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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Rakuten Advertising vs CJ Affiliate

Rakuten Advertising logo

Rakuten Advertising

Affiliate Marketing

Performance marketing solutions with global reach

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CJ Affiliate logo

CJ Affiliate

Affiliate Marketing

Global affiliate marketing platform by Publicis

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Rakuten Advertising account terminations without clear explanation; CJ Affiliate complex pricing tiers without transparent public pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Rakuten Advertising covers Global publisher network, CJ Affiliate covers Cross-device tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rakuten Advertising and CJ Affiliate actually diverge.

Attributes where Rakuten Advertising and CJ Affiliate differ
AttributeRakuten AdvertisingCJ Affiliate
Founded19971998

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (transaction), 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 Rakuten Advertising

  • Global publisher network
  • Influencer marketplace
  • Cross-device attribution
  • AI-powered insights
  • Brand protection
  • Shopify

Only in CJ Affiliate

  • Cross-device tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Publisher recruitment
  • Commission automation
  • Fraud protection
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Google Analytics
  • Adobe Analytics
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Rakuten Advertising

  • affiliate marketing management
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting

CJ Affiliate

  • 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.

Rakuten Advertising

  • Account terminations without clear explanation
  • Commission payment delays of 60-90 days before payment settlement
  • Support response times are slow and often unhelpful
  • Limited transparency on advertiser approval reasons when applications get rejected
  • Less user-friendly interface compared to CJ Affiliate and ShareASale

CJ Affiliate

  • Complex pricing tiers without transparent public pricing
  • Limited integration capabilities with leading third-party HR point solutions compared to some competitors

Pricing, plan by plan

Rakuten Advertising

On request
  • NetworkFree
    • Performance-based pricing
    • Global publisher access
    • Advanced reporting

CJ Affiliate

On request
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Dedicated support
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Rakuten Advertising if

  • You need global publisher network.
  • You also want influencer marketplace.
Rakuten Advertising review

Choose CJ Affiliate if

  • You need cross-device tracking.
  • You also want real-time analytics.
CJ Affiliate review

Questions people ask

Is Rakuten Advertising or CJ Affiliate better?
Neither clearly leads. Rakuten Advertising starts at On request and CJ Affiliate at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rakuten Advertising or CJ Affiliate?
Rakuten Advertising starts at On request and CJ Affiliate at On request.
Does Rakuten Advertising or CJ Affiliate run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Rakuten Advertising best used for?
Rakuten Advertising is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting.
What can Rakuten Advertising do that CJ Affiliate cannot?
Rakuten Advertising covers Global publisher network, Influencer marketplace, Cross-device attribution, AI-powered insights. CJ Affiliate covers Cross-device tracking, Real-time analytics, Publisher recruitment, Commission automation. Both handle Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Web support, Mobile support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rakuten Advertising: How does Rakuten Advertising pay commissions?

Rakuten Advertising follows a 60-to-90 day commission payment cycle tied to advertiser invoice settlement, which is industry-standard but can result in delayed payments.

Source
CJ Affiliate: How much does CJ Affiliate cost?

CJ Affiliate requires custom pricing based on business needs. Contact their sales team for a customized quote; pricing tiers vary by affiliate network size and commission models used.

Source
Rakuten Advertising: What integrations does Rakuten Advertising support?

Rakuten Advertising integrates with third-party platforms including Improvado, Strackr, Wecantrack, and Kochava for data tracking and reporting across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Meta Ads.

Source
CJ Affiliate: How many publishers and brands are on CJ Affiliate?

CJ is the platform of choice for over 3,800 global brands with over 167K publishers and brands engaging billions of consumers worldwide across all verticals.

Source
Rakuten Advertising: How are commission rates determined on Rakuten Advertising?

Each advertiser sets its own commission rates, cookie durations, and approval requirements. Commission structures vary by individual brand and product category.

Source
CJ Affiliate: What integrations does CJ Affiliate support?

CJ Affiliate provides a comprehensive API supporting integrations with marketing automation platforms, analytics tools, and tracking systems through RESTful endpoints with OAuth 2.0 authentication.

Source
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