Head-to-Head Comparison
An honest, detailed comparison of two popular affiliate marketing solutions. Learn the fundamental differences, pricing models, and which platform fits your business needs.
If you're researching affiliate marketing solutions, you've likely encountered both Impact.com and ShareASale. While both help businesses run affiliate programs, they're fundamentally different types of platforms.
Impact.com is a partnership management platform — software you use to build and manage your own affiliate program. ShareASale is an affiliate network — a marketplace where you can find affiliates who are already looking for programs to promote.
This comparison will help you understand which approach makes sense for your business, budget, and goals.
Transparency note: This website contains affiliate links to Impact.com. We may earn a commission if you sign up through our links. This doesn't influence our comparison — we believe in helping businesses find the right solution, even if it's not Impact.com. Full disclosure
| Feature | Impact.com | ShareASale |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Type | Partnership Management Software | Affiliate Network |
| Primary Use | Build & manage your own program | Join marketplace of affiliates |
| Setup Cost | Custom pricing (contact sales) | $625 one-time fee |
| Monthly Cost | Custom (varies by program size) | $35/month minimum |
| Transaction Fees | No per-transaction fees | 20% override on commissions |
| Partner Access | 90,000+ partners in marketplace | 180,000+ affiliates in network |
| Partnership Types | Affiliate, creator, referral, B2B | Primarily affiliate |
| Tracking & Attribution | Advanced, multi-touch attribution | Standard click-based tracking |
| Contract Management | Built-in contract workflows | Basic terms setup |
| Best For | Businesses building comprehensive partnership programs | Businesses wanting immediate affiliate access |
Impact.com is a partnership management platform that provides the software and infrastructure for businesses to build, manage, and scale their own partnership programs. Think of it as the technology stack you use to run your affiliate, creator, and referral partnerships.
With Impact.com, you get:
Impact.com is designed for businesses that want full control over their partnership strategy and are ready to invest in professional-grade technology. Learn more about Impact.com →
ShareASale is an affiliate marketing network — a marketplace that connects merchants (businesses) with affiliates (publishers who promote products). Founded in 2000, it's one of the older affiliate networks and is now part of Awin, a global affiliate network.
With ShareASale, you get:
ShareASale is designed for businesses that want quick access to a large pool of affiliates without building their own program infrastructure from scratch.
The most important thing to understand is that Impact.com and ShareASale serve different purposes.
Impact.com provides the software and tools to run your partnership program. You own the relationships, control the strategy, and have full access to data. It's like owning your own CRM for partnerships.
ShareASale is a network where you list your program alongside thousands of other merchants. Affiliates browse the network and choose which programs to promote. You're one of many options.
Analogy: Impact.com is like building your own store and hiring your own sales team. ShareASale is like setting up a booth in a massive marketplace where shoppers are already browsing.
Pricing is where these platforms differ significantly. Here's what we know:
ShareASale has transparent, published pricing:
Example: If you pay an affiliate $100 in commissions, ShareASale keeps $20 as a platform fee. Your total cost is $120.
Impact.com does not publicly disclose pricing. Costs are custom-quoted based on your business size, program complexity, and needs. However, here's what you should know:
Bottom line: For very small programs with minimal commission volume, ShareASale's transparent pricing may be more predictable. For larger programs with significant commission volume, Impact.com's flat SaaS fee (without 20% overrides) may be more cost-effective. You'll need to contact Impact.com for a quote to compare.
Impact.com: Advanced tracking with support for multi-touch attribution, cross-device tracking, and custom attribution rules. You can determine exactly how credit is distributed across partners. Learn more about tracking →
ShareASale: Standard click-based tracking with basic reporting. Suitable for simple affiliate programs but lacks advanced attribution capabilities.
Impact.com: Supports affiliate, creator/influencer, referral, and B2B partnerships all in one platform. You can manage different partnership types with different commission structures and terms.
ShareASale: Primarily focused on traditional affiliate marketing. Not designed for creator partnerships, referral programs, or B2B partnerships.
Impact.com: Full relationship management tools including custom contracts, automated payments, partner communication, and performance analytics. You have deep visibility into each partner's performance.
ShareASale: Basic partner management through the network interface. You can approve/reject affiliates and track performance, but relationship management tools are limited.
Impact.com: Access to 90,000+ partners through the Impact marketplace. You can search, discover, and recruit partners directly through the platform.
ShareASale: Access to 180,000+ affiliates through the ShareASale network. Affiliates browse the network and apply to promote your program.
Note: Having access to a large marketplace doesn't guarantee success. You still need to recruit quality partners and provide them with compelling offers.
Impact.com: Extensive integrations with ecommerce platforms (Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce), CRMs, and other marketing tools. API access for custom integrations.
ShareASale: Basic integrations with major ecommerce platforms. Limited customization options.
ShareASale: Simpler to get started. You sign up, set your commission rates, and affiliates can start applying. The interface is functional but dated. There's a learning curve to understand network dynamics, but the basic setup is straightforward.
Impact.com: More complex because it's a comprehensive platform. You'll need to configure tracking, set up contracts, design commission structures, and learn the interface. There's a steeper learning curve, but you get more control and sophistication. Impact.com provides onboarding support to help you get started.
Bottom line: If you want something simple and quick to launch, ShareASale is easier. If you want a professional-grade platform and are willing to invest time in setup, Impact.com offers more power.
Impact.com is likely the better choice if:
Affiliate link: We may earn a commission. Disclosure
ShareASale is likely the better choice if:
There's no universal "better" platform — it depends on your situation:
Choose Impact.com if: You're building a serious, long-term partnership program and need professional-grade tools. You want full control, advanced tracking, and the ability to manage multiple partnership types. You have the budget for a premium solution and significant commission volume that makes the 20% network override expensive.
Choose ShareASale if: You're just starting with affiliate marketing and want quick access to affiliates. You have a limited budget, need predictable pricing, and only need traditional affiliate marketing. You're comfortable with basic tracking and don't need advanced features.
Our perspective: For businesses serious about partnership marketing as a long-term strategy, Impact.com provides the sophistication and control needed to scale. For businesses testing affiliate marketing or running simple programs, ShareASale is a reasonable starting point. You can always start with ShareASale and migrate to Impact.com as your program grows.
Yes, you can use both platforms simultaneously. Some businesses use ShareASale for broad affiliate reach and Impact.com for managing key partnerships, creator relationships, and referral programs. However, this adds complexity and cost.
For businesses with significant partnership marketing activity, yes. The advanced tracking, multi-partnership support, and lack of transaction fees can provide better ROI as you scale. For very small programs, ShareASale may be more cost-effective initially.
ShareASale claims 180,000+ affiliates in their network. Impact.com has 90,000+ partners in their marketplace. However, quantity doesn't equal quality — you still need to recruit active, high-performing partners regardless of platform.
Yes, you can migrate your affiliate program from ShareASale to Impact.com. You'll need to re-onboard your affiliates to the new platform, but your existing affiliate relationships can transfer. Impact.com provides migration support.
Both work well for ecommerce. Impact.com has more extensive ecommerce integrations and advanced features for product-based businesses. ShareASale is simpler and may be sufficient for straightforward product affiliate programs.