10+ Best Saas Affiliate Programs and Networks That Are Worth Trying in 2024

The SaaS industry is continuously evolving and booming, as these SaaS products are a great way to provide businesses with effective tools. As the industry continues to grow, so does the potential for businesses to earn money through affiliate programs. This referral-based program allows you to earn some extra bucks without breaking the bank.

Since you don't need a big fat team to carry out all those projects, you need strong communications and networks to get all the perks from your affiliate programs. A beginner affiliate marketer can earn up to $1 000 per month. Now imagine being paid regularly as long as your referred user is a loyal customer.

More and more industries have now started to embrace affiliate marketing, and out of all the bunch of industries, Saas is the most lucrative one. Affiliate marketing is a great way to promote SaaS products and services and earn a commission for each sale. With the right affiliate program, you can earn a substantial amount of passive income.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned affiliate marketer, SaaS affiliate networks are one of the best ways to monetize your site. These affiliate programs and networks are everywhere, and they are growing in popularity. Whether you are a content creator, an influencer, or just someone looking to make a little extra money, there are plenty of opportunities to make money with Saas affiliate programs and networks. But which ones are the best? We have researched and rounded up the best Saas affiliate programs and networks for 2023. So, scroll down and read on to find out which ones you should be signing up for today.


What Is a Saas Affiliate Program

A SaaS affiliate program is a type of referral program where affiliates are rewarded for referring customers to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) product or service. This program is becoming increasingly popular as SaaS companies look for new ways to expand their reach and increase customer acquisition.

Believe it or not, this Saas affiliate program is an exceptional way to generate the right income from your website or blog. By partnering with affiliates, companies can leverage the reach of the affiliate’s audiences to drive more sales and increase brand awareness. These affiliates are incentivized to promote a company’s products and services by receiving a commission whenever they successfully refer a customer to the company.

To make it more simple, consider the example: As an affiliate, you will receive a commission for each new customer or paying user you refer. You get a commission each time your referral transacts using your affiliate link.

It’s a way for software companies to reward people for referring customers to their products. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved: the software company gets more customers, and the affiliate gets rewarded for their efforts.

For instance, SEMrush, a popular digital marketing tool, offers an affiliate marketing program. The tool has a strong client base, including Nike, Tesla, and Apple. If you sign up to join their affiliate program, you can get a commission rate of up to $200 for every subscription.

Generally, there are three parties involved in affiliate marketing:

  • Product creator: the one who owns the product
  • Affiliate: the one who promotes the product or service
  • Customer: the one who makes a purchase

How Does the Saas Affiliate Program Work

No wonder the Saas affiliate program is cost-effective as compared to other industries. The program has so much to offer, which includes personalized promotions, building customer loyalty, and a target audience.

Affiliate marketing takes place when SaaS companies allow other individuals or businesses to promote their service, and in exchange, they agree upon a certain commission for affiliates on each sale. This type of marketing is pretty effective and beneficial for both parties, it's a kind of win-win scenario.

Generally, it works like this:

  • Firstly, the Saas companies offer an affiliate marketing program so that affiliates can sign up for the programs and promote the product.
  • Then, the Saas companies skim through the form and approve the partnership providing a unique link to the affiliate.
  • These affiliates place the links on their websites, emails, blogs, or the other resources they own. The affiliate marketer can even create a banner ad, software or product reviews, articles, or video content to promote the service or product.
  • Then, every time a user clicks on the affiliate links, the Saas company tracks it using their system and if a user purchases your Saas service, the affiliate is rewarded with the agreed commission on each sale.

Why You Should Consider Becoming a Saas Affiliate

Are you passionate about SaaS products and want to share your enthusiasm with others? Becoming a SaaS affiliate could be the perfect opportunity for you. As a SaaS affiliate, you have the potential to make a significant amount of money with minimal effort. With the right approach, you can generate a steady stream of passive income that can supplement your existing income.

When you become a SaaS affiliate, you can promote and sell software-as-a-service (SaaS) products from leading companies and earn a commission for each sale you make. By joining an affiliate program and promoting a SaaS product, you can earn up to 50% of the sale price for every customer you refer. That’s right, you don’t even need to own the product or have any experience in the software industry. All you need is a little bit of knowledge and a drive to succeed.

You can partner with software companies to promote their products and services to your audience in exchange for a commission. This is an incredibly lucrative opportunity, as the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) industry is worth over $100 billion and is expected to continue to grow exponentially. Here are the top three reasons you should consider becoming a SaaS affiliate.

  • You can partner with an established SaaS company and help them reach more customers.
  • Get to earn a commission on every customer you refer.
  • You can create a passive income stream that will grow over time.

Here's a quick rundown of the top 5 reasons to become an affiliate marketer:

  1. Easy to Start

Affiliate marketing is super easy to start. You must choose the niche you want to cater to and the medium to promote that product or service. Once you have made the right decision about your niche, now it's time to take action.

  1. Little To No Investments

Since you are an affiliate marketer, you are not launching the product. You are just simply promoting it to the right audience. You only need little money when creating your website and only if you buy a paid one to place your affiliate links. So, let's be honest , low investment is a foremost reason you should consider becoming an affiliate marketer.

  1. The unending list of Products

As an affiliate marketer, you have an unending list of products. Since online marketing is growing and continuously flourishing, there is almost no chance you will ever run out of products to write about. You can easily switch your niche if you feel bored or dull of writing about the same thing several times.

  1. Be Your Boss

As an affiliate marketer, you are your boss. You have no one to supervise, and so there is no one to whom you should report. You decide your flexible working hours, and you can even decide where you want to work or what you want to work. You can choose the type of product you want to promote and switch your niche if you want.

  1. Generate Passive Income

Once your affiliate marketing business is all established, then is the time when you start generating passive income. You can earn with the products or services you recommended months ago. Since the affiliate link is placed on your website, any visitor who views your website and purchases their product using your affiliate link will get paid even if you are asleep.

And so, who doesn't even love to wake up with some extra cash in their banks?


Example of A Success Affiliate Marketer

Zac Johnson is a well-known successful affiliate marketer. He has been associated with marketing for the last 22 years. He started his affiliate marketing journey through a very popular Amazon affiliate marketers program. Back in 2007, he launched his blog at ZacJohnson.com to build his brand. Till date, he is one of the most famous and successful affiliate marketers and manages to earn over $100 000 each year without even launching his own products.


Benefits of Saas Affiliate Programs

Software as a Service (SaaS) affiliate programs have become increasingly popular in recent years, allowing businesses to increase their revenue streams and expand their customer base. By leveraging the power of their existing customer base, businesses can increase their marketing reach and build relationships with new customers.

These programs offer a number of advantages to businesses, from increased revenue to better customer loyalty. Let's have a look at the benefits these affiliate programs provide to your Saas companies.

  1. Loyal Customers

Customer loyalty is one of a business's most important assets. Loyal customers are more likely to make repeat purchases, refer friends and family, and help spread the word about your brand. But did you know loyal customers can also help drive revenue through affiliates? Yes, you can generate more revenue through affiliate programs.

When done correctly, it can be an incredibly powerful tool for businesses to increase their reach and grow their customer base. By leveraging your loyal customer base, you can create an affiliate program that helps you bring in additional revenue while also strengthening the relationship between you and your customers.

  1. Promotes Your Products

The launch of a new product or service can be daunting for any business. You want to get the word out and create a buzz in the market to ensure your product is noticed. One of the most effective ways to do this is to launch an affiliate program. Affiliate programs are a great way to get your product in front of a larger audience and increase your sales.

An affiliate program allows you to partner with other websites or influencers to promote your products and services. In exchange, you offer them a commission on any sales they generate. With the right strategy, an affiliate program can be a great way to get the word out about your new products and services.

  1. A Perfect Space to Explore Co-Branding

Co-Branding is a marketing strategy where two brands collaborate to create a product or service that is mutually beneficial. This type of collaboration can be seen everywhere, from celebrity endorsements to company partnerships. But more and more companies are looking for ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

It’s a great way to combine the strengths of two or more brands to create something bigger and better than either could have done alone. By partnering with the right affiliates, such as PCMag.com and CNET.com, you can create a powerful co-branding strategy to help both parties reach their goals.

  1. Leverage Influencer Clouts

Influencers are a powerful marketing tool for businesses looking to reach new audiences and increase their sales. But how do you leverage influencers’ clout to your advantage? The answer is an affiliate program. Affiliate programs allow influencers to promote your products or services to their followers, and for each sale, the influencer earns a commission. For businesses, this presents an opportunity to tap into the influencer’s network of followers and generate more leads and sales.

Creating an affiliate program can help businesses to tap into an influencer’s network and generate more revenues.


Types of Saas Marketing Affiliates

There is a whole new variety when it comes to the types of Saas marketing affiliates and of course, different types of affiliates that can be leveraged for different types of campaigns. So, here is a quick rundown of the top Saas marketing affiliates who are ruling the industry:

  • Bloggers
  • Podcasters
  • Influencers

Payment Models

Of course, Affiliate programs help businesses to get their products and services in front of new audiences and drive sales. However, setting up an affiliate program can be tricky, especially when it comes to deciding on the payment model.

There are a few different payment models to choose from & it depends on the type of program you have, and thankfully, there are a variety of payment models you can choose from. So, let's discuss the top payment models for affiliate programs and choose the right one for your business. The most common types of affiliate program payment models are as follows:

  • CPC — Cost Per Click
  • CPS — Cost Per Sale
  • CPL — Cost Per Lead
  • CPA — Cost Per Action

Cost Per Click (CPC)

One of the most popular payment models is Pay Per Click (PPC). PPC is a payment model in which the advertiser only pays when a user clicks on the ad. This payment model can benefit both the advertiser and the affiliate, allowing for increased control, flexibility, and transparency.

It involves a company paying an affiliate for each click generated from a link or ad placed on their website or blog. This payment model is attractive to many affiliates because it is simple and easy to understand and provides an immediate source of income.

Cost Per Sale (CPS)

Cost Per Sale (CPS) payment model is one of the most popular models for affiliates. In this model, the affiliate is paid based on the number of sales they generate. This means the affiliate only gets paid when they make a sale. This model has many advantages, including the ability to track sales and measure performance and giving affiliates an incentive to focus on high-converting products.

Cost Per Lead (CPL)

CPL is a performance-based model in which the advertiser pays the affiliate an agreed-upon fee for every generated lead. This model is super helpful for affiliates because it allows them to earn money without investing in upfront costs. It also provides more control over their earnings as they can focus on generating leads that are most likely to convert into sales.

When it comes to businesses, This model allows them to pay affiliates for each qualified lead that they generate. The three most common types of leads include:

  1. Email Signups: When users sign up for emails through affiliates, Saas companies must pay the affiliates for every email subscriber.
  2. Free Trial Signup: When an affiliate convinces users of free trial signup, companies pay the affiliates for a free trial signup.
  3. Demo Calls: An affiliate is paid each time a customer reaches out to the Saas companies for Demo or consultation calls.

Cost Per Action (CPA)

The last is the CPA model, which is based on the concept that a Saas company pays for a specific action taken by a potential customer. The action can be anything from downloading an app, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. CPA is beneficial for affiliates to earn money, as it allows them to make money for every action a customer takes.


Best Traffic Sources for Saas Affiliate Programs

As a SaaS affiliate, you have many options for driving traffic to your affiliate links. You can use various methods to generate more leads and increase your sales, from search engine optimization to paid advertising. However, you need to ensure that you are targeting the right traffic sources to maximize your profits. So, let's take a look at the best traffic sources for SaaS affiliate programs and how you can make the most of it.

Paid Traffic

Wondering what’s paid traffic? So, basically, paid traffic is any kind of traffic you get through the affiliate links. It is actually a result of any paid ad campaigns or pay-per-click ads. No wonder paid traffic or campaigns are one of the effective ways to drive more visitors to your affiliate websites. It is most beneficial because it helps you to generate instant traffic once you start paying.

For instance, Google Ads is the most common and popular paid traffic generator. You can easily create search campaigns or display your ads on the platforms.

Blog Posts

If you are a Saas affiliate, you know that generating traffic is one of the most challenging aspects of running an affiliate program. But did you know that blog posts are one of the best ways to generate traffic sources for Saas affiliate programs? Yes, it's true!

Blogging is a great way to get your Saas affiliate program noticed and build up your audience. These blog posts can generate traffic for your affiliate program and drive more sales. You can attract potential customers and build relationships with them by providing helpful information about the products or writing blog posts about your Saas product or service. Always aim to create evergreen content, as these are the types of blog posts that remain fresh and relevant for many years.

Search Engine Optimization

As a SaaS affiliate, it’s important to maximize your traffic sources in order to generate more leads and sales. Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most powerful sources for achieving this goal. SEO helps to ensure that your website ranks highly in search engine results pages (SERPs), thus increasing your visibility and drawing in more potential customers.

This means that you can generate more traffic, leads, and, ultimately, more sales through SEO. When it comes to SEO, ensure you follow the three main steps

  • Understand what your target audience is looking for. Once you understand, research the keywords and then use a keyword that's relevant to your offers.
  • Ensure your keyword is in the website title and the body of the post, and your page must have a well-written meta title, meta descriptions, and ALT tags.
  • Lastly, achieve backlinks that help your website rank higher on search engines.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is something that you can hardly ignore. It is one of the best and most effective traffic sources for Saas affiliate programs. It helps you to improve your communications and maximizes your traffic to your affiliate website. You can build a long email list of your target audience and create a newsletter. Add your latest piece of content and announce affiliate discounts, and most importantly, don't forget to add your affiliate link.

When your target users click and open your email, they will definitely explore your affiliate website. There are chances you can even get signups using the email marketing technique.

Product Reviews

Let's be honest, most buyers' decisions are influenced by long detailed product reviews, especially honest ones. It's very clear when there is a need for online reviews, that means there’s the best opportunity for Saas affiliate marketers. Believe it or not, product reviews are highly profitable for you as they offer you a steady stream of income.

So, try creating honest product reviews. Your reviews can be seen as a trustworthy recommendation by your audience. Showcasing any products or services in your reviews can help drive traffic to your affiliate website.  So, grab the opportunity to write reviews every time you have to promote a product or service and don't forget to place your affiliate links.

Guest Posting

Guest posting is one of the best methods to increase your affiliate revenue. It allows you to share valuable information and market your affiliate products more effectively. However, you should always remember to use ethical practices when guest posting and never use unethical tactics such as keyword stuffing or link farms. By ensuring that your guest posts are well-researched and unique, you will be able to attract more readers and generate more sales for your affiliate links.


What to Look For in a Saas Affiliate Program

With so many different SaaS affiliate programs available, how do you choose the right one? Choosing the right program can make a huge difference in your success as an affiliate. Well, we have made your work easier; let's look at the key factors to consider when selecting a SaaS affiliate program.

Program Details

Before you sign up for your next Saas affiliate program, it's essential to explore and go into detail about what the software is offering and how much you can expect from it. The program details can create huge details if you explore the software deeply and analyze if the program offers all the things you are looking for.

Most importantly, make sure to check out the affiliate policy. If you are doubtful at any point, you can reach out to their customer support team, clear all your confusion, and get your answers rapidly.

One-time Vs Recurring Payments

When you are figuring out the best Saas affiliate program, make sure to pay attention to the commission structure of the program. Generally, there are two different types of commissions:

  1. One-time Payment
  2. Recurring payment

One-time payment means you receive the payment per customer referral. This means you will only get your payment once, which can be a flat rate commission or percentage decided by the Saas company.

Whereas recurring payment means you will get the commission as long as your referral customers are associated with the company. In short, the more loyal customers, the more cash you will get. So, make sure to go with the one that can benefit you in the long run.

Cookie Duration

Another important factor to consider is cookie duration. This cookie duration tells you how long your referral customers can make the purchase for sale to be credited to you.

When target users click on your affiliate link, their journey is tracked by these cookies. The stay of these cookies on their devices indicates the cookie duration, and it can be anything between 24 hours to 120 days or more than that. So, make sure to figure out the cookie duration while exploring the affiliate program. The longer cookie duration helps you to get more credits for conversions.


How to Create a Saas Affiliate Website

With the rise of software-as-a-service (SaaS) products, many entrepreneurs want to create an affiliate website to promote these products and earn a commission. And I mean, why not, as an affiliate website, help marketers to make money online while helping other businesses grow their user base? Creating an effective SaaS affiliate website is easy too. Just to make things easier for you, here we have broken down the steps you need to take to create a successful SaaS affiliate website and earn commissions.

When it comes to creating your website for Saas affiliates, the right tool, like WordPress, can make this work easier for you, so let's start from scratch.

  1. First, sign up for the free WordPress account and install the WordPress SEO plugin by Yoast. The plugin allows you to optimize your website for better rankings on search engines like Google.
  2. Now, download the Genesis Framework, a drag-and-drop builder that lets you design your website easily, so you don't have to write the code.
  3. Once done, install a plugin like WooCommerce and set up your store.
  4. Once you have downloaded the plugin, head back to the dashboard and log in to your WordPress admin panel.
  5. Next, click on ‘Add New,’ scroll down to the Templates, and choose the preferred template you like for your website.
  6. Once you select your template, it's time to add some text to your website. Navigate to Appearance > Header and replace the default text with your website text.
  7. Next, go to the ‘Customizer’, adjust the width and height, and make necessary changes accordingly.
  8. Now, enter the URL of your homepage into the Home menu and click Save Changes.
  9. Spice up your website with some captivating images. Add relevant images, you can get royalty-free images from Freepik, Getty Images, and Pixabay, or you can simply import your visuals from your social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.
  10. Next, install the Elementor plugin for some simplicity and customize your website. Once done with all the changes, replace your website logo and add copyright information.

And you are all done! You can finally begin promoting products and services as a Saas affiliate marketer.


Keywords to Consider for Saas Affiliate Programs

As a SaaS affiliate marketer, it is important to understand the various keywords that can be used to promote and market your affiliate program. Keywords are the backbone of any successful online marketing campaign, as they help to drive organic search traffic to your website, blog, or landing page. To maximize the effectiveness of your affiliate program, it is essential to select the right keywords to target.

Moreover, you can use tools like Ahfref, Google, Moz, SEMRush, and more.

Let's have a look at the best ones.

  • Saas affiliate programs
  • Best Saas affiliate programs
  • Top SaaS affiliate programs
  • Saas affiliate programs for 2022
  • B2B SaaS affiliate programs
  • Best B2B Saas affiliate programs
  • Affiliate programs for Saas
  • Software as a service affiliate program
  • Saas affiliate platform
  • Affiliate marketing SaaS software

Conclusion

With this ultimate guide to the best Saas affiliate programs and networks, it’s clear that all programs vary in terms of commission, tracking period length, and payment terms. Ultimately, what works best for your business will depend on the specific needs of each individual affiliate marketer.

Whether you opt for a one-time commission or opt for a more lucrative percentage-based commission plan, there are many options to choose from and take advantage of. With the right research, you can find an affiliate program that works for you.