16 Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners in 2025 [+Survey Results]

Affiliate programs are a great way for beginner online entrepreneurs to make money by earning commissions on the sales they generate.

If the world of affiliate marketing is calling you, you’ll be happy to know that finding the perfect affiliate program for you is now accessible.

After conducting research, I’ve compiled the top affiliate programs for beginners in 2025 that are simple to start with and promise substantial profit potential.

Are you eager to start?

Affiliate Marketing Programs for Beginners [Key Takeaways]

• Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and CJ Affiliate are great for beginners.
• You can earn money by promoting products. Some programs pay up to 100% commission.
• Easy platforms help you start fast. Look for ones with good support and easy sign-up.
• Payments differ by program. Check how much you need to earn before getting paid.
• Choose programs that match what you like or match your website theme to do well.

Affiliate Marketing Explained

Being an affiliate means that you promote other people’s products or services online, and when someone buys through your link, you earn money.

You don’t have to create a product yourself, especially in an affiliate network where you can promote products without being a new affiliate marketer. Instead, you pick products you like from companies and talk about them to others. When they make a purchase because of your recommendation, the company pays you part of the price in commission.

This way of earning money has become popular on websites without selling anything directly. For example, if you’re into digital marketing, you might suggest email marketing tools or courses from Shopify or CJ Affiliate on your blog.

This process allows marketers and bloggers to earn by sharing what they love with their audience. Moreover, affiliate marketing stats inform that affiliate marketing is responsible for 16% of global ecommerce sales.

How affiliate marketing works

With affiliate marketing, you employ unique links for promoting products or services online. These links come with tracking codes, indirectly informing the company that you referred the customer to them.

Moreover, cookie durations play a crucial role in determining your affiliate commission rates. They can range from 24 hours up to a full year. This implies that if someone clicks your link and delays their purchase, you’ll still be credited with the sale as long as it happens within the cookie duration.

Different Forms of Affiliate Participation

Here’s a brief overview of the various forms of affiliate participation for beginners:

• Affiliate networks: These platforms aggregate multiple affiliate programs, offering a centralized place where affiliates can choose from a variety of products and services to promote. They provide tracking, reporting, and payment services, making it easier for affiliates to manage their efforts. Examples include Commission Junction (CJ) and ShareASale.
• Affiliate programs: These are specific to individual companies. When you join an affiliate program, you promote a single company’s products or services. You earn a commission for each sale or action generated through your referral link. Examples include Amazon Associates and Bluehost’s affiliate program.
• Affiliate subscription services: These services often provide recurring commissions for subscriptions. Instead of a one-time commission, you earn a payout every month as long as the referred customer continues their subscription. This model is common in subscription-based software (SaaS) and membership sites. Examples include ClickFunnels and ConvertKit (now Kit).

Understanding these different types can help you decide which model aligns best with your goals and interests, setting you on a path to successful affiliate marketing.

Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners (Survey Results)

The results are in. After seeking out expert advice from numerous industry professionals and based on 108 recommendations, I can safely say that the following five are the best affiliate programs for beginners:

1. Amazon Associates: 26.85%
2. ShareASale: 16.67%
3. CJ Affiliate: 14.81%
4. Shopify: 12.96%
5. ClickBank: 2.04%

Up next, I transition into a detailed list of the best affiliate platforms ideal for beginners that I recommend. Ranging from expansive online retailers to specific service providers, these programs present excellent opportunities to profit from endorsing products and services you appreciate.

Online marketplaces

Major online marketplaces have built-in trust and can offer lucrative passive income opportunities.

Let’s see how Amazon Associates and Fiverr operate as affiliate partners.

1. Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates is big for affiliate marketing, especially for beginners. It has millions of products and over 900,000 associates. This means you can find almost anything to promote. Its cookie lasts 24 hours, so if someone clicks your affiliate link and makes a purchase within a day, you earn money.

It pays via direct deposit or Amazon Gift Certificate every two months, as long as you’ve made at least $10. If you prefer to receive a check, you must wait until you earn a minimum of $100.

Plus, over half of all affiliate marketers use Amazon Associates. It’s a trusted program that helps you get started with good offers right away.

“When it comes to affiliate marketing programs for beginners, I often recommend starting with Amazon Associates due to its vast range of products and user-friendly platform. However, each program has its unique strengths, so I encourage experimenting with a few to see which aligns best with your audience and interests.” —  Valentin Radu, CEO and Founder, Blogger, Speaker, Podcaster, Omniconvert

2. Fiverr

Fiverr is a spot where you can earn by offering your digital skills as a service. Think design, writing, or marketing tasks. You join for free and list what you can do starting at $5.

As an affiliate marketer on Fiverr, promoting these services earns you a commission of up to 70%. With a cookie duration of 30 days, it means if someone clicks your link and buys within that time, you get paid.

Fiverr is easy to use. You’ll quickly find tools like links and banners to help you start earning commissions fast. The platform even has tutorials if you need them. So, whether selling your skill or promoting others’, Fiverr fits many beginner marketers looking for the best affiliate programs without needing their own website first.

“Fiverr’s affiliate program is a gold mine for beginners in the affiliate marketing space. We started promoting Fiverr about a year ago and saw our affiliate revenue grow by 40% in just the first quarter. What makes Fiverr stand out is its diverse range of services. We’re not just promoting freelance gigs; there’s Fiverr Business, Fiverr Learn, and more. This variety lets us tailor our affiliate strategy to different audience segments.
The commission structure is particularly appealing. We opted for the Hybrid plan, earning a $10 CPA plus a 10% revenue share for 12 months. This has resulted in some impressive long-term earnings for our agency. Fiverr’s marketing tools are top-notch, too. Their creative assets helped boost our click-through rates by 25%. The deep-linking feature, while a bit clunky, has been crucial in driving targeted traffic.
My tip: focus on promoting Fiverr Business. The $100 CPA once an account reaches $100 in spend is a game changer. We’ve seen conversion rates double when targeting B2B clients with this offer.” — Aaron Whittaker, VP of Demand Generation and Marketing, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency

Affiliate networks

Affiliate networks offer a vast pool of potential partners and resources to manage your affiliate partnerships.

Here are the most popular ones:

3. CJ Affiliate

CJ Affiliate is a big name in this game. It connects you with lots of brands and products. Joining is easy, and getting around the platform is smooth. It gives you good tools to help you succeed. Its pay terms are net 30, meaning they send money 30 days after the end of each month. You must earn at least $50 to get paid with direct deposit.

“[Platforms like] CJ Affiliate offer better commissions but come with stricter entry requirements, making them more suitable for experienced marketers. They’re ideal if you meet their criteria, but can be difficult for beginners to break into.” — Deyan Georgiev, Marketing Manager, RapidSeedBox

4. ClickBank

ClickBank is an excellent platform for individuals who are initiating their journey in affiliate marketing. It’s user-friendly and houses a broad variety of products from numerous categories.

There is almost anything to promote, presenting more opportunities to generate income. It ensures payments every one or two weeks as long as you earn more than $50, simplifying the process for novices. It’s worth bearing in mind that the payment threshold is $100, but it can be adjusted down to $50 or upwards to over $1 million, depending on your preferences.

The assistance provided by ClickBank is good. It offers guides and resources that aid you in comprehending the ways to improve my marketing skills. Furthermore, the platform is intuitive, making it an efficient point of entry.

“ClickBank’s platform is easy to use, and digital products typically have greater commission rates. Always conduct in-depth research, paying particular attention to commission structures, cookie durations, and the program’s overall standing. The correct fit must be found to have a successful affiliate relationship.” — Shawn Plummer, CEO, The Annuity Expert

5. ShareASale

ShareASale stands out as an excellent affiliate program for beginners. It serves as a vital link connecting marketers with a broad spectrum of merchants. The ease of use and sign-up process are commendable.

The platform boasts of thousands of products across varied categories, making product selection suitable to my niche quite straightforward.

The payments are consistent, arriving every month once a $50 threshold is met. This transparency in payment terms aids in better planning. Moreover, ShareASale provides the necessary tools and support, meaning you can thrive as a new affiliate in the competitive market.

As someone just venturing into the field of affiliate marketing without any prior experience, it’s comforting to know that assistance is readily available and you can monitor your progress using the platform’s dependable tools.

“ShareASale is a favorite, offering a wide range of merchants to choose from. The key is to treat each program like a product, testing and optimizing your promotions to maximize conversions.” — Joe Davies, CEO, FATJOE

6. Impact

Impact is a great affiliate program for beginners aiming to link with big brands. It makes it easy to find good affiliate offers. You can partner with companies selling products or services you like.

Impact helps you track your sales and earnings in real time. This means you know exactly how much money you’re making every day. Once you reach $10, you can transfer them to your PayPal or bank account. The platform also guides beginners on how to become a successful affiliate marketer, providing tips and tools for growth.

“Impact is a super flexible affiliate marketing platform for beginners who want to work with brands directly. It’s streamlined with access to top-tier merchants and allows for niche marketing, so beginners can find their feet. The platform is known for its clean interface, customizable reports, and in-depth analytics, so you can track performance and optimize affiliate campaigns easily.
What’s unique about Impact is that affiliates can negotiate custom terms with merchants, which can be super helpful as you grow and gain more influence in your niche. For beginners, the platform and being able to work with brands directly make Impact a great place to start.
Impact’s strength is its niche and brand relationships, so affiliates can create more custom and high-performing campaigns. It’s great for beginners who want to build long-term relationships with merchants.” — Mark McShane, Founder, Cupid PR

7. Awin

Awin makes it easy to start with affiliate marketing. It pays twice a month, and you only need $20 to get your money. This is great because you don’t have to wait long or earn a lot before you see your affiliate commission.

Awin works with many brands, so finding products or services to promote isn’t hard. This means you can choose what fits best with your audience and start earning commissions quickly. The platform is user-friendly, which helps you track your progress smoothly.

“As a digital strategist, I always recommend tailoring your approach to your specific niche and audience. Awin is [a] solid choice, especially for fashion and lifestyle niches. The key is to start small, test different programs, and scale what works best for your unique situation.” — Praveen Kumar, Founder, Wild Creek Web Studio

8. Rakuten

Rakuten stands out as a great place for beginners to start with affiliate marketing. The platform makes it easy to earn money by promoting products and services. With Rakuten, you get paid when customers buy things through your links. So, whether you’re using Pinterest for affiliate marketing or you’re using another method, this is a good platform to start from. 

It pays every two months if you’ve earned more than $50. This setup means you don’t wait too long to see your hard work pay off.

“Rakuten [is] great for beginners. They have intuitive interfaces, lots of resources to help you get started, and payments arrive on time.  The key is choosing a network with lots of products you’re passionate about, simple tracking, on-time payments, and resources to help you learn.
Don’t get overwhelmed by too many options or fret over optimizing every campaign from day one. Start with the basics, see what converts, then scale from there. Most affiliate marketers find their rhythm within the first year by staying focused on simplicity.” — Luke Heinecke, Affiliate Marketing Consultant, Linear Design

Affiliate Programs

Affiliate programs offer a commission-based model, allowing you to earn money for every sale or action generated through your referrals. This passive income stream can be a valuable addition to your earnings, especially if you have a strong online presence or a niche audience.

9. Brosix

The Brosix affiliate program offers a lucrative opportunity for individuals and businesses to earn commissions by promoting Brosix’s advanced instant messaging software. The cookie duration is 60 days.

Participants in the program gain access to a range of marketing materials and support to help them effectively spread the word. Affiliates can earn up to 30% recurring commission on sales generated through its referral links, making it a highly rewarding venture.

With Brosix’s emphasis on secure communication and rich feature set, promoting this business solution can be both profitable and fulfilling for affiliates dedicated to connecting clients with top-tier communication tools.

10. Teachable

Teachable is great for beginners looking to start with affiliate marketing. It lets you earn up to 30% commission, although 30% commission is the standard for promoting online courses.

With a cookie duration of 30 days, it’s easier for you to make money if someone signs up within a month after clicking your link, especially in an affiliate network. This platform stands out because it focuses on education. So, you get to share valuable learning tools while earning.

“For our platform, we’ve found great success with Teachable’s affiliate program. As an eLearning-focused directory, Teachable aligns perfectly with our mission of providing industry-specific content. It offers affiliates a chance to promote online courses, which is a natural fit for our audience of educators and professionals.
One of our content creators joined the Teachable affiliate program and saw immediate traction by recommending relevant courses. The combination of solid commission rates and the platform’s educational focus makes Teachable a great choice for those in the eLearning space looking to start with affiliate marketing.” — Christopher Pappas, Founder, eLearning Industry Inc

11. ConvertKit (now Kit)

Moving on to Kit, this platform offers a 30% recurring commission. Plus, its cookie lasts for 90 days. This means if someone clicks your affiliate link and buys within three months, you get credit.

Why choose Kit? It’s simple yet powerful as an email marketing platform and beyond. If you’re just starting in the affiliate marketing industry without a website or looking to boost your game, this tool fits perfectly.

It helps creators send emails, build landing pages, and more—making it easier to grow your audience and earnings.

12. HubSpot

HubSpot offers a great way for beginners in affiliate marketing to get started. It gives you 30% of what your referral spends. This will keep happening with each payment it makes, not just once. Plus, the cookie lasts for 180 days. That means if someone clicks on your link and buys something within six months, you earn money.

The platform is easy to use. It’s packed with marketing tools that help sell the HubSpot service. Using email templates and social media tips can enhance your marketing campaigns for affiliate programs. It also has a team ready to answer any questions, helping you make more money as an affiliate marketer.

For anyone looking to join an affiliate program without a website or become a successful affiliate marketer, HubSpot is worth checking out.

“When I first started with affiliate marketing, I found that choosing the right programs made all the difference. HubSpot was [a] natural fit, especially since I’m into digital marketing; their wide range of products just clicks with a broad audience.” — Ivan Vislavskiy, CEO and Co-founder, Comrade Digital Marketing Agency

13. Shopify

Shopify makes starting an online store easy. It offers a platform where you can sell products and get paid. You don’t need to be tech-savvy. Shopify has tools that help with marketing, payments, and even shipping. You earn commissions by referring new users to Shopify.

It gives a cookie duration ranging from 30 minutes to two years. This means if someone clicks your link and signs up within the cookie time frame, you get credit for the referral. The tools and support provided are top-notch as well.

“Because of its simplicity and potential for high commissions, I use Shopify’s affiliate program. Shopify is a well-known web-based commerce platform, so there’s always a steady stream of potential customers. As an affiliate, I can promote Shopify’s solutions and tools to my audience and earn a commission on each successful referral. It’s a great way to support a platform I believe in and monetize my content.” — Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy India

14. Elementor

Elementor is a website builder that works well with WordPress sites, which are a popular choice for new affiliates looking to promote products online. If you join this program, you can expect regular monthly payments. The minimum payout is determined individually and is paid via PayPal or another method both sides agree upon.

I find Elementor super easy to use, even for beginners. You can design your site without knowing how to code.

I also love that Elementor helps you create beautiful landing pages. These pages can boost your affiliate marketing efforts. It lets you highlight the products or services you’re promoting in a clear way. Also, designing them doesn’t take much time or effort with Elementor’s drag-and-drop editor.

“For people new to affiliate marketing, I recommend the Elementor affiliate program, simply because I love the fact that you can earn up to 50% on a sale. That’s a lot! Especially compared to many other programs that might only pay you 10-15% on a sale. This is huge. You can actually make money with very few sales, and for someone new to affiliate marketing, that’s always good.
One reason I really like Elementor’s program is that it’s very easy to promote. Storefronts are often aimed at beginner or intermediate marketers. As such, it can be hard to promote because your audience often doesn’t have the experience or trust for your storefront. That is the opposite of Elementor.
Elementor is one of the most popular site builders on the market. In fact, it’s probably the most trusted site builder. Also—they have a lot of marketing material available to you—easy-to-add banners on site or in campaigns, easy-to-use links. So it’s great for beginners—a solid product to promote, with big earning potential.” — Sarah Gibson, Director, Proactive Healthcare

Read more about how to make money blogging from your WordPress site.

15. NordVPN

The NordVPN program is a hit for those who care about internet safety. It offers big rewards. You can earn up to 100% commission at the start plus 30% after that, every time your referral pays again. Its cookie lasts for 30 days.

Choosing NordVPN as an affiliate partner means you talk directly to people’s need for privacy online. It’s easy to promote because many people want safe web surfing. I like how simple it is to get started and keep earning money with its programs for newbies.

“NordVPN is another excellent choice, especially for tech-savvy individuals, as it provides competitive commissions for promoting its popular VPN service. I personally use these affiliate programs because they offer strong support, reliable payouts, and align well with a variety of audiences, making them great options for anyone starting out in affiliate marketing.” — Sasha Berson, Grow Chief Executive, Grow Law Firm

16. Bluehost

The Bluehost platform is great for those just starting with affiliate marketing. It offers a solid $65 for each person you refer. In addition, its cookie lasts 30 days. This means if someone clicks your link and signs up within three months, you get paid.

Bluehost is also user-friendly. It helps beginners set up without hassle. Its support team is there to guide you if you run into issues. For individuals new to making money online, this program could be a smart start.

“At Lusha, we’re all about leveraging data to drive growth. For affiliate marketing, I’d suggest looking into B2B-focused programs like Bluehost [which] often have higher payouts than consumer programs. The key is finding programs with products you genuinely believe in and use yourself. That authenticity will come through in your promotions and lead to better conversions.” — Yarden Morgan, Director of Growth, Lusha

How to Choose the Right Affiliate Program

Picking the right affiliate program can feel like a big deal, but it’s pretty simple. You want one that pays well and makes life easy, from signing up to getting help when needed. Below are some criteria you should consider when getting started.

Evaluating commission rates

Always look at how much money you can make with an affiliate program. High commission rates mean more income for you. Some programs offer up to 100% on the first sale and then add a recurring commission. Another thing to check is if the program pays a one-time big amount or smaller amounts over time.

Assessing ease of use

A simple platform means you can start faster. The best affiliate programs for beginners should have clear instructions and an easy way to find products or services to promote. Look for a dashboard that’s easy to navigate.

Available support and resources

Good support and resources make a big difference. They help you succeed as an affiliate marketer without feeling lost. You should look for programs that offer guides, video tutorials, and webinars. These tools explain how to use the platform and promote products effectively.

Understanding payment terms

Payment terms tell you when you get money. Every affiliate program has its own rules. Knowing this helps you pick programs that fit your cash flow needs better.

Brand reputation

A strong brand means trust, and trust means more sales. Choose programs with great names because people recognize them fast. Recognized brands sell more—that’s a fact. So when picking an affiliate program for beginners, the brand’s image counts a lot. It tells buyers they can rely on what they’re buying through your link.

Conclusion

Starting a fruitful journey as a beginner means selecting the right affiliate program. Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and CJ Affiliate are top choices due to their user-friendly nature and solid support system. Shopify turns out to be the best for those enthusiastic about ecommerce.

Are you a technology enthusiast? Consider joining the Bluehost or NordVPN programs. If sharing your skills is your thing, Teachable is worth a glance. With such a variety of alternatives, achievement is nearer than you imagine.

Make an informed choice, begin endorsing, and watch your profits soar.