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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

ClickBank vs PartnerStack

ClickBank logo

ClickBank

Affiliate Marketing

Digital product affiliate marketplace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PartnerStack logo

PartnerStack

Affiliate Marketing

B2B partner ecosystem platform for SaaS companies

From
$800/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; PartnerStack pricing is not published; the plan and price are set during a sales demo
  • They diverge on capability: ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, PartnerStack covers Partner marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickBank and PartnerStack actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickBank and PartnerStack differ
AttributeClickBankPartnerStack
Starting priceFree$800/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded19982015

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 PartnerStack

  • Partner marketplace
  • Automated payouts
  • Multi-program support
  • Partner portal
  • Revenue attribution
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Stripe

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 PartnerStack
  • Recruiting affiliates to promote an info product or supplementnot PartnerStack
  • Earning commission as an affiliate on third party digital productsnot PartnerStack

PartnerStack

  • Running an affiliate or referral programmenot ClickBank
  • Partner lead and deal registration for a reseller channelnot ClickBank
  • Paying partners across geographiesnot ClickBank
  • Onboarding and training partnersnot ClickBank
  • Finding partners through the PartnerStack marketplacenot 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

PartnerStack

  • Pricing is not published; the plan and price are set during a sales demo
  • The entry Launch tier makes you choose between affiliate link tracking and lead or deal registration rather than offering both
  • Advanced integrations, learning management and MDF management require the Growth tier
  • Custom workflows and a dedicated customer success manager are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickBank

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

PartnerStack

$800/month
  • Launch$800/month
    • Partner portal
    • Automated payouts
    • Analytics dashboard

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 PartnerStack if

  • You need partner marketplace.
  • You also want automated payouts.
PartnerStack review

Questions people ask

Is ClickBank or PartnerStack better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickBank starts at Free and PartnerStack at $800/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickBank or PartnerStack?
ClickBank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClickBank and $800/month for PartnerStack.
Does ClickBank or PartnerStack 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. PartnerStack starts at $800/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 PartnerStack is typically brought in for.
What can ClickBank do that PartnerStack cannot?
ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, High commission rates, Recurring billing, Refund management. PartnerStack covers Partner marketplace, Automated payouts, Multi-program support, Partner portal. Both handle Web support.

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
PartnerStack: What is PartnerStack used for?

PartnerStack helps partnership teams easily scale their program revenue by automating a variety of partner referral and sales motions in a single dashboard, supporting affiliate, referral, co-sell and influencer programs.

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
PartnerStack: How does PartnerStack automate commissions?

PartnerStack automates the entire commission process from tracking partner-sourced revenue to calculating payouts and issuing payments, consolidating all approved commissions into a single monthly invoice and distributing earnings to every partner.

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
PartnerStack: Does PartnerStack provide partner recruitment tools?

Yes. PartnerStack AI automatically identifies and ranks the best-fit partners for your program using data from across the PartnerStack Network, and leverages AI-generated invites to scale your outreach with personalized messages.

Source
PartnerStack: How many partners are in the PartnerStack ecosystem?

PartnerStack hosts over 80,000 active vetted partners in its ecosystem, with over 800 partner programs ranging from startups to publicly traded corporations.

Source
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