What separates the affiliate programs people actually want to join from the ones that collect dust? It comes down to a few things: a product affiliates genuinely want to promote, commissions that reward long-term relationships, and support that helps partners succeed. The best programs get all three right.
We’ve rounded up 16 of the best affiliate program examples from both B2C and B2B businesses. For each one, we’ll break down what makes it stand out so you can steal the ideas that fit your business. Keep in mind: these are larger companies, so the commission structures may not be sustainable for startups or smaller businesses. But the strategies behind them apply at any scale.
What is an affiliate program?
Starting an affiliate program means recruiting content creators, bloggers, and publishers (your affiliates) to promote your products through their own channels. They share links in blog posts, reviews, social media, podcasts, or anywhere their audience hangs out. When someone clicks that link and makes a purchase, the affiliate earns a commission.
It works because both sides win: affiliates earn income recommending products they actually use, and you get sales through trusted voices instead of ads.
Note: We’re focusing on examples of affiliate programs run by businesses, not affiliate marketing websites run by the affiliates themselves.Â
Affiliate vs. referral vs. partner program
Before diving into examples, it’s worth knowing which type of program you’re actually looking for. These terms get used interchangeably, but they describe different things:
| Type | Who promotes you | Their relationship to your business | How they’re typically compensated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliate program | Content creators, bloggers, publishers | Commission-based partner. May never use your product. | Per-sale or per-lead commission |
| Referral program | Existing customers | Fan, satisfied buyer. Personal relationship with the people they refer. | Rewards, discounts, or gifts for both parties |
| Partner program | Agencies, resellers, consultants | Formal business relationship. Often bundling or reselling your product. | Revenue share, co-marketing, tiered commissions |
The approach for each is fundamentally different. An affiliate program is about reach through content. A referral program is about capturing the word of mouth your customers are already generating. A partner program is about business-to-business relationships.
This article focuses on affiliate programs. If your best growth channel is happy customers telling friends and colleagues, you may want a referral program instead.
1. Amazon
Amazon’s affiliate program is the grandfather of affiliate marketing. Currently known as the Amazon Associates program, it’s been around for decades and still dominates.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Affiliates can promote millions of products across every category, so nearly any niche creator can find relevant items to recommend.
- Different linking tools for different types of creators: big websites, solo bloggers, and social media personalities all get what they need.
- Up to 10% commission (varies by category).
- The “entire cart” effect: if someone follows an affiliate link and adds the promoted product to their cart, the affiliate earns a commission on the customer’s entire cart.
- A separate “Amazon Influencer” program for high-profile creators, with custom storefronts and additional perks.
2. Skillshare
Skillshare offers online courses on topics from photography to business management. Its affiliate program gained prominence because many social media creators use it to promote the brand on their channels.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Affiliates earn on both free trial signups and paid subscriptions.
- Real-time dashboard lets affiliates track traffic, referrals, and payouts.
- Rotating exclusive offers that affiliates can share to make their audience feel special.
- Affiliates can promote any courses they genuinely like, rather than being locked into a “course of the month.”
- 30-day cookie life means affiliates get credit even if someone takes time deciding.
3. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign’s customer experience automation platform offers email marketing tools, CRM tools, and marketing automation all under one roof.
The platform’s affiliate program stands out with lifetime recurring commissions, long-lasting tracking cookies, and a robust library of resources.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Lifetime recurring commissions. As long as someone you referred keeps paying, you keep earning.
- Exclusive affiliate community where partners can network with and learn from other successful affiliates.
- Marketing resources that are actually useful: graphics, videos, whitepapers, and webinars.
- Average earnings of $1,350 per referral, with a 90-day tracking cookie that acknowledges B2B sales cycles take time.
- ActiveCampaign practically sells itself through strong software ratings, making it easy for affiliates to promote.
4. Leadpages
Leadpages offers tools for creating high-converting landing pages and lead generation tools. Their affiliate program is one of the most competitive in the space.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- 10-50% recurring commission that also applies to renewals and upgrades.
- Tiered structure that rewards performance: 40% when monthly sales exceed $50, and 50% when they top $3,000.
- Leadpages shares their own best content with affiliates to use in promotions, including weekly webinars.
- Top performers (20+ customers monthly) can offer exclusive deals through their channels.
- 30-day cookie window gives prospects time to decide.
5. AWeber
Email autoresponder AWeber’s affiliate program is an interesting case. They actually refer to it as a “referral program” and “advocate program,” but it walks and talks like a top-tier affiliate program thanks to its recurring commissions. (This is a good example of why the distinction between program types matters.)
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- 30% recurring commission on subscription renewals for as long as customers stick around.
- A literal playbook for success, with everything affiliates need for effective promotion.
- Ongoing affiliate training via newsletters, not just “here’s your link, good luck.”
- Promotional resources, including banners, video ads, and badges, that are ready to use.
6. ConvertKit
Just as ConvertKit helps creators grow their business through email marketing, their affiliate program has helped both their own business and the revenue of their affiliates grow.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- A full year cookie life, acknowledging that B2B buying decisions take time.
- Affiliates get training from a top-performing affiliate (someone who’s actually succeeded with the program), not a generic corporate trainer.
- 30% recurring commission on renewals.
- The program call to action focuses on helpfulness before monetary benefits. ConvertKit understands that the content creators it recruits as affiliates need to maintain audience trust.
- A commission calculator shows affiliates how much they stand to make, which doubles as a recruitment tool for the program.
7. Unbounce
Landing page and pop-up software Unbounce designed their partner program to focus on marketers helping other marketers, although anyone can sign up.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- 20% lifetime commission: affiliates earn more every time someone they referred renews their subscription.
- A dedicated partner coach helps nurture successful affiliates and is just an email away.
- Customers who buy through an affiliate link get special assistance, extra benefits, and an exclusive 20% off their first three months. Both sides win.
- Promotional and training materials to help affiliates grow as partners.
8. BigCommerce
Ecommerce platform BigCommerce takes a human-centered approach to their affiliate program.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- 200% commission on the first month of standard subscriptions, and a flat $1,500 on enterprise purchases. No commission caps or minimum commitments.
- Higher commission tiers for top affiliates.
- A dedicated affiliate expert helps each affiliate with tailored strategies to increase sales.
- The ability to link to BigCommerce blogs and webinars tailored to an affiliate’s audience.
9. HostGator
If you’ve spent more than five minutes researching WordPress hosting, you’ve probably seen HostGator affiliate links. There’s a reason they’re everywhere.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Tiered commission scale: the more sales an affiliate refers in a month, the higher commission they earn on each sale.
- A $100+ commission payout, with bonuses for high conversion volumes.
- Affiliate program terms and conditions are easy to access before joining, and the program’s explained in 3 simple steps
- A team of experts helps set affiliates up for success
- Affiliates can provide discount coupons to their audience, meaning both sides win
- An affiliate dashboard keeps affiliates updated with reliable referral tracking, and provides promotional resources
10. Wix
Wix makes website building easy, and when users sign up as Wix affiliates, the product often markets itself.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- An intuitive dashboard helps affiliates track conversions, view statistics, customize reports, and check payments.
- Promotional banners and affiliate landing pages are available in many languages and regularly updated.
- The product showcases itself through affiliates’ own Wix sites. Meta marketing at its finest.
- Robust knowledge base for affiliates who want to solve problems on their own.
11. Acorns
The Acorns app helps users gradually save and invest spare money at a low cost. For affiliates in the finance niche, Acorns’ affiliate program is a solid choice. Among all these affiliate marketing examples, Acorns stands out for the quality of its creative materials.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Branded creatives that Acorns regularly updates, designed to actually drive clicks.
- Seasonal promotions keep things fresh and keep affiliates motivated.
- Dedicated account management team for affiliate support.
- Streamlined finance affiliate program page that’s brief and well-designed, without information overload.
12. Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the most popular marketplaces for hiring freelancers. Affiliates can promote nearly all of Fiverr’s offerings, including individual freelancer services, business accounts, workspace plans, and online courses.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Choice of payout options: larger fixed payouts based on service type, or a smaller fixed payout plus a percentage of the buyer’s spending.
- Lifetime commissions on Fiverr subscription renewals, plus seasonal bonuses.
- Dynamic widgets let affiliates showcase individual Fiverr services right on their website, including an embeddable search bar and a banner that changes languages based on location
- Diverse range of services means affiliates across many niches can find products to promote that fit their audiences.
13. Kajabi
Online course platform Kajabi helps businesses and individuals share their knowledge with the world. Kajabi started their affiliate program because customers were already sharing the platform, and they wanted to recognize those advocates.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- 30% lifetime commission: affiliates keep earning as long as the people they referred renew their paid subscription.
- Tiered structure with increasingly valuable bonuses, including monthly payments toward the car of your choice for elite affiliates. (Not a typo.)
- A revamped dashboard gives affiliates access to Kajabi’s own best-performing marketing campaigns, including which audience types different campaigns work best for.
- An exclusive partner community invites affiliates to learn from other partners and find the best strategies.
14. Hiver
Hiver offers a customer service platform that integrates with Google Workspace. Their “partner program” caters towards reseller partners, referral partners, and agency partners. The referral partner program (which we’re covering here) is the closest to the affiliate model.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Recurring commissions keep rewarding affiliates for bringing in customers who keep subscribing
- 24/7 support, because affiliate questions don’t only arise during business hours
- Certifications and a demo account help affiliates become experts in Hiver
- Hiver sends regular email updates to affiliates on the status of leads they refer
- Commissions are based on the value of one month Hiver subscription, so affiliates earn more on higher-value plan signups
15. Moosend
Email marketing platform Moosend lays out all the key details on their affiliate program page, and offers both a tiered and recurring commission structure, for maximum motivation for affiliates.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Up to 40% commissions on offer
- Tiered model encourages affiliates to bring in more sales, and lifetime commissions incentivize renewals
- Dedicated affiliate resource center lets affiliates access all the marketing tools they need
- 90-day cookie duration reflects the longer sales process and is very generous for affiliates
- Affiliates can track referrals and conversions themselves using their link, which gives real-time statistics and insights for improvement
16. NordVPN
NordVPN hosts one of the most well-known affiliate programs, with many YouTube creators promoting the brand as a secondary revenue stream. It’s one of NordVPN’s top sources of revenue.
What makes this affiliate marketing example stand out?
- Generous commission structure: 100% commission on a single-month subscription, and 40% on 1-year or 2-year offers.
- Recurring commissions pay an extra 30% on renewals.
- A detailed onboarding guide teaches affiliates how to generate high conversion rates.
- Opportunity to promote more of the company’s products beyond just NordVPN.
- Regularly updated creative library with evergreen and seasonal assets.
What the best affiliate programs have in common
After looking at 16 programs across B2C and B2B, a few patterns stand out:
The product does the heavy lifting. The programs on this list aren’t successful just because of generous commissions. ActiveCampaign “practically sells itself” through strong ratings. Wix markets itself through affiliates’ own sites. Kajabi started their program because customers were already sharing the platform. When the product is genuinely good, affiliates want to promote it because their audience will thank them for the recommendation, not resent them for it.
Recurring commissions build long-term partnerships. Nearly every standout program on this list offers recurring commissions on renewals. This does two things: it rewards affiliates for finding customers who are a genuine fit (not just anyone who’ll click), and it turns the affiliate relationship into an ongoing partnership rather than a one-time transaction.
Support goes beyond a dashboard and a link. The best programs invest in affiliate success: dedicated partner coaches (Unbounce), training from top-performing affiliates (ConvertKit), exclusive communities (ActiveCampaign, Kajabi), and marketing resources that affiliates actually want to use. The programs that treat affiliates as partners outperform the ones that treat them as a distribution channel.
Trust matters more than commission rates. ConvertKit’s program focuses on “helpfulness before monetary benefits.” Unbounce gives customers who buy through an affiliate link special perks. These programs understand that affiliates are putting their own reputation on the line when they recommend something. The best programs make that recommendation feel like a genuine suggestion, not a sales pitch.
Start your own affiliate program
These examples give you a blueprint, but the real value is in the patterns: build a product worth promoting, reward long-term relationships, and treat your affiliates like partners.
The best way to nail those patterns? Make sure you don’t surrender control to some generic affiliate network that treats your partners like numbers.
Instead, build your own affiliate program with affiliate software (like Referral Rock), and run the show on your terms:
- Complete control over your program and data
- Individual affiliate dashboards
- Streamlined communication tools
- Flexible commission structures including tiered and multi-step options
Learn more about how Referral Rock can help you give your affiliates the best experience >
Looking for affiliate program examples tailored to your industry? Check out these resources:
