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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Awin vs Rakuten Advertising

Awin logo

Awin

Affiliate Marketing

Global affiliate network with 1M+ publishers

From
£99/month
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

  • Each has a real cost: Awin all Access tier has 3-month minimum contract with 14-day cancellation notice; Rakuten Advertising account terminations without clear explanation
  • They diverge on capability: Awin covers Cross-device tracking, Rakuten Advertising covers Influencer marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Awin and Rakuten Advertising differ
AttributeAwinRakuten Advertising
Starting price£99/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptiontransaction
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded20001997

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Awin

  • Cross-device tracking
  • Payment processing
  • Compliance tools
  • Publisher recruitment
  • Magento
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce

Only in Rakuten Advertising

  • Influencer marketplace
  • Cross-device attribution
  • AI-powered insights
  • Brand protection
  • Google Analytics
  • Adobe Analytics

Both cover

  • Global publisher network
  • Shopify
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Awin

  • Affiliate marketingnot Rakuten Advertising
  • Performance-based advertisingnot Rakuten Advertising
  • Commission managementnot Rakuten Advertising

Rakuten Advertising

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Awin
  • Workflow automationnot Awin
  • Reportingnot Awin

Where each one falls short

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

Awin

  • All Access tier has 3-month minimum contract with 14-day cancellation notice
  • Advanced plan requires custom negotiation; no fixed pricing published
  • Transaction fees apply on all tiers: 3.5% (Access), 2.5% (Accelerate), custom (Advanced)
  • Advanced tier excludes partner payment management and branded private networks

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

Awin

£99/month
  • Access$99/month
    • 3.5% transaction fee
    • Minimum 3-month term with 14-day cancellation notice
    • First month free
  • Accelerate$199/month
    • 2.5% transaction fee
    • No minimum contract
    • Unlimited commission groups
  • Advanced$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited commission groups
    • Custom tracking rules

Rakuten Advertising

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Awin if

  • You need cross-device tracking.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want payment processing.
Awin review

Choose Rakuten Advertising if

  • You need influencer marketplace.
  • You also want cross-device attribution.
Rakuten Advertising review

Questions people ask

Is Awin or Rakuten Advertising better?
Neither clearly leads. Awin starts at £99/month and Rakuten Advertising at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Awin or Rakuten Advertising?
Awin starts at £99/month and Rakuten Advertising at On request.
Does Awin or Rakuten Advertising run on more platforms?
Awin runs on Web, Mobile. Rakuten Advertising runs on Web.
What is Awin best used for?
Awin is most often used for affiliate marketing, performance-based advertising, commission management. Of those, affiliate marketing and performance-based advertising are not what Rakuten Advertising is typically brought in for.
What can Awin do that Rakuten Advertising cannot?
Awin covers Cross-device tracking, Payment processing, Compliance tools, Publisher recruitment. Rakuten Advertising covers Influencer marketplace, Cross-device attribution, AI-powered insights, Brand protection. Both handle Global publisher network, Shopify, Web support, Mobile support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Awin: How much does Awin cost?

Awin pricing starts at £99+VAT per month for Access tier plus 3.5% transaction fee. Accelerate tier is £199+VAT per month plus 2.5% transaction fee. Advanced tier has custom pricing determined by negotiation.

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
Awin: What are Awin's transaction fees?

Awin charges transaction fees on all plans. Access tier charges 3.5% per transaction, Accelerate charges 2.5% per transaction, and Advanced tier has custom transaction fee rates.

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
Awin: What is the minimum contract term for Awin?

Access tier requires a minimum 3-month commitment with 14-day cancellation notice. Accelerate and Advanced tiers have no stated minimum contract term.

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
Awin: What commission group limits does each Awin tier have?

Access tier allows up to three commission groups with limited rule options. Accelerate tier allows unlimited commission groups. Advanced tier allows unlimited commission groups plus custom tracking rules.

Source
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