CJ Affiliate vs Skimlinks (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Skimlinks grades higher than CJ Affiliate: 2.4 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Skimlinks grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CJ Affiliate
Affiliate network and platform for brands, publishers and creators
Skimlinks
Affiliate link monetization for publishers, with paid merchant tiers
Which one is for you
Pick CJ Affiliate if
- Fits if you want to recruit publishers and creators from an existing network
- Works for brands ready to talk to a sales team
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price, since none is published
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, because the buttons say Get Started and Talk with CJ
- Watch out: no API or integration list is shown on the pages we read
- Tight if you're small: nothing on the site says there's a plan for a one-person program
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
How we grade them
| 1.6GPACJ AffiliateWeak | 2.4GPASkimlinksFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price or plan is published on the pages read, so cost has to be requested. Middle by default. | CPreferred is $166 a month on annual billing ($200 monthly), at the top of what affiliate tools cost, and Premium is $900. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial is shown on the listing or the pages read. | BPublishers join for free. The paid tiers are for merchants, so a publisher can use it without paying. |
| Features | COnboarding, partner discovery, several partner types, commission structures and insights. The listing shows no API or tooling detail. | CAutomatic links, one contract across networks, a reporting hub and merchant search. It isn't a program host, so merchants need an existing network. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A network program takes setup and a sales conversation to start. | CNo store rating on record. You set up accounts and programs before it does anything, so there is a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the listing. | BWeb, with Awin, CJ, Impact, Rakuten, Partnerize, PartnerStack, Refersion and Tradedoubler. |
| Best for | an affiliate network for brands, publishers and creators | turning product links in articles into affiliate links |
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: CJ Affiliate and Skimlinks. How we grade
Where they differ
- CJ Affiliate also covers partner payouts.
At a glance
| CJ Affiliate | Skimlinks | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $166 per month, billed annually ($200 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Publishers join for free; the paid plans are the Preferred Partner tiers sold to merchants. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | CJ | Skimlinks |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | skimlinks.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CJ Affiliate
- No price or plan is published on the pages read, so cost has to be requested from CJ.
- The site's calls to action are Get Started and Talk with CJ, which point to a sales conversation.
- CJ's own claims about rankings and growth figures are marketing statements and were not checked.
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.
Key features
CJ Affiliate
- Onboarding
- CJ describes onboarding with an integration set up for current and later needs, plus a set of featured onboarding tools.
- Partner discovery
- Brands find and activate new partners from a network that CJ describes as curated and transparent.
- Partner types
- The platform lists partner types including ambassadors, browser extensions, card-linked offers, coupons, editorial, email, influencers and paid search.
- Commission structures
- Brands set omni-channel program strategies and commission structures to reward partners.
- Insights
- On-demand data on customer value, journey touchpoints and how a program compares with competitors.
- Related products
- CJ also sells CJ Influence, CJ Leads and CJ Marketplaces as separate solutions.
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.
Plans
CJ Affiliate
Pricing could not be confirmed. See cj.com.
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.
Ways to pay less
CJ Affiliate
No public discounts listed.
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%.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CJ Affiliate or Skimlinks?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CJ Affiliate has no price we could confirm, and Skimlinks starts at $166 per month, billed annually ($200 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, CJ Affiliate or Skimlinks?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Skimlinks has a free plan. CJ Affiliate does not.
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.