium WordPress plugin. From the repository, you can get the free plugin. The premium version will cost you $179.99 a year.
6. SliceWP
If you are looking for a plugin with the most user-friendly interface, SliceWP is a good option. SliceWP is also one of the feature-rich WordPress affiliate plugins you can use to run an affiliate program in WordPress without any technical knowledge. You can have unlimited affiliates registered and enable the admin approval process.
By doing this, only the selected affiliates can join your network and promote the products. Enabling affiliate approval will help you learn and understand more about their strategies, how they will promote the products, and so on. This will help you identify potential partners suitable for the long-term business.
Once you complete the PayPal integration, you can send mass transfers to the affiliates. There won’t be any delays in both payment processing and link tracking. The real-time tracking feature would be ideal to see how the affiliates are doing. Finally, the custom cookie duration option is also a great feature on a WordPress affiliate plugin.
Features
- Affiliate approval process
- PayPal payments
- Custom product commission rate
- Accurate tracking
- Custom cookie duration
Pricing
SliceWP is a freemium WordPress plugin. The free plugin can be downloaded from the WordPress plugin repository. On the other hand, the premium version will cost you $169 a year or $429 (one-time fee).
7. Solid Affiliates
If you need a plugin with an easy-to-set-up wizard to configure the affiliate program, check out Solid Affiliates. The plugin is best for both beginners and professionals. Once you have activated Solid Affiliates, the plugin integrates with WooCommerce automatically. You do not need to use any custom add-ons to complete the integration.
Apart from WooCommerce, the plugin will also work with WooCommerce subscriptions. Another notable feature of Solid Affiliate is the drag-and-drop form editor. You can customize the elements available on the affiliate registration page using the form editor. When people sign up as affiliate partners, they will be assigned a unique WordPress user role with limited access features.
You can also customize the emails you send from the website. Customizing the emails would be a good choice if you need to add a touch to your brand or brand images. You do not need to write code for customizing the emails. All changes can be made in the Solid Affiliate settings.
Features
- Easy setup wizard
- Integrates with WooCommerce
- Review affiliate applications
- Forms customization
- Customizable affiliate emails
Pricing
Solid Affiliate is a premium affiliate plugin. If you prefer a monthly subscription, it will cost $149.60 per year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now, let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions and answers about this topic.
What is a WordPress affiliate plugin?
A WordPress affiliate plugin helps you create and manage an affiliate program directly on your website. It allows you to track referrals, manage affiliates, set commission rules, and monitor performance without relying on third-party platforms.
How do affiliate plugins track referrals?
Most affiliate plugins use unique referral links or tracking cookies. When a user clicks an affiliate link and completes an action, such as a purchase or signup, the plugin records the referral and assigns the commission to the corresponding affiliate.
Can I run an affiliate program on WooCommerce?
Yes, many affiliate plugins integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce. This allows you to track product sales, assign commissions, and manage affiliates directly within your WooCommerce store.
What features should I look for in an affiliate plugin?
Key features to consider include commission flexibility, real-time tracking, fraud detection, payout automation, and integration with other tools. A user-friendly dashboard for both admins and affiliates is also important.
Are WordPress affiliate plugins beginner-friendly?
Some plugins are designed for beginners and offer a simple setup process. However, more advanced plugins may require some initial configuration, especially when setting up custom commission structures or integrations.
Do I need to pay affiliates manually?
Not always. Many modern affiliate plugins support automated payouts via gateways such as PayPal or Stripe. This helps save time and ensures affiliates are paid accurately based on tracked performance.
Conclusion
Display ads and affiliate marketing are two options for making money online. Most people will start promoting affiliate products since display ads can slow down your website. We will not recommend pasting the affiliate links to the article directly.
Instead, you can redirect and cloak the links using any WordPress affiliate plugins. This will make your job a lot easier. On the other hand, you can also use a plugin to create an affiliate program for your business.
In our experience, if you are looking for a link-cloaking plugin to handle your affiliate links, use ThirstyAffiliates. Or, if you are here for WordPress affiliate plugins to create an affiliate program, choose AffiliatePress or AffiliateWP. Both plugins are the best on the market and offer many features.
We hope you found this article helpful and enjoyed reading it. If you did, feel free to check out our blog archive for more useful guides and tips. Also, check out our YouTube channel, X, and Facebook page to get the latest news.
Which WordPress affiliate plugins are you going to use?
Let us know in the comments.
