Choosing between ShareASale and CJ Affiliate can be confusing for beginners, so here's a breakdown of their key differences:
ShareASale: Wider range of merchants, including smaller businesses and niche categories.
CJ Affiliate: Stricter approval process for merchants, often known for higher-quality, established brands.
Choose ShareASale if: You're a beginner, prefer a user-friendly interface, want access to a wider range of merchants, and don't mind potentially lower commission rates.
Choose CJ Affiliate if: You're an established affiliate marketer, value advanced reporting tools and performance insights, are targeting larger brands, and are confident in meeting stricter performance requirements.
Ultimately, the best platform depends on your individual needs and goals. Experiment with both and see which one feels like a better fit for your affiliate marketing journey.
Market Size and Reach:
ShareASale: Larger network with over 4,500 merchants across various industries.
CJ Affiliate: Smaller network with around 3,400 merchants, often focusing on larger, established brands.
CJ Affiliate: Smaller network with around 3,400 merchants, often focusing on larger, established brands.
Ease of Use:
ShareASale:
Generally considered easier to navigate and more user-friendly for beginners.
CJ Affiliate: Offers more advanced features and reporting tools, which can be overwhelming for newbies.
CJ Affiliate: Offers more advanced features and reporting tools, which can be overwhelming for newbies.
Merchant Quality:
ShareASale: Wider range of merchants, including smaller businesses and niche categories.
CJ Affiliate: Stricter approval process for merchants, often known for higher-quality, established brands.
Commission Rates:
ShareASale:
Commission rates vary widely depending on the merchant.
CJ Affiliate: Often offers higher commission rates on average, but with stricter performance requirements.
Fees:
ShareASale: Charges a $19 one-time setup fee and a 10% monthly processing fee.
CJ Affiliate: Free to join, but charges a $35 quarterly fee upon earning your first commission.
CJ Affiliate: Often offers higher commission rates on average, but with stricter performance requirements.
Fees:
ShareASale: Charges a $19 one-time setup fee and a 10% monthly processing fee.
CJ Affiliate: Free to join, but charges a $35 quarterly fee upon earning your first commission.
Additional Features:
ShareASale:
Offers educational resources, webinars, and community forums for beginners.
CJ Affiliate: Provides advanced reporting tools, performance optimization insights, and dedicated account management for larger publishers.
CJ Affiliate: Provides advanced reporting tools, performance optimization insights, and dedicated account management for larger publishers.
Here's a summary to help you decide:
Choose ShareASale if: You're a beginner, prefer a user-friendly interface, want access to a wider range of merchants, and don't mind potentially lower commission rates.
Choose CJ Affiliate if: You're an established affiliate marketer, value advanced reporting tools and performance insights, are targeting larger brands, and are confident in meeting stricter performance requirements.
Ultimately, the best platform depends on your individual needs and goals. Experiment with both and see which one feels like a better fit for your affiliate marketing journey.