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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Awin vs Viral Loops

Awin logo

Awin

Affiliate Marketing

Global affiliate network with 1M+ publishers

From
£99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Viral Loops logo

Viral Loops

Affiliate Marketing

Viral and referral marketing made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Viral Loops 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; Viral Loops pricing is relatively high for small startups and bootstrapped businesses ($35/mo minimum)
  • They diverge on capability: Awin covers Global publisher network, Viral Loops covers Campaign templates.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Awin and Viral Loops actually diverge.

Attributes where Awin and Viral Loops differ
AttributeAwinViral Loops
Starting price£99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded20002016

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
  • Magento
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce

Only in Viral Loops

  • Campaign templates
  • Milestone rewards
  • Leaderboards
  • Referral widgets
  • Viral analytics
  • Mailchimp
  • Klaviyo
  • HubSpot

Both cover

  • Shopify
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Awin

  • Affiliate marketingnot Viral Loops
  • Performance-based advertisingnot Viral Loops
  • Commission managementnot Viral Loops

Viral Loops

  • 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

Viral Loops

  • Pricing is relatively high for small startups and bootstrapped businesses ($35/mo minimum)
  • Advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans, limiting smaller businesses
  • Limited customization without technical development for highly branded campaigns
  • Customer support response times may vary by region and time zone

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

Viral Loops

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 participants
    • All templates
    • Basic features

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 Viral Loops if

  • You need campaign templates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want milestone rewards.
Viral Loops review

Questions people ask

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

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
Viral Loops: What does Viral Loops pricing start at?

Viral Loops pricing starts at $35/month and ranges up to $208/month depending on the plan. The platform offers a 14-day free trial, flat-rate pricing (no per-campaign charges), and 30% discount for annual billing.

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
Viral Loops: What types of campaigns can Viral Loops create?

Viral Loops allows creation of referral programs, giveaways, waiting lists, and sweepstakes/competitions. Campaigns can be integrated into websites or mobile apps within minutes using pre-built templates.

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
Viral Loops: Does Viral Loops offer custom pricing?

Yes. Beyond the standard $35-208/month plans, Viral Loops offers custom pricing for larger teams and enterprises with specific feature requirements.

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
Viral Loops: What happens to campaigns after I cancel Viral Loops?

Users can export large files of mailing lists in several data formats, allowing campaign data to be migrated to another platform if needed after cancellation.

Source
Viral Loops: How quickly can I launch a campaign with Viral Loops?

Campaigns can be launched within minutes using Viral Loops' template-based, intuitive interface that requires no technical expertise or coding knowledge.

Source
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