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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

FirstPromoter vs Shopify Collabs

FirstPromoter logo

FirstPromoter

Affiliate Marketing

Referral tracking for SaaS and subscription businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopify Collabs logo

Shopify Collabs

Influencer Marketing

Connect with creators to grow your Shopify store

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shopify Collabs 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; Shopify Collabs a 2.9% processing fee is applied to every automatic commission payment and charged to the merchant's Shopify bill
  • They diverge on capability: FirstPromoter covers Recurring commission tracking, Shopify Collabs covers Creator marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FirstPromoter and Shopify Collabs actually diverge.

Attributes where FirstPromoter and Shopify Collabs differ
AttributeFirstPromoterShopify Collabs
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb (SaaS)Web
CategoryAffiliate MarketingInfluencer Marketing
Founded20172021

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 FirstPromoter

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

Only in Shopify Collabs

  • Creator marketplace
  • Affiliate management
  • Gift tracking
  • Commission payments
  • Performance analytics
  • Application management
  • Direct messaging
  • Shopify integration

Both cover

  • Web support

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 Shopify Collabs
  • Tracking referral revenue through Stripenot Shopify Collabs
  • Paying affiliates and issuing invoicesnot Shopify Collabs
  • Multi-tier commission structures on the higher plansnot Shopify Collabs

Shopify Collabs

  • Recruiting affiliates and creators for a Shopify storenot FirstPromoter
  • Issuing creator discount codes and affiliate linksnot FirstPromoter
  • Paying creator commissions automatically through the Shopify billnot 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

Shopify Collabs

  • A 2.9% processing fee is applied to every automatic commission payment and charged to the merchant's Shopify bill
  • Requires a Shopify store, so it is unusable by brands not selling on Shopify
  • Commissions are handled in USD and merchants billed in another currency pay local conversion fees
  • Creators who do not submit a W9 have their annual payouts capped at $599.99 USD
  • Collabs is not accepting new creator signups, so brands can only work with creators already on the platform or invited directly

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

Shopify Collabs

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Creator discovery
    • Gift tracking
    • Basic affiliate links
  • Pro$99/month
    • Advanced search
    • Commission management
    • Bulk messaging

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 Shopify Collabs if

  • You need creator marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want affiliate management.
Shopify Collabs review

Questions people ask

Is FirstPromoter or Shopify Collabs better?
Neither clearly leads. FirstPromoter starts at $49/month and Shopify Collabs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FirstPromoter or Shopify Collabs?
Shopify Collabs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for FirstPromoter and Free for Shopify Collabs.
Does FirstPromoter or Shopify Collabs run on more platforms?
FirstPromoter runs on Web (SaaS). Shopify Collabs runs on Web.
Can I use Shopify Collabs for free?
Yes. Shopify Collabs 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 Shopify Collabs is typically brought in for.
What can FirstPromoter do that Shopify Collabs cannot?
FirstPromoter covers Recurring commission tracking, Multi-tier rewards, Coupon attribution, Public leaderboards. Shopify Collabs covers Creator marketplace, Affiliate management, Gift tracking, Commission payments. Both handle Web support.

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
Shopify Collabs: Where can I find Shopify Collabs pricing?

Shopify Collabs pricing is not displayed on the public landing page. Pricing information may be available after logging into the platform at collabs.shopify.com or by contacting Shopify support.

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
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
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
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
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