12 Best Amazon Affiliate Program Alternatives (Retailers & Networks)

Amazon Associates is easy to join and almost everyone buys from Amazon. But the commission rates are low in many categories, and one account suspension can wipe out your affiliate income overnight.

That is why smart affiliates spread their links across several programs. Some of them are big retailers like Amazon. Others are affiliate networks that give you thousands of brands in one account.

This guide lists the best Amazon affiliate program alternatives, what each one is good for, and how to pick the right mix for your site.

Quick answer: The best Amazon affiliate program alternatives are Walmart and eBay Partner Network if you want a big store with a huge product range, Etsy for handmade and gift niches, and Best Buy or Newegg for tech. If you want many brands in one account, join a network such as Awin (now home to former ShareASale programs), CJ or Impact.com.

All program details below were checked on their official pages in November 2026. Commission rates change often, so always confirm the current rate card before you promote a product.

Quick Comparison

Here are all 12 programs at a glance. Click a name to jump to its section.

We built this comparison table with WP Table Builder, a free drag and drop table plugin for WordPress. Affiliates use it to compare products and stores with buttons that link to each offer.

Why Look for Amazon Associates Alternatives?

Amazon says you can earn “up to 10%” in commissions, but that top rate applies only to Luxury Beauty. According to Amazon’s standard fee table, most categories pay between 1% and 4.5%: for example 3% for home, toys and beauty, 2.5% for PC components, and 1% for grocery and health products.

Here are the most common reasons affiliates add other programs:

• Low rates in your niche. Tech, grocery and video game categories pay very little on Amazon.
• Account risk. If your Amazon account is rejected or closed, all of your links stop earning at once.
• Better fit for your readers. Some products sell better on specialist stores, such as handmade gifts on Etsy or PC parts on Newegg.
• Country limits. Many retailer programs focus on one country, while networks let you promote brands in many markets.

The programs below fall into two groups: retailers and marketplaces (one store, many products) and affiliate networks (one account, many brands).

1. Walmart Affiliate Program

Best for: US sites that recommend everyday products, from home goods to electronics.

Walmart is the closest match to Amazon for a general product site. It sells a very wide range of items, and its affiliate site promises one of the fastest approvals around: Walmart says you can sign up and get started within a day.

Members get a weekly newsletter with banners, links and featured products, plus an Affiliate Member Center where you can build links and download data feeds. Walmart publishes its commission rates in category tables, so check them for your niche before you switch links. Social creators can also look at Walmart Creator, which lets you build a storefront of your picks.

• Pros: Huge product range, quick approval, data feeds and banners
• Cons: Best suited to US audiences, rates vary a lot by category

2. eBay Partner Network

Best for: Collectibles, refurbished tech, car parts, fashion and hard to find items.

eBay is no longer just an auction site. eBay Partner Network says the marketplace has 2.5 billion listings, that 80% of items are new, and that it reaches 136 million buyers in 190 markets.

You earn on Buy It Now and Best Offer purchases made within 24 hours of a click, and on auctions won within 10 days. Rates depend on the product category and are listed on eBay’s rate card, with earnings caps per transaction. Developers also get feeds and APIs, and US and UK social creators can join the eBay Ambassador program instead.

• Pros: Massive inventory, global reach, 10-day window for auctions
• Cons: Short 24-hour window for most purchases, earnings caps apply

3. Target Partners

Best for: US parenting, home decor, family and lifestyle blogs.

Target sells clothing, home decor, furniture, kids’ products, pet supplies and electronics, which makes it a natural fit for family friendly content. Its affiliate program, Target Partners, runs on its own platform where you apply, create links and see your reports.

Commission rates depend on the product category. Target does not show its rates on the public sign up page, so review them in the partner dashboard once you are approved.

• Pros: Trusted brand, strong in home, baby and family categories
• Cons: Focused on US shoppers, rates not public before you join

4. Etsy Affiliates

Best for: Gift guides, crafts, weddings, home decor and personalized products.

If your readers want something unique, Etsy often converts better than a big box store. Etsy runs its own affiliate program for publishers and creators. It describes its cookie period as “competitive” without giving a number, and commissions are typically validated 30 days after the sale.

Creators with at least 500 followers can also apply to the Etsy Creator Collective for extra perks.

• Pros: Unique products that Amazon does not sell, great for gift content
• Cons: Commission rate and cookie length are not public on the sign up page

5. Best Buy Affiliate Program

Best for: US tech, gaming, smart home and appliance reviews.

Best Buy is a strong choice when you review TVs, laptops, cameras or kitchen appliances. Its program is open to creators and publishers, and Best Buy says joining is free. Sign up and link building happen on Impact, so if you already use Impact.com you can add Best Buy to the same account.

• Pros: Trusted tech retailer, free to join, managed in Impact
• Cons: US focused, rates shown only after you apply

6. AliExpress Affiliate Portals

Best for: Budget gadgets, accessories and readers outside the US.

AliExpress is a global marketplace for electronics, fashion, home items and accessories at low prices. Its affiliate program, AliExpress Portals, gives you link tools and product feeds, and commission rates are set by category inside the portal.

Because order values are often small, AliExpress works best for high traffic deal and gadget sites. Set clear shipping time expectations for your readers.

• Pros: Global audience, huge catalog of low cost products
• Cons: Small order values, longer delivery times for many buyers

7. Newegg Affiliate Program

Best for: PC building, gaming hardware and computer accessories.

Newegg is a well known store for computer hardware and consumer electronics, and it has a loyal audience in the PC building community. The program is free to join with no startup or maintenance fees, and you sign up through Newegg’s partnership with Rakuten.

Electronics usually pay lower rates than other categories, but high order values can make up for it. Newegg notes that affiliates in some US states may be restricted, so read the FAQ before you apply.

• Pros: Strong tech niche, high order values, no fees
• Cons: Low tech margins, some US states restricted

8. Awin (Formerly ShareASale)

Best for: Affiliates who want thousands of brands, in many countries, from one account.

Awin is one of the largest affiliate networks in the world. It says you can connect with 30,000+ brands, and it has more than 1 million approved partners. In 2025, ShareASale moved its advertisers and publishers to the Awin platform, so most programs you knew on ShareASale now live on Awin.

If you still have old ShareASale links on your site, replace them with your new Awin links. ShareASale accounts that did not meet Awin’s upgrade criteria were not moved, but you can register on Awin directly.

• Pros: Huge brand choice, global reach, one dashboard and one payment
• Cons: You still apply to each brand separately, and some brands are selective

9. CJ (Commission Junction)

Best for: Established sites that want to work with large, well known brands.

CJ is one of the oldest affiliate networks and is home to many big retail, travel and finance brands. CJ says publishers earn more than $1.8 billion in commissions every year on its platform.

You manage all of your advertisers in one place and get paid for all of them together. CJ offers two payouts a month in dozens of currencies, and its reports help you see which offers convert best.

• Pros: Big brands, detailed reporting, twice monthly payouts
• Cons: Many advertisers prefer sites with steady traffic, so new blogs may be declined

10. Impact.com

Best for: Bloggers, publishers and creators who want modern tools and direct brand deals.

Impact.com is a partnership platform used by many major brands, including Best Buy. It is free for affiliate publishers and creators, and it lists 6,500+ brands for creators to work with.

Each brand sets its own commission and terms, and you apply to them one by one. Once approved, you manage links, reports and payments for all of those brands in one dashboard.

• Pros: Free for partners, big brand list, one dashboard for every brand
• Cons: Dashboard takes time to learn, approval is per brand

11. Rakuten Advertising

Best for: Fashion, beauty, retail and lifestyle sites that want premium brands.

Rakuten Advertising (formerly LinkShare) is the affiliate network of the Japanese company Rakuten. It has more than 25 years of experience, says it has paid over $1 billion in commissions, and reaches shoppers in 190+ countries.

Rakuten says 95% of its brands are exclusive to its network, so you can find advertisers here that are not on other networks. Newegg is one example. Commissions are set by each brand.

• Pros: Premium and exclusive brands, global reach
• Cons: Smaller brand list than Awin or CJ, approval can be strict

12. Skimlinks

Best for: Content sites that mention many different stores and do not want to join each program.

Skimlinks works differently from the others. You add one script to your site, and it turns normal product links into affiliate links automatically. It covers 48,500 merchants and 50+ affiliate networks, and it is free to join.

The trade off is that Skimlinks keeps a share of the commission, so you usually earn less per sale than you would by joining a merchant’s program directly. Many publishers use it to monetize long tail links and join their top merchants directly.

• Pros: One setup for thousands of stores, works on old posts too
• Cons: Skimlinks takes a cut, less control over each partner

How to Choose the Right Amazon Alternative

You do not need all 12. Start with two or three that match your readers:

1. Match the store to your niche. Tech sites do well with Best Buy and Newegg, gift and craft sites with Etsy, and general product sites with Walmart or eBay.
2. Check where your readers live. Look at your analytics. If much of your traffic is outside the US, favor eBay, AliExpress and global networks like Awin.
3. Compare the real numbers. Look at the commission rate for your category, the cookie or attribution window, and the payment threshold, not just the headline rate.
4. Join one network. A network like Awin, CJ or Impact.com gives you access to many brands with a single payment, which saves a lot of admin.
5. Test with your best posts. Add a second store link next to your Amazon link on your top pages and see which one earns more.

Show Several Stores in One Table

Once you use more than one program, a comparison table is the easiest way to give readers a choice. You can list a product with buttons for Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy side by side, or compare several products with their prices and ratings. A clear table helps readers decide faster, which is good for clicks.

WP Table Builder is a free drag and drop table plugin for WordPress with 50,000+ active installs and a 4.8 out of 5 rating from 680+ reviews on WordPress.org as of November 2026. It lets you add text, images and buttons to any cell, and every table stays readable on phones. See the Amazon product box demo and the product comparison table demo for ideas, or follow our guide on how to create a product comparison table in WordPress.

FAQs

Conclusion

Relying only on Amazon puts all of your affiliate income in one basket. Pick one retailer that fits your niche, such as Walmart, eBay, Etsy or Best Buy, and one network like Awin or Impact.com, then test them on your best posts.

To make those extra options easy to compare, build a store comparison table with WP Table Builder. If you want ready made affiliate layouts, WP Table Builder Pro adds 25+ pre-built templates, button labels, sticky headers, plus search and pagination for long product tables.

Related Posts:

• Best Amazon Affiliate WordPress Plugins
• Best Ways To Increase Amazon Affiliate Sales
• Best Affiliate Link Manager and Tracking WordPress Plugins
• How To Add Amazon Product Boxes In WordPress
• Best Affiliate Marketing WordPress Plugins