---
{"title": "Best affiliate program software in 2026", "description": "Compare Rewardful, Tolt, Dub Partners, FirstPromoter and Connections Referrals for affiliate and referral programs, with what each one does.", "url": "https://uncommoncomforts.com/best-affiliate-program-software-2026/", "date": "2026-10-09"}
---
Compare Rewardful, Tolt, Dub Partners, FirstPromoter and Connections Referrals for affiliate and referral programs, with what each one does.

Five options are covered here: Rewardful, Tolt, Dub Partners, FirstPromoter and Connections Referrals. Each section quotes what that option says about itself, and the last section matches common situations to the options, with what to check where the sources say little.

| Option | Free trial or free plan | Fee on referral sales or payouts |
|---|---|---|
| Rewardful | 14-day free trial [^1] | not published |
| Tolt | not published | not published |
| Dub Partners | 14-day trial [^2] | not published |
| FirstPromoter | 14-days free trial, no credit card required [^3] [^4] | not published |
| Connections Referrals | Free plan, no card needed [^5] | No percentage of referral sales and no fee added to payouts [^6] |

## How to read this list

Each option here helps a business run a program in which other people bring in customers or sign-ups and receive a reward for them. Stripe, the card payment service, is a separate company that handles card payments, and two of the options below name it as a connection point [^7] [^8]. The options differ in what they emphasize, so each section below sticks to what that option's own description says. Where a source says little, the section says little too and names what to check instead. Prices appear only where a source states one.

## Rewardful: affiliate and referral programs for software companies

Rewardful describes itself as an affiliate and referral management platform for SaaS companies, meaning companies that sell software by subscription, and says it helps them launch and scale programs through a native Stripe integration [^9]. It says its Stripe connection is quick and easy to get started with [^7]. Commissions can be recurring or one-time, paid as a percentage or a fixed amount, and a minimum payout threshold can be set [^10]. Rewardful says it gives affiliates a self-service portal [^11]. It lists coupon code tracking [^12]. It also lists live customer support [^13]. Rewardful says it offers a 14-day free trial [^1]. The sources for this page do not say what the trial includes, so check its terms before starting.

## Tolt: affiliate and referral programs for SaaS startups

Tolt describes itself as affiliate marketing software for SaaS startups, and says it helps them build and run affiliate and referral programs [^14] [^15]. It says it works with Stripe [^8]. It offers both client-side and server-side ways to connect, which means the tracking can run in the visitor's browser or on the business's own server [^16]. Tolt says it provides a branded portal for affiliates [^17]. Owners can edit, delete and view affiliates and referrals within two clicks [^18]. Tolt says affiliates can check their conversion rate and earnings [^19]. The sources for this option do not state a free trial or the payout methods it supports, so check both on its own site before you decide.

## Dub Partners: short links, conversion tracking and partner programs

Dub describes itself as a link attribution platform, meaning a tool that works out which link led to a sale, for short links, conversion tracking and affiliate programs [^20]. It says it offers partner management for building affiliate and referral programs [^21]. Its short links can include QR codes, device and location targeting, and tests that compare two versions of a link [^22]. Dub says its analytics show clicks, leads and sales in real time [^23]. It says conversion tracking follows a customer from first click to final sale [^24]. Dub says it provides a referral dashboard that can be embedded [^25]. It also says it has native SDKs, which are ready-made code kits, for TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP and Ruby [^26]. Dub says its pricing includes a 14-day trial [^2]. The sources here do not state its payout methods, so check that on its site.

## FirstPromoter: affiliate programs that track subscription changes

FirstPromoter says it offers a 14-days free trial [^3]. It says the trial requires no credit card [^4]. It says it tracks renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations, and updates commissions for each one in real time [^27]. Its commission types include a percentage of the sale, a flat fee, one-time payments, lifetime recurring payments and tiered rates [^28]. It says automatic payout scheduling is included [^29]. It says its reports include 18 data points for each partner [^30]. Its partner portal is available in 5 languages [^31]. It also offers a REST API, a programming interface, for custom or in-house setups [^32]. The sources do not state its payout methods beyond automatic scheduling, so check which ones it supports before you decide.

## Connections Referrals: referral and partner programs with owner approval

Connections Referrals is made by the team that publishes this site. You can set up a program where outside partners promote your business for a commission [^33]. A commission can be limited to a set number of months [^34]. A reward can be account credit [^35]. A referred friend lands on a public referral-link page that needs no sign-in [^36]. The program owner reviews each referral and approves or rejects it, and a rejection needs a reason that the referrer can see [^37]. People see the reward hold period, in days, before they join [^38]. Each program shows clicks, referrals, qualified referrals and the reward owed [^39]. Payouts go out through Stripe, the card payment service, when the reward hold period ends [^40]. Someone who tries to refer themselves gets no reward [^41]. Its home page says Connections takes no percentage of referral sales and adds no fee to payouts [^6]. The home page also says there is a free plan and no card is needed [^5]. Referrals runs as a web app, and sign-in uses a shared Connections account [^42] [^43]. The home page has a Start a program button [^44].

## How to choose

Begin with what your partners will be paid for. If the reward should be account credit rather than cash, Connections Referrals offers that reward type [^35]. If commissions should stop after a fixed period, Connections Referrals can limit a commission to a set number of months [^34]. If changes to a customer's subscription drive what you pay out, FirstPromoter says it updates commissions for renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations [^27]. If you also want short links with QR codes next to your affiliate tracking, Dub says its short links can include them [^22]. If your partners need a portal in another language, FirstPromoter says its portal is available in 5 languages [^31]. If the cost of starting matters most, Connections Referrals says there is a free plan with no card needed [^5], and Rewardful and FirstPromoter each state a 14-day free trial [^1] [^3]. Before you choose, check which payout methods each option supports for your partners, because payouts from Connections Referrals go through Stripe [^40] and this page does not list the methods for the others. Also check how long each trial runs and whether its terms match your timing, since the sources give those details unevenly.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Connections Referrals free to start?

The home page says there is a free plan, and no card is needed to start [^5]. Its home page also says Connections takes no percentage of referral sales and adds no fee to payouts [^6]. Payouts go out through Stripe, the card payment service, when the reward hold period ends [^40]. This page does not list any other plans, so read the home page for current terms before you sign up.

### Is Rewardful free to try?

Rewardful says it offers a 14-day free trial [^1]. The sources for this page do not say what the trial includes or what happens when it ends, so check its terms before starting. Rewardful also says its Stripe connection is quick and easy to get started with [^7].

### Does Dub Partners offer a trial?

Dub says its pricing includes a 14-day trial [^2]. Dub describes itself as a link attribution platform for short links, conversion tracking and affiliate programs [^20]. This page has no further details on what the trial covers, so read the pricing page before signing up.

### Can affiliates see their own earnings in a portal?

Tolt says it provides a branded portal for affiliates [^17], and that affiliates can check their conversion rate and earnings [^19]. FirstPromoter says its partner portal is available in 5 languages [^31]. Rewardful says it gives affiliates a self-service portal [^11]. Compare these with the portal you would want for your own partners, and check what each one shows before you choose.

### Can a referral reward be rejected before it is paid?

Yes. The program owner reviews each referral and approves or rejects it [^37]. A rejection needs a reason, and the referrer can see that reason [^37]. Someone who tries to refer themselves gets no reward [^41]. People see the reward hold period, in days, before they join [^38].

Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. [^45] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. [^46] - [Visit Connections Referrals](/go/best-affiliate-program-software-2026)

## Sources

[^1]: Rewardful, rewardful.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.rewardful.com)
[^2]: Dub Partners, dub.co/pricing, read 2026-10-08 (https://dub.co/pricing)
[^3]: FirstPromoter, firstpromoter.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://firstpromoter.com)
[^4]: FirstPromoter, firstpromoter.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://firstpromoter.com)
[^5]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^6]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^7]: Rewardful, rewardful.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.rewardful.com)
[^8]: Tolt, tolt.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://tolt.com)
[^9]: Rewardful, rewardful.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.rewardful.com)
[^10]: Rewardful, rewardful.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.rewardful.com)
[^11]: Rewardful, rewardful.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.rewardful.com)
[^12]: Rewardful, rewardful.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.rewardful.com)
[^13]: Rewardful, rewardful.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.rewardful.com)
[^14]: Tolt, tolt.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://tolt.com)
[^15]: Tolt, tolt.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://tolt.com)
[^16]: Tolt, tolt.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://tolt.com)
[^17]: Tolt, tolt.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://tolt.com)
[^18]: Tolt, tolt.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://tolt.com)
[^19]: Tolt, tolt.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://tolt.com)
[^20]: Dub Partners, dub.co, read 2026-10-08 (https://dub.co)
[^21]: Dub Partners, dub.co, read 2026-10-08 (https://dub.co)
[^22]: Dub Partners, dub.co, read 2026-10-08 (https://dub.co)
[^23]: Dub Partners, dub.co, read 2026-10-08 (https://dub.co)
[^24]: Dub Partners, dub.co, read 2026-10-08 (https://dub.co)
[^25]: Dub Partners, dub.co, read 2026-10-08 (https://dub.co)
[^26]: Dub Partners, dub.co, read 2026-10-08 (https://dub.co)
[^27]: FirstPromoter, firstpromoter.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://firstpromoter.com)
[^28]: FirstPromoter, firstpromoter.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://firstpromoter.com)
[^29]: FirstPromoter, firstpromoter.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://firstpromoter.com)
[^30]: FirstPromoter, firstpromoter.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://firstpromoter.com)
[^31]: FirstPromoter, firstpromoter.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://firstpromoter.com)
[^32]: FirstPromoter, firstpromoter.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://firstpromoter.com)
[^33]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^34]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^35]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^36]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^37]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^38]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^39]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^40]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^41]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^42]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^43]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^44]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^45]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
[^46]: Connections Referrals's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)