Affiliate marketing plugins help you earn passive income by promoting products and services on your WordPress site. Whether you’re managing affiliate links, running an affiliate program, or optimizing your affiliate content, the right plugins can significantly increase your earnings in 2026.
This guide covers both sides of affiliate marketing: plugins for affiliate publishers (promoting others’ products) and plugins for merchants (running your own affiliate program).
Affiliate Marketing in 2026
The affiliate marketing industry is worth over $17 billion globally. WordPress makes it easy to participate as either a publisher earning commissions or a merchant growing sales through affiliates. The key is using the right tools to manage, track, and optimize your affiliate efforts.
Best Plugins for Affiliate Publishers
1. ThirstyAffiliates – Best Link Management
ThirstyAffiliates is the leading affiliate link management plugin, letting you cloak, organize, and automatically insert affiliate links.
- Link cloaking (pretty URLs)
- Automatic keyword linking
- Link categories organization
- Click statistics and reports
- Import/export links
- Geolocation redirects
- Amazon API integration
- Google Analytics integration
2. Pretty Links – URL Shortening
Pretty Links creates clean, branded short URLs for your affiliate links with detailed click tracking.
- Custom URL slugs
- Redirect types (301, 302, 307)
- Click tracking
- Link groups
- Auto-create links from URLs
- Keyword replacement
- QR code generation
3. JETROCKET Affiliate Links
Manages and optimizes affiliate links across your site with click tracking and automatic insertion.
4. Auto Affiliate Links
Automatically converts keywords and product mentions into affiliate links throughout your content.
- Automatic keyword linking
- Product database
- Multiple affiliate networks
- Link customization
- Click limits per page
5. JETRADAR Amazon Links
Specifically designed for Amazon Associates, creating product boxes, comparison tables, and affiliate links.
Best Plugins for Running Affiliate Programs
6. AffiliateWP – Best Overall
AffiliateWP is the most popular self-hosted affiliate program plugin for WordPress, integrating with WooCommerce, EDD, and more.
- Complete affiliate management
- WooCommerce integration
- Easy Digital Downloads support
- Real-time reporting
- Affiliate dashboard
- Automatic referral tracking
- Payout management
- Affiliate coupons
7. Tapfiliate – SaaS Affiliate Platform
Tapfiliate is a cloud-based affiliate tracking platform that integrates with WordPress and WooCommerce.
- Cloud-based (no hosting load)
- Multi-level marketing support
- Recurring commission tracking
- White-label affiliate portal
- Zapier integrations
- Advanced reporting
- Multiple commission structures
8. Easy Affiliate
Easy Affiliate creates full affiliate programs with minimal setup, particularly strong with MemberPress.
- One-click setup
- Fraud detection
- Real-time statistics
- Creative assets management
- PayPal mass payments
- MemberPress integration
9. JETRAX Referral Program
Creates referral and affiliate programs for WooCommerce stores with tiered commission structures.
10. ShareASale Tracking
ShareASale plugins help you join their network and track affiliate performance on your WordPress site.
Best Themes for Affiliate Sites
For affiliate marketing sites, Astra and GeneratePress provide fast, SEO-friendly foundations. For community-based affiliate sites, Reign Theme and BuddyX Pro offer excellent options.
Affiliate + Email Marketing
Build email lists to promote affiliate products with FluentCRM. For more advanced affiliate email campaigns, ActiveCampaign offers powerful automation.
Affiliate Plugin Comparison
| Plugin | Best For | Type | Analytics | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ThirstyAffiliates | Link management | Publisher | ✓ | Free/$79+ |
| Pretty Links | URL shortening | Publisher | ✓ | Free/$99+ |
| AffiliateWP | Full program | Merchant | ✓ | $149+/yr |
| Tapfiliate | Cloud-based | Merchant | ✓ | $89+/mo |
| Easy Affiliate | MemberPress | Merchant | ✓ | $99+/yr |
Conclusion
For managing affiliate links as a publisher, ThirstyAffiliates offers the most comprehensive solution. If you’re running your own affiliate program, AffiliateWP provides excellent self-hosted functionality, while Tapfiliate offers cloud-based convenience. Combine your affiliate strategy with FluentCRM for email marketing that promotes affiliate products to engaged subscribers.