As an affiliate, you rarely work with just a handful of partner programs. Many affiliates generate high revenues with a large number of individual programs, which together lead to higher revenues.
But this is not a strict rule. From experience, I prefer to focus on a single affiliate program — or just a few — and put all my efforts into promoting it for a period of time. This builds strong momentum and allows faster growth of your earnings, as your entire focus is on driving results for that program.
For ADHD readers, you should do exactly this: focus on one thing at a time and put all your effort into making that one thing successful. During this period, remove all distractions that could steal your focus and momentum.
There are single affiliate programs that allow you to promote countless products with just one registration. Often, these programs come from major online retailers like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and many others. Once you have an account, you can promote thousands — or even millions — of products with that single account!
Amazon, combined with its affiliate program, can be a reliable partner for affiliates, but it's highly recommended to include other affiliate programs in your daily affiliate activities as well.
Why look for an alternative to the Amazon affiliate program?
Even though Amazon is a good source of income for many affiliates, an experienced affiliate knows that they should diversify their income sources as much as possible to avoid a complete loss of income.#
Also, from my experience, the commission rates for some categories are very low, which means you should avoid certain product categories that simply bring in too little commission:
- Video & Digital Content (Amazon Prime Video, Music, etc.): 0–3%
- Video Games & Consoles: 1–3%
- Grocery & Gourmet Food: 1–4%
- Health & Personal Care: 1–4%
- Beauty Products: 1–4%
If someone is in one of the niches listed above, it may be worthwhile to consider switching from the Amazon affiliate program to a more rewarding option. On top of that, Amazon regularly changes its commission rates, making it unpredictable for affiliates whether they will earn the same income next month.
In general, commission rates have steadily decreased over the past few years, which already signals to most affiliates that it's wise to look for alternatives to protect themselves from continuous income drops.
Also, Amazon is very strict when it comes to a successful long-term partnership. So not only do you have to send quality prospects to Amazon through your affiliate links, but you also have to make sure that you don't engage in any prohibited advertising.
All in all, it can be difficult to find the balance between high earnings with Amazon and long-term success with the affiliate program. Ideally, you should make sure that you generate secure income from Amazon and open up additional sources of income.
What are real alternatives to Amazon?
In order to find real alternatives to Amazon, you first have to take a close look at the features that Amazon offers and consider what you could do without in alternative offers.
First things first: Amazon has set the standard when it comes to affiliate marketing. Finding a 1:1 replacement is almost impossible. There is simply no affiliate program that could take the crown from Amazon.
The important thing is that the alternative
- offers a wide range of products so that you can monetize many topics as an affiliate.
- the commissions are fair and you have the chance to make a profit in the end, even with paid advertising campaigns.
- offers an easy-to-use and clear user interface to make the affiliate's daily work easier.
- confirms and transfers commissions as quickly as possible.
If you are looking for the best alternative to the Amazon affiliate program, you are in good hands with the following providers:
eBay Partner Network
After Amazon, eBay is the second largest shopping platform on the internet. Fortunately, eBay also offers an opportunity to earn money as an affiliate with product recommendations: the eBay Partner Network.
You can register as an affiliate free of charge and recommend billions of products in different languages. The commission model is similar to Amazon, i.e. you receive a commission as soon as someone buys something on eBay via your affiliate link.
Payment is made internationally, so you can be sure that you will receive your money no matter in which country you are active as an affiliate.
Walmart affiliate program
Walmart is as huge as Amazon is, both have millions of products that can be bought online within a few mouse clicks. The good thing for affiliates is that Walmart has an in-house affiliate program that works quite similarly to Amazon's program.
Sign up for free, include specific product links in your advertising platform, which is usually a website, blog or social media page. After someone clicks on your advertising links and buys something from Walmart, you get a commission.
I would consider Walmart one of the best alternatives for Amazon affiliates, especially because it offers a wide range of products and a fair commission rate. Walmart is definitely worth a try for any serious affiliate.
Etsy
Etsy is a global online marketplace specializing in handmade, vintage, and unique goods. Since its founding in 2005, it has evolved into a platform that connects independent creators, artisans, and small business owners with buyers seeking one-of-a-kind products.
Unlike mass-market retailers, Etsy prioritizes creativity and individuality, making it a go-to destination for shoppers seeking personalized items, artisanal crafts, or collectibles that can't be found in traditional stores.
Etsy's product categories span jewelry, clothing, home decor, art, craft supplies, and even digital downloads. With such a diverse range, finding alternative products to feature in an Amazon setup should be no problem at all.
Etsy operates on a seller-driven model, allowing independent sellers to create their own shops and manage their listings. While it's similar to platforms like Amazon or eBay, the key difference lies in the product offerings — Etsy is focused on handmade, vintage, and unique items, setting it apart from the more mass-market options you'll find on other platforms.
Beyond serving as a marketplace for buyers, Etsy offers an affiliate program for content creators, bloggers, and social media influencers. Participants can earn commissions by promoting Etsy listings and driving traffic to the site, turning their influence into a source of revenue.
By focusing on handmade, vintage, and creative goods, it attracts a diverse, global community of buyers and sellers who truly value originality and personal expression. This makes the affiliate program unique, as it allows us to promote genuinely self-made, special products.
Specialty products often sell better than overrated and overhyped goods that can't even deliver on their promises.
AliExpress affiliate program
AliExpress has a large global marketplace (part of Alibaba) with a huge variety of products. When it comes to replacing Amazon with similar offers, this usually isn't a problem. One potential drawback is that many AliExpress vendors ship products from Asia, which can result in long shipping and delivery times.
AliExpress also has more than a few unreliable sellers who either sell products they don't own or market products with completely unrealistic claims. As a result, the reputation of AliExpress is significantly worse than that of Amazon or other major players.
The good news is that AliExpress has its own affiliate program. It often offers longer cookie durations and more competitive commissions than Amazon.
If we ignore the long shipping times — or find ways to reduce them — and set aside the fact that AliExpress has some image-related issues, it's still worth considering as a viable Amazon alternative for affiliate marketers.
AWIN affiliate netzwork
Affiliate networks, like AWIN, should not be missed out as an Amazon affiliate program alternative!
In an affiliate network, it is not uncommon to find hundreds of partner programs for which you have to apply individually. As soon as you have been accepted by the operator of the affiliate program, you can use the advertising material and earn money.
The big advantage is that you can choose the affiliate program very easily and, of course, compare the commission levels for certain products. This way you can be sure that you are earning the maximum amount per sale.
Make sure that you limit your search to online stores, as you want to work with the largest possible stores that offer thousands of products.
Product databases that you can use programmatically as an affiliate can also be advantageous. This allows product data to be displayed on the website, with the price in particular always being automatically adjusted, as the data is obtained live directly from the store.
Conclusion
Although there are some good alternatives to Amazon for affiliates, it's not surprising that none of these alternatives can really replace Amazon. At the very least, you'll realize this when you simply make less money with the same advertising effort.
Amazon is a strong brand and enjoys a high level of trust among customers, making it easier for affiliates to earn commissions as the purchase threshold is simply lower than with other providers.
Nevertheless, as an affiliate, you should spread your income across several sources so that you are not left without an income if your account is suspended.