What 30 SaaS affiliate programs publish about commission terms
A dated public-source ledger of 30 SaaS affiliate offers, separating rates, earning periods and attribution windows without treating the sample as an industry average.
A headline percentage is not enough to compare an offer
We recorded public terms from 30 distinct software vendors on 13 September 2026. The ledger separates commission rate, earning duration and attribution window. It includes conditional tiers, fixed awards, unclear fields and conflicting wording rather than forcing every offer into one percentage.
The clearest lesson is about comparison: a 30% offer for one year is not the same obligation as 30% while the customer remains subscribed. A cookie window determines which referral journey can qualify; it does not tell you how long commissions continue after qualification.
In this ledger, 19 of 30 records have a numeric cookie/window value, one describes permanent account attribution, and ten are marked unknown. “Unknown” means we did not establish the value from the inspected source, not that no rule exists. We do not report an average commission rate because the bases, tiers and earning periods differ.
How we selected and recorded the sample
We defined the inclusion rules before collection: include distinct subscription-software vendors with an official public page establishing their own affiliate program. We used a convenience sample spanning email, marketing, websites, education, sales and media tools. We excluded customer-created programs, duplicate brands, third-party roundups and candidates whose program could not be established from the inspected page.
The source column below identifies the page used for each record. All entries share the 13 September 2026 check date. Search-result excerpts and accessible page text were used; interactive or account-only terms were not treated as known. We did not join programs or contact vendors. Where a field was unclear, we retained the wording or recorded an unknown.
This is research about published offers, not realized earnings, accepted applicants, conversion rates or a representative census of SaaS. Source freshness and extraction limits matter. Recheck the vendor's current terms before using any entry to negotiate or publish your own offer.
The 30-program source ledger
Each row links directly to the inspected official source. Higher rates may depend on performance tiers or separate agreements. Dollar awards, annual offers and first-payment percentages are not interchangeable with monthly recurring percentages.
| Program and source | Published rate | Earning period | Cookie / attribution | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
50–60%, tiered | 12 months | Unknown | Higher tiers depend on conversions. | |
50%; later 10–20% by status | 12 months, then status-dependent | Unknown | Ongoing awards require qualifying tier status. | |
30% | While customer remains active | 45 days | Signup in window; paid upgrade may occur later. | |
30%; same page also says 20–30% | Conflicting: 12 months and ongoing language | Unknown | Do not normalize until vendor confirms current terms. | |
40–60%, tiered | 12 months | 90 days | 50 and 100 sales in 12 months unlock higher tiers. | |
Fixed reward; amount unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Public page describes fixed rewards without an amount. | |
60% | While customer remains subscribed | Account attribution described as permanent | Do not interpret account association as a numeric cookie lifespan. | |
25–35% | 12 months | 90 days | Repeat click restarts the stated window. | |
Referral fee; amount unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Page establishes program but does not provide a rate in inspected text. | |
75–125% first monthly payment; 15–25% annual | First purchase | 90 days | Tiered acquisition award; not a recurring monthly percentage. | |
30% standard plans; $150/month Plus | Recurring, described as lifetime | 90 days | Percentage and fixed Plus awards remain separate. | |
30% base; higher tiers vary | Up to 12 months | 180 days | Custom higher-tier arrangements not normalized. | |
50% base; 10–15% additional by tier | 12 months; up to 12 additional months by tier | 90 days | First subscription; renewal extension depends on tier. | |
50% | First 12 months or cancellation | 90 days | Terms exclude tax/fees and allow campaign variations. | |
20% | 12 months | 31 days | Monthly payout timing is separate from the cookie window. | |
20–30%; custom highest tier | 12 months | 90 days | Tier eligibility conditions apply. | |
15% | 12 months | 90 days | Eligible Freshworks products under program terms. | |
25% | While customer remains subscribed | 30 days | Only Transistor's own offer recorded; competitor claims excluded. | |
Up to 20% | Unknown | Unknown | Page does not establish a clear earning cap in inspected text. | |
30% | 12 months | 30 days | Vendor's own program, not a school owner's affiliate settings. | |
25% hosting | 12 months | 30 days | Separate 10% production-service offer excluded from software comparison. | |
Up to 30% | While customer remains subscribed | Unknown | Vendor's own offer, not customer school-program settings. | |
25% | 12 months | 60 days | Own affiliate program, not configurable customer campaigns. | |
25–35%, tiered | 12 months | 120 days | Own program; begins at 25%. | |
30% | Described as lifetime | Unknown | Cookie question visible but answer not exposed in inspected text. | |
25% | 12 months | 30 days | Eligible plans and new-team requirements apply. | |
30% recurring | Cap not established in inspected source | Unknown | Source says coupon-code discounts do not receive affiliate payouts. | |
30% affiliate offer | 12 months | Unknown | Do not mix affiliate offer with other partner groups or legacy terms. | |
25% of qualified net payments | Cap not established in inspected source | 60 days | Starter/Creator offer; qualification rules apply. | |
Unknown in current FAQ | Specific partner group determines duration | 90 days | Older referral landing page not used to override current group-specific FAQ. |
Keep contradictions visible
ActiveCampaign's inspected page includes both a 12-month statement and ongoing tiered language. We retain that conflict instead of selecting whichever version makes a cleaner comparison. Fathom's current FAQ places earning duration in the partner's assigned group; we do not replace that with an older public landing-page offer.
systeme.io describes a permanent account association. We record that as an attribution description rather than converting it into an invented number of cookie days. Surfer's current offer describes a first-purchase award, so its percentage belongs in a different comparison from an ongoing commission.
These examples show why a rate-only table can mislead. Missing information can also come from how a page renders, not only from what a vendor chooses to disclose.
Use the ledger to improve your own terms
Publish enough information for an affiliate to explain the offer: rate or amount, eligible revenue base, earning period, attribution rules, approval timing and payout conditions. Keep example earnings separate from the contractual rule. State the conditions for tiers and avoid using “lifetime” without explaining what must remain true.
Use the commission-rate guide to work through your own costs and the calculator to compare durations over a fixed horizon. Neither tool tells you which rate will recruit the right people; that requires direct evidence from your intended affiliates.
The ledger is available as a CSV download. It preserves the check date, source and unknowns so you can recheck or extend the sample. Review changing program pages before reusing an entry.