If you’ve decided to try affiliate marketing, congratulations — you’ve picked a beginner-friendly way to earn passive income online. You don’t need a product, a team, or a big budget. You need a platform (a blog, a Pinterest account, a YouTube channel), an affiliate link, and content that helps people make a decision.
The tricky part isn’t affiliate marketing itself. It’s figuring out which programs are actually worth your time when you’re just starting. Most affiliate program roundups are written by people who already have hundreds of thousands of visitors — and they recommend programs that pay well but require an established audience before you even get approved.
This list is different. Every program here is either genuinely easy to get into as a beginner, pays well enough to be worth the effort, or both. I’ve organized them from most beginner-accessible to slightly more selective — so if you’re just starting, begin at the top and work your way down as your site grows. And if you haven’t started your blog yet, this is the strategy that pays for it: How to Make Money With a Blog: The Three Routes and When to Use Each.
One thing before we dive in: affiliate income is not instant. It’s a reliable form of passive income available to online beginners — but the keyword is beginners, not overnight. Plan for 3–6 months of consistent content creation before you see meaningful commissions. That’s normal, and it’s worth it.
Jump to a Program:
- Amazon Associates
- ShareASale
- ClickBank
- CJ Affiliate
- Impact
- Canva Affiliate Program
- Fiverr Affiliates
- Kit (ConvertKit) Affiliate Program
- Hostinger Affiliate Program
- Bluehost Affiliate
- TubeBuddy Affiliate Program
- Teachable Partner Program
- Awin
- Digistore24
- FlexOffers
1. Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is almost always the first affiliate program beginners join — and for good reason. Amazon is trusted everywhere, sells nearly everything, and has a simple signup process with no traffic requirements. You can apply with any website, even a new one, and start adding affiliate links to your content immediately.
The commission rates aren’t the highest on this list (1–10% depending on the product category), but Amazon’s conversion rate is extremely high because buyers already trust the platform. If you write content about products — home goods, tech gear, books, fitness equipment, craft supplies — Amazon Associates is the most natural starting point. The 24-hour cookie is shorter than most programs, but the volume of buyers often makes up for it.
Good for: product review blogs, niche sites, listicles about physical products
Click here to join the Amazon Associates affiliate program →
2. ShareASale
Via ShareASale
ShareASale is a marketplace of affiliate programs, not a single program — which means one login gives you access to thousands of brands across almost every niche imaginable. Once you’re approved as a ShareASale affiliate (which is fast and easy), you can apply to individual merchant programs within the network. Merchants include everything from Etsy to Reebok to FreshBooks to Wayfair.
This is a good program for bloggers who aren’t sure what direction their niche will take yet. You can test different merchants without signing up to a dozen separate programs. Commissions and cookie windows vary by merchant, but many offer 10–30% and 30–60 day cookies. ShareASale has been running since 2000 and has a solid reputation in the industry for paying on time.
Good for: bloggers in lifestyle, fashion, home, finance, or ny content that touches products or services
Click here to join ShareASale and access thousands of affiliate programs in one place →
3. ClickBank
Via ClickBank
ClickBank specializes in digital products — ebooks, online courses, software — and has some of the highest commission rates you’ll find anywhere: frequently 50%-75% on digital products, and some recurring commissions on subscription products. There is no application process: anyone can create a ClickBank account and start promoting products immediately.
The platform is especially popular in niches like health and fitness, wealth building, self-development, and online business. This aligns well with most income or productivity blogs. The only caveat: not every product on ClickBank is high-quality, so you’ll want to research what you’re promoting and only recommend products you actually believe in.
Good for: digital product niches, infoproducts and courses, health and self-improvement
Click here to sign up for ClickBank and start promoting high-commission digital products →
4. CJ Affiliate
Via CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction)
CJ Affiliate is one of the oldest affiliate networks online, and a trusted one. It hosts affiliate programs for hundreds of well-known brands like Overstock.com, PartsGeek, Angi Services, and more. The application process is straightforward, and while merchants review your site individually, many approve smaller sites.
CJ’is particularly useful for bloggers who want to work with household-name brands rather than unfamiliar ones. This can make your affiliate recommendations feel more natural and relevant to readers who already trust those brands.
Good for: bloggers in shopping, tech, and services niches; content creators looking to partner with larger brands
Click here to join CJ Affiliate and access major brand programs →
5. Impact
Via Impact
Impact (formerly Impact Radius) is a premium affiliate platform hosting programs for some of the biggest names online: Airbnb, Adobe, Lift, Angi, Lyme, and thousands more. It’s not as easy to get into as some other networks — Impact reviews your site, and individual merchants make their own approval decisions — but when you get in, the commissions and resources are worth it.
If your blog is in a niche where the brands you naturally cover are already on Impact, it’s worth applying early so you’re set up by the time your traffic grows. The platform has a learning curve but one of the better tracking and reporting dashboards in the industry.
Good for: bloggers in lifestyle, travel, and tech niches with growing traffic
Click here to apply to Impact and access premium affiliate programs →
6. Canva Affiliate Program
If you blog about creating content, social media, or online business, Canva’s affiliate program is a no-brainer. Canva is a tool most of your readers probably already use or could use, which makes it easy to recommend naturally. The program pays $36 per subscription for Canva Pro referrals, with a 30-day cookie. It’s run through the Impact network.
The approval process for Canva’s program is reasonably straightforward if your content is aligned with their audience — creators, small business owners, and people working online. It’s also a great example of what to look for in an affiliate program: a product you’re already using or can recommend honestly.
Good for: content creators, social media bloggers, online business niches
Click here to join the Canva Affiliate Program and earn $36 per referral →
7. Fiverr Affiliates
Fiverr’s affiliate program is well-suited to anyone whose readers might need freelance help of some kind — graphic design, writing, logo creation, video editing, business support, and more. They offer a revenue share model ($15 – $150 CPA depending on the service category) plus an hybrid model for some categories.
Fiverr doesn’t require a minimum number of page views, but your site should have some content already published and you need a clear audience fit. If you blog about starting a business, online income, or any creative niche, Fiverr is worth adding to your mix.
Good for: blogs about online business, side hustles, creative entrepreneurship
Click here to join Fiverr Affiliates and start earning on freelance referrals →
8. Kit (ConvertKit) Affiliate Program
Kit (previously ConvertKit) is an email marketing platform built specifically for creators — bloggers, podcasters, course creators, and anyone building an audience online. Their affiliate program pays 30% recurring commissions for up to 24 months per referral. This means if someone signs up for a $29/smonth plan through your link, youre earning $8.70 a month from that one referral for two years.
There’s no formal application process — you just need a Kit account to get started. That makes this an easy recurring-commission program to enter as a beginner. It pairs well with any content about email list building, creator tools, or passive income for bloggers.
Good for: bloggers writing about email marketing, creator tools, and audience growth
Click here to join the Kit Affiliate Program and earn 30% recurring commissions →
9. Hostinger Affiliate Program
Hostinger is a popular web hosting provider for beginners, so it’s a natural fit for blogs about starting a blog or website. Their affiliate program pays at least 60% commission per sale, with a 30-day cookie. For a hosting plan that goes for $39-$150, that’s a solid payout for a single referral.
Approval is relatively easy if your site is in the blogging, online business, or tech niche — and it’s especially relevant if your audience includes people in the process of starting their own site or blog. This is one of those high-payout, easy-to-recommend programs that beginner affiliates often overlook.
Good for: blogs about starting a blog, online business, or any audience likely to need hosting
Click here to join Hostinger Affiliates and earn at least 60% commission per sale →
10. Bluehost Affiliate
Via Bluehost Affiliate Program
Bluehost is a widely recommended hosting provider in the blogging world, and its affiliate program pays a flat per-referral commission starting at $65 per signup. This is a CPA-style program, meaning you get paid a set amount when someone buys — regardless of what plan they choose.
Bluehost’s program is particularly well-known because it’s been recommended by aliving and thousands of bloggers for years, giving their name recognition and trust at a level that many other hosts haven’t achieved. Approval is straightforward for blogging-and-income-niche sites.
Good for: blogs about starting a blog or website, blogging income niches
Click here to join the Bluehost Affiliate Program and earn $65+ per referral →
11. TubeBuddy Affiliate Program
Via TubeBuddy Affiliate Program
If your audience includes YouTubers or aspiring content creators, TubeBuddy is an excellent program to promote. It’s a YouTube management and SEO tool used by millions of creators, and their affiliate program pays 30% recurring commission on subscriptions. That adds up quickly if your audience is actively using YouTube.
Approval is straightforward — you sign up through TubeBuddy’s own program and start promoting right away. If you cover YouTube strategy, faceless or content creation on any platform, or passive income from video, this fits in naturally.
Good for: YouTube content creators, blogs about faceless content and scaling a YouTube channel
Click here to join TubeBuddy Affiliates and earn 30% recurring commissions →
12. Teachable Partner Program
Teachable is an online course platform used by thousands of creators to sell courses online. Their partner program pays 30% recurring commissions and has a 90-day cookie — one of the longest in this list. This makes it particularly good for bloggers in the online business or online income niche who write about course creation. If your audience is likely to sell their own courses, Teachable is a natural recommendation.
The application process is relatively fast, and Teachable provides good affiliate resources when you’re approved. Another program worth stacking with other digital-product tool affiliates.
Good for: online business blogs covering digital products and course creation
Click here to join the Teachable Partner Program and earn 30% recurring commissions →
13. Awin
Via Awin
Awin is a global affiliate network with strong coverage in Europe and a growing US presence. It hosts affiliate programs for brands like Etsy, HP&M, AO.com, and many more. Awin requires a $5 deposit to apply — which is refunded once you’re approved — but otherwise has a straightforward onboarding process.
Awin is a good choice if your audience is international or if you want to work with European brands. They also have a niMTE merchant directory that makes it easy to browse programs by category.
Good for: bloggers with international or European audiences; lifestyle and shopping niches
Click here to join Awin and access affiliate programs from major global brands →
14. Digistore24
Via Digistore24
Digistore24 is a European-originating marketplace similar to ClickBank — specializing in digital products and online courses. Like ClickBank, anyone can sign up without a formal application, and commissions are high — often 40%70%. While it’s bigger in Europe, it’s expanding globally and has payouts available for creators worldwide.
Digistore24 is worth mentioning for beginners because it has no minimum requirements and pairs well with ClickBank as a second digital product marketplace option. Always vet the products you’re promoting before pushing them to your audience.
Good for: digital product promotion, info-marketing niches, especially for bloggers with an international audience
15. FlexOffers
Via FlexOffers
FlexOffers is an affiliate network with over 12,000 advertisers and a reputation for being welcoming to newer affiliates. The network covers a wide range of niches, including finance, insurance, tech, and e-commerce. It’s useful for affiliates who want access to programs that aren’t available on the bigger networks.
One notable thing about FlexOffers is their dedicated affiliate manager support — something that can be hard to find when you’re starting out and need actual help getting set up with the right programs. Their openness to newer publishers and their broad supplier base make it a solid round-out option for bloggers in many niches.
Good for: finance, tech, and niche sites where ShareASale or CJ doesn’t have good options
Click here to join FlexOffers and explore a marketplace of 12,000+ programs today that you can use →
Where to Start With Affiliate Marketing
If you’re a beginner, don’t try to join all 6 of these at once. Start with one or two programs that fit your niche and your current content. Get accepted, add your links to anything you’ve already published, and see what your audience responds to.
When affiliate income is one part of a larger online income picture, it works well. If you’re still figuring out which income streams make sense for your site, this guide will help: 14 Passive Income Ideas That Actually Work.
And if you’re interested in skipping the need for massive traffic entirely, check out these strategies too: How to Make Money Online Without Showing Your Face and Sell Digital Products Online: The Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide.
Affiliate marketing is a long game — but it’s one of the few strategies that keeps paying you long after you publish the content. Pick one, get approved, and start.
You Might Also Like:
- 14 Passive Income Ideas That Actually Work
- How to Make Money With a Blog
- How to Make Money Online Without Showing Your Face
- Sell Digital Products Online
- How to Make Money on Pinterest
- How to Turn Content Into Income
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