Affiliate software or a network: which do you pick?

A network is a marketplace: publishers are already there and you pay an override on top of commission. Software is a tool: you handle recruitment and relationships yourself for a fixed licence.

Some providers offer both: software with an optional publisher marketplace.

Entering a new market without a partner base, a network accelerates your start — especially in countries with a concentrated publisher landscape like Germany or France.

The trade-off is higher variable cost and less direct partner contact. As volume grows, that override starts to hurt.

If you already have partner relationships or a strong brand attracting inbound applications, software is cheaper and more flexible. You set commission rules, cookie duration and payouts.

Expect more work in return: recruitment, contracts, payments and fraud checks land with you or your agency.

Look for server-side tracking, multi-currency, commission rules per product group, deeplink and feed support, exports, and payouts per country.

Ask about data ownership and whether you can take your partner list and historical data with you if you switch.

Run both systems in parallel for two to four weeks so you can compare transactions. Announce the switch to partners well in advance with new links and terms.

Bring historical revenue data across: it tells you which partners to scale first after migration.