The Three Networks Every Affiliate Marketer Needs to Know
When you're starting out in affiliate marketing, you'll hear three names constantly: Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and ShareASale. They're all legitimate, they all pay, and they all work — but they serve different niches and business models. Using the wrong one for your content can mean half the commissions you could be earning.
Amazon Associates
What It Is
Amazon's in-house affiliate program. You earn a percentage of the sale price when someone clicks your link and buys any product from Amazon within 24 hours. That last part matters: you get credit for anything in their cart, not just what you linked to.
Commission Rates
Amazon pays by product category, and the rates are notoriously low for physical goods:
- Luxury Beauty: 10%
- Fashion: 4–10%
- Electronics: 4%
- Home & Kitchen: 4.5%
- Books: 4.5%
- Video Games: 1–2%
The upside: Amazon converts at 5–15% (compared to 1–3% for most merchant sites) because people already trust it and often have Prime. Low commissions on high-volume traffic can still add up.
Pros & Cons
Pros: Massive product catalog (350M+ products), high conversion rates, easy approval, 24-hour cookie covers entire cart, trusted by buyers globally.
Cons: Low commission rates (1–10%), 24-hour cookie only, frequent rate cuts, discontinued programs in certain regions, account termination if minimum sales aren't hit in first 180 days.
Best For
Physical product niches (home goods, electronics, fitness equipment, baby products). Works especially well as a secondary network when your primary focus is digital products.
ClickBank
What It Is
A marketplace primarily for digital products — ebooks, online courses, supplements, and software. ClickBank is known for having some of the highest commission rates in affiliate marketing.
Commission Rates
40–75% is the norm on ClickBank. Some vendors offer even higher rates to attract affiliates. Recurring subscription products pay monthly commissions as long as the customer stays subscribed — this is where long-term affiliate income is built.
Pros & Cons
Pros: Very high commissions (40–75%), no approval process for most products, recurring commissions on subscriptions, reliable payment history (pays on time, every time), 60-day cookie on most offers.
Cons: Product quality varies significantly — due diligence required, many offers use aggressive/sensational marketing (can damage trust if promoted carelessly), refund rates can be high on poor-quality products, fewer "premium" brand names.
Best For
Health & wellness, personal development, make-money-online, relationships. If your audience is willing to buy digital products, ClickBank is hard to beat on pure commission potential.
ShareASale
What It Is
A network hosting affiliate programs from thousands of individual merchants — from major retailers to niche brands. Unlike ClickBank, ShareASale focuses on established companies with real products and services.
Commission Rates
Varies by merchant, typically 5–30%. Many software and SaaS companies on ShareASale offer recurring commissions. Fashion and home goods merchants often pay 10–20%, higher than Amazon for the same categories.
Pros & Cons
Pros: High-quality merchants with real brand recognition, better commissions than Amazon for many categories, 30–90 day cookies (merchant-specific), strong SaaS presence (recurring income), detailed reporting.
Cons: Individual merchant approval required (some are strict), minimum $50 payout threshold, not all niches well-represented, some merchants have inconsistent tracking.
Best For
Fashion, home decor, software/SaaS tools, B2B products, any niche where you want name-brand products without Amazon's low rates. Also great for seasonal product niches (holiday decor, wedding, gifts).
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Factor | Amazon Associates | ClickBank | ShareASale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Commission | 1–10% | 40–75% | 5–30% |
| Cookie Duration | 24 hours | 60 days | 30–90 days |
| Approval | Easy | Instant | Per merchant |
| Product Types | Physical | Digital | Both |
| Conversion Rate | High (5–15%) | Medium (1–5%) | Medium (2–6%) |
| Recurring? | No | Yes (some) | Yes (some) |
Which Should You Start With?
If you're brand new: Start with Amazon Associates. Easy approval, massive product catalog, and low-risk. Add ClickBank once you understand your audience.
If you're in health/wellness/personal development: ClickBank first. The commission rates will make the same traffic worth 5–10x more than Amazon.
If you're in software/SaaS: ShareASale has the best brand catalog for recurring digital commissions.
Ideally: Use all three. Flaruva automatically pulls from all three networks when building your content pipeline, so your articles always link to the highest-commission available offer in your niche. See how it works here.
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