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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

ClickBank vs Impact.com

ClickBank logo

ClickBank

Affiliate Marketing

Digital product affiliate marketplace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Impact.com logo

Impact.com

Influencer Marketing

The partnership management platform

From
$30/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; Impact.com starter plan minimum $30/month even if program generates less revenue in 30-day period
  • They diverge on capability: ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, Impact.com covers Partner discovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickBank and Impact.com actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickBank and Impact.com differ
AttributeClickBankImpact.com
Starting priceFree$30/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
CategoryAffiliate MarketingInfluencer Marketing
Founded19982008

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 ClickBank

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

Only in Impact.com

  • Partner discovery
  • Contract management
  • Cross-device tracking
  • Fraud protection
  • Performance optimization
  • Global payments
  • Multi-program management
  • Attribution modeling

What people use each for

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

ClickBank

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

Impact.com

  • Affiliate and partner marketingnot ClickBank
  • Performance-based partnershipsnot ClickBank
  • Commission trackingnot ClickBank
  • Multi-channel affiliate programsnot 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

Impact.com

  • Starter plan minimum $30/month even if program generates less revenue in 30-day period
  • Enterprise plan requires custom sales quote
  • Additional 2.5% transaction fee on all partner-driven sales applies across all tiers
  • One-time setup fee adds to initial cost

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickBank

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

Impact.com

$30/month
  • Starter$30/month
    • Plugin integrations (Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Adobe Commerce, Squarespace)
    • Automated partner recommendations
    • Promo code & link tracking
  • Essentials$500/month
    • impact.com Partner Marketplace (90,000 partners)
    • Unlimited contract templates
    • Unlimited tracking across events
  • Pro$2500/month
    • Dedicated customer support
    • Cross-device tracking
    • API-based tracking
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Benchmark recommendations
    • Attribution risk protection
    • Fraud scoring

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 Impact.com if

  • You need partner discovery.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want contract management.
Impact.com review

Questions people ask

Is ClickBank or Impact.com better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickBank starts at Free and Impact.com at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickBank or Impact.com?
ClickBank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClickBank and $30/month for Impact.com.
Does ClickBank or Impact.com run on more platforms?
ClickBank runs on Web. Impact.com runs on Web, Api.
Can I use ClickBank for free?
Yes. ClickBank has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Impact.com starts at $30/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 Impact.com is typically brought in for.
What can ClickBank do that Impact.com cannot?
ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, High commission rates, Recurring billing, Refund management. Impact.com covers Partner discovery, Contract management, Cross-device tracking, Fraud protection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClickBank: Is there a cost to sign up for ClickBank?

No. ClickBank account creation is free for both affiliates and sellers. There is no upfront fee to access the marketplace.

Source
Impact.com: How much does impact.com cost?

impact.com offers four tiers: Starter at $30/month, Essentials at $500/month (priced from), Pro at $2,500/month (priced from), and Enterprise with custom pricing. A one-time setup fee applies (varies by technical needs) plus a 2.5% transaction fee on partner-driven sales for all plans. Starter has a $30 minimum monthly charge.

Source
ClickBank: How does ClickBank pay affiliates and sellers?

ClickBank uses two commission models: RevShare (revenue sharing) and CPA (cost-per-action). Payments are made twice weekly to your account.

Source
Impact.com: Is there a free version of impact.com?

No, impact.com does not offer a free tier. The lowest-cost option is the Starter plan at $30/month with a $30 minimum monthly charge if your program generates insufficient revenue in the first 30 days.

Source
ClickBank: What commission percentages does ClickBank charge?

The homepage does not specify exact commission percentages. You would need to contact ClickBank or review their Help Center to find detailed commission tier information.

Source
Impact.com: What does impact.com's Pro plan add over Essentials?

The Pro plan at $2,500/month (priced from) adds dedicated customer support, cross-device tracking, API-based tracking, Data Lab for custom reports, SAML support, and partner discovery via keyword search beyond Essentials features. The 2.5% transaction fee applies to all tiers.

Source
Impact.com: How is impact.com priced?

impact.com uses tiered per-month subscription pricing based on four plans. Starter targets small programs at $30/month; Essentials at $500/month adds partner marketplace; Pro at $2,500/month adds API access and analytics; Enterprise requires custom quote. All tiers incur a 2.5% transaction fee on partner sales plus a one-time variable setup fee.

Source
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