Softwr

Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Amazon Associates vs Friendbuy

Amazon Associates logo

Amazon Associates

Affiliate Marketing

The world's largest affiliate marketing program

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Friendbuy logo

Friendbuy

Affiliate Marketing

Referral and loyalty platform for DTC brands

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Associates has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Associates commission rates are among the lowest in affiliate marketing at 4-20% by category; Friendbuy no public pricing; requires sales call which makes it difficult to compare costs
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Associates covers Product linking tools, Friendbuy covers Referral programs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Associates and Friendbuy actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Associates and Friendbuy differ
AttributeAmazon AssociatesFriendbuy
Starting priceFree$249/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Browser plugin, Mobile browserWeb
CategoryUnknownAffiliate Marketing
Founded19962010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Amazon Associates

  • Product linking tools
  • Native shopping ads
  • SiteStripe toolbar
  • Commission tracking
  • Real-time reporting
  • WordPress
  • Blogger
  • YouTube

Only in Friendbuy

  • Referral programs
  • Loyalty programs
  • A/B testing
  • Fraud detection
  • Attribution tracking
  • Shopify
  • Klaviyo
  • Attentive

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Amazon Associates

  • affiliate marketing management
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting

Friendbuy

  • 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.

Amazon Associates

  • Commission rates are among the lowest in affiliate marketing at 4-20% by category
  • Requires $100 minimum earnings threshold before payment is issued
  • Cookie duration limited to 24 hours for click tracking, compared to 60-90 days at competitors

Friendbuy

  • No public pricing; requires sales call which makes it difficult to compare costs
  • Custom pricing can be expensive, especially for additional currencies or features
  • Low level of customization makes it difficult to implement seamlessly and maintain brand consistency
  • Customer support only available via email with slow response times
  • Rewards require manual processing and approval rather than automatic distribution
  • Tracking accuracy issues where referred customers sometimes marked as existing customers

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Associates

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Amazon Associates review.

Friendbuy

$249/month
  • Starter$249/month
    • Referral program
    • Basic analytics
    • Email support

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Associates if

  • You need product linking tools.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Browser plugin, Mobile browser.
  • You also want native shopping ads.
Amazon Associates review

Choose Friendbuy if

  • You need referral programs.
  • You also want loyalty programs.
Friendbuy review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Associates or Friendbuy better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Associates starts at Free and Friendbuy at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Associates or Friendbuy?
Amazon Associates has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amazon Associates and $249/month for Friendbuy.
Does Amazon Associates or Friendbuy run on more platforms?
Amazon Associates runs on Web, Browser plugin, Mobile browser. Friendbuy runs on Web.
Can I use Amazon Associates for free?
Yes. Amazon Associates has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Friendbuy starts at $249/month.
What is Amazon Associates best used for?
Amazon Associates is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting.
What can Amazon Associates do that Friendbuy cannot?
Amazon Associates covers Product linking tools, Native shopping ads, SiteStripe toolbar, Commission tracking. Friendbuy covers Referral programs, Loyalty programs, A/B testing, Fraud detection. Both handle Web support, Mobile support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Associates: Is it free to join Amazon Associates?

Yes. There are no signup fees, monthly costs, or commissions paid to Amazon. Joining and participation are completely free.

Source
Friendbuy: What is Friendbuy's pricing model?

Friendbuy uses custom quote-based pricing with no publicly listed rates. Starting point is approximately $3,000 annually, with costs varying based on traffic volume, features needed, and onboarding requirements. Annual contracts are required.

Source
Amazon Associates: How long does a click cookie last?

Amazon gives you 24 hours to earn a commission once a visitor clicks an affiliate link. You also earn a commission if a person adds a product to their cart within 24 hours and purchases it within 90 days.

Source
Friendbuy: Does Friendbuy offer a free trial?

Friendbuy does not offer a free trial. Prospective customers must contact sales for a demo and quote. There is no self-serve signup or trial period available.

Source
Amazon Associates: What are the commission rates?

Commission rates vary by product category. Amazon Games earns 20%, Luxury Beauty at 10%, Kitchen at 4.5%, and All Other Categories at 4%. Commission rates change frequently.

Source
Friendbuy: Does Friendbuy offer referral and loyalty programs?

Yes. Friendbuy bundles both referral and loyalty program features together. You cannot purchase referral features alone and must pay for the complete suite.

Source
Amazon Associates: How often does Amazon pay affiliates?

Amazon Associates provides reports updated hourly for most orders. Earnings can be tracked in real-time through the Associates Central dashboard. Payments are issued monthly if earnings exceed $100.

Source
Friendbuy: What integrations does Friendbuy support?

Friendbuy integrates with major e-commerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, plus marketing tools like Klaviyo, Braze, and Segment.

Source
Amazon Associates: Can I earn commissions internationally?

Yes. Amazon Associates operates in multiple countries. OneLink allows US Associates to earn commissions internationally by automatically directing customers to their local Amazon store.

Source
Friendbuy: Are rewards processed automatically in Friendbuy?

Activity is tracked automatically, but rewards are processed manually, requiring administrator action to approve and distribute rewards to referrers.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Amazon Associates

More on Friendbuy

Keep looking

Other head to heads