- BixGrow — best overall for Shopify stores, free plan available, no revenue fees, MLM support, cleanest setup experience
- GoAffPro — best free plan on the market, works on 12+ platforms, premium at $49/month with no percentage fees
- UpPromote — most popular but charges a percentage on top of the monthly fee — costs more as you grow
- FirstPromoter — not a Shopify app, built for SaaS and subscription businesses on Stripe/Paddle — wrong tool for ecommerce
- If you want it set up properly from day one, hiring a specialist saves you hours of trial and error
Most Shopify store owners pick an affiliate app by downloading the first one they see with good reviews and hoping for the best.
That works sometimes. But the wrong platform for your store type costs you money in percentage fees, limits your affiliate structure, or simply doesn’t do what you needed it to do.
I’ve set up affiliate programs on all four of these platforms for real clients — clothing brands, supplement stores, dropshipping businesses, SaaS companies. Here’s the honest breakdown of what each one actually does, what it costs, and who it’s right for.
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What You’re Actually Choosing Between
Before the comparison, understand that these four platforms are not all the same category of tool.
Three of them — BixGrow, GoAffPro, and UpPromote — are Shopify affiliate apps. They install directly into your Shopify store, track purchases through Shopify’s order system, and let your customers, influencers, and partners sign up as affiliates.
FirstPromoter is different. It is built for SaaS companies and subscription businesses. It connects to Stripe, Chargebee, and Paddle — not Shopify natively. If you run a Shopify ecommerce store, FirstPromoter is not the right tool. I’ll still cover it because people keep asking, but the comparison for Shopify store owners is really between the first three.
The Pricing Reality – Side by Side
| BixGrow | GoAffPro | UpPromote | FirstPromoter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Paid plan starts at | ~$15/month | $49/month | $29.99/month | $49/month |
| Revenue fee | ❌ None | ❌ None | ✅ 1–2% on sales | ❌ None |
| Shopify native | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| MLM support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Paid plans | ✅ Yes |
| Best for | Shopify stores of all sizes | Multi-platform merchants | Growing Shopify stores | SaaS businesses |
| Free trial | ✅ 14 days on paid | ❌ Free plan only | ✅ 14 days on paid | ✅ 14 days |
The revenue fee on UpPromote is the number most people miss. On the Growth plan at $29.99/month you also pay 2% on every successful referral sale. On a store doing $10,000 in affiliate-driven revenue that’s an extra $200 per month on top of the subscription. That changes the real cost significantly.
BixGrow and GoAffPro charge zero percentage fees on any tier. You pay the flat monthly rate and nothing more.
BixGrow – Best Overall for Shopify
BixGrow is the platform I recommend most often for Shopify stores and it’s not particularly close.
The free plan is genuinely usable — not a stripped-down teaser. You get affiliate link tracking, coupon tracking, affiliate registration, a branded portal, and commission management at zero cost. Most stores launching their first affiliate program don’t need anything beyond this.
The paid plans start around $15/month and scale up from there. Zero revenue share on any tier. That matters more than the monthly fee as your program grows.
What makes it stand out:
- MLM and multi-tier affiliate structures are available — useful for ambassador and influencer programs
- Built-in affiliate marketplace so affiliates can discover your program without you hunting them down
- Membership plans — you can charge affiliates a joining fee if you want to run a premium affiliate club
- Affiliate portal supports TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and blog affiliates cleanly
- Migrating from another platform? BixGrow now supports importing existing affiliates, orders, and coupons
Who it’s right for: Any Shopify store launching or running an affiliate program. Whether you’re selling physical products, digital downloads, or dropshipping — BixGrow handles it cleanly at a price that makes sense.
Rating on Shopify App Store: 4.9 from 1,232 reviews.
The one limitation: BixGrow is Shopify-only. If you ever move to WooCommerce or another platform, you’d need to switch.
GoAffPro – Best Free Plan and Most Flexible
GoAffPro has arguably the most generous free tier of any affiliate app on the Shopify store. Unlimited affiliates. Unlimited clicks. Unlimited referral orders. All at zero cost.
That’s not typical. Most free plans cap affiliates at 50 or referral orders at a few hundred per month. GoAffPro doesn’t do that. You could run a legitimate affiliate program with hundreds of active affiliates on the free plan without ever being pushed toward an upgrade.
The premium plan at $49/month unlocks custom domains, advanced analytics, tier-based commissions, and MLM functionality. Still no revenue percentage. And compared to UpPromote where similar features cost $89.99/month plus a percentage — GoAffPro’s pricing is hard to argue with.
What makes it stand out:
- Works on 12+ platforms — Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, and more
- PayPal Payouts integration — pay all affiliates with one click instead of one by one
- Store credit automation — generates single-use discount codes for affiliates who prefer store credit
- Party plan feature — useful for direct sales models
- Multi-level affiliate network support across all tiers
Who it’s right for: Store owners who want maximum flexibility, multi-platform merchants, or anyone who wants to start completely free and upgrade only when needed. Also the right choice if you’re on WooCommerce rather than Shopify.
The honest limitation: GoAffPro’s reporting is more basic than UpPromote’s. If detailed analytics and segmentation matter to you, UpPromote has the edge there.
UpPromote — Most Popular, But Watch the Fees
UpPromote is the most-installed affiliate app on the Shopify App Store and there are real reasons for that. It’s polished, well-documented, and has strong automation features.
But the pricing structure catches a lot of store owners off guard.
On the Growth plan at $29.99/month you pay 2% on every successful referral sale. On the Professional plan at $89.99/month that drops to 1.5%. Enterprise at $199.99/month takes it down to 1%. There is no tier without a revenue fee.
At low volumes this doesn’t matter much. At $5,000/month in affiliate sales on the Growth plan, you’re paying $100 extra per month in fees on top of $29.99. That’s effectively $130/month for what looked like a $30/month plan.
BixGrow and GoAffPro charge nothing extra. That’s a meaningful difference at scale.
What makes it stand out:
- Best-in-class automation — abandoned cart emails, automated affiliate approval, performance-based tier upgrades
- Strongest fraud protection in this category
- Multi-store management if you run more than one Shopify store
- Cleanest affiliate dashboard for the affiliates themselves — easier for them to understand their performance
- Deep email marketing integrations with Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and others
Who it’s right for: Stores that prioritise automation and reporting over pricing efficiency. If your affiliate program is a major revenue channel and you need strong analytics and fraud prevention, UpPromote justifies the cost. If you’re just starting out — start with BixGrow or GoAffPro and switch later if you need what UpPromote offers.
FirstPromoter – Not for Shopify Stores
FirstPromoter is a solid platform — just not for ecommerce.
It’s built for SaaS and subscription companies. It connects natively to Stripe, Chargebee, and Paddle. It tracks subscription renewals, upgrades, cancellations, and refunds as commission events. That’s genuinely valuable if you sell software or digital subscriptions.
For a Shopify store selling physical products, it’s the wrong tool. Shopify’s order system doesn’t connect natively, setup requires workarounds, and you’d be paying $49–$149/month for a platform that wasn’t designed for what you’re doing.
Pricing: Starter $49/month, Business $99/month, Enterprise $149/month. Zero transaction fees. 14-day free trial. No free plan.
Who it’s right for: SaaS founders, subscription box companies running on Stripe, or digital product sellers who want subscription tracking. Not Shopify ecommerce merchants.
The Honest Recommendation
For Shopify stores, the decision is simpler than it looks:
Just starting out or on a budget: Start with BixGrow’s free plan. It covers everything a new affiliate program needs. No revenue fees, clean setup, and you can launch in a day.
Want zero-cost forever with maximum flexibility: GoAffPro’s free plan. Unlimited affiliates, unlimited orders, no caps. Upgrade to $49/month only if you need custom domains or advanced MLM.
Running a serious program that needs automation and reporting: UpPromote Professional at $89.99/month. Accept the 1.5% fee as the cost of better tooling. Worth it at scale.
Running a SaaS or subscription business: FirstPromoter at $49–$149/month. Ignore the Shopify apps — they aren’t built for what you’re doing.
The platform matters less than the setup. A well-configured BixGrow program outperforms a poorly-configured UpPromote every time. Getting the commission structure, affiliate portal, tracking, and automated emails right from the start is what actually drives results.
Want This Set Up Properly From Day One?
I set up Shopify affiliate programs on BixGrow, GoAffPro, and UpPromote for clients worldwide. Not just install and configure — I build the full affiliate ecosystem: commission structure, automated emails, branded portal, referral tracking, and a full documentation guide so you can manage it yourself.
Level 2 seller on Fiverr. 5.0 rating. Clients across the US, UK, Canada, Netherlands, and Australia.
View my affiliate program setup gig → fiverr.com/s/38zpQDk
Need help finding the right freelancer for another service? Browse vetted specialists across every category → fixerlinks.com/find-an-expert/
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BixGrow better than UpPromote for Shopify?
For most Shopify stores — yes. BixGrow has a generous free plan, zero revenue fees on any tier, MLM support, and a built-in affiliate marketplace. UpPromote charges 1.5–2% on referral sales on top of the monthly subscription. At low volumes the difference is small. At scale BixGrow is significantly cheaper for equivalent features.
Does GoAffPro work with WooCommerce?
Yes. GoAffPro supports 12+ platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and Webflow. It’s one of the few affiliate apps that works across all major ecommerce platforms without switching tools.
Is FirstPromoter good for Shopify stores?
No. FirstPromoter is built for SaaS and subscription businesses running on Stripe, Chargebee, or Paddle. It doesn’t connect natively to Shopify’s order system. Shopify store owners should use BixGrow, GoAffPro, or UpPromote instead.
What is the cheapest Shopify affiliate app?
BixGrow and GoAffPro both offer genuinely usable free plans with no artificial caps on affiliates or orders. BixGrow’s paid plans start around $15/month with zero revenue fees. GoAffPro’s premium plan is $49/month with no percentage on sales. UpPromote starts at $29.99/month but adds 2% on referral sales.
Can I switch affiliate platforms without losing my affiliates?
Yes, but it takes planning. BixGrow now supports importing existing affiliates, orders, and coupons when migrating from another platform. Existing affiliate links will break when you switch apps, so affiliates need new links. It’s manageable with the right setup — a specialist can handle this migration cleanly to minimise disruption.
Do I need a developer to set up a Shopify affiliate program?
No. All three Shopify apps — BixGrow, GoAffPro, and UpPromote — install directly from the Shopify App Store without coding. However, configuring the commission structure, branded portal, automated emails, and tracking correctly takes experience. A poorly configured program gets abandoned by affiliates. Getting it set up right from the start saves significant time and lost revenue.