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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Awin vs ReferralCandy

Awin logo

Awin

Affiliate Marketing

Global affiliate network with 1M+ publishers

From
£99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ReferralCandy logo

ReferralCandy

Affiliate Marketing

Customer referral program for e-commerce

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ReferralCandy 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; ReferralCandy limited transparency on pricing tiers without account registration
  • They diverge on capability: Awin covers Global publisher network, ReferralCandy covers Automated referral tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Awin and ReferralCandy actually diverge.

Attributes where Awin and ReferralCandy differ
AttributeAwinReferralCandy
Starting price£99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Shopify
Founded20002009

Identical on both: 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
  • Mobile support

Only in ReferralCandy

  • Automated referral tracking
  • Customizable rewards
  • Email campaigns
  • Fraud detection
  • A/B testing
  • ReCharge

Both cover

  • Shopify
  • Magento
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Awin

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

ReferralCandy

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Awin
  • Workflow automationnot Awin
  • Reportingnot 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

ReferralCandy

  • Limited transparency on pricing tiers without account registration
  • Primary focus on Shopify integration limits effectiveness for non-Shopify platforms
  • Email CC/BCC limitations for looping in stakeholders

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

ReferralCandy

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ReferralCandy review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Awin if

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

Choose ReferralCandy if

  • You need automated referral tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Shopify.
  • You also want customizable rewards.
ReferralCandy review

Questions people ask

Is Awin or ReferralCandy better?
Neither clearly leads. Awin starts at £99/month and ReferralCandy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Awin or ReferralCandy?
ReferralCandy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £99/month for Awin and Free for ReferralCandy.
Does Awin or ReferralCandy run on more platforms?
Awin runs on Web, Mobile. ReferralCandy runs on Web, Shopify.
Can I use ReferralCandy for free?
Yes. ReferralCandy 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 ReferralCandy is typically brought in for.
What can Awin do that ReferralCandy cannot?
Awin covers Global publisher network, Cross-device tracking, Payment processing, Compliance tools. ReferralCandy covers Automated referral tracking, Customizable rewards, Email campaigns, Fraud detection. Both handle Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce.

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
ReferralCandy: Does ReferralCandy work with Shopify?

Yes, ReferralCandy integrates natively with Shopify with one-click installation, making it easy to set up referral programs on Shopify stores.

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
ReferralCandy: What types of rewards can I offer?

ReferralCandy supports multiple reward types including store credit, discount coupons, PayPal cash transfers, gift cards, and free products.

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
ReferralCandy: Does ReferralCandy include fraud detection?

Yes, ReferralCandy includes built-in fraud detection to catch self-referrals and leaked coupon codes before payouts are processed.

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
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