Best Amazon Affiliate Alternatives 2022
Amazon is one of the biggest online retail centers, and with sixteen (16) country-specific sites and international shipping services to just about anywhere on the globe. In 2020, Amazon made a net profit of $21.1 billion, nearly double what it made the year before. With in-store shopping made far less safe, far less convenient, and far less accessible due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions thereof, industry experts predict that the online retail giant will only continue to grow as online shopping becomes more and more commonplace.
For marketing affiliates, Amazon has always been the go-to program for blogs and websites in just about every niche. With an unbeatable catalogue of products – from apparel, to tech, to gardening supplies, and much, much more, Amazon has something to offer everybody – which means the revenue potential for Amazon Affiliates is significant.
However, in recent years, Amazon’s cut down on its affiliate program by a rather large margin. With lower commissions in just about every category save a few less popular ones, Amazon affiliates are all keen on jumping ship. The commission rates dropped considerably in several categories, with the program now offering as little as a fifth of the previous rate (see Health and Personal Care categories dropping from 5% commission to 1%), so it makes sense that many Amazon Affiliates are looking elsewhere for greener pastures (and higher commissions).
Fortunately, despite Amazon’s dominance of the online retail space, it’s far from being a monopoly. There are plenty of other online retail platforms that offer fantastic affiliate programs, and while none of them offer as comprehensive a selection of products as Amazon, there’s plenty enough around to cater to every niche.
Why Look For Amazon Affiliate Alternatives?
Amazon used to be the best place to generate revenue as a marketing affiliate, but with the new, considerably lower commission rates, and no policies or guarantees to assure partners that those rates don’t go further down, it’s a good time to look for better opportunities elsewhere. In this list of Amazon Affiliate Alternatives, we’ve curated affiliate programs in a wide range of niches that offer:
- Better Commissions
The #1 reason to check out Amazon Affiliate alternatives is to get better commissions. Amazon has never been one to offer sizable commissions, but with the latest update to their affiliate program, partners are now seeing some of the lowest commission rates in any category. With the alternatives mentioned in this list, you could easily get twice as much commission per sale, or even more.
- Better Cookies
Amazon offers a ridiculously short 24-hour cookie window for its affiliates, which might be off-set by volume if you’re a bigger platform, but may not provide enough elbow room for those just getting started. Either way, other affiliate programs can offer cookies that last up to 30 days, or even more, so it’s easier to get those conversions.
- More Diverse Revenue Streams
If you’re a fan of the saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, then finding alternatives to Amazon’s affiliate program is the best way to diversify your revenue stream. Diversification could give you some added security, too, since Amazon is notorious for terminating accounts and changing policies on short notice – if any notice at all.
Best Amazon Affiliate Alternatives in 2022
WIthout further ado, here are the best Amazon Affiliate alternative programs:
Beauty
Beauty products are arguably one of the best products to market online. For one thing, it’s easier for blogs and influencers to showcase beauty products and highlight what makes them attractive. From skincare products to makeup, hair care, bath products, and more, the effectiveness of beauty products are visual and easy to see. From there, ordering and shipping is easy since beauty products are usually small, meaning shipping fees won’t be too expensive, and that’s really all a customer needs to make a purchase. Here are the best Amazon affiliate alternatives in the beauty niche:
Sephora
Commission Rate: 5-12%
Earnings Per Click: $0.05
Cookie Duration: 24 hours
One of the best internationally-recognized retailers for beauty products, Sephora has an expansive catalog with makeup, skincare, hair care, bath products, fragrances, and more to cater to all kinds of markets. They have an international program that can get you up to 12% commissions, although most markets only provide a standard 5%. Their cookies aren’t all that great, either, at just 24 hours.
Tula Skincare
Commission Rate: 20%
Earnings Per Click: $0.29
Cookie Duration: N/A
If you’re promoting to an audience that cares about and supports cruelty-free products, Tula Skincare might just be the best affiliate program for you. Tula offers one of the best commission rates in the industry, with 20% commission on every sale and a generous 90-day cookie window to make snapping up those conversions a lot easier.
Ulta
Commission Rate: 5-7%
Cookie Duration: N/A
Ulta Beauty is one of the largest beauty products retailers in the U.S. and one of the biggest global players in the beauty industry. We don’t have any data on their cookie duration, but Ulta offers a very popular affiliate program with commissions ranging from 5% to 7%.
Elizabeth Arden
Commission Rate: 8%
Earnings Per Click: $1.46
Cookie Duration: 45 days
As one of the most popular names in the luxury beauty space, Elizabeth Arden offers a highly-profitable affiliate program that nets partners approximately $1.46 per click. With an 8% commission on every sale, and an above-average 45-day cookie window, Elizabeth Arden may not offer a huge commission, but it’s still nearly double what Amazon has to offer its affiliates today.
Fashion
Clothing and apparel are also extremely popular products in online retail. The internet may be a lot of things, but thanks to the existence of online clothing stores like the ones mentioned below, it’s also hands-down the biggest department store in the world, and customers love shopping online for the variety and availability of the products they want.
Of course, there’s always the concern of sizing and fitting, but that’s easy enough to circumvent with a tailor’s tape measure since most of these platforms offer very specific sizing information, anyway. Here are the best Amazon affiliate alternatives in the Fashion niche:
Levi’s
Commission Rate: 6%
Cookie Duration: N/A
Levi’s products pretty much sell themselves. With the brand’s reputation for quality and lifetime durability, Levi’s has such effective marketing customers need very little convincing: if you want a pair of the best-made jeans with a variety of fits and sizes, you want Levi’s. WIth their 6% commission rates and average cart value sitting at around $100, y
Everlane
Commission Rate: 8-14%
Earnings Per Click: $0.28
Cookie Duration: N/A
When it comes to clothing and apparel, Everlane has one of the most comprehensive selections available online. They don’t stock other brands, but their catalog is populated with thousands of different options from tops to bottoms to swimwear and shoes and so much more.
Plus, Everlane lets buyers pick from a wide variety of material options like Cashmere, Cotton, Alpaca, and more. Their website’s fantastic, too, an overall great user experience that lets you shop by style, by material, by occasion, by activity, or by season, which further explains why they have a great conversion rate at 1.48%.
Commissions on Everlane range from 8% to 14%, so you’ll be earning at least double from every sale.
Etsy
Commission Rate: 4%
Cookie Duration: 30 days
The top online destination for handmade items and vintage products, Etsy caters to consumers with more exotic tastes. Everything on the site is either vintage or hand-crafted (although there are some mass-produced items that fit the overall Etsy aesthetic) which give their niche a pretty big share of the market.
With a 4% commission rate, Etsy’s payouts could mean big revenue if your website reaches the right kind of audience. Plus, with the 30-day cookie window, Etsy gives affiliates plenty of elbow room to get those conversions
Allbirds
Commission Rate: 15% per sale
Cookie Duration: 15 days
Shoes have become a very popular fashion commodity, and while Amazon got a good grip on the online market for shoes, there are some great brands that offer better affiliate programs for bloggers and influencers – just like Allbirds.
Unlike other brands like Nike and Adidas that focus on performance, or Sketchers that focus on style and quality, Allbirds’ comprehensive shoe catalog offers something for everyone. Combining style and comfort for everyday reliability, Allbirds shoes also promote sustainability with their products, so it’s definitely easier to recommend to a sustainability-oriented audience.
Plus, when you take into account their 15% commission rate and decent 15-day cookie window, Allbirds offers plenty of revenue potential if you’re promoting to the right market.
Food
Butcher Box
Commission Rate: $5-20 per subscription
Earnings Per Click: $0.22
Cookie Duration: 30 days
So many businesses and startups have started to apply subscription-based business models to everyday products (like sock subscriptions) but one of the most popular by far are food subscriptions. Convenient, reliable, and with consistent quality depending on the service, food subscriptions are getting pretty big, and one of the most popular ones so far – with a fantastic affiliate program to boot – is Butcher Box.
Offering high-quality meat subscriptions and ‘free ground beef for life’, Butcher Box has something for meat-lovers and health-enthusiasts alike. Affiliates can earn up to $20 on a single sale, and with their 30 day cookie window, getting those conversions shouldn’t be too hard, as showcased by the high $0.22 earnings per click, according to affiliate network Shareasale.
Grill Masters Club
Commission Rate: 10%
Earnings Per Click: $0.30
Cookie Duration: 90 days
If you’d rather have master-crafted grilled food instead of frozen meat you have to prepare yourself, Grill Masters Club is one of the most popular options today. While Amazon offers anywhere between 4.5% to 5% commissions for groceries and other food products, Grill Masters Club offers affiliates 10% on every new subscription they bring in, and with their generous 90-day cookie window, those subscriptions keep coming in.
On the Shareasale network, Grill Masters Club boasts an impressive $0.30 earnings per click, and combining the commission rate with the large average basket value of over $100, the revenue potential with Grill Masters Club definitely makes it worth checking out.
California Wine Club
Commission Rate: 15% per subscription
Earnings Per Click: $0.11
Cookie Duration: 90 days
If you’re a big fan of wines or just getting into it, California Wine Club offers a terrific wine subscription that offers customers regular wine deliveries. Whether you’d like your favorite bottles delivered to your doorstep, or you’d like to explore and try a new, high-quality wine every chance you get, California Wine Club is a top-performing subscription that’s sure to entice wine-enthused audiences.
California Wine Club offers affiliates an excellent 15% commission rate, and when you partner that up with their 3.69% conversion rate and average cart value of over $160, then this program could be a great way to boost your revenue and diversify your income away from the standard Amazon affiliate program. Their 90-day cookie window is very accommodating, too, which explains the $0.11 earnings per click reported by Shareasale.
Photography
Focus Camera
Commission Rate: 3% per sale
Earnings Per Click: $0.04
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Camera gear, supplies, and accessories are among the most popular products on Amazon, but since we’re looking for alternatives to the online retail giant, one of our top recommendations would be Focus Camera.
Preferred by enthusiasts and trusted by even the most staunch professionals, Focus Camera is an authorized dealer for some of the top-performing camera and photography brands in the world. Their affiliate program is extremely popular, especially if you run a photography blog, since most people defer to professional recommendations before investing in gear, accessories, and camera supplies.
With 3% commissions per sale and a 30-day cookie window, Focus Camera may not offer the highest potential revenue on every sale (just $0.04 per click, on average), but thanks to its reliable products and the nature of the photography products niche, Focus Camera could make a great affiliate program for your platform
B&H Photo Video
Commission Rate: 2-8% per sale
Cookie Duration: 60 days
B&H Photo Video is hands down the most popular, and similarly, the most profitable, photography affiliate programs out there. B&H is the go-to online destination for professional photographers around the world, and since their products cater to a professional audience, their catalog is full of premium products.
With a commission rate ranging from 2% to 8% depending on the affiliate network you’re on, the B&H Photo Video affiliate program can become highly lucrative. The 60-day cookie window makes it easier to get those conversions, but the real trick to B&H is to make sure you let your audience know that, when it comes to photography gear, B&H is the professional’s choice.
Adorama
Commission Rate: 2%
Earnings Per Click: $0.04
Cookie Duration: 30 days
If your audience isn’t the type to splurge thousands of dollars on high-end camera gear – i.e. enthusiasts and hobbyists who aren’t currently using photography as their main source of livelihood – then the ideal photography affiliate program for you would have to be Adorama.
Similar to B&H, Adorama is an authorized dealer with many well-known camera brands. However, the biggest difference lies in the fact that Adorama is always coming up with deals, discounts, and all kinds of promos to encourage sales.
Despite the lower 2% commission rate, Adorama makes up for it with larger sales volume on account of its more attractive promotions. Pair that up with the 30-day cookie window and it’s easy to see why Adorama is one of the most popular photography affiliate programs to consider if you’re looking for an alternative to Amazon.
Fitness & Health
GNC
Commission Rate: 4% per sale
Cookie Duration: 7 days
GNC is one of the most popular brands for supplements and vitamins, and offers a competitive affiliate program as an alternative to Amazon. For anyone in the fitness niche, GNC offers a wide variety of products to promote on your platform, and since they’re a trusted brand that caters to all kinds of health and fitness needs, GNC is an easy sale.
Unlike other fitness and health supplement brands that target very specific niches, GNC is all about inclusivity and accessibility to high-quality fitness supplements. GNC offers competitively priced products that range from vitamins to protein shakes and more, and with a 4% commission on every sale, their affiliate program should contribute a big chunk of revenue for any effective health and fitness platform.
Thrive Market
Commission Rate: $5-$40 per signup
Earnings Per Click: $0.34
Cookie Duration: 90 days
In case you’d like to try a membership-based business model for your platform, Thrive Market offers an extremely generous affiliate program that could net you up to $40 in revenue for every sale. Thrive Market offers a wide selection of health foods, and is a similar service to membership retail.
If you’re expecting an audience in the U.S., Thrive Market is arguably the best health and fitness affiliate program to partner with, and their 90-day cookie window gives plenty of room to work with. For audiences outside the U.S., however, better luck elsewhere – Thrive Market is only available in the United States.
Travel & Outdoors
Columbia
Commission Rate: 8% per sale
Cookie Duration: 21 days
One of the most popular brands for Outdoors gear, clothing, and equipment, Columbia offers an affiliate program that’s a great match for literally any platform that promotes outdoor activity and travel.
With a very generous 8% commission rate and an average basket value of nearly $100, your outdoors and travel blog/platform can stand to generate tons of revenue with an affiliate program. By comparison, Amazon’s 5% commissions on outdoor gear would mean earning just a little over half as much on every product ordered, but when you consider Columbia’s 21 day cookie window over Amazon’s 24 hours, there’s plenty more maneuverability to help you get those conversions.
eBags
Commission Rate: 3% per sale
Cookie Duration: 14 days
Perfect for budget-oriented travel blogs and websites, eBags offers versatile, high-quality, and affordable bags and travel accessories for the budget-conscious traveller. If your audience is always on the lookout for affordable travel opportunities, then they’ll definitely be interested in the kind of products eBags has to offer.
As an eBags affiliate, you can earn up to 3% commission on every sale, and while their 14-day cookie window is only half the industry standard, their offerings are so attractive – especially to the right kind of customer – that you won’t even need 14 days to make conversions.
Lonely Planet
Commission Rate: 15% per sale
Earnings Per Click: $0.17
Cookie Duration: 30 days
The Travel Industry took a big hit in 2020, but the stats are saying it’s about to come back in a big way. If your blog or platform focuses on Travel, one of the best options right now for the more adventurous, outdoorsy audience would be Lonely Planet.
Unlike other travel platforms that book you a hotel and maybe a tour, Lonely Planet offers guides and travel information for some of the most beautiful and pristine destinations in the world.
If that sounds like it’s up your alley, Lonely Planet offers a great affiliate program that nets affiliates 15% commissions on every sale, and considering Lonely Planet’s 30-day cookie window, $0.17 EPC, and 2.96% conversion rate, there’s plenty of revenue to be earned through this program.
Miscellaneous
Target
Commission Rate: 5% with incentives
Earnings Per Click: $0.13
Cookie Duration: 7 days
If you’re looking for a true alternative to Amazon, one of the best places to check out is Target. While their online retail system is far from being as comprehensive or as functional as Amazon, retail giant Target is continuously improving their online platform to keep up with the industry.
Just like Amazon, you can buy pretty much anything on Target – furniture, electronics, clothes, shoes, beauty products, you name it – but with the added benefit of better commissions. Target offers a base commission of 5% on most products, with plenty of volume-based incentives allowing affiliates to earn more if they make more sales.
The 7 day cookie window is also very accommodating of marketing affiliates, and with the average basket value that’s upwards of $200, every commissioned sale could add a big chunk to your revenue stream.
