FirstPromoter alternatives in 2026

Compare FirstPromoter alternatives in 2026: Rewardful, Tolt, Dub and Connections Referrals. Facts and what to check before you choose.

By Uncommon Comforts · 2026-10-16

Uncommon Comforts is published by the team behind Connections, whose products are compared here alongside other tools.

FirstPromoter runs affiliate programs for SaaS. It offers a 14-day free trial ^[1] and its trial requires no credit card ^[1]. It tracks subscription lifecycle events including renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations ^[1]. Alternatives here include Rewardful (a Stripe-native platform for SaaS), Tolt (for SaaS startups), Dub (link attribution and short links) and Connections Referrals (a referral program made by the team that publishes this page). Each option has different strengths, so match them to how the program is run.

Option	Own fee	Card fee
Rewardful	not published	not published
Tolt	not published	not published
Dub	Business plan $90 per month ^[2]	not published
Connections Referrals	Free plan, no card needed ^[3]; takes no percentage of referral sales and adds no fee to payouts ^[3]	not published

Why people who run things look past FirstPromoter

FirstPromoter is a partner and affiliate tool aimed at SaaS businesses. It offers a free trial of 14 days ^[1], and the trial needs no credit card ^[1]. It tracks events across the subscription lifecycle, so renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations each refresh commissions in real time ^[1]. Commissions can be a percentage of the sale, a flat fee, one-time, lifetime recurring, or tiered rates per performance level ^[1]. Its reporting gives 18 data points per partner ^[1], the partner portal is in 5 languages ^[1], and auto-payout scheduling is included ^[1]. A REST API is available for custom or in-house setups ^[1].

Rewardful: an affiliate and referral platform for SaaS that works with Stripe

Rewardful describes itself as an affiliate and referral management platform that helps SaaS companies launch and scale affiliate programs through a native Stripe integration ^[4]. Rewardful says its Stripe integration makes getting started quick and easy ^[4], and it offers one-click integration ^[4] and two-way Stripe sync ^[4]. Refund handling is automated ^[4], and live customer support is offered ^[4]. The free trial runs 14 days ^[4]. Its own paid fee is not published.

Tolt: affiliate software for SaaS startups

Tolt is affiliate marketing software for SaaS startups ^[5] and helps those startups build and run affiliate and referral programs ^[5]. Affiliates and referrals can be edited, deleted and viewed within two clicks ^[5]. Affiliates can check their conversion rate, earnings, and more ^[5]. Integration is offered on both the client and server side ^[5]. Its paid fee is not published.

Dub: link attribution for short links, conversion tracking and affiliate programs

Dub describes itself as a link attribution platform for short links, conversion tracking, and affiliate programs ^[6]. Its short links support built-in QR codes, device and geo targeting, A/B testing, and deep links ^[6]. Analytics show clicks, leads, and sales in real time with full detail ^[6], and conversion tracking follows the customer journey from first click to final sale ^[6]. An embedded referral dashboard is provided ^[6]. An API generates short links programmatically ^[6] and real-time webhooks fire for link events ^[6]. Native SDKs cover TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP, and Ruby ^[6]. Pricing includes a 14-day trial ^[2].

Connections Referrals: a referral program you set up inside the Connections workspace

Connections Referrals is made by the team that publishes this page. It runs as a web app ^[3], and sign-in uses the shared Connections (AEGIS) account through Main Connections ^[3]. A program can be set up where external partners promote for a commission ^[3], and a commission can be limited to a set number of months ^[3]. A reward can be account credit ^[3]. A referred friend lands on a public referral-link page that needs no sign-in ^[3], and a hosted public affiliate signup page needs no sign-in either ^[3]. The program owner reviews each referral and approves or rejects it, and a rejection needs a reason the advocate gets to see ^[3]. People see the reward hold period in days before they join ^[3]. Each program shows clicks, referrals, qualified referrals, and the reward owed ^[3]. Advocates copy their link or share it by email, X or WhatsApp ^[3]. Someone who tries to refer themselves gets no reward ^[3]. A small script reads the referral code from the link's URL and stores it ^[3], and a server can verify the X-Referral-Signature header on each webhook ^[3]. Chosen programs can be exported ^[3]. Payouts go out through Stripe, the card payment service, when the hold window closes ^[3]. The front door has a Start a program button ^[3].

How to pick the right FirstPromoter alternative

Start with what the program must do, then match a tool to it. If the main need is tracking how subscriptions renew, upgrade or cancel, FirstPromoter itself already covers those lifecycle events. ^[1] Among the alternatives, pick based on what each source says it does. For a business that already takes payments through Stripe and wants a quick start, Rewardful's own page points to its native Stripe integration and one-click integration ^[4] ^[4]. For a SaaS startup that wants simple day-to-day management, Tolt's page says it lets users edit, delete, and view affiliates and referrals within two clicks ^[5]. For link work, Dub's page describes it as a link attribution platform for short links, conversion tracking, and affiliate programs ^[6]. The program owner reviews each referral and approves or rejects it, and a rejection needs a reason the advocate gets to see ^[3]. People see the reward hold period in days before they join ^[3], and a referred friend lands on a public referral-link page that needs no sign-in ^[3]. When a fact is silent, such as a tool's paid price, check that directly before choosing, and confirm which payment service each option pays through, since the alternatives here are not all described the same way.

Frequently asked questions

Does any FirstPromoter alternative track subscription renewals and upgrades?

FirstPromoter itself says it tracks subscription lifecycle events, with renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations each updating commissions in real time ^[1]. Among the alternatives, check each tool's own page for whether it tracks lifecycle events, since the alternatives here are not all described that way. Rewardful is described as working through a native Stripe integration, so confirm there what it notices when a subscription changes.

Which alternative is easiest to get running?

Rewardful says its Stripe integration makes getting started quick and offers one-click integration and two-way Stripe sync. Connections Referrals has a hosted public affiliate signup page and a referral-link page that need no sign-in, and a Start a program button on its front door. Tolt says it helps SaaS startups run affiliate and referral programs. What counts as easy depends on whether payments already run through Stripe and how much setup the team wants to do.

What does the free plan include?

Connections Referrals says on its front door that there is a free plan with no card needed, and that it takes no percentage of referral sales and adds no fee to payouts. The other options here do not publish a free plan price, so check each tool's pricing page. Rewardful offers a 14-day free trial ^[4]. Dub says its pricing includes a 14-day trial ^[2]. A trial is not the same as a free plan.

Can advocates share their own links without signing in?

Connections Referrals gives advocates a public referral-link page that needs no sign-in, and advocates can copy their link or share it by email, X or WhatsApp. For the other tools, check how their affiliate portals handle sharing, since not all describe a no-sign-in path. FirstPromoter says its portal is available in 5 languages ^[1] and its advanced reporting has 18 data points per partner ^[1].

How are payouts handled?

Connections Referrals sends payouts through Stripe, the card payment service, when the hold window closes, and its front door says it adds no fee to payouts. FirstPromoter says its auto-payout scheduling is included. For Rewardful and Tolt, their sources do not state payouts here, so check each pricing page to confirm which payment service they use and any fee on top. Confirming the payout method matters before the first payment is sent.

Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. ^[3] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. ^[3]

Try Connections Referrals