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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Affiliatly vs Rakuten Advertising

Affiliatly logo

Affiliatly

Affiliate Marketing

Simple affiliate software for e-commerce stores

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rakuten Advertising logo

Rakuten Advertising

Affiliate Marketing

Performance marketing solutions with global reach

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Affiliatly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Affiliatly limited to 10 platform integrations, which may exclude niche or emerging e-commerce platforms; Rakuten Advertising account terminations without clear explanation
  • They diverge on capability: Affiliatly covers Automatic tracking, Rakuten Advertising covers Global publisher network.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affiliatly and Rakuten Advertising actually diverge.

Attributes where Affiliatly and Rakuten Advertising differ
AttributeAffiliatlyRakuten Advertising
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknowntransaction
Free tierYesNo
Founded20141997

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Affiliate Marketing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Affiliatly

  • Automatic tracking
  • Custom commission rates
  • Affiliate dashboard
  • Coupon tracking
  • Manual payouts
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce
  • Ecwid

Only in Rakuten Advertising

  • Global publisher network
  • Influencer marketplace
  • Cross-device attribution
  • AI-powered insights
  • Brand protection
  • Google Analytics
  • Adobe Analytics
  • Mobile support

Both cover

  • Shopify
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Affiliatly

  • affiliate marketing management
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting

Rakuten Advertising

  • affiliate marketing management
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting

Both are used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Affiliatly

  • Limited to 10 platform integrations, which may exclude niche or emerging e-commerce platforms
  • Affiliate tier capped at 50 on the Starter plan, requiring upgrade for programs with more affiliates
  • Advanced customization options are limited compared to enterprise-level affiliate platforms

Rakuten Advertising

  • Account terminations without clear explanation
  • Commission payment delays of 60-90 days before payment settlement
  • Support response times are slow and often unhelpful
  • Limited transparency on advertiser approval reasons when applications get rejected
  • Less user-friendly interface compared to CJ Affiliate and ShareASale

Pricing, plan by plan

Affiliatly

Free
  • FreeFree
    • First 50 tracked orders
  • Starter$16/month
    • Unlimited orders
    • 50 affiliates max
  • Advanced$24/month
    • 200 affiliates
    • Branded portal
  • Professional$39/month
    • 500 affiliates
    • Custom SKU commissions

Rakuten Advertising

On request
  • NetworkFree
    • Performance-based pricing
    • Global publisher access
    • Advanced reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Affiliatly if

  • You need automatic tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want custom commission rates.
Affiliatly review

Choose Rakuten Advertising if

  • You need global publisher network.
  • You also want influencer marketplace.
Rakuten Advertising review

Questions people ask

Is Affiliatly or Rakuten Advertising better?
Neither clearly leads. Affiliatly starts at Free and Rakuten Advertising at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affiliatly or Rakuten Advertising?
Affiliatly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Affiliatly and On request for Rakuten Advertising.
Does Affiliatly or Rakuten Advertising run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Affiliatly for free?
Yes. Affiliatly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rakuten Advertising starts at On request.
What is Affiliatly best used for?
Affiliatly is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting.
What can Affiliatly do that Rakuten Advertising cannot?
Affiliatly covers Automatic tracking, Custom commission rates, Affiliate dashboard, Coupon tracking. Rakuten Advertising covers Global publisher network, Influencer marketplace, Cross-device attribution, AI-powered insights. Both handle Shopify, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Affiliatly: Does Affiliatly offer a free plan?

Yes, Affiliatly is free for your first 50 tracked orders. Once you exceed 50 orders, you must upgrade to a paid plan starting at $16 per month for the Starter tier.

Source
Rakuten Advertising: How does Rakuten Advertising pay commissions?

Rakuten Advertising follows a 60-to-90 day commission payment cycle tied to advertiser invoice settlement, which is industry-standard but can result in delayed payments.

Source
Affiliatly: Which e-commerce platforms does Affiliatly integrate with?

Affiliatly integrates with 10 major e-commerce platforms: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Storeden, Magento, Jumpseller, Ecwid, Lightspeed, and Wix.

Source
Rakuten Advertising: What integrations does Rakuten Advertising support?

Rakuten Advertising integrates with third-party platforms including Improvado, Strackr, Wecantrack, and Kochava for data tracking and reporting across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Meta Ads.

Source
Affiliatly: Can I track offline affiliate sales?

Yes. Affiliatly supports offline tracking through coupon codes and QR codes. Affiliates can share unique QR codes online or print them for physical promotions, and purchases made by customers scanning those codes are automatically tracked and credited.

Source
Rakuten Advertising: How are commission rates determined on Rakuten Advertising?

Each advertiser sets its own commission rates, cookie durations, and approval requirements. Commission structures vary by individual brand and product category.

Source
Affiliatly: How does Affiliatly's API pricing work?

Affiliatly's API integration is completely free. The API enables tracking via link clicks, product codes/SKUs, or customer emails, and supports automatic order status updates and product information syncing.

Source
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