Table of Contents
Where to Find Affiliate Programs
There are three tiers of affiliate program discovery, ordered by commission quality:
Tier 1: Direct Programs (Best)
The highest-commission affiliate programs are almost always direct — managed in-house by the company, often through a private portal or a platform like PartnerStack. To find these:
- Search "[product name] affiliate program" or "[company name] partner program"
- Check the footer of any SaaS tool you already use — there's often an "Affiliates" or "Partners" link
- Browse PartnerStack's marketplace — it lists hundreds of SaaS programs in one place
Tier 2: Affiliate Networks (Good)
Networks aggregate programs. The main ones worth joining:
- Impact: Best for mid-to-large SaaS and consumer brands
- ShareASale: Strong for e-commerce, home goods, and niche retail
- CJ Affiliate: Broad range — finance, travel, consumer brands
- Digistore24 / ClickBank: Digital products and online courses
Tier 3: Amazon Associates (Volume Required)
Amazon commissions are low (typically 1–8% depending on category) but the conversion rate is high because everyone trusts Amazon checkout. Only makes sense at meaningful traffic volume or for product categories not available elsewhere.
Commission Structure Criteria
Not all commission structures are equally worth your content investment. How I rank them:
| Commission Type | Minimum I'll Accept | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring SaaS | 20% recurring | Best long-term income model |
| One-time SaaS | $30+ per conversion | Good for high-ticket software |
| Online courses | 30% one-time | High-ticket courses worth less % |
| Physical products | 8%+ or $15+ flat | Low margins require volume |
| Leads / trials | $5+ per lead | Useful for top-of-funnel content |
5-Point Product Vetting Checklist
Before I promote anything, I run through five checks. I consider this non-negotiable — promoting low-quality products destroys audience trust far faster than a bad article.
- Have I used it? First-person experience is both more credible and allows better content. If I haven't used it, I open a trial account before committing to a review.
- What are real user reviews saying? Check G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and relevant subreddits. A product with consistently negative reviews about billing issues or customer support is a liability, not an asset.
- Is the product actively maintained? Check the changelog or product update history. SaaS tools that haven't had meaningful updates in 12+ months may be in maintenance mode.
- Is the pricing transparent? Hidden fees, forced annual billing, or confusing tiers create buyer's remorse, which leads to refunds (which reverse your commissions).
- Does the affiliate program have a history of paying on time? Check affiliate forums (Affiliatefix, AffiliateFix.com) for payment complaint history. Missing payment threads are a red flag.
Audience Intent Matching
The best-converting affiliate pages match product to a specific point in the buyer journey. The two most common patterns:
- Comparison pages: "Tool A vs Tool B" — visitor is actively evaluating and close to a decision. Highest purchase intent content type.
- Review pages: "Tool A Review" — visitor was referred by someone or researching from a specific recommendation. High intent.
- "Best of" roundups: "Best [tool category] in 2026" — broader intent, but good volume. Conversion rate lower than comparison, but traffic can be higher.
- "How to" guides: Lower purchase intent, but valuable for building trust and funneling readers toward review/comparison pages via internal links.
Evaluating Program Stability
Program changes — commission cuts, cookie window reductions, or outright closure — are the primary risk in affiliate marketing. How I assess stability before investing content:
- How long has the program been running? Programs older than 2 years have demonstrated longevity.
- Is the company profitable or well-funded? Bootstrapped profitable companies are lower risk than VC-backed burn-rate startups.
- Have they changed commission rates before? Historical changes signal future risk.
The Decision Matrix
I score potential affiliate products on a simple 1–3 scale across six criteria. Minimum passing score is 14/18:
| Criterion | Score Range |
|---|---|
| Commission rate / value | 1–3 |
| Product quality (reviews/own testing) | 1–3 |
| Audience intent match | 1–3 |
| Cookie duration | 1–3 |
| Program stability / age | 1–3 |
| Keyword content opportunity | 1–3 |
What I Currently Promote
The product categories I'm currently building content around — all passing this framework:
- AI writing / content tools (recurring SaaS, strong programs on PartnerStack)
- SEO tools (Ahrefs, Semrush — well-established programs, high buyer intent traffic)
- Website hosting for content creators (Vercel, Cloudflare — free tiers drive evaluation traffic)
- Workflow / automation tools (Notion, Make.com — broad maker audience, good commissions)
PartnerStack — Browse SaaS Affiliate Programs
PartnerStack is where I find most of the SaaS affiliate programs I promote. Sign up free and browse the marketplace to find programs in your niche before building content.