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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

ClickBank vs Friendbuy

ClickBank logo

ClickBank

Affiliate Marketing

Digital product affiliate marketplace

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 ClickBank has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClickBank a one time activation fee of $49.95 is charged when a seller's first product is approved; Friendbuy no public pricing; requires sales call which makes it difficult to compare costs
  • They diverge on capability: ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, Friendbuy covers Referral programs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickBank and Friendbuy actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickBank and Friendbuy differ
AttributeClickBankFriendbuy
Starting priceFree$249/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded19982010

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 ClickBank

  • Digital product marketplace
  • High commission rates
  • Recurring billing
  • Refund management
  • Affiliate tools
  • ClickFunnels
  • WordPress
  • Teachable

Only in Friendbuy

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ClickBank

  • Selling digital products through an affiliate marketplacenot Friendbuy
  • Recruiting affiliates to promote an info product or supplementnot Friendbuy
  • Earning commission as an affiliate on third party digital productsnot Friendbuy

Friendbuy

  • affiliate marketing managementnot ClickBank
  • Workflow automationnot ClickBank
  • Reportingnot ClickBank

Where each one falls short

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

ClickBank

  • A one time activation fee of $49.95 is charged when a seller's first product is approved
  • ClickBank retains 7.5% plus $1 on each sale
  • A $5.00 pay period processing fee is charged on every payment issued
  • Refunds cost the seller $0.50 or $1 depending on product price and return date
  • Dormant accounts are charged $1 per pay period after 90 days without earnings, $5 after 180 days and $50 after 365 days
  • Payment is withheld until the account reaches the payment threshold, which defaults to $100

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

ClickBank

Free
  • AffiliateFree
    • Free to join
    • Up to 75% commissions
    • Weekly payouts

Friendbuy

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

Which should you pick?

Choose ClickBank if

  • You need digital product marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want high commission rates.
ClickBank review

Choose Friendbuy if

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

Questions people ask

Is ClickBank or Friendbuy better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickBank 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, ClickBank or Friendbuy?
ClickBank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClickBank and $249/month for Friendbuy.
Does ClickBank or Friendbuy run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use ClickBank for free?
Yes. ClickBank has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Friendbuy starts at $249/month.
What is ClickBank best used for?
ClickBank is most often used for selling digital products through an affiliate marketplace, recruiting affiliates to promote an info product or supplement, earning commission as an affiliate on third party digital products. Of those, selling digital products through an affiliate marketplace and recruiting affiliates to promote an info product or supplement are not what Friendbuy is typically brought in for.
What can ClickBank do that Friendbuy cannot?
ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, High commission rates, Recurring billing, Refund management. Friendbuy covers Referral programs, Loyalty programs, A/B testing, Fraud detection. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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
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
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Related pages

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