Recurring income
SaaS affiliate programs
SaaS affiliate programs pay you to refer customers to software — and because subscriptions renew, some pay on a recurring basis, the closest thing to compounding in affiliate marketing. Of the 10 programs below, 2 reviewed records confirm recurring commissions; the rest haven't had that term reviewed this pass.
Why software pays so well
A software customer who stays subscribed for two years is worth far more than their first payment, so SaaS companies can afford to share that value with affiliates. This is why a Semrush referral pays $100–$300 per sale plus $10 per trial while a HubSpot referral pays 30% of the subscription for up to a year. The economics of recurring revenue are the whole story.
The SaaS programs, compared
Commission structures mix flat bounties, percentages and hybrids. Reviewed records show the terms we read on the official page; listed records flag the terms we haven't re-read this pass. Confirm any figure on the official page before relying on it.
| Program | Commission | Cookie | Min. payout | Network | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush Affiliate Program | $100–$300 per sale plus $10 per trial; higher tiers may vary | 120 days | Not publicly stated | Impact | |
| HubSpot Affiliate Program | 30% recurring for up to one year | 180 days | $10 | First-party | |
| Notion Affiliate Program | Up to $50 per activated signup plus 20% of first-year revenue | 180 days | Not publicly stated | PartnerStack | |
| monday.com Affiliate Program | Commercial terms not reviewed this pass | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | Impact | |
| ClickUp Affiliate Program | Commercial terms not reviewed this pass | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | First-party | |
| Zapier Affiliate Program | Commercial terms not reviewed this pass | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | PartnerStack | |
| Grammarly Affiliate Program | Commercial terms not reviewed this pass | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | Impact | |
| Surfer Affiliate Program | Commercial terms not reviewed this pass | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | First-party | |
| Pipedrive Affiliate Program | Commercial terms not reviewed this pass | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | First-party | |
| Freshworks Affiliate Program | Commercial terms not reviewed this pass | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | First-party |
Flat bounty vs. recurring: which to prefer
A flat bounty (Semrush's $100–$300 per sale) pays more upfront and is simpler to reason about. Recurring (HubSpot, Notion) starts smaller but grows with retention. If your audience tends to stick with tools, favour recurring; if they churn, a front-loaded bounty locks in the value immediately.
Matching a SaaS program to your audience
Write for the buyer, not the bounty. Marketing audiences convert Semrush; productivity audiences convert Notion; sales and CRM audiences convert HubSpot. Use the SaaS directory filter to sort by commission or cookie and shortlist your finalists.
Frequently asked questions
Why are SaaS affiliate programs so popular?
Software subscriptions recur, so many SaaS programs pay a commission every month the customer stays subscribed rather than once. That recurring income compounds, and software companies can afford generous rates because a customer's lifetime value is high.
What's the difference between recurring and one-time commissions?
A one-time (flat) commission pays once per conversion. A recurring commission pays a percentage of the subscription for as long as the customer keeps paying — sometimes capped at 12 or 24 months, sometimes for life. Recurring is usually more valuable long-term.
Do SaaS programs have long cookie windows?
They vary widely — from 30 days up to 120 days (Semrush) or 180 days on some hosting-adjacent tools. A longer cookie matters in SaaS because buyers often trial a product for weeks before purchasing.
Are SaaS programs hard to get approved for?
Most review your application and expect relevant content, but several accept smaller sites. We only state approval difficulty where the official page does — Notion, for example, is selective and is currently closed to new applicants — so check the approval field on each program page rather than assume.