AffiliateWP vs Refersion (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Refersion grades higher than AffiliateWP: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
AffiliateWP grades higher on value for money. Refersion grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AffiliateWP
WordPress plugin for running your own affiliate program
Refersion
Affiliate and influencer program software for online stores
Which one is for you
Pick AffiliateWP if
- Fits if your store or site already runs on self-hosted WordPress
- Makes sense if you want to own your affiliate data and pay a flat yearly fee
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not on WordPress, as the plugin runs only there
- Not for you if you want a trial, since there is only a 14-day money-back guarantee
- Pricey if you want recurring or multi-tier commissions, which need Pro at $599 a year
- Watch out: the 50% prices are for the first year only, and renewals are at full price
Pick Refersion if
- Fits if your store runs on BigCommerce, WooCommerce or Magento rather than just Shopify
- Works for stores paying influencers by Venmo, Zelle or ACH as well as PayPal
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if affiliate sales grow, as Launch takes 3% of them on top of the fee, and Growth 2%
- Skip it if you want to try it first, as no free trial is mentioned
- Tight if you need the API, Zapier, SKU or email tracking, which start on Growth at $159 a month yearly
- Watch out: the free Marketplace Listing only shows your offer, and tracking and payouts need a paid plan
- Tight if you run several stores or want chat support, as both need Growth
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAAffiliateWPWeak | 2.0GPARefersionFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$299 a year for 1 site at renewal, about $25 a month, inside the cheaper quarter ($39). The $149.50 first year is an introductory price. | CGraded on $5,000 a month of affiliate sales: Launch is $29 a month on yearly billing plus 3% of those sales ($150), so $179 a month. That's on the dear side here, where tools with no cut cost less at this size. Monthly billing makes Launch $39. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial, only a 14-day money-back guarantee. | FNo free plan or trial on the pricing page. The free Marketplace Listing only shows your offer: tracking sales, approving affiliates and paying them all need a paid plan. |
| Features | CReferral tracking, affiliate dashboard, Stripe and PayPal payouts. Recurring and multi-tier commissions and automatic payouts need Pro, and it runs only on WordPress. | BPlug-in apps for four store platforms, tracking by link and code (and by email or SKU on Growth), product-level and lifetime commissions, a marketplace, post-purchase recruiting, and payouts by PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, ACH or gift card with US tax forms. The whole job. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It's a plugin for self-hosted WordPress, so you run the site it sits on. | CNo rating on record. It's a plug-in on Shopify or BigCommerce, and coupons are made for you there, but you still set commissions, recruit affiliates and set up payouts. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, as a WordPress plugin, with 6 integrations. | BWeb, with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Magento, plus Stripe, Chargebee, Klaviyo and Mailchimp. The API and 30+ integrations wait for Growth. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top. |
| Best for | affiliate programs on your own WordPress site | affiliate programs for stores on several platforms |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AffiliateWP and Refersion. How we grade
Price against what you get
AffiliateWP starts at $24.92 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Refersion starts at $29 a month and scores 2.7.
Refersion scores higher, and starts $4.08 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other affiliate and referral tools on the chart, 3 score higher than AffiliateWP for less, and none scores higher than Refersion for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- AffiliateWP also covers reports.
At a glance
| AffiliateWP | Refersion | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $299 per year for 1 site at renewal, after a first year at $149.50 | $29 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Sandhills Development, LLC | Refersion Inc. |
| Price read from | affiliatewp.com | refersion.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AffiliateWP
- Runs only on self-hosted WordPress; on WordPress.com it needs a plan that allows plugins.
- The 50% prices are introductory and all renewals are at full price.
- There is no free trial, only a 14-day money-back guarantee.
- Recurring commissions, multi-tier commissions and automatic payouts need the Pro plan.
Refersion
- Launch adds 3% and Growth 2% of affiliate-driven sales to the monthly fee, billed monthly; Scale is a flat subscription.
- The free Marketplace Listing only shows your offer: tracking, approving affiliates and payouts need a paid plan.
- SKU and email tracking, API access, Zapier and other integrations, chat support and multi-store tracking need Growth.
- No free trial is mentioned on the pricing page.
Key features
AffiliateWP
- Referral tracking
- Tracks referrals with pretty permalink links and tracked affiliate coupons, and the vendor says its tracking is ad-block-proof.
- Affiliate dashboard
- Affiliates see their referrals and earnings in a self-service dashboard with real-time reporting.
- Payouts
- Stripe and PayPal payouts, international payouts and store credit; automatic payouts on Pro.
- Commission options
- Lifetime, recurring and multi-tier commissions plus tiered affiliate rates on the Pro plan.
- Fraud prevention
- A fraud prevention suite is included on Pro and the Growth Bundle.
- Integrations
- Works with WooCommerce and about 20 other plugins, with only the turned-on integrations loaded.
Refersion
- Store integrations
- Plug-in apps for Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Magento, automatic coupon creation for Shopify and BigCommerce, and code widgets for Stripe and Chargebee.
- First-party tracking
- Credit affiliates by unique link, coupon code or manual credit on a first-party tracking domain, and on Growth by customer email or product SKU.
- Commission options
- Percent of sale, flat rate and lifetime commissions on subscriptions, with product-level rates, tiered bonuses and different rates for new and returning customers on Growth.
- Affiliate marketplace
- List a percent-of-sale offer in the Refersion Marketplace for affiliates to find and apply, and get AI-curated affiliate recommendations.
- Unified Payments
- Pay approved commissions on a schedule through PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, ACH or Shopify gift cards, with US tax forms generated for eligible affiliates.
- Post-purchase recruiting
- A post-purchase widget invites customers to become affiliates, with a customizable registration page and emails.
Plans
AffiliateWP
Personal$299
per year for 1 site, at renewal
Unlimited affiliates and commissions, tracked coupons, self-service affiliate dashboard, Stripe and PayPal payouts. First year $149.50.
Plus$399
per year for 2 sites, at renewal
Adds multi-currency commissions, affiliate leaderboards and welcome bonuses, and commission on signups. First year $199.50.
Pro$599
per year for 5 sites, at renewal
Adds automatic payouts, recurring and lifetime commissions, multi-tier commissions, landing pages and the fraud prevention suite. First year $299.50.
Growth Bundle$699
per year for 10 sites, at renewal
AffiliateWP Pro plus RewardsWP Pro, a points-based loyalty and refer-a-friend plugin, with priority support. First year $349.50.
Refersion
Launch$29
per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly)
Plus 3% of affiliate-driven sales. Unlimited affiliates, clicks and conversions, a marketplace listing, first-party tracking and one-click PayPal payouts.
Growth$159
per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
Plus 2% of affiliate-driven sales. Adds SKU and email tracking, advanced commissions, API access, 30+ integrations, chat support and multiple stores.
ScaleCustom
For brands above $1 million in yearly sales: a flat monthly subscription with premium support, white-glove onboarding and a Slack channel.
Ways to pay less
AffiliateWP
- Other savings
Introductory 50% off the first year
The pricing page shows each plan at half its regular price, with a note that all renewals are at full price. No end date is given.
Refersion
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Refersion says annual billing saves 20%: Launch is $29 a month billed annually against $39 monthly, and Growth $159 against $199.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AffiliateWP or Refersion?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AffiliateWP is cheaper to start with: $24.92 a month when paid by the year, against $29 a month for Refersion. AffiliateWP starts at $299 per year for 1 site at renewal, after a first year at $149.50, and Refersion starts at $29 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, AffiliateWP or Refersion?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither AffiliateWP nor Refersion has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.