Running an affiliate program is only half the job — running it well depends heavily on the tools you pick. If you're on Shopify, you'll find plenty of options to choose from. But how do you know which one actually fits your store’s needs?

The right app goes beyond just tracking affiliate links. It can save you hours on payouts, simplify onboarding, and give you visibility into what’s actually working.

This guide breaks down the top Shopify affiliate apps, helping you compare features to figure out which one is the right fit for your ecommerce business.

Best Shopify affiliate apps, compared

After reviewing dozens of affiliate tools on the Shopify App Store, we narrowed it down to seven that are reliable, easy to use, and built to support long-term affiliate growth.

Whether you're just starting out or ready to upgrade from your current tool, each of these apps has its strengths and weaknesses, from detailed tracking and fast payouts to flexible commission structures and smooth onboarding.

Social Snowball

Ideal for: Medium to enterprise-sized ecommerce stores that want to set up referral and/or affiliate programs with automation capabilities.

Social Snowball helps you manage both affiliate and referral marketing programs. 

It lets you turn your customers into affiliates automatically, right after they make a purchase. Customers are instantly shown their affiliate link or discount code on the thank-you page, letting them share it instantly with friends and family.

Besides customer referral marketing, Social Snowball also lets you turn your influencer marketing partnerships into affiliate-driven sales. It lets you embed a sign-up form on your affiliate landing page, letting you capture new affiliates easily. 

Leading brands like Triquetra Health have generated $350K+ in affiliate sales using Social Snowball.

Pricing starts at $199/month, plus 3% of revenue generated by Social Snowball.

Pros

• Manage both customer referral and affiliate program with one tool.
• The platform automatically turns every customer into an affiliate after checkout.
• No manual setup is required—affiliate codes and links are created automatically.
• Send payouts in bulk with just a few clicks.
• It offers flexible incentive options, including cash, discount codes, and gift cards.
• Integrates seamlessly with popular tools like Klaviyo, Sendlane, Google Analytics, Knocommerce, etc., to enable powerful use cases like SMS and email marketing, thank you page integration, analytics, etc.
• It prevents affiliate fraud and coupon code misuse with Safelinks. 

Cons

• Pricing may be high for new ecommerce stores, making it ideal for medium-sized or larger businesses.

Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars on Shopify

Source

‍

Refersion

Ideal for: Small ecommerce brands looking to manage different types of affiliate programs in one place.

Refersion is a simple affiliate marketing platform built for ecommerce brands selling through Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and other platforms. It helps you manage affiliate, influencer, and ambassador programs in one place.

You can track sales, set custom commission rates, make automated payments, and generate performance reports, all from a single dashboard.

Pricing starts at $49/month.

Source

Pros

• Onboarding and setup are simple.
• The dashboard is user-friendly, making it easy to manage both affiliate and influencer programs.
• Payments are automated, and the platform handles tax forms for you.
• First-party tracking works reliably across multiple domains.
• The platform supports over 30 ready-to-use integrations and connects with 2,000+ apps via Zapier.

Cons

• Reporting features may feel limited if you need in-depth performance analysis.
• Support is only available during standard business hours.
• Pricing might feel high for new stores that haven't started generating revenue.
• Pricing is variable based on the number of affiliates instead of commission volume, which can make forecasting costs difficult. 
• Some users have mentioned issues communicating with the support team when dealing with billing concerns.

‍

Average rating:  4.7/5 stars on Shopify

Source

GrowthHero

Ideal for: Stores that want to run multi-tier ecommerce affiliate programs or multi-level marketing (MLM) programs.

GrowthHero is a comprehensive affiliate marketing app built for Shopify merchants who want to manage affiliate, referral, and influencer programs from one place. You can capture new affiliates, set up different commission rules, and track sales using custom links or discount codes. It also lets you build partner tiers, run multi-level marketing (MLM) programs, and customize the affiliate portal to match your brand.

Pricing starts at $49/month.

Source

Pros

• Set up multi-level marketing programs with ease.
• Organize affiliates into tiers and offer different rewards based on performance.
• The app integrates smoothly with Shopify and tracks sales and commissions accurately.
• You can share branded materials like email templates and social media posts with affiliates.
• It works well with other tools like PayPal, Klaviyo, and Mailchimp.
• The support team responds quickly and is helpful with setup questions.

Cons

• The app is complex due to the multiple components and programs it offers.
• The 14-day free trial is strict, and billing starts automatically if you don’t cancel.
• You can’t fully configure the app in private mode, which means signups might come in while you're still setting things up.
• Takes time to understand the tool, which features to prioritize, and how to structure your program effectively.

Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars on Shopify

Source

Outlink

Ideal for: Stores that want to link products to external affiliate marketplaces like Amazon, ShareASale, or Clickbank while customizing button text and tracking performance.

Outlink helps you replace the default “Add to Cart” button on your Shopify store with a custom button that links to any external or affiliate page. You can set custom text like “Buy on Amazon” or “View on eBay,” link to multiple external networks, and show these buttons across products, collections, carts, and even homepage views. 

While the setup can feel clunky, especially when using the bulk editor, the app works well once live.

Outlink has a free plan, with pricing starting at $25/year.

Pros

• You can replace the default “Add to Cart” button with a custom Outlink button that redirects users to external or affiliate pages.
• The app lets you display these external links across various parts of your store, including product pages, collections, the cart, and the homepage.
• It supports adding multiple affiliate links per product, including at the variant level.
• You can edit links in bulk using search or CSV uploads, which helps when managing many products.
• It integrates with Google Analytics and includes in-app tracking to help you monitor link performance.

Cons

• The app interface can be confusing, especially when trying to navigate between individual and bulk editing options.
• Bulk link edits are only available through a separate “Bulk Editor” tab, not directly from the main dashboard.
• Some users reported issues getting timely replies through official support channels.

Average rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars on Shopify

‍

Source

ReferralCandy

Ideal for: Stores that want to automate customer referral strategies, track affiliate performance in real time, and offer flexible reward options.

ReferralCandy helps you run both referral and affiliate programs from one app. If you want to get more customers through word-of-mouth, it gives you the tools to reward customers for talking about your brand. You can build branded referral pages, track how much revenue comes from referrals, and reward both customers and influencers.

The app also supports subscription-based businesses, offers integrations with tools like Klaviyo and Recharge, and lets you run multiple campaigns at once. You also get access to fraud detection and detailed reports to see what’s working.

Pricing starts at $59/month plus 3.5% commission on successful referral sales.

Source

Pros

• You can easily set up and automate referral programs without needing advanced technical skills.
• The app lets you manage both referral and affiliate campaigns from a single dashboard.
• You can customize referral pages and designs to match your brand.
• It provides real-time statistics and reporting to help you track performance.
• Built-in fraud detection helps you prevent fake or suspicious referrals.
• It integrates well with tools like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Recharge, and other popular ecommerce tools.

Cons

• There’s no simple option to pause or cancel the program directly from the dashboard.
• Setting up referral codes for platforms without links, like Instagram, can be confusing.
• The discount code system may clutter your Shopify dashboard if it’s not managed carefully.
• Some users find the customization tools outdated and not very user-friendly.
• A few users have reported a frustrating experience when trying to cancel the app.

Average rating: 4.9/5 stars on Shopify

Source

UpPromote

Ideal for: Stores that want to run affiliate, referral, and influencer campaigns from one place, with built-in tools for auto-generating affiliate links, managing commissions, and recruiting new partners through a built-in marketplace.

‍

UpPromote is a referral and affiliate marketing platform designed for Shopify users. It helps you grow your customer base through referral links, influencer partnerships, and affiliate programs—all from a single dashboard. You can customize the program to match your branding, offer rewards like store credit or discounts, and track results easily.

It's built to be beginner-friendly, so even if you're not tech-savvy, you can launch and manage a referral program without much setup time. However, as you scale, certain parts of the workflow—like managing multiple stores or onboarding affiliates—can become manual and repetitive.

UpPromote is free to install, with paid plans starting at $29/month.

Source

Pros

• You can start for free and upgrade as your business grows.
• It integrates directly with the Shopify admin, so you don’t need to switch between tools.
• Both affiliate and referral programs are supported in one system.
• You can fully customize how your referral program looks across widgets, landing pages, and pop-ups.
• Rewarding customers with store credit encourages repeat purchases.
• The platform gives you real-time reports on clicks, referrals, and commissions.
• Customer support is available 24/7 and is known for being quick and helpful.

Cons

• If you have multiple Shopify stores, you’ll need a separate subscription for each to access all features.
• Features like auto-generated coupons don’t work across stores, which creates extra steps.
• Onboarding affiliates takes time due to repetitive tasks.
• Navigating the dashboard isn’t smooth—it takes multiple clicks to view an affiliate's full details.
• Creating and assigning custom discount codes is tedious and could be streamlined.
• There are occasional typos and small bugs that affect the user experience.

Average rating: 4.9/5 stars on Shopify

Source

BixGrow

Ideal for: Stores looking to run both affiliate and referral programs with customizable commissions, influencer recruitment, and built-in tracking.

BixGrow helps you set up affiliate and referral programs without needing much technical experience. You can manage affiliates, influencers, and brand ambassadors all in one place while tracking new customers and revenue automatically. It also connects easily with Shopify and supports custom branding.

You can get started with BixGrow for free, onboarding up to 30 affiliates. Paid plans start at $14.99/month.

Source

Pros

• You can track affiliate sales automatically and attribute them correctly.
• It’s easy to create custom affiliate programs and start accepting signups right away.
• The app supports different commission methods like store credit and PayPal.
• It connects well with Shopify, and you can manage everything from your Shopify admin panel.
• The support team is responsive and helpful with setup and custom requests.
• You can recruit affiliates and influencers using built-in tools, including multi-level marketing options.

Cons

• Many of the functionalities, including payouts and full referral program access, are not available on the free plan.
• The app description can feel misleading, especially around language support and referral limits.
• Some users found the translation features incomplete or confusing.
• A few merchants experienced delays or no response from support in certain cases.

Average rating: 5/5 stars on Shopify

Source

Features to look for in your Shopify affiliate app

When choosing an affiliate app for your Shopify store, it’s important to go beyond just basic tracking and commission tools. A good app for your Shopify affiliate program should not only help you manage affiliates easily but also give them everything they need to promote your brand and boost sales through affiliates effectively. 

Here's what you should look out for.

Automated onboarding

Manually onboarding every affiliate isn’t sustainable, especially once your program gains traction. The app should handle:

• Self-serve signup forms that can be embedded anywhere you want so that potential affiliates can apply and instantly get access.
• Auto-generated referral links or discount codes that are assigned right after signup.
• Welcome emails are sent automatically with clear instructions on how to get started, including details on commissions to incentivize affiliates.
• Pre-filled affiliate dashboards so that affiliates can track their earnings, get a refresher on how to promote, and other details they commonly look for, ensuring they don’t have to ask you every time they have a question.

Payout management

You’ll lose trust with affiliates fast if payouts are inconsistent. Your app should make this payout management airtight by offering:

• Commission tracking based on real-time Shopify order data.
• Scheduled payout cycles—weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on your cash flow.
• Multiple payment options, like PayPal, store credit, gift cards, or even auto bank transfer.
• Custom payout thresholds—for example, only pay out when affiliate earnings cross $25 or $50.

Affiliate tracking

If you can’t accurately track who referred whom, it’ll be hard for you to understand how well your affiliate marketing efforts are working and what needs to be improved. When choosing a Shopify affiliate marketing app, look for affiliate tracking capabilities like: 

• Cookie-based tracking with adjustable durations: While 30-day tracking is most common, longer windows are ideal if your sales cycle is slow.
• First-click vs. last-click attribution rules: This is useful if multiple affiliates touch the same customer.
• UTM tag support: This lets you track performance by traffic source (email, YouTube, blog).
• Post-purchase referral features: Simplify the process by letting customers refer their friends from the thank-you page.
• Flexibility in tracking: Ability to choose whether you want to track using cookies or not.

Safe affiliate link management

Your affiliates need clean, trackable links. At the same time, you need to protect your store from link fraud. The app should provide:

• Auto-generated, trackable links tied directly to each affiliate’s account — no duplicate codes.
• Custom branded URLs, or at least shortened ones (raw Shopify referral URLs don’t inspire clicks).
• Ability to add custom UTM parameters so advanced affiliates can track which of their platforms perform best.
• Fraud detection and prevention — including alerts when the same affiliate refers themselves repeatedly or manipulates the link.
• Protection from paid search fraud by detecting and blocking fraudulent referrals.

Analytics

You need access to detailed performance analytics that give you insights to optimize your marketing strategy. Look for an app that gives you:

• Affiliate-level breakdowns: Identify who’s bringing traffic vs. who’s driving actual sales with insights into clicks, conversions, AOV, and commissions earned per affiliate.
• Top-performing content/channels: Learn which social media platforms are converting best.
• Funnel data: Understand at what touchpoint affiliates are losing customers — click to view, view to cart, or cart to purchase?
• Filters: Compare performance month-on-month and run quick campaign audits with custom date range filters.
• Export options: Pull raw data into your own dashboards or use it in performance reviews.
• Ability to connect to popular analytics tools: Your affiliate tool should let you connect with analytics tools like Google Analytics if that's your preferred data management platform.

Ready to set up a high-performing affiliate marketing program for your Shopify store?

The right affiliate app is different for each Shopify store, depending on their priorities, team size, preferences like automation, commission setup, scale, etc. 

If you’re looking for a tool that automates most of your processes, try Social Snowball. It instantly turns every customer into an affiliate the moment they make a purchase—no manual setup needed. The tool also processes payouts automatically based on preferred payment methods. 

You can define custom commission rules, set up communication by integrating with your email marketing and SMS tools, and track your program’s performance. Brands like Cowboy Colostrum have generated a monthly $130K in affiliate revenue using Social Snowball.