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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Friendbuy vs ShareASale

Friendbuy logo

Friendbuy

Affiliate Marketing

Referral and loyalty platform for DTC brands

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ShareASale logo

ShareASale

Affiliate Marketing

Leading affiliate network connecting merchants with publishers

From
$550/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Friendbuy no public pricing; requires sales call which makes it difficult to compare costs; ShareASale platform shutting down at end of 2025 with mandatory migration to Awin
  • They diverge on capability: Friendbuy covers Referral programs, ShareASale covers Real-time tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Friendbuy and ShareASale actually diverge.

Attributes where Friendbuy and ShareASale differ
AttributeFriendbuyShareASale
Starting price$249/month$550/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Founded20102000

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Friendbuy

  • Referral programs
  • Loyalty programs
  • A/B testing
  • Attribution tracking
  • Klaviyo
  • Attentive
  • Yotpo
  • Gorgias

Only in ShareASale

  • Real-time tracking
  • Affiliate recruitment
  • Commission management
  • Payment processing
  • WooCommerce
  • Magento
  • BigCommerce

Both cover

  • Fraud detection
  • Shopify
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Friendbuy

  • affiliate marketing management
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting

ShareASale

  • affiliate marketing management
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting

Both are used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Friendbuy

  • No public pricing; requires sales call which makes it difficult to compare costs
  • Custom pricing can be expensive, especially for additional currencies or features
  • Low level of customization makes it difficult to implement seamlessly and maintain brand consistency
  • Customer support only available via email with slow response times
  • Rewards require manual processing and approval rather than automatic distribution
  • Tracking accuracy issues where referred customers sometimes marked as existing customers

ShareASale

  • Platform shutting down at end of 2025 with mandatory migration to Awin
  • High merchant entry cost at $550 sign-up fee plus $35 monthly
  • $50 minimum payout for publishers creates cash flow delay
  • Consolidation into Awin creates uncertainty for existing workflows and features

Pricing, plan by plan

Friendbuy

$249/month
  • Starter$249/month
    • Referral program
    • Basic analytics
    • Email support

ShareASale

$550/one-time
  • Merchant Setup$550/one-time
    • One-time network sign-up fee
  • Merchant Monthly$35/month
    • Platform access
    • Affiliate management

Which should you pick?

Choose Friendbuy if

  • You need referral programs.
  • You also want loyalty programs.
Friendbuy review

Choose ShareASale if

  • You need real-time tracking.
  • You also want affiliate recruitment.
ShareASale review

Questions people ask

Is Friendbuy or ShareASale better?
Neither clearly leads. Friendbuy starts at $249/month and ShareASale at $550/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Friendbuy or ShareASale?
Friendbuy starts at $249/month and ShareASale at $550/one-time.
Does Friendbuy or ShareASale run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Friendbuy best used for?
Friendbuy is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting.
What can Friendbuy do that ShareASale cannot?
Friendbuy covers Referral programs, Loyalty programs, A/B testing, Attribution tracking. ShareASale covers Real-time tracking, Affiliate recruitment, Commission management, Payment processing. Both handle Fraud detection, Shopify, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Friendbuy: What is Friendbuy's pricing model?

Friendbuy uses custom quote-based pricing with no publicly listed rates. Starting point is approximately $3,000 annually, with costs varying based on traffic volume, features needed, and onboarding requirements. Annual contracts are required.

Source
ShareASale: What is ShareASale's current status?

ShareASale is closing at the end of 2025. The platform was acquired by Awin in 2017, and all users are transitioning to Awin as the parent company consolidates services.

Source
Friendbuy: Does Friendbuy offer a free trial?

Friendbuy does not offer a free trial. Prospective customers must contact sales for a demo and quote. There is no self-serve signup or trial period available.

Source
ShareASale: What are the pricing fees for merchants on ShareASale?

Merchants pay a one-time network sign-up fee of $550 plus a recurring $35 monthly platform fee. Merchants must also maintain a minimum deposit in their account to cover affiliate commissions.

Source
Friendbuy: Does Friendbuy offer referral and loyalty programs?

Yes. Friendbuy bundles both referral and loyalty program features together. You cannot purchase referral features alone and must pay for the complete suite.

Source
ShareASale: How much do publishers earn on ShareASale?

Publishers join ShareASale for free. Minimum payout is $50, with monthly payments made on the 20th via ACH direct deposit, check, or Payoneer.

Source
Friendbuy: What integrations does Friendbuy support?

Friendbuy integrates with major e-commerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, plus marketing tools like Klaviyo, Braze, and Segment.

Source
ShareASale: How large is the ShareASale network?

ShareASale has over 25,000 merchants, 270,000 active publishers, and generated $200 million in sales in 2022, making it one of the fastest-growing affiliate platforms in North America.

Source
Friendbuy: Are rewards processed automatically in Friendbuy?

Activity is tracked automatically, but rewards are processed manually, requiring administrator action to approve and distribute rewards to referrers.

Source
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