--- title: "Affiliate software vs an affiliate network | Chargezen" description: "An affiliate network rents you partners for a fee on every sale; affiliate software runs your own program. See the difference, the costs and when each fits." url: "https://chargezen.com/spark/affiliate-software" lang: "en" --- Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/spark/affiliate-software # Affiliate software vs an affiliate network A network rents you its partners and takes a fee on every sale. Software lets you run your own program with your own customers, creators and affiliates. Spark! is software, at one flat price. Your customers, creators and affiliates Your partners Your customers, creators and affiliates Fee on partner sales 0% Fee on partner sales Flat, or $1,990 a year $199/mo Flat, or $1,990 a year ## What is the difference between affiliate software and an affiliate network? An affiliate network is a marketplace that connects brands with its publishers and usually charges a fee on every sale those partners drive. Affiliate software is a tool you use to run your own program with partners you recruit, for a set subscription price; Spark! is affiliate and creator software, not a network. The problem Networks are built to bring you reach you don’t have yet, and they charge for it on every sale, even when the sale came from a customer or creator who already loved your brand. Many brands end up paying a network to track their own fans. ## What you get Everything you need, built into one platform. ### Your own branded program Partners join your program through your own signup page and portal, not a network’s directory. ### Links and codes for every partner Each partner gets a tracking link and discount code, and Spark! credits the sales they bring in. ### Commissions on renewals Partners earn on subscription renewals from the customers they referred, not just the first order. ### Find creators yourself Search for creators, send outreach with follow-ups, and invite the ones who fit your brand. ### Payouts from a balance you fund Pay commissions and creator fees from one balance, with a record of every payment. ### Creator ads in the same place Run Meta Partnership Ads and TikTok Spark Ads from your creators’ posts. ## How it works From setup to results in four simple steps. 1. 1 ### Set up your program Choose commission rates and payout rules, and turn on your partner signup page. 2. 2 ### Bring your partners Invite the customers, creators and affiliates who already talk about you, and find new creators. 3. 3 ### Share links and codes Every partner gets their own link, code and portal to track their sales and earnings. 4. 4 ### Pay on real sales Approve commissions and pay partners from your balance. Refunds take their commission back. ## Network vs software, side by side The same goal, paying partners for sales, with very different costs and trade-offs. | Compared | Affiliate network (example: Awin) | Affiliate software (Spark!) | | --- | --- | --- | | Who finds the partners | The network’s directory: Awin lists 1M+ partners | You: your customers, creators and affiliates, plus creator search | | Kinds of partners | Coupon, cashback, content and tech publishers, and more | Creators, affiliates, ambassadors and customers you invite | | What it costs | Awin Access: $49 a month plus a 3.5% tracking fee per sale; Accelerate from $99 plus 2.5% | $199 a month or $1,990 a year, with no fee on partner sales | | Commitment | Awin Access: 3-month minimum, 14 days’ notice | Month to month, or yearly | | Commissions on subscription renewals | Not listed in Awin’s commission rules | Included | | Best when | You need reach you don’t have yet | Your best sellers already know and like your brand | Awin facts come from awin.com/us/pricing/advertisers, checked October 19, 2026. Partner commissions are paid on top in both models. [Spark! vs Awin](https://chargezen.com/compare/awin) [ShareASale moved to Awin: your options](https://chargezen.com/alternatives/shareasale) [Spark! vs Trybe](https://chargezen.com/compare/trybe) [Spark! vs Later Influence](https://chargezen.com/compare/later) ## Why it pays off ### Keep the margin With no fee on partner sales, more of every order stays with you as your program grows. ### Own the relationships Your partners sign up with you and work with you, so the program stays yours if you ever switch tools. ### One record with the rest of your business Spark! runs on Chargezen, so creator sales sit next to your subscriptions, texts and email and customer support. ## Run your own program and keep the margin Affiliate and creator software for one flat price, with no fee on partner sales. [See pricing](https://chargezen.com/pricing) * $199 a month or $1,990 a year * No fee on partner sales * Month-to-month billing ## Common questions ### What is the difference between affiliate software and an affiliate network? An affiliate network connects brands with its own publishers and usually charges a fee on every sale they drive. Affiliate software is a tool for running your own program with partners you recruit, for a set subscription price. ### Is Spark! an affiliate network? No. Spark! is affiliate and creator software. It has no publisher marketplace: you bring your own customers, creators and affiliates, or find creators with Spark!’s creator search, and Spark! tracks their sales and pays their commissions. ### How much does an affiliate network cost compared with Spark!? Awin, for example, charges $49 a month plus a 3.5% tracking fee per sale on its Access plan, or from $99 a month plus 2.5% on Accelerate, with partner commissions on top (checked October 19, 2026). Spark! is $199 a month or $1,990 a year with no fee on partner sales. ### When is an affiliate network the better choice? When you need reach you don’t have yet, such as coupon, cashback and content sites, and a fee on every sale is worth that reach to you. If your sales come from your own customers, creators and ambassadors, software like Spark! keeps that fee in your pocket. ### Can I use a network and Spark! together? Yes. Some brands keep a network for publisher reach and run their creators, ambassadors and customer referrals in their own software. Spark! handles the program you own. ### How much does Spark! cost? Spark! is $1,990 per year, or $199 a month month to month, with everything included. Creator spend stays yours: Spark takes no cut of it. ## Run your own affiliate and creator program [ ### Affiliate marketing Links, codes and commissions for every partner.](https://chargezen.com/spark/affiliate-marketing) [ ### Commissions on renewals Pay partners on every subscription renewal they bring in.](https://chargezen.com/spark/subscription-commissions) [ ### Creator discovery Find creators who fit your brand.](https://chargezen.com/spark/creator-discovery) [ ### Payouts Pay partners from one balance you fund.](https://chargezen.com/spark/payouts) [ ### Ambassador programs Turn loyal customers into ambassadors.](https://chargezen.com/spark/ambassador-programs) [ ### TikTok Spark Ads Run your creators’ TikToks as ads.](https://chargezen.com/spark/tiktok-spark-ads)