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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Rakuten Advertising vs Upfluence

Rakuten Advertising logo

Rakuten Advertising

Affiliate Marketing

Performance marketing solutions with global reach

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Upfluence logo

Upfluence

Influencer Marketing

Turn your customers into brand ambassadors

From
$478/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Rakuten Advertising account terminations without clear explanation; Upfluence no published pricing rates; custom quotes required
  • They diverge on capability: Rakuten Advertising covers Global publisher network, Upfluence covers Influencer discovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rakuten Advertising and Upfluence actually diverge.

Attributes where Rakuten Advertising and Upfluence differ
AttributeRakuten AdvertisingUpfluence
Starting priceOn request$478/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Chrome-extension, Api
CategoryAffiliate MarketingInfluencer Marketing
Founded19972013

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Rakuten Advertising

  • Global publisher network
  • Influencer marketplace
  • Cross-device attribution
  • AI-powered insights
  • Brand protection
  • Google Analytics
  • Adobe Analytics
  • Web support

Only in Upfluence

  • Influencer discovery
  • Customer identification
  • Affiliate management
  • Promo code tracking
  • Campaign automation
  • Social commerce
  • Email outreach
  • Performance analytics

Both cover

  • Shopify

What people use each for

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

Rakuten Advertising

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Upfluence
  • Workflow automationnot Upfluence
  • Reportingnot Upfluence

Upfluence

  • Influencer marketing campaign management and discoverynot Rakuten Advertising
  • Creator program scaling with ROI trackingnot Rakuten Advertising
  • End-to-end automated influencer payouts and compliancenot Rakuten Advertising
  • Brands and agencies managing influencer relationships at scalenot Rakuten Advertising

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

Upfluence

  • No published pricing rates; custom quotes required
  • Minimum 12-month contract term enforced
  • Pricing varies significantly based on modules selected (Find, Scale, Autopilot) and team size

Pricing, plan by plan

Rakuten Advertising

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

Upfluence

$478/month
  • Growth$478/month
    • Influencer discovery
    • Basic CRM
    • Campaign management
  • Scale$1078/month
    • E-commerce integrations
    • Affiliate tracking
    • Promo codes
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom solutions
    • API access
    • White-label options

Which should you pick?

Choose Rakuten Advertising if

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

Choose Upfluence if

  • You need influencer discovery.
  • You work on Web, Chrome-extension, Api.
  • You also want customer identification.
Upfluence review

Questions people ask

Is Rakuten Advertising or Upfluence better?
Neither clearly leads. Rakuten Advertising starts at On request and Upfluence at $478/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rakuten Advertising or Upfluence?
Rakuten Advertising starts at On request and Upfluence at $478/month.
Does Rakuten Advertising or Upfluence run on more platforms?
Rakuten Advertising runs on Web. Upfluence runs on Web, Chrome-extension, Api.
What is Rakuten Advertising best used for?
Rakuten Advertising is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, affiliate marketing management and workflow automation are not what Upfluence is typically brought in for.
What can Rakuten Advertising do that Upfluence cannot?
Rakuten Advertising covers Global publisher network, Influencer marketplace, Cross-device attribution, AI-powered insights. Upfluence covers Influencer discovery, Customer identification, Affiliate management, Promo code tracking. Both handle Shopify.

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
Upfluence: How much does Upfluence cost?

Upfluence pricing is custom-quoted based on the modules selected (Find, Scale, or Autopilot), team size, and program volume. No standard pricing tiers are published; vendors direct inquiries to book a demo for personalized quotes.

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
Upfluence: What is Upfluence's pricing model?

Upfluence uses a custom platform fee model with no percentage taken from creator-driven sales. Pricing is modular based on selected features (creator discovery, campaign management, automation), with 12-month minimum contract terms for annual plans.

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
Upfluence: Does Upfluence charge setup fees or have a free trial?

Upfluence offers no mandatory setup fees with free self-serve onboarding included. A free trial is available after an initial consultation, and all plans include a dedicated account manager.

Source
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