Awin vs Skimlinks (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Awin if

• Fits if you want to find publishers to promote you, not just track your own
• Works for brands that can run a self-managed program

Look elsewhere if

• Watch out: on top of $99 a month, Access takes 3.5% of every transaction, and Accelerate 2.5%
• Skip it if you can't commit to 3 months, the minimum on Access
• Not for you if you want a lasting price: the page shows promotional $49 and $99 until 30 November
• Tight if you want APIs or automated commission rules, which start at Accelerate with a contact button

Pick Skimlinks if

• Fits if you run a content site and want links monetised without hand-building them
• Works for merchants already on a major affiliate network

Look elsewhere if

• Watch out: what a publisher keeps from each sale isn't stated on the pages we read
• Pricey if you are a merchant, since tiers run $166 to $1,620 a month
• Tight if you choose Preferred, as it has a three-month minimum
• Watch out: Premium and VIP cost more by ACH ($1,100 and $1,900) than on a yearly contract
• Skip it if you need a standalone program, because merchants join inside an existing network

Awin

• Besides the monthly fee, Awin takes a tracking fee of 3.5% (Access) or 2.5% (Accelerate) of each transaction.
• Access has a 3-month minimum term.
• The pricing page shows promotional prices of $49 and $99 until 30 Nov; the regular prices are $99 and $199.
• Accelerate is listed with a contact-us button rather than self-serve sign-up, and Advanced has no published price.

Skimlinks

• Merchants join by accepting Skimlinks inside their existing affiliate network; it is not a standalone program host.
• The Preferred tier has a three-month minimum, and Premium and VIP need a yearly contract for the lower rate.
• Premium and VIP are quoted at higher rates if paid by ACH ($1,100 and $1,900 a month) than on a yearly contract.
• The publisher revenue split is not stated on the pages we read, so what a publisher keeps is unconfirmed.

Awin

Partner directory

Advertisers can search a directory of more than one million partners and get partner recommendations.

Campaign tools

Launch and manage campaigns, message partners in a communication center and set up automated partner emails.

Commission rules

Accelerate and Advanced support commission groups by product, category, new or existing customer, coupon code, publisher and more.

Reporting

Accelerate adds journey-path and performance reports and industry benchmarks; Advanced adds custom reports and competitor benchmarks.

Private networks

Advanced advertisers can run a branded private network for managing their own partnerships.

Service choice

From Accelerate up, a brand can run its program itself or buy expert service.

Skimlinks

Automatic link monetization

A piece of code on the site converts organic product links into affiliate links, so editors do not have to build each one by hand.

One contract, many networks

The site says one integration and one contract connect a publisher to 48,500 merchants across more than 50 affiliate networks.

Publisher Hub and data tools

Performance, merchant and product data are available in the Publisher Hub and through APIs, feeds and cloud-based tools.

Merchant search

Publishers browse merchants and their commission rates and cookie windows. Preferred Partners rank higher in those results.

Preferred Partner program

Merchants pay a monthly access fee for commission-rate benchmarking, weekly or 7-day reporting and promotion in publisher newsletters.

Awin

• Access$99

  per month, plus 3.5% of each transaction

  Self-managed program with partner directory access, a simple dashboard and a 3-month minimum term. Shown at $49 until 30 Nov.

• Accelerate$199

  per month, plus 2.5% of each transaction

  Adds self-managed or expert-run service, APIs, flexible reports and automated commission rules. Shown at $99 until 30 Nov.

• AdvancedCustom

  For enterprises: all platform features, custom reports, competitor benchmarks, branded private networks and unlimited commission rules.

Skimlinks

• Publisher access$0

  Free for publishers, who join to monetize links and read reports in the Publisher Hub.

• Preferred$166

  per month, billed annually ($200 billed monthly)

  Merchant tier: commission rate recommendation, 7-day performance reports and higher ranking in merchant search.

• Premium$900

  per month on a yearly contract ($1,100 by ACH)

  Adds a dedicated growth manager, analytics help, twice-yearly competitor analysis and a program audit.

• VIP$1,620

  per month on a yearly contract ($1,900 by ACH)

  Adds a newsletter placement, monthly check-ins, a featured guide listing and a backlink from Skimlinks.com.

Awin

• Other savings

  Promotional monthly fee until 30 Nov

  The pricing page shows Access at $49 and Accelerate at $99 a month, instead of $99 and $199, with a stated end date of 30 Nov.

Skimlinks

• Annual discount

  Up to 17% off Preferred with annual billing

  The Preferred tier is $200 a month billed monthly or $166 a month when paid annually, a saving of up to 17%.