Softwr

Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Awin vs GrowSurf

Awin logo

Awin

Affiliate Marketing

Global affiliate network with 1M+ publishers

From
£99/month
Rated
-
GrowSurf logo

GrowSurf

Affiliate Marketing

Referral software for tech companies

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only GrowSurf has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Awin all Access tier has 3-month minimum contract with 14-day cancellation notice; GrowSurf startup tier limited to 1 referral program
  • They diverge on capability: Awin covers Global publisher network, GrowSurf covers Referral tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Awin and GrowSurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Awin and GrowSurf differ
AttributeAwinGrowSurf
Starting price£99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded20002017

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Awin

  • Global publisher network
  • Cross-device tracking
  • Payment processing
  • Compliance tools
  • Publisher recruitment
  • Shopify
  • Magento
  • WooCommerce

Only in GrowSurf

  • Referral tracking
  • Automated rewards
  • Fraud detection
  • Custom branding
  • Developer API
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Intercom

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Awin

  • Affiliate marketingnot GrowSurf
  • Performance-based advertisingnot GrowSurf
  • Commission managementnot GrowSurf

GrowSurf

  • Launching customer referral programs without engineering overheadnot Awin
  • White-label referral systems matching brand appearancenot Awin
  • AI-powered reward suggestions and promotional copy generationnot Awin
  • Integrations with Zapier, Stripe, HubSpot, Slack, PayPal, Salesforcenot Awin

Where each one falls short

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

Awin

  • All Access tier has 3-month minimum contract with 14-day cancellation notice
  • Advanced plan requires custom negotiation; no fixed pricing published
  • Transaction fees apply on all tiers: 3.5% (Access), 2.5% (Accelerate), custom (Advanced)
  • Advanced tier excludes partner payment management and branded private networks

GrowSurf

  • Startup tier limited to 1 referral program
  • Startup and Business tiers include only email support, not real-time
  • Requires upgrade to Business tier for custom referral portal domain
  • Custom tier requires 25,000+ participants and quote-based pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Awin

£99/month
  • Access$99/month
    • 3.5% transaction fee
    • Minimum 3-month term with 14-day cancellation notice
    • First month free
  • Accelerate$199/month
    • 2.5% transaction fee
    • No minimum contract
    • Unlimited commission groups
  • Advanced$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited commission groups
    • Custom tracking rules

GrowSurf

Free
  • Startup$179/month
    • 2,500 participants
    • 2 referral programs
    • 2 team members
  • Startup$279/month
    • 5,000 participants
    • 2 referral programs
    • 2 team members
  • Business$449/month
    • 10,000 participants
    • 5 referral programs
    • 5 team members
  • Business$1429/month
    • 150,000 participants
    • 5 referral programs
    • 5 team members

Which should you pick?

Choose Awin if

  • You need global publisher network.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want cross-device tracking.

Choose GrowSurf if

  • You need referral tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want automated rewards.

Questions people ask

Is Awin or GrowSurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Awin starts at £99/month and GrowSurf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Awin or GrowSurf?
GrowSurf has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £99/month for Awin and Free for GrowSurf.
Does Awin or GrowSurf run on more platforms?
Awin runs on Web, Mobile. GrowSurf runs on Web.
Can I use GrowSurf for free?
Yes. GrowSurf has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Awin starts at £99/month.
What is Awin best used for?
Awin is most often used for affiliate marketing, performance-based advertising, commission management. Of those, affiliate marketing and performance-based advertising are not what GrowSurf is typically brought in for.
What can Awin do that GrowSurf cannot?
Awin covers Global publisher network, Cross-device tracking, Payment processing, Compliance tools. GrowSurf covers Referral tracking, Automated rewards, Fraud detection, Custom branding. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Awin: How much does Awin cost?

Awin pricing starts at £99+VAT per month for Access tier plus 3.5% transaction fee. Accelerate tier is £199+VAT per month plus 2.5% transaction fee. Advanced tier has custom pricing determined by negotiation.

Source
GrowSurf: Is there a free trial for GrowSurf?

Yes, all paid plans include a 14-day free trial with access to paid features and integrations. No credit card required.

Source
Awin: What are Awin's transaction fees?

Awin charges transaction fees on all plans. Access tier charges 3.5% per transaction, Accelerate charges 2.5% per transaction, and Advanced tier has custom transaction fee rates.

Source
GrowSurf: How does GrowSurf pricing scale with participants?

GrowSurf pricing is based on the number of participants (people who refer or are referred). Startup plans range from $179-$279/month for 2,500-5,000 participants. Business plans range from $449-$1,429/month for 10,000-150,000 participants. Plans auto-scale on a prorated basis.

Source
Awin: What is the minimum contract term for Awin?

Access tier requires a minimum 3-month commitment with 14-day cancellation notice. Accelerate and Advanced tiers have no stated minimum contract term.

Source
GrowSurf: Do higher GrowSurf tiers include more integrations?

Yes. Startup includes Stripe, HubSpot, Zapier, Slack, and Tango Card. Business adds PayPal, Salesforce, Chargebee, Recurly, Marketo, and CDP integrations.

Source
Awin: What commission group limits does each Awin tier have?

Access tier allows up to three commission groups with limited rule options. Accelerate tier allows unlimited commission groups. Advanced tier allows unlimited commission groups plus custom tracking rules.

Source
Share

Related pages

Other head to heads