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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

FirstPromoter vs Guusto

FirstPromoter logo

FirstPromoter

Affiliate Marketing

Referral tracking for SaaS and subscription businesses

From
$49/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Guusto logo

Guusto

Employee Engagement

Gift-based employee recognition platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Guusto has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Guusto gift card merchants are limited primarily to US brands and digital formats; international options are limited
  • They diverge on capability: FirstPromoter covers Recurring commission tracking, Guusto covers Gift card rewards.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FirstPromoter and Guusto actually diverge.

Attributes where FirstPromoter and Guusto differ
AttributeFirstPromoterGuusto
Starting price$49/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb (SaaS)Web
CategoryAffiliate MarketingEmployee Engagement
Founded20172013

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 FirstPromoter

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

Only in Guusto

  • Gift card rewards
  • Peer recognition
  • Milestone celebrations
  • Budget management
  • Mobile app
  • Analytics
  • Charitable giving
  • Multiple gift options

What people use each for

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

FirstPromoter

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

Guusto

  • Employee recognitionnot FirstPromoter
  • Gift givingnot FirstPromoter
  • Milestone awardsnot FirstPromoter
  • Social impactnot FirstPromoter

Where each one falls short

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

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

Guusto

  • Gift card merchants are limited primarily to US brands and digital formats; international options are limited
  • Recipients must create a Guusto account to claim rewards, creating friction for deskless workers
  • No physical goods fulfillment or home delivery for tangible merchandise and branded swag
  • Limited customization options for branding and reward options compared to enterprise alternatives
  • Regional restrictions on merchant availability in certain geographic areas

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Guusto

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Guusto review.

Which should you pick?

Choose FirstPromoter if

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

Choose Guusto if

  • You need gift card rewards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want peer recognition.
Guusto review

Questions people ask

Is FirstPromoter or Guusto better?
Neither clearly leads. FirstPromoter starts at $49/month and Guusto at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FirstPromoter or Guusto?
Guusto has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for FirstPromoter and Free for Guusto.
Does FirstPromoter or Guusto run on more platforms?
FirstPromoter runs on Web (SaaS). Guusto runs on Web.
Can I use Guusto for free?
Yes. Guusto has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. FirstPromoter starts at $49/month.
What is FirstPromoter best used for?
FirstPromoter is most often used for running an affiliate or referral programme for a saas product, tracking referral revenue through stripe, paying affiliates and issuing invoices, multi-tier commission structures on the higher plans. Of those, running an affiliate or referral programme for a saas product and tracking referral revenue through stripe are not what Guusto is typically brought in for.
What can FirstPromoter do that Guusto cannot?
FirstPromoter covers Recurring commission tracking, Multi-tier rewards, Coupon attribution, Public leaderboards. Guusto covers Gift card rewards, Peer recognition, Milestone celebrations, Budget management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Guusto: Does Guusto work with deskless and remote employees?

Yes, Guusto is designed for frontline and deskless workers. It delivers recognition through SMS, push notifications, QR codes, and print options, making it accessible to employees without desk access or company email.

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
Guusto: What reward options does Guusto support?

Guusto cards can be redeemed for hundreds of different gift cards from around the world, branded company swag, charity donations, and custom rewards. However, gift card merchants are primarily limited to US brands.

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
Guusto: How does Guusto pricing work?

Guusto offers a Free tier with no minimum spend, Essential at $200 per month (annual billing), and Premium at $500 per month (annual billing). You pay face value for gift card rewards; Guusto charges merchants instead, so every dollar goes to employees.

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
Guusto: Can Guusto integrate with HRIS systems?

Yes, Guusto syncs with HR management systems to automate anniversaries, milestones, birthdays, and other events. It also offers SSO integrations and Slack integration for bringing recognition into daily workflows.

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
Guusto: Do employees need a Guusto account to receive gifts?

Yes, recipients must create a Guusto account to claim rewards, which some users find inconvenient compared to simpler delivery methods.

Source
Guusto: Does Guusto offer physical goods and merchandise?

Guusto focuses on gift cards and digital rewards. It does not have a robust physical fulfillment arm, so industrial or field workers cannot receive tangible goods delivered to their homes.

Source
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