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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

UpPromote vs FirstPromoter

UpPromote logo

UpPromote

Affiliate Marketing

Top-rated Shopify affiliate marketing app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FirstPromoter logo

FirstPromoter

Affiliate Marketing

Referral tracking for SaaS and subscription businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only UpPromote has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: UpPromote shopify-exclusive platform with no support for WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms; FirstPromoter plans are capped by affiliate-driven revenue, so Starter at $49 a month stops at $5,000 a month and Business at $99 stops at $15,000
  • They diverge on capability: UpPromote covers Affiliate recruitment, FirstPromoter covers Recurring commission tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which UpPromote and FirstPromoter actually diverge.

Attributes where UpPromote and FirstPromoter differ
AttributeUpPromoteFirstPromoter
Starting priceFree$49/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ShopifyWeb (SaaS)
Founded20192017

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 UpPromote

  • Affiliate recruitment
  • Multi-level marketing
  • Custom commission structures
  • Auto-tier commission
  • PayPal mass payment
  • Shopify
  • PayPal
  • Klaviyo

Only in FirstPromoter

  • Recurring commission tracking
  • Multi-tier rewards
  • Coupon attribution
  • Public leaderboards
  • Custom signup pages
  • Stripe
  • Braintree
  • Paddle

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

UpPromote

  • affiliate marketing managementnot FirstPromoter
  • Workflow automationnot FirstPromoter
  • Reportingnot FirstPromoter

FirstPromoter

  • Running an affiliate or referral programme for a SaaS productnot UpPromote
  • Tracking referral revenue through Stripenot UpPromote
  • Paying affiliates and issuing invoicesnot UpPromote
  • Multi-tier commission structures on the higher plansnot UpPromote

Where each one falls short

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

UpPromote

  • Shopify-exclusive platform with no support for WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms
  • Free plan limited to 200 affiliate orders per month
  • Dual pricing model combines fixed monthly fees with percentage-based performance fees on approved sales
  • Free plan lacks in-app messaging system for direct communication with affiliates

FirstPromoter

  • Plans are capped by affiliate-driven revenue, so Starter at $49 a month stops at $5,000 a month and Business at $99 stops at $15,000
  • Starter is limited to 1,000 affiliates, 3 campaigns and 2 websites
  • Multi-tiered commissions, invoicing and Stripe payouts require the Business tier
  • Fraud and refund protection, automated payouts, SSO and custom roles are Enterprise only, from $149 a month
  • There is no free tier, only a 14 day trial

Pricing, plan by plan

UpPromote

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic affiliate management
    • Limited to 200 affiliate orders/month
    • No in-app messaging
  • Growth$24.99/month
    • Unlimited programs
    • Auto-generated coupons
    • Email automation

FirstPromoter

$49/month
  • Starter$49/month
    • Up to $5,000/month affiliate revenue
    • 2 campaigns maximum
    • 1,000 affiliates maximum
  • Business$99/month
    • Up to $15,000/month affiliate revenue
    • Unlimited campaigns
    • Unlimited affiliates
  • Enterprise$149/month
    • $30,000+/month affiliate revenue
    • Unlimited campaigns
    • Unlimited affiliates

Which should you pick?

Choose UpPromote if

  • You need affiliate recruitment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Shopify.
  • You also want multi-level marketing.
UpPromote review

Choose FirstPromoter if

  • You need recurring commission tracking.
  • You work on Web (SaaS).
  • You also want multi-tier rewards.
FirstPromoter review

Questions people ask

Is UpPromote or FirstPromoter better?
Neither clearly leads. UpPromote starts at Free and FirstPromoter at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, UpPromote or FirstPromoter?
UpPromote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for UpPromote and $49/month for FirstPromoter.
Does UpPromote or FirstPromoter run on more platforms?
UpPromote runs on Web, Shopify. FirstPromoter runs on Web (SaaS).
Can I use UpPromote for free?
Yes. UpPromote has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. FirstPromoter starts at $49/month.
What is UpPromote best used for?
UpPromote is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, affiliate marketing management and workflow automation are not what FirstPromoter is typically brought in for.
What can UpPromote do that FirstPromoter cannot?
UpPromote covers Affiliate recruitment, Multi-level marketing, Custom commission structures, Auto-tier commission. FirstPromoter covers Recurring commission tracking, Multi-tier rewards, Coupon attribution, Public leaderboards. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

UpPromote: What does UpPromote cost?

UpPromote offers a free plan, Growth plan at $24.99/month, Professional plan at $74.99/month, and Enterprise plan at $166.66/month. Paid plans also charge a performance fee on approved referral sales (approximately 2% on Growth, 1.5% on Professional, 1% on Enterprise).

Source
FirstPromoter: Does FirstPromoter offer a free trial?

Yes, FirstPromoter offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial, subscription pricing starts at $49/month for the Starter plan.

Source
UpPromote: Is UpPromote only for Shopify?

Yes. UpPromote is exclusively built for Shopify and does not support WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms, making it limited to Shopify merchants.

Source
FirstPromoter: What are FirstPromoter's pricing tiers based on?

FirstPromoter pricing is based on monthly tracked revenue from your affiliate program. The Starter plan ($49/month) supports up to $5,000/month affiliate revenue with 2 campaigns, the Business plan ($99/month) supports up to $15,000/month, and the Enterprise plan ($149+/month) supports $30,000+/month.

Source
UpPromote: What does the free plan include?

The free plan includes basic affiliate program management, limited to 200 affiliate orders per month, and lacks advanced features like in-app affiliate messaging, approval/denial of individual referral orders, and multi-level commissions.

Source
FirstPromoter: Which billing platforms does FirstPromoter integrate with?

FirstPromoter integrates with Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle, Recurly, and Braintree. The platform ties commissions to subscription billing events like renewals, upgrades, and cancellations.

Source
UpPromote: What integrations does UpPromote have?

UpPromote integrates with email marketing platforms, page builders, subscription apps, payment processors (PayPal, Store Credit), and offers API/Webhook access for custom integrations.

Source
FirstPromoter: Does FirstPromoter support multi-level affiliate commissions?

Yes, FirstPromoter supports multi-level commissions tracking up to 3 levels deep, allowing affiliates to earn from their own referrals and referrals they bring in.

Source
FirstPromoter: Can I customize the affiliate portal branding in FirstPromoter?

Yes, FirstPromoter provides a white-label partner portal that you can customize with your domain and branding. However, FirstPromoter's logo appears on portal pages unless you upgrade to higher tiers.

Source
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Related pages

More on UpPromote

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