Most "best affiliate network" lists are written by people who've never waited six weeks for a £43 payout. So here are eight affiliate networks compared on the things that actually affect your bank balance: what they pay, when they pay it, and how much you need to earn before you see a penny.
All figures below are current at the time of writing. Networks change terms regularly, so always check the live rate card before you commit.
The Two Numbers Nobody Mentions
Commission rate gets all the attention. Two other numbers matter just as much:
- Payout threshold — the minimum balance before you can withdraw
- Payment terms — how long the network holds your money after a sale is approved
A 12% commission on Net-60 terms with a £400 threshold is worse for cash flow than 6% paid twice a month at £20. This is where most new publishers get caught out.
The 8 Affiliate Networks Compared
1. Awin
The default choice for UK publishers, and for good reason. Awin runs programmes for ASOS, John Lewis, Currys, Etsy UK and Marks & Spencer.
Commission varies entirely by advertiser. What sets it apart is the payout structure: roughly £20 minimum, paid twice monthly via BACS in sterling. There's a small refundable deposit at signup to filter out low-quality applications.
Best for: almost everyone. Start here.
2. Amazon Associates UK
Easy to join, brutal on margins. Rates sit between roughly 1% and 10-12% depending on category, with most physical products landing in the low single digits.
Luxury beauty sits at the top end. Electronics and video games sit near the bottom. The 24-hour cookie window is short, though it captures everything in the basket.
Best for: volume-driven content sites. Not a business you can build on alone.
3. CJ Affiliate
Big international network with brands like Dell and GoPro. Payouts run around 20 days after month end, with a threshold near the $50 mark for direct deposit.
CJ is selective — sites often need meaningful monthly traffic before approval.
Best for: established publishers with UK and US audiences.
4. Rakuten Advertising
A large network that UK publishers frequently overlook. Strong on premium retail and department store brands, with a reputation for reliable, prompt payment.
Approval standards are on the stricter side.
Best for: fashion, retail and lifestyle publishers.
5. Webgains
UK-headquartered with around 1,800 programmes. Plenty of overlap with Awin, but terms sometimes differ on the same advertiser — worth checking both.
Best for: a solid secondary network for mid-sized UK brands.
6. Skimlinks
London-based, and a completely different model. Rather than joining individual programmes, you install one script and Skimlinks converts product mentions into affiliate links across roughly 48,000 merchants.
The trade-off: it takes around a 25% cut of your commissions, and the threshold sits near $65.
Best for: content-heavy sites with large archives and no appetite for link admin.
7. Tradedoubler
Strong European footprint with particular depth in the UK, Germany and Sweden. Useful for finance, travel and insurance offers.
Best for: publishers in higher-value verticals.
8. Impact
Free to join, low payout threshold, and it accepts promotion through apps, podcasts and offline channels — not just websites. Many major SaaS programmes run through it.
Best for: SaaS and B2B publishers.
How to Choose Without Overthinking It
- Earning under £200 a month? Prioritise low thresholds and fast payment. Awin and Webgains suit you.
- Writing product roundups? Skimlinks removes hours of admin.
- In finance, SaaS or travel? Tradedoubler and Impact carry the higher-CPA offers.
- Just starting? Awin plus Amazon covers most UK use cases.
Sign up to two or three, not eight. Spreading thinly across networks means you never clear the threshold anywhere.
One Last Thing on Tax
Affiliate income is taxable — as self-employment income if you're a sole trader, or company income through a limited company. Keep records from your first payout, not your first tax return.
Ready to Turn Affiliate Traffic Into Real Revenue?
Choosing a network is the easy part. Ranking for the commercial keywords that drive commissions is where most UK publishers stall.
MarkTechSol builds affiliate SEO strategies for UK publishers — keyword research, content plans and technical optimisation that put your reviews in front of buyers.
Get a free affiliate SEO consultation with MarkTechSol and find out what your site could be earning.
