Affiliate Marketing · head to head
PartnerStack vs ClickBank
PartnerStack
Affiliate Marketing
B2B partner ecosystem platform for SaaS companies
- From
- $800/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only ClickBank has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: PartnerStack pricing is not published; the plan and price are set during a sales demo; ClickBank a one time activation fee of $49.95 is charged when a seller's first product is approved
- They diverge on capability: PartnerStack covers Partner marketplace, ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PartnerStack and ClickBank actually diverge.
| Attribute | PartnerStack | ClickBank |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $800/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | transaction |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Category | Affiliate Marketing | Unknown |
| Founded | 2015 | 1998 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 PartnerStack
- Partner marketplace
- Automated payouts
- Multi-program support
- Partner portal
- Revenue attribution
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Stripe
Only in ClickBank
- Digital product marketplace
- High commission rates
- Recurring billing
- Refund management
- Affiliate tools
- ClickFunnels
- WordPress
- Teachable
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PartnerStack
- Running an affiliate or referral programmenot ClickBank
- Partner lead and deal registration for a reseller channelnot ClickBank
- Paying partners across geographiesnot ClickBank
- Onboarding and training partnersnot ClickBank
- Finding partners through the PartnerStack marketplacenot ClickBank
ClickBank
- Selling digital products through an affiliate marketplacenot PartnerStack
- Recruiting affiliates to promote an info product or supplementnot PartnerStack
- Earning commission as an affiliate on third party digital productsnot PartnerStack
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
PartnerStack
- Pricing is not published; the plan and price are set during a sales demo
- The entry Launch tier makes you choose between affiliate link tracking and lead or deal registration rather than offering both
- Advanced integrations, learning management and MDF management require the Growth tier
- Custom workflows and a dedicated customer success manager are Enterprise only
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
Pricing, plan by plan
PartnerStack
$800/month- Launch$800/month
- Partner portal
- Automated payouts
- Analytics dashboard
ClickBank
Free- AffiliateFree
- Free to join
- Up to 75% commissions
- Weekly payouts
Which should you pick?
Choose PartnerStack if
- You need partner marketplace.
- You also want automated payouts.
Choose ClickBank if
- You need digital product marketplace.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want high commission rates.
Questions people ask
- Is PartnerStack or ClickBank better?
- Neither clearly leads. PartnerStack starts at $800/month and ClickBank at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PartnerStack or ClickBank?
- ClickBank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $800/month for PartnerStack and Free for ClickBank.
- Does PartnerStack or ClickBank run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use ClickBank for free?
- Yes. ClickBank has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PartnerStack starts at $800/month.
- What is PartnerStack best used for?
- PartnerStack is most often used for running an affiliate or referral programme, partner lead and deal registration for a reseller channel, paying partners across geographies, onboarding and training partners. Of those, running an affiliate or referral programme and partner lead and deal registration for a reseller channel are not what ClickBank is typically brought in for.
- What can PartnerStack do that ClickBank cannot?
- PartnerStack covers Partner marketplace, Automated payouts, Multi-program support, Partner portal. ClickBank covers Digital product marketplace, High commission rates, Recurring billing, Refund management. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
PartnerStack: What is PartnerStack used for?
PartnerStack helps partnership teams easily scale their program revenue by automating a variety of partner referral and sales motions in a single dashboard, supporting affiliate, referral, co-sell and influencer programs.
SourcePartnerStack: How does PartnerStack automate commissions?
PartnerStack automates the entire commission process from tracking partner-sourced revenue to calculating payouts and issuing payments, consolidating all approved commissions into a single monthly invoice and distributing earnings to every partner.
SourcePartnerStack: Does PartnerStack provide partner recruitment tools?
Yes. PartnerStack AI automatically identifies and ranks the best-fit partners for your program using data from across the PartnerStack Network, and leverages AI-generated invites to scale your outreach with personalized messages.
SourcePartnerStack: How many partners are in the PartnerStack ecosystem?
PartnerStack hosts over 80,000 active vetted partners in its ecosystem, with over 800 partner programs ranging from startups to publicly traded corporations.
Source