Finding the best free affiliate marketing software in 2026 means choosing tools that offer genuine value without hidden fees or forced upgrades. This list of 10 picks includes Dub.co, Cello, Rewardful, Partnero, Tolt, Shoutout, Viral Loops, AppSumo.com, Marketsy.ai, and MakerBox—each selected for their free plan or generous free trial that lets you launch and manage partner programs without upfront investment.
This guide is for founders, marketing teams, and solopreneurs who want to start affiliate or referral programs on a budget. Use the shortlist to compare what each free plan includes—such as unlimited affiliates, automatic tracking, or white-labeled portals—and see where paid plans start when you’re ready to scale.
How we picked these affiliate marketing
We evaluated each platform based on the authenticity of its free offering—whether the free tier or trial provides real utility for launching an affiliate program. We prioritized feature depth, such as unlimited partners, conversion tracking, and integrations with Stripe or PayPal, and looked for clear pricing that reveals where paid plans begin. Reliability and fit for the use case were also critical; every pick here can serve as a standalone solution for small-to-mid-size affiliate initiatives without forcing you to a paid plan too soon.
Related shortlists: Top 5 Free Lead Generation Software in 2026 and Top 7 Free SEO Tools in 2026.
Also worth a look: Top 10 Affiliate Marketing for Small Teams in 2026.
| Tool | Best for | Key features | Pricing | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dub.co | businesses that need a full-featured link management and partner growth engine with a free plan | Custom QR codes, UTM builder and link cloaking, Partner payouts from $2.5K to unlimited per month by plan, Conversion tracking with up to unlimited tracked events | Business — $90/month | 14-day free trial |
| Cello | SaaS companies wanting to launch a partner referral program without upfront costs | Separate plans for user referrals and partner referrals, Web and mobile SDKs for embedding referrals in-product, Automated reward calculation with flexible logic | User Referrals Start — $65/month | — |
| Rewardful | SaaS founders seeking a straightforward affiliate program that syncs seamlessly with Stripe | Unlimited affiliates and visitors on every plan, Two-way Stripe synchronization for commissions, 20+ built-in integrations and a REST API | Starter — $49/month (billed monthly; $490/year) | 14-day free trial |
| Partnero | growing companies that need a white-labeled partner portal with AI tools | Unlimited partners and transactions on every plan, Runs affiliate, referral, influencer and newsletter programs, White-label partner portal with a custom domain | Starter — $49/month (billed annually; $59/month billed monthly) | 30-day free trial |
| Tolt | SaaS startups wanting a branded affiliate portal with automated payouts | Unlimited affiliates and referrals on every plan, Branded affiliate portal with a custom domain, Payouts via PayPal, Wise, crypto or bank transfer | Basic — $69/month | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Shoutout | SaaS teams that want to reward free users for acquisition actions like reviews and shares | Acquisition, activation and engagement campaign types, Automated rewards via Stripe and Chargebee integrations, Embeddable widget with developer documentation | Starter — $35/month | Free trial available |
| Viral Loops | marketing teams building viral referral campaigns like giveaways and waitlists | Pre-built templates for giveaways and sweepstakes, Pre-launch waitlist and referral campaigns, Turns customers into brand advocates through referral incentives | Pricing on request | — |
| AppSumo.com | entrepreneurs and small teams seeking lifetime deals on software without recurring fees | Curated lifetime-deal marketplace for business software, One-time purchase licenses with no recurring subscription, Deal alerts for upcoming offers | Free to browse | — |
| Marketsy.ai | creators and small sellers needing an instant AI-powered store with zero revenue cut | Generates a full online store from a single prompt, Supports e-books, courses, templates and other digital products, Built-in Stripe payment processing | Plans start at $1/month | — |
| MakerBox | solopreneurs who want curated marketing frameworks and expert audits at a low cost | Curated marketing frameworks and action plans, ChatGPT prompts for brand and campaign work, 20-minute video landing page review | Landing Page Roasting — one-time $49 | — |
The best affiliate marketing in 2026
Each tool on this list delivers a genuinely useful free plan or trial. Below, we break down what you get for free and where paid plans start, so you can pick the best affiliate marketing software for your needs.
1. Dub.co
The modern partner growth engine
Dub.co is best for: businesses that need a full-featured link management and partner growth engine with a free plan
Dub.co is a link management and partner marketing platform that enables companies to create trackable short links, measure affiliate clicks and conversions, and run partner programs from one dashboard. Its free plan includes unlimited links, basic analytics, and custom domains, while paid plans start at $90/month for the Business tier. Used by companies like Beehiiv and Framer, it suits teams seeking a scalable partner ecosystem.
Key Dub.co features
- Custom QR codes, UTM builder and link cloaking
- Partner payouts from $2.5K to unlimited per month by plan
- Conversion tracking with up to unlimited tracked events
- REST API, native SDKs and webhooks
- Role-based access control with SAML/SSO on higher plans
Dub.co pricing
- Business — $90/month
- Advanced — $300/month
- Enterprise — custom annual pricing
- Free trial: 14-day free trial
2. Cello
The easiest way to add a referral program to your SaaS
Cello is best for: SaaS companies wanting to launch a partner referral program without upfront costs
Cello offers an all-in-one referral platform with a free Partner Referrals plan at $0/month that includes unlimited partners, automated reward calculation, and multi-currency payouts. The User Referrals plans start at $65/month, making it ideal for B2B SaaS teams that want to reward affiliates without building tracking infrastructure.
Key Cello features
- Separate plans for user referrals and partner referrals
- Web and mobile SDKs for embedding referrals in-product
- Automated reward calculation with flexible logic
- Multi-currency payouts with 0% conversion costs
- Real-time analytics and performance tracking
- Integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Stripe and Chargebee
Cello pricing
- User Referrals Start — $65/month
- User Referrals Grow — $200/month
- Partner Referrals Free — $0/month
- Partner Referrals Plus — $80/month
3. Rewardful
Turn your biggest fans into your best marketers
Rewardful is best for: SaaS founders seeking a straightforward affiliate program that syncs seamlessly with Stripe
Rewardful lets SaaS companies set up affiliate and referral programs that sync directly with Stripe for commission tracking and payouts. While it doesn't have a free plan, its 14-day free trial gives full access, and paid plans start at $49/month for unlimited affiliates. It suits founders who want automatic commission adjustments and fraud detection out of the box.
Key Rewardful features
- Unlimited affiliates and visitors on every plan
- Two-way Stripe synchronization for commissions
- 20+ built-in integrations and a REST API
- SEO-friendly affiliate link tracking
- Automatic commission adjustments through the customer lifecycle
- Built-in self-referral fraud detection
Rewardful pricing
- Starter — $49/month (billed monthly; $490/year)
- Growth — $99/month (billed monthly; $990/year)
- Enterprise — $149+/month (billed monthly; $1,490+/year)
- Free trial: 14-day free trial
4. Partnero
AI-powered affiliate and referral programs
Partnero is best for: growing companies that need a white-labeled partner portal with AI tools
Partnero provides an AI-powered platform for managing affiliate, referral, influencer, and newsletter partner programs with a white-labeled partner portal. It offers a 30-day free trial, and paid plans start at $49/month for the Starter tier (billed annually), which includes unlimited partners and transactions. Growing teams benefit from its automated payouts and custom commission rules.
Key Partnero features
- Unlimited partners and transactions on every plan
- Runs affiliate, referral, influencer and newsletter programs
- White-label partner portal with a custom domain
- Automated payouts via PayPal and Wise
- Link, coupon and referral tracking with custom commission rules
- Real-time performance analytics dashboard
Partnero pricing
- Starter — $49/month (billed annually; $59/month billed monthly)
- Partner — $159/month (billed annually; $199/month billed monthly)
- Enterprise — from $599/month, custom pricing
- Free trial: 30-day free trial
5. Tolt
All-in-one affiliate marketing software for SaaS startups
Tolt is best for: SaaS startups wanting a branded affiliate portal with automated payouts
Tolt is an all-in-one affiliate marketing software that includes a 14-day free trial with no credit card required and unlimited affiliates on every plan. Paid plans start at $69/month for the Basic tier, which covers a white-labeled portal and integrations with Stripe, Paddle, and Chargebee. It suits startups that need fraud detection and team collaboration features.
Key Tolt features
- Unlimited affiliates and referrals on every plan
- Branded affiliate portal with a custom domain
- Payouts via PayPal, Wise, crypto or bank transfer
- Integrates with Stripe, Paddle and Chargebee
- Automated commission tracking
- Team collaboration and email notifications
Tolt pricing
- Basic — $69/month
- Growth — $99/month
- Pro — $199/month
- Enterprise — custom pricing
- Free trial: 14-day free trial, no credit card required
6. Shoutout
Turn your free users into your growth engine
Shoutout is best for: SaaS teams that want to reward free users for acquisition actions like reviews and shares
Shoutout automates growth by rewarding free users for creating reviews, sharing on social media, and other actions with discounts or credits. It offers a free trial, and paid plans start at $35/month for the Starter tier. SaaS teams looking to turn existing users into a referral engine will find its automation and analytics valuable.
Key Shoutout features
- Acquisition, activation and engagement campaign types
- Automated rewards via Stripe and Chargebee integrations
- Embeddable widget with developer documentation
- Action-based incentives for reviews, shares and surveys
- Custom branding with Slack and email notifications
- Customer segmentation and analytics
Shoutout pricing
- Starter — $35/month
- Growth — $149/month
- Scale — $299/month
- Ultimate — $499/month
- Free trial: Free trial available
7. Viral Loops
The all-in-one viral marketing platform
Viral Loops is best for: marketing teams building viral referral campaigns like giveaways and waitlists
Viral Loops helps businesses create referral marketing campaigns, including giveaways, sweepstakes, and pre-launch waitlists. Pricing is available on request, and there is no free plan, but its templates and campaign dashboard make it a strong pick for teams focused on viral growth. It suits companies wanting to turn customers into advocates through engaging campaigns.
Key Viral Loops features
- Pre-built templates for giveaways and sweepstakes
- Pre-launch waitlist and referral campaigns
- Turns customers into brand advocates through referral incentives
- Campaign dashboard for tracking referral performance
Viral Loops pricing
- Pricing on request
8. AppSumo.com
Reduce your business costs
AppSumo.com is best for: entrepreneurs and small teams seeking lifetime deals on software without recurring fees
AppSumo.com is a marketplace where businesses can buy lifetime deals and discounted subscriptions on software tools. Browsing is free, and individual deals typically cost $39-$139 one-time, making it ideal for budget-conscious founders. It suits anyone looking to acquire affiliate marketing tools without ongoing subscriptions.
Key AppSumo.com features
- Curated lifetime-deal marketplace for business software
- One-time purchase licenses with no recurring subscription
- Deal alerts for upcoming offers
- Money-back guarantee on purchases
- Collections like New Arrivals and Ending Soon
- Customer ratings and reviews on every deal
AppSumo.com pricing
- Free to browse
- Individual deals — lifetime access typically $39-$139
9. Marketsy.ai
Single prompt, single ready-to-go e-store
Marketsy.ai is best for: creators and small sellers needing an instant AI-powered store with zero revenue cut
Marketsy.ai generates a complete online store from a single text prompt, supporting digital and physical products with built-in Stripe payments. Plans start at just $1/month, and it takes 0% revenue cut, making it perfect for creators launching an e-commerce store quickly. Its AI-driven marketing tools help drive sales with minimal setup.
Key Marketsy.ai features
- Generates a full online store from a single prompt
- Supports e-books, courses, templates and other digital products
- Built-in Stripe payment processing
- AI-driven marketing campaign tools
- 0% revenue cut on sales
Marketsy.ai pricing
- Plans start at $1/month
10. MakerBox
Marketing resources for solopreneurs
MakerBox is best for: solopreneurs who want curated marketing frameworks and expert audits at a low cost
MakerBox offers curated marketing frameworks, ChatGPT prompts, and one-on-one landing page reviews and audits. Services start at $49 for a landing page review and $99 for a full marketing audit, making it accessible for independent founders. It suits those who need actionable strategy without hiring a full-time marketer.
Key MakerBox features
- Curated marketing frameworks and action plans
- ChatGPT prompts for brand and campaign work
- 20-minute video landing page review
- 60-minute live strategy consultation
- Pricing and funnel optimization guidance
MakerBox pricing
- Landing Page Roasting — one-time $49
- Marketing Audit — one-time $99
Which affiliate marketing should you choose?
For businesses that need a comprehensive partner growth engine with a robust free plan, start with Dub.co, which includes unlimited links and custom domains at no cost. If you’re a SaaS company looking to launch a partner referral program without any monthly fee, Cello offers a free Partner Referrals plan with unlimited partners and automated payouts. For founders who want Stripe-synced commissions and no affiliate limits, Rewardful provides a 14-day free trial with full access, then starts at $49/month.
Growing teams that need a white-labeled portal with AI tools should consider Partnero, which offers a 30-day free trial and plans from $49/month. Startups wanting a branded affiliate portal with fraud detection can rely on Tolt, which has a 14-day free trial and paid plans from $69/month. For turning free users into a referral engine, Shoutout offers a free trial and plans from $35/month. Marketing teams focused on viral campaigns like giveaways can try Viral Loops, while budget-conscious entrepreneurs should browse AppSumo.com for lifetime deals. Creators who want an instant AI store with no revenue cut should pick Marketsy.ai, and solopreneurs seeking low-cost marketing audits will find MakerBox a perfect fit.
