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Software · head to head

Brainshark vs FirstPromoter

Brainshark logo

Brainshark

Software

Sales Readiness Platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FirstPromoter logo

FirstPromoter

Software

Referral tracking for SaaS and subscription businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Brainshark user interface feels outdated with limited formatting customization options; FirstPromoter plans are capped by affiliate-driven revenue, so Starter at $49 a month stops at $5,000 a month and Business at $99 stops at $15,000
  • They diverge on capability: Brainshark covers Content authoring, FirstPromoter covers Recurring commission tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brainshark and FirstPromoter actually diverge.

Attributes where Brainshark and FirstPromoter differ
AttributeBrainsharkFirstPromoter
Starting priceOn request$49/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb (SaaS)
Founded19992017

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Brainshark

  • Content authoring
  • Video coaching
  • Training
  • Assessments
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Slack

Only in FirstPromoter

  • Recurring commission tracking
  • Multi-tier rewards
  • Coupon attribution
  • Public leaderboards
  • Custom signup pages
  • Stripe
  • Braintree
  • Paddle

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Brainshark

  • Customer Successnot FirstPromoter
  • Sales Readinessnot FirstPromoter
  • Content Authoringnot FirstPromoter

FirstPromoter

  • Running an affiliate or referral programme for a SaaS productnot Brainshark
  • Tracking referral revenue through Stripenot Brainshark
  • Paying affiliates and issuing invoicesnot Brainshark
  • Multi-tier commission structures on the higher plansnot Brainshark

Where each one falls short

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

Brainshark

  • User interface feels outdated with limited formatting customization options
  • Branching feature is very limited compared to competitors
  • Course catalog and transcript management in Salesforce are clunky and unintuitive
  • Administrative controls are complex and adjusting settings takes longer than expected

FirstPromoter

  • Plans are capped by affiliate-driven revenue, so Starter at $49 a month stops at $5,000 a month and Business at $99 stops at $15,000
  • Starter is limited to 1,000 affiliates, 3 campaigns and 2 websites
  • Multi-tiered commissions, invoicing and Stripe payouts require the Business tier
  • Fraud and refund protection, automated payouts, SSO and custom roles are Enterprise only, from $149 a month
  • There is no free tier, only a 14 day trial

Pricing, plan by plan

Brainshark

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Brainshark review.

FirstPromoter

$49/month
  • Starter$49/month
    • Up to $5,000/month affiliate revenue
    • 2 campaigns maximum
    • 1,000 affiliates maximum
  • Business$99/month
    • Up to $15,000/month affiliate revenue
    • Unlimited campaigns
    • Unlimited affiliates
  • Enterprise$149/month
    • $30,000+/month affiliate revenue
    • Unlimited campaigns
    • Unlimited affiliates

Which should you pick?

Choose Brainshark if

  • You need content authoring.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want video coaching.
Brainshark review

Choose FirstPromoter if

  • You need recurring commission tracking.
  • You work on Web (SaaS).
  • You also want multi-tier rewards.
FirstPromoter review

Questions people ask

Is Brainshark or FirstPromoter better?
Neither clearly leads. Brainshark starts at On request and FirstPromoter at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brainshark or FirstPromoter?
Brainshark starts at On request and FirstPromoter at $49/month.
Does Brainshark or FirstPromoter run on more platforms?
Brainshark runs on Web, Ios, Android. FirstPromoter runs on Web (SaaS).
What is Brainshark best used for?
Brainshark is most often used for customer success, sales readiness, content authoring. Of those, customer success and sales readiness are not what FirstPromoter is typically brought in for.
What can Brainshark do that FirstPromoter cannot?
Brainshark covers Content authoring, Video coaching, Training, Assessments. FirstPromoter covers Recurring commission tracking, Multi-tier rewards, Coupon attribution, Public leaderboards. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Brainshark: What is Brainshark primarily used for?

Brainshark is used for sales enablement, onboarding, and continuous training to prepare customer-facing teams with content, coaching, and certifications for buyer interactions.

Source
FirstPromoter: Does FirstPromoter offer a free trial?

Yes, FirstPromoter offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial, subscription pricing starts at $49/month for the Starter plan.

Source
Brainshark: Does Brainshark integrate with PowerPoint?

Yes, Brainshark offers PowerPoint integrations along with a mobile app for on-demand training access and content authoring capabilities.

Source
FirstPromoter: What are FirstPromoter's pricing tiers based on?

FirstPromoter pricing is based on monthly tracked revenue from your affiliate program. The Starter plan ($49/month) supports up to $5,000/month affiliate revenue with 2 campaigns, the Business plan ($99/month) supports up to $15,000/month, and the Enterprise plan ($149+/month) supports $30,000+/month.

Source
Brainshark: Can Brainshark track employee training completion?

Yes, Brainshark provides training tracking, analytics, and scorecards for monitoring completion and engagement across your sales team.

Source
FirstPromoter: Which billing platforms does FirstPromoter integrate with?

FirstPromoter integrates with Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle, Recurly, and Braintree. The platform ties commissions to subscription billing events like renewals, upgrades, and cancellations.

Source
FirstPromoter: Does FirstPromoter support multi-level affiliate commissions?

Yes, FirstPromoter supports multi-level commissions tracking up to 3 levels deep, allowing affiliates to earn from their own referrals and referrals they bring in.

Source
FirstPromoter: Can I customize the affiliate portal branding in FirstPromoter?

Yes, FirstPromoter provides a white-label partner portal that you can customize with your domain and branding. However, FirstPromoter's logo appears on portal pages unless you upgrade to higher tiers.

Source
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