SaaS affiliate commission benchmarks for 2026
Across 235 SaaS affiliate programs whose terms we read on the program's own page, the median commission is 30%. 121 of 224 (54%) pay for as long as the customer stays, 82 (37%) stop after 12 months, and the median cookie lasts 60 days. Only 23 programs pay 50% or more, and just 11 of those pay for life.
The short answer
A typical SaaS affiliate program in 2026 pays 30% of each payment, keeps paying for as long as the customer stays subscribed and gives you a 60-day cookie. That is the middle of the market, not a ceiling: 41 of the 235 programs pay 40% or more, and 66 pay under 30%.
The number that changes your income most is not the rate. It is how long the program pays. A 30% commission paid for life is worth far more over two years than 40% that stops after 12 months, which is why we rank programs by what one referral is worth (highest paying programs). The median program on our board is worth about $271 per referral over 24 months, and only 7 of 117 pass $1,000.
How much SaaS affiliate programs pay
Commission rate, 235 programs with verified terms.
Median 30%, mean 30.4%. Where a program has tiers, we count the entry rate a new affiliate gets, not the top tier.
How long they keep paying
Commission duration, 224 programs.
100 programs pay both 30% or more and for life. Those are the ones that qualify for the board.
Commission by affiliate platform
The network a program runs on says something about its terms. Programs on Reditus pay a median 25% and only 10 of 40 pay for life, because most Reditus programs cap commissions at 12 months. FirstPromoter programs pay a median 30% and 19 of 23 pay for life. PartnerStack programs have the longest cookies (median 90 days) but only 13 of 30 pay for life. All Reditus programs compared.
| Platform | Programs | Median rate | Pay for life | Median cookie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-house | 56 | 30% | 38 of 55 | 60 days |
| Reditus | 41 | 25% | 10 of 40 | 60 days |
| PartnerStack | 30 | 30% | 13 of 30 | 90 days |
| FirstPromoter | 26 | 30% | 19 of 23 | 75 days |
| Rewardful | 14 | 30% | 9 of 12 | 60 days |
| Tolt | 6 | 30% | 3 of 6 | 60 days |
| Impact | 5 | 30% | 4 of 5 | 180 days |
Platforms with at least 5 verified programs. "In-house" means the vendor runs its own affiliate software.
Where these numbers come from
The atlas tracks 578 SaaS affiliate programs. For 235 of them we read the commission terms on the program's own affiliate page or partner listing (hand-checked, or verified on the Reditus marketplace) between 23 September and 9 November 2026. Automatically collected terms are left out of every number on this page. The sample leans toward recurring programs, because that is what the atlas is built to find, so treat the figures as a benchmark for recurring SaaS programs rather than for affiliate marketing as a whole.
The full dataset, with every program's rate, duration, cookie, platform and search data, is free to download with credit. Download the dataset · Methodology.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average commission for a SaaS affiliate program?
The median among 235 SaaS programs with verified terms is 30% and the mean is 30.4%. Most programs sit between 20% and 40%; 23 pay 50% or more.
How many SaaS affiliate programs pay recurring commission for life?
121 of the 224 programs with a stated duration (54%) pay for as long as the referred customer stays subscribed. Another 82 pay for 12 months and then stop.
What is a normal affiliate cookie length?
The median is 60 days. Of 142 programs that state a cookie window, 55 use 31 to 60 days and 48 use 61 to 90 days; 12 go beyond 90 days.
Which affiliate platform has the best commission terms?
On our data, FirstPromoter programs most often pay for life (19 of 23), while Reditus programs pay the least (median 25%, 10 of 40 for life). PartnerStack programs offer the longest median cookie at 90 days.
Is a 50% commission always better than 30%?
No. Duration and plan price matter more. Only 11 of the 20 programs paying 50% or more (with a known duration) pay for life, and the median board program is worth about $271 per referral over 24 months regardless of rate.