A SaaS referral program rewards an eligible person or business for introducing a new user or customer through a tracked link, code, or direct handoff. This guide compares 51 current referral, affiliate, and partner programs across the software categories teams use most.
You do not have to be a consultant to get paid for recommending software. You can earn cash, account credit, storage, or other benefits for sharing a product you genuinely use. That may sound like a clickbait promise, but the important part is less glamorous: attribution, eligibility, disclosure, and current terms decide whether a referral actually qualifies.
Rewards and program rules change frequently. Treat every offer below as a starting point, follow the first-party program link, confirm your region and audience are eligible, and never promise a specific payout until the provider confirms it.
Usually you will be given a unique link which takes the viewer to a product page and tracks you as having referred them. Then, if they sign up or make an eligible purchase, the provider applies its current reward rules.
Whether you are looking to expand your toolkit of items you can refer to clients, get a bonus for recommending a tool you were promoting anyway, or build a focused affiliate channel, the 51 programs below cover a wide range of software. From creating business systems to database automation, the categories span the tools modern teams use every day.
- Accounting
- Cloud storage
- Communication
- CRM
- Data management
- Ecommerce
- Email marketing
- Form creation
- Hosting
- Human resources
- Landing pages
- Process documentation
- Productivity
- Project management
- Referral programs
- Security
- Stacks, suites, and all-in-ones
- Social media marketing
- Time management
- Video marketing
- VPN
What is a referral program?
For the purposes of this article, a referral program is anything which allows someone outside a company to promote it in return for a reward. That may mean sharing a unique link, placing a tracked banner, using a code, or directly submitting referral details to the company. The provider then checks that the referred account meets its rules.
The terms referral and affiliate are often used interchangeably. A referral typically means a direct recommendation to someone you know, while an affiliate promotes to people they do not know. You might refer family members, friends, or clients to products you trust, but sharing a product with social followers to earn money is usually considered affiliate marketing.
Referral programs also come in two varieties: direct and link-based. Direct referrals require you to know the details of the person you are referring, as they usually involve filling out a form. Link referrals use URLs, banners, and other materials which new users can click to be tracked back to you. In both cases, use clear disclosures, respect consent, and recommend only tools that fit the audience.
Accounting
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FreshBooks
Product: FreshBooks
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Serving as a platform for creating professional invoices, logging expenses, and tracking time spent on projects, FreshBooks makes accounting easy for small businesses. It’s easy to use, making it suitable both for new business owners and experienced entrepreneurs alike.
The referral program follows a similar pattern to most others on this list. Upon approval, you are given a unique link which will track anyone who clicks it as being referred by you. When they sign up for a trial or paid account, the reward follows the current published terms. Check the cookie window too, so you know how much time a prospective customer has to mull over signing up.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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PayPal
Product: PayPal
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: developer referral
PayPal allows you to set up an account to easily make and accept online payments. Think of it as a digital middleman between you and the person you’re paying or getting paid by, but with some extra security and privacy measures. To make a payment you only have to know someone’s email address, and account information is hidden from the other party, making it a much more attractive option than getting paid directly into your bank account.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Shoeboxed
Product: Shoeboxed
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Shoeboxed makes the transition to paperless accounting easy. You can scan receipts to later manage and file away, and even attach to expense reports for easy documentation. Hell, you can even use these scanned receipts in your taxes, as the scanned images are accepted by both the IRS and CRA.
The referral program gives you your own unique link, making it easy to refer users who can benefit from receipt scanning and expense reports. Shoeboxed verifies paid-plan activity before commissions become available for payout.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Cloud storage
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Box
Product: Box
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
Although it doesn’t hold the same appeal as Google Drive on its free plan, Box starts to pick up steam as a competing cloud storage service if you’re willing to pay a little to get a pro or business plan. With a greater emphasis on security than its competitors, Box serves a more niche purpose, but a solid one nonetheless.
To be able to refer someone to Box, fill in your details and request to be recognized as a partner. If you refer a user who ends up on an eligible paid plan, the deal may earn commission under your current partner agreement.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Dropbox
Product: Dropbox
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: customer referral
Although when considering Dropbox vs Google Drive the former falls a little short, Dropbox still provides a solid option for your cloud storage needs. Whether you’re backing up your important files or just clearing some space on your main devices, Dropbox is a great way to store and access files across multiple devices. You can even integrate it with your other apps to automatically save files and save yourself the trouble.
The referral program is flexible, with the option to refer contacts directly or generate a link which users can click to sign up. While this does not give you direct payments, the extra storage space can be useful if you are backing up a lot of files.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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pCloud
Product: pCloud
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
pCloud provides software for secure file storage, sharing, and synchronization. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Communication
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RingCentral
Product: RingCentral
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
RingCentral provides software for business calling, messaging, meetings, and customer communications. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
CRM
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Keap
Product: Keap
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
Although Infusionsoft is a bit of an all-in-one piece of kit, it primarily serves as a CRM for small businesses. By automating sections of sales and marketing processes, along with providing elements to manage customer relations, email marketing, lead capture, and e-commerce, small businesses can use Infusionsoft to streamline and control their customers’ lifecycle more effectively.
Upon signing up for the Keap partner program, approved partners receive the referral route and resources for their program type. Anyone who clicks or is registered through that route must meet the current qualification rules before a reward is issued.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Pipedrive
Product: Pipedrive
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Pipedrive provides software for business teams and independent professionals. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Data and knowledge tools
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Airtable
Product: Airtable
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner program
Airtable is an incredibly powerful tool which lets you create a smart, interlinked database. By creating spreadsheets, inter-linking your entries, creating custom views and filters, and integrating with hundreds of other apps, this app makes is possible to easily manage vast stores of data in one place.
Airtable’s partner program supports service, integration, and solution relationships rather than the old credit-only referral model. Review the current partner track to see whether your audience and planned promotion qualify.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Notion
Product: Notion
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Notion provides software for connected documents, notes, databases, and team knowledge. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Formstack Documents
Product: Formstack Documents
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
Webmerge is a massively time-saving app based on one principle; why bother copying information you already have documented? Instead, Webmerge takes information you have stored in another app and can automatically generate documents, invoices, presentations, and more with it.
Each referral you send through an approved Formstack partner route is attributed under the terms of that program. The current agreement explains whether the relationship uses a referral fee, reseller terms, services, or another partnership model.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Ecommerce
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Wix
Product: Wix
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Wix provides software for website creation, online selling, and digital business management. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Shopify
Product: Shopify
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Shopify might not have some of BigCommerce’s more advanced tools, but it is easier to use to build an online store. Shopify also has far more store themes (both free and paid) to choose from, most of which are more varied than BigCommerce’s too. Essentially, while BigCommerce serves a more niche audience who are looking for more advanced tools, Shopify takes the more popular general road.
Much like other ecommerce platforms, joining Shopify’s affiliate program gives you a link which you can share to refer users. Shopify validates referred merchants and applies the current reward rules shown in the affiliate dashboard.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Email marketing
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Kit
Product: Kit
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Although is doesn’t have the easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor of Mailchimp when creating emails, ConvertKit is a powerhouse of email marketing when it comes to automation. By selecting different trigger and action events you can have ConvertKit automatically segment your email lists and subscribers depending on the actions they take rather than spending hours doing the same thing manually.
Kit’s affiliate program offers a recurring incentive for eligible referrals from your link. The rate, duration, and qualification rules come from the current affiliate terms rather than a figure copied into this article.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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AWeber
Product: AWeber
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Along with Mailchimp and Infusionsoft, AWeber is easily an industry standard tool for email marketing, allowing users to build email lists, use templates for emails, newsletters, and signup forms, build follow-up campaigns, and much, much more.
AWeber’s advocate program gives you tracked links and promotional resources. The account makes it possible to link to relevant pages while preserving attribution, giving you flexibility in how you refer users to AWeber.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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ActiveCampaign
Product: ActiveCampaign
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
ActiveCampaign provides software for email campaigns, automation, audience management, and customer journeys. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Reply
Product: Reply
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Reply is a tool which aims to automate your emails while keeping the personal touch. Many have also praised Reply’s customer success team for helping them to get the most out of the product.
Reply’s partner route uses tracked referrals for eligible new accounts. The commission and qualification rules can differ from larger email marketing platforms, so confirm every referred user’s value in the current dashboard.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Form creation
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Jotform
Product: Jotform
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Jotform provides software for business teams and independent professionals. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Hosting
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Bluehost
Product: Bluehost
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Another hard-hitter in its niche, Bluehost is a website hosting company which allows for easy installation and is particularly popular among WordPress sites. Most users report that Bluehost is fast, the software is easy to use and has excellent security measures, although the customer support (and heavy upselling) leaves a little to be desired.
Using referral links and, if you wish, supplied banners, an eligible referral who signs up for a Bluehost plan can earn a reward. The current validation rules decide when the referral is approved.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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HostGator
Product: HostGator
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
HostGator come with various web, cloud, and WordPress hosting options, and while they are criticized a little for their customer support and minor blips in their uptime (99.85%), the platform is nonetheless easy to use and can more than happily serve your hosting needs.
HostGator may offer different reward tiers depending on how many qualified signups you get in a month. Check the current dashboard before setting priorities or quoting what any individual signup will earn.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Kinsta
Product: Kinsta
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Kinsta provides software for business teams and independent professionals. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Human resources
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Breezy HR
Product: Breezy HR
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
Breezy HR is all about attracting and hiring the best employees you can. With applicant sourcing and tracking, resume analysis, video interviewing, and generally very positive reviews they’re a solid choice if you’re looking to employ top talent without manually scouring LinkedIn, AnglelList, and other similar sites.
Breezy HR routes partner relationships through its current partner page rather than the old GrowSumo link. Approved partners should use the assigned dashboard to manage referrals and verify rewards.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Sage HR
Product: Sage HR
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
Sage HR provides software for hiring, payroll, workforce administration, and global employment. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Deel
Product: Deel
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Deel provides software for hiring, payroll, workforce administration, and global employment. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Remote
Product: Remote
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Remote provides software for hiring, payroll, workforce administration, and global employment. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Landing pages
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Leadpages
Product: Leadpages
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Leadpages is all about growing your email list, primarily through designing landing pages to convert your website’s visitors. You can, however, also the service to make lead magnets (eg, popups) and webinars to achieve the same effect. With an easy-to-use design and over 140 premade templates to choose from, this is a great choice if you’re getting traffic, but are lacking email subscribers.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Unbounce
Product: Unbounce
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner link
Unbounce provides software for landing-page creation, testing, and conversion optimization. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Process documentation
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Process Street
Product: Process Street
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: referral partner
Process Street is the best process documentation software on the market. By documenting your processes and running them as trackable checklist templates, you can build a framework for your business and ensure that everything you do is consistent, repeatable, scalable, efficient, and accurate.
With Process Street’s partner program, eligible referrals are tracked through the approved partner route. There is no substitute for checking the current partner page and help documentation before explaining how much you can earn.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Process Street helps teams run high-stakes recurring work with Agentic Process Automation: governed procedures, assigned workflows, approvals, evidence, and AI actions in one operating system. A referral workflow can standardize intake, qualification, approvals, payout checks, and auditable proof. For the operating layer around SaaS programs, see this guide to SaaS operations management software.
Process Street maintains a referral program help page alongside its partner page, so prospective partners can confirm the current participation path before making introductions.
Productivity
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ClickUp
Product: ClickUp
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
ClickUp provides software for planning, task management, collaboration, and focused execution. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Grammarly
Product: Grammarly
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Grammarly is an absolute life saver when it comes to checking your spelling and grammar across both the web and your computer in general. While its free plan is perfectly suitable for casual users, Premium offers extra support in the form of flagging advanced errors rather than just basic spelling and grammar.
To access Grammarly’s affiliate program, apply through its current affiliate page. Approved partners can copy a tracked link which readers can click to sign up, then review attributed activity in the partner platform.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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MindMeister
Product: MindMeister
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
MindMeister is a brilliant tool for anyone who does better when planning issues visually – it’s a cloud-based collaborative mind map service. From planning content to brainstorming, taking notes in meetings, and planning huge projects in detail, with MindMeister you can collaborate with your team on a single mind map without ever having to download a thing.
MindMeister’s current partner program supports referral and affiliate commissions for approved expert, reseller, and marketing partners. The active program page explains how referrals are tracked and managed.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Project planning
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monday.com
Product: monday.com
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
monday.com provides software for planning projects, assigning work, and tracking delivery. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Partner program platforms
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PartnerStack
Product: PartnerStack
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
PartnerStack provides software for running and joining structured B2B partner programs. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Security
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1Password
Product: 1Password
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
1Password provides software for password security and protected access for individuals and teams. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Stacks, suites, and all-in-ones
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Jobber
Product: Jobber
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Jobber provides software for business growth, marketing, sales, and operations. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Google Workspace
Product: Google Workspace
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
Containing 13 powerful apps ranging from Gmail to Google Sheets, Docs, and Hangouts, Google Suite is a powerhouse collection of apps which are useful to practically any business on the planet. Although you can register to most of these apps for free, on a paid account you’ll also get a professional email at your domain, more storage on Gmail and Google Drive, 24/7 customer support, and more.
Google Workspace now routes referral opportunities through its broader partner ecosystem. The amount you receive depends on your approved partner path, eligible products, and the number of qualified paid users.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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GoTo
Product: GoTo
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
GoTo’s suite of products includes GoTo Meeting, GoTo Webinar, GoTo Training, GoTo Assist and more, which gives huge benefits to anyone wanting to hop on a quick online call, broadcast a live webinar to thousands of people, or generally improve communication and connections to their business.
To get access to GoTo partner referrals, fill out the current application for the route that fits your business. GoTo can then help guide you and your referral through the qualification and sales process.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Semrush
Product: Semrush
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Semrush provides software for business growth, marketing, sales, and operations. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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HubSpot
Product: HubSpot
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
HubSpot provides software for business growth, marketing, sales, and operations. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Square
Product: Square
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
Square provides software for business growth, marketing, sales, and operations. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Social media marketing
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SocialPilot
Product: SocialPilot
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
SocialPilot provides software for publishing, measuring, and improving social media work. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Metricool
Product: Metricool
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Metricool provides software for publishing, measuring, and improving social media work. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Tailwind
Product: Tailwind
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Tailwind provides software for publishing, measuring, and improving social media work. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Sprout Social
Product: Sprout Social
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
Sprout Social provides software for publishing, measuring, and improving social media work. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Scheduling and time tools
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Bookafy
Product: Bookafy
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Bookafy is a tool to let you (and your customers) easily schedule online appointments without the hassle of matching up your calendars and losing invitations in yard-long chat logs. Stop wasting time arranging your meetings and get down to actually conducting them.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Deputy
Product: Deputy
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
Deputy provides software for business teams and independent professionals. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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TimeCamp
Product: TimeCamp
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: partner referral
TimeCamp provides software for business teams and independent professionals. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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ZoomShift
Product: ZoomShift
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
ZoomShift, on the other hand, is an employee time tracker with a focus on creating schedules with the allotted time. That way the relevant party can check their scheduled work times, clock in and out, and have their payroll calculated all within the same app.
ZoomShift uses a tracked affiliate route for eligible referrals. The current program page shows the commission and validation rules for any sale which you refer to them.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
Video marketing
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TubeBuddy
Product: TubeBuddy
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
If you’re at all interested in producing content for YouTube, you should probably check out TubeBuddy. It’s a browser extension which allows creators to streamline the submission process, including bulk updating tags, titles, descriptions, and so on, along with promotion tools you can access without leaving the site.
TubeBuddy’s referral program rewards approved affiliates for eligible sales they refer. If someone is looking for an app to help manage a YouTube channel, use the link in your TubeBuddy account and check the dashboard for current terms.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
VPN
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NordVPN
Product: NordVPN
Current program: First-party program page
Referral model: affiliate link
NordVPN provides software for private, encrypted internet access across devices. It is included here because its current first-party partner page documents a way for eligible publishers, creators, customers, or service partners to refer new business.
Program terms, eligibility, attribution windows, and rewards can change. Review the linked first-party page before publishing a recommendation, and disclose any affiliate relationship clearly.
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Referral programs are a practical way to earn more money by sharing useful technology with your audience, be they family, friends, customers, or subscribers. The best SaaS affiliate programs are not simply the ones with the biggest advertised payout. Look for a product you can recommend honestly, an audience that matches its eligibility rules, transparent tracking, clear disclosures, and a reward model you can verify.
A quick word of warning: if you are too pushy with referral links, especially for the sake of making a commission, expect to be treated like a salesperson. Recommend products where they will be relevant and useful, and grab the referral bonus when appropriate, but do not risk alienating the person you are talking to.
Keep a small ledger for every program you join: the first-party URL, audience, region, attribution method, disclosure language, payout conditions, and the date you last checked the terms. If referrals are part of a team process, assign owners for qualification, approvals, payout review, and evidence so no introduction disappears into a spreadsheet.
Also compare the product itself. Relevant advanced features may include annotations and recording, analytics, applicant tracking, database automation, time tracking, advertising reports, mobile access, accountability controls, and integrations. A strong referral offer cannot rescue a poor audience fit.
Questions to ask before promoting a program
Terms vary, so turn every apparent benefit into a verification question before you publish:
- Are you given a unique link which will track anyone who clicks it as being referred by you?
- How long does the cookie that tracks when someone clicks your link last, and could you lose attribution because they took time to mull over signing up?
- Do you get a unique ID which you can append to any URL, giving you flexibility to link to specific blog posts or help articles?
- Does the program offer increasing amounts of money per signup depending on how many qualified signups you get in a month?
- Do you need to fill out a form on the website before you can directly refer prospects?
- Can you refer contacts directly by submitting their email address, or generate a link which users can click to sign up?
- Does the reward provide direct payments, extra storage space, account credits, or another benefit?
- Must you fill in your details and request to be recognized as a partner before a paid plan can earn commission?
- Can you directly enter a contact’s email address, or copy a link which they can click to sign up?
- Can you monetize expertise outside the referral program by selling templates or services?
- Does the amount you receive depend on the number of paid users in a referred domain?
- Will a recurring reward roll forward for as long as the referral is on a paid plan?
- Is the referral program vague in promising a percentage of every sale, and do you need an account to get your referral link?
- Does the referral program mirror another provider, or calculate rewards from whatever referrals from your link spend on their pricing plan?
- Does a trial signup qualify, and is there a further reward if the account converts to being a paid user?
- Does joining the affiliate program give you a link which you can share to refer users, and how is the initial subscription fee treated?
- If supplied banners are available, can you use them alongside referral links, and does the program impose an upper limit on how much you can earn?
- Is a reward issued once per referral, or can it continue for every month the referred account renews its paid plan?
- Is the program accessible through a separate partner platform, making it easy to manage referrals within its dashboard?
- Is the commission lower than some larger name platforms, and how does the provider calculate every referred user’s value?
- Must someone click the link, sign up, and remain a customer through a validation period before the referral qualifies?
- Are account credits earned for each successful referral, and can they be used to upgrade a workspace to a higher plan?
- Is there a limit to the maximum you can earn through referrals, and which current terms govern that limit?
- Does each referral sent through your custom URL need to convert into a paying customer before any commission is recorded?
- When a referral renews a paid plan, does the partner continue to earn, or is the program a one-time reward?
- Can you refer contacts directly through apps or by submitting an email address, and which consent rules apply?
- Does the program give you a custom link, banners for your website, and other materials which new users can click?
What do you think of referral programs? Are they a gimmick, or do they hold genuine merit in a company of any size? Which program has worked best for you?