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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

ClickBank vs Crossbeam

ClickBank logo

ClickBank

Affiliate Marketing

Digital product affiliate marketplace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Crossbeam logo

Crossbeam

Affiliate Marketing

Partner ecosystem platform for revenue teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ClickBank a one time activation fee of $49.95 is charged when a seller's first product is approved; Crossbeam the first paid plan is $4,800 a year and includes a single full access seat, with additional seats at $1,800 a year each
  • They diverge on capability: ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, Crossbeam covers Account mapping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickBank and Crossbeam actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickBank and Crossbeam differ
AttributeClickBankCrossbeam
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
Founded19982018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Crossbeam

  • Account mapping
  • Secure data sharing
  • Co-selling workflows
  • Partner scoring
  • Revenue attribution
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Slack

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

Crossbeam

  • Mapping overlapping accounts and pipeline with partner companiesnot ClickBank
  • Running a partner ecosystem programme with shared datanot 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

Crossbeam

  • The first paid plan is $4,800 a year and includes a single full access seat, with additional seats at $1,800 a year each
  • The free plan caps Deal Navigator and Pipeline Generation at 10 records each and offers no record exports at all
  • Record exports are the ladder, at 5,000 on Connector, 25,000 on Supernode and 100,000 on Enterprise
  • Sales seats are a separate $40 per user per month on top of the plan
  • SAML SSO and advanced access controls are excluded from the Connector plan
  • Both upper tiers are custom priced

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickBank

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

Crossbeam

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 3 full access seats
    • 3 standard populations
    • Single-partner account mapping (50 records)
  • Connector$4800/year
    • 1 full access seat
    • Additional seats $1,800/user/year
    • Full account mapping
  • Supernode$null/month
    • 3 full access seats
    • Unlimited sales seats at $40/user/month
    • 25,000 record exports
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom full access seats
    • Custom sales seats
    • 100,000+ record exports

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 Crossbeam if

  • You need account mapping.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want secure data sharing.
Crossbeam review

Questions people ask

Is ClickBank or Crossbeam better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickBank starts at Free and Crossbeam at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickBank or Crossbeam?
ClickBank starts at Free and Crossbeam at Free.
Does ClickBank or Crossbeam run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use ClickBank for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Crossbeam is typically brought in for.
What can ClickBank do that Crossbeam cannot?
ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, High commission rates, Recurring billing, Refund management. Crossbeam covers Account mapping, Secure data sharing, Co-selling workflows, Partner scoring. 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
Crossbeam: How much does Crossbeam cost?

Crossbeam offers a free tier with up to 3 seats, Connector at $4,800/year with 1 included seat ($1,800/year per additional seat), and Supernode and Enterprise with custom pricing. Sales seats cost $40/user/month in paid tiers.

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
Crossbeam: What is included in the Crossbeam free plan?

The free plan includes up to 3 full access seats, 3 standard populations, single-partner account mapping with 50 records, Slack integration, AI Chat, and preview access to advanced features like Deal Navigator.

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
Crossbeam: How much do additional Crossbeam seats cost?

In the Connector plan, additional full access seats cost $1,800/year each. Sales seats are priced at $40/user/month across Supernode and Enterprise tiers. Supernode includes 3 full access seats with unlimited sales seats available.

Source
Crossbeam: What is the Crossbeam Supernode plan?

Supernode is Crossbeam's most popular plan with 3 full access seats, 25,000 record exports, revenue attribution, and dedicated customer success manager. It has custom pricing and supports unlimited sales seats at $40/user/month.

Source
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