TL;DR: Rewardful fits Stripe-centric SaaS programmes on a published $49 / $99 / $149-style ladder capped by affiliate-driven revenue. FirstPromoter fits the same mid-market band with similar $49+ rows and more dashboard/API language. PartnerStack fits partner programmes that will pay a four-figure monthly floor (public 2026 reads from ~$1,000/mo annual). impact.com fits enterprise partner management; some starter figures appear, serious programmes quote.
Affiliate tracking software attributes referred customers and calculates commission. It is not an ad network and not generic link management (Bitly).
Every entry uses the same fields: published pricing, revenue cap, Stripe/payouts, free/trial and the main limitation. The order below is not a quality ranking. $49 self-serve first. Partner platforms last.
Affiliate tracking software compared at a glance
| Provider | Published pricing | Cap / extras | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rewardful | Self-serve from $49/mo on rewardful.com/pricing. Higher rows ~$99 / $149+ | Monthly affiliate-revenue caps (2026 reads: ~$7.5k / $15k on lower rows). 0% take-rate on the subscription story | Stripe SaaS affiliate programmes | Visit β |
| FirstPromoter | Starter $49/mo (up to ~$5k affiliate revenue). Business $99. Higher from $149+ | Affiliate and campaign caps on Starter. API on Business+ | SaaS programmes that want coupons + portal control | Visit β |
| PartnerStack | Public 2026 reads from ~$1,000/mo paid annual. Confirm partnerstack.com/pricing | Contract floor, not a $49 cap | Partner marketplaces and bigger B2B motions | Visit β |
| impact.com | Tiered / quote on impact.com. Third-party 2026 tables listed starter-to-custom bands | Partner-driven transaction fees appear on some tiers | Enterprise partner management | Visit β |
FirstPromoter $49/$99/$149 and Rewardfulβs matching self-serve band were the public figures in 2026 pricing comparisons aligned to vendor pages on 16 September 2026. Confirm revenue caps on the live slider β those caps, not $49, are the upgrade trigger.
Two tools sell a $49 SaaS affiliate meter. Two sell partner platforms.
The cap is the product
$49 is cheap until affiliate-attributed revenue crosses the printed ceiling. Then you are on $99 or $149 whether or not you hired anyone. Percentage-fee tools (not in this four) flip the math again.
The four providers in detail
1. Rewardful
STRIPE AFFILIATES, $49 ENTRY
Best for: SaaS teams that bill on Stripe/Paddle and want affiliates live without a PartnerStack floor.
| Published pricing | rewardful.com/pricing from $49/mo. 14-day trial common |
| Cap / extras | Affiliate-revenue ceilings by plan. Subscription story is 0% platform take-rate |
| Payouts | PayPal/Wise-style payouts on the product. Read current payout fees |
| Free plan / trial | Trial. No lasting $0 production tracker |
| Main limitation | Not a full partner marketplace. Stripe-shaped programmes win |
- Map last monthβs affiliate-attributed MRR to the cap.
- Coupon tracking is part of the Stripe story β confirm on your plan.
- Do not buy Rewardful to run a retail coupon site.
2. FirstPromoter
SAME BAND, MORE PORTAL CONTROL
Best for: SaaS programmes that want a custom affiliate portal, coupons and API on a $49β$99 ladder.
| Published pricing | Starter $49/mo (~$5k affiliate revenue, campaign/affiliate caps). Business $99 (~$15k, API, custom domain). From $149 above that |
| Cap / extras | Revenue + affiliate count + campaigns on Starter |
| Payouts | PayPal/Wise and EU invoicing language on higher rows |
| Free plan / trial | 14-day, often no card |
| Main limitation | Starterβs $5k revenue cap is easy to miss next to Rewardfulβs cap |
- Compare caps side by side with Rewardful on the same MRR.
- Business is the row if you need the portal on your domain and webhooks.
- Multi-product commissions belong in the trial, not the brochure.
3. PartnerStack
FOUR-FIGURE PARTNER PLATFORM
Best for: B2B companies running partners, referrals and a marketplace motion that will not fit $49 software.
| Published pricing | 2026 public reads from ~$1,000/mo annual. Confirm partnerstack.com |
| Cap / extras | Contract tier. Marketplace and partner applications are the product |
| Payouts | Managed partner payments. Fees live in the contract |
| Free plan / trial | Sales-led |
| Main limitation | Wrong tool for a founder and three affiliates |
- Bring partner count and target partner-sourced ARR to the demo.
- Do not compare $1,000 to Rewardful $49 as if they were the same SKU.
- Integration hours are part of year-one cost.
4. impact.com
ENTERPRISE PARTNER MANAGEMENT
Best for: brands running affiliates, influencers and partners in one enterprise platform.
| Published pricing | impact.com/pricing β mixed public starter language and quote-led mid/enterprise |
| Cap / extras | Some tiers add a % on partner-driven transactions in third-party 2026 tables β confirm live |
| Payouts | Enterprise payout ops |
| Free plan / trial | Demo |
| Main limitation | You will not finance this like FirstPromoter Starter |
- Ask for the all-in fee (subscription + % + payout).
- Use it when partner types exceed βStripe coupon + link.β
- RFP time is a cost versus $49 self-serve.
Kurums Match: which one fits your situation
Stripe SaaS, a handful of affiliates
Rewardful or FirstPromoter Starter. Compare the revenue cap.
We need a branded portal and API
FirstPromoter Business.
Partners, not just affiliates
PartnerStack or impact.com. Budget four figures and a project.
Buying tip: write last monthβs affiliate-attributed revenue. If it is under the $5β7.5k cap, $49 tools win. If partners are a channel, skip to the platforms.
How this comparison was put together
Vendor pricing pages and 2026 affiliate-software pricing tables, 16 September 2026. Caps change β confirm sliders. No paid placement. Kurums did not run live affiliate payouts on all four.
Order is $49 self-serve first. No badge reflects a commercial relationship.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rewardful only for Stripe?
Stripe is the centre. Paddle appears on some cards. Confirm your billing provider.
Do these tools pay affiliates for us?
They calculate and often trigger PayPal/Wise. You still fund the account.
Can Bitly replace this?
No. Short links are not commission ledgers.
Did we test cookie windows?
No. Create two test affiliates and buy once each.
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