Software Affiliate Marketing For Beginners 2021

Most people who try affiliate marketing quit before they make their first dollar. They pick products nobody wants, they promote them to the wrong audience, and they have no plan for how to actually get paid more than once. Software affiliate marketing solves all three of those problems. Software products are things people use every day, pay for every month, and recommend to everyone they know. When you become the affiliate who connects someone to a tool they genuinely need, you can earn commissions that hit your account long after you did the work.

In this post I am walking you through the five best software affiliate programs for beginners, pulled straight from my YouTube channel. I will cover what each program pays, who buys the product naturally, and which promotion strategy actually works for each one. At the end I will also share a handful of bonus software ideas that most beginner affiliates completely overlook. Let us get into it.

What You’ll Walk Out With

The exact commission rates for Bluehost, ClickFunnels, GetResponse, Fiverr, and Legendary Marketer
Why recurring commissions beat one-time payouts for building stable income
The YouTube content strategy that puts Bluehost affiliate links in front of buyers
How ClickFunnels’ free-plus-shipping books create a low-friction entry point for promotions
Which commission plan to choose with GetResponse and why the math favors recurring
Bonus software niches most beginners miss entirely, including online course platforms and VPNs
How to figure out which of these five programs actually fits your audience with the free quiz at finder.platformproof.com

Program 1: Bluehost

Bluehost is a web hosting platform, and it is the first program I recommend to anyone brand new to software affiliate marketing. The reason is simple: millions of people need websites. Whether someone wants to start a blog, launch an online store, or build a portfolio, they all eventually land on the same question: where do I host this thing? That question creates a massive, never-ending pool of buyers who are actively searching for answers.

The Bluehost affiliate program pays $65 per sale as a starting rate. If you hit enough volume, they will bump that number up to $100 per sale. Do the math on that: one sale a day at $65 is $1,950 a month. One sale a day at $100 is $3,000 a month. You are not building an empire here, but you are building a foundation. Bluehost is the rare program where a beginner with no existing audience can realistically hit their first commission within their first 30 days because the search volume for web hosting questions is enormous.

The best promotion strategy for Bluehost is YouTube. Specifically, comparison videos and how-to videos. Think about the searches that web-hosting buyers actually type in: “Bluehost vs. GoDaddy,” “Bluehost vs. NameHero,” “best web hosting for bloggers,” “how to build a website for beginners.” Each one of those is a video idea, and each video idea is a chance to appear in front of someone who is one click away from buying. You do not need a massive channel to make this work. You need targeted content that answers a specific question and gives the viewer a clear reason to use your affiliate link.

Program 2: ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels is a software-as-a-service tool built for creating landing pages and sales funnels fast. It is one of the most well-known products in the online marketing world, and it comes with one of the most attractive affiliate structures for beginners: 40% recurring commission. That means as long as the person you refer stays a paying subscriber, you keep getting paid. Monthly. Without doing anything additional.

One of the things that makes ClickFunnels easier to promote than most software programs is their low-ticket entry products. ClickFunnels has four free-plus-shipping books you can promote: Traffic Secrets, Expert Secrets, Copywriting Secrets, and Dot Com Secrets. When someone buys one of those books through your link, you earn a $1 commission on the book, but more importantly, they are now in the ClickFunnels world. The backend has software subscriptions and courses where your commissions can reach $500 or more per referral. You are planting seeds with a book and harvesting with the software.

Another thing most people get wrong about ClickFunnels: they assume it is only for internet marketers. The transcript makes it clear that this is not true. Dentists use ClickFunnels to capture appointment leads. Landscapers use it to collect quote requests. Coaches use it to sign up clients. Anyone with a business who needs more leads and sales has a reason to use ClickFunnels, which means your audience for promoting it is much wider than you might think. Promote the books on Facebook ads, YouTube, or TikTok, and let the ClickFunnels sales machine do the rest.

Program 3: GetResponse

GetResponse is an all-in-one email marketing platform. It handles email sequences, landing pages, automation workflows, and webinars all inside one dashboard. It serves both beginners who are just getting started with building an email list and experienced marketers who need more sophisticated automation. That wide range of users is one reason the affiliate opportunity here is strong.

GetResponse gives you two commission options. Option one is a one-time commission of $100 for every new subscriber you refer. Option two is a 33% recurring monthly commission for as long as that subscriber stays active. Most beginners default to the one-time payout because $100 feels like a clean number. But the recurring option is almost always the smarter choice. When you earn one-time commissions, your income is completely unpredictable. You have no idea when the next commission is coming. Recurring commissions build a baseline. Every active subscriber you referred is money that shows up next month, and the month after that, without any additional work on your part.

The visual automation editor inside GetResponse is worth highlighting when you promote it. Most email platforms show you a flat list of if-then rules. GetResponse shows you a visual map of where your traffic flows through your automation, which path each subscriber takes, and where the drop-offs happen. For someone trying to understand their email marketing at a glance, that visual tool is a genuine differentiator. Lead with that feature when you create content around GetResponse, because it is the thing users appreciate most and it makes for compelling demonstration content on YouTube or a blog.

Program 4: Fiverr

Fiverr is the platform where people hire freelancers for just about anything: logos, thumbnail design, blog writing, video editing, website builds, and hundreds of other services. Most people know Fiverr as a place to buy services, not as an affiliate opportunity. That gap is exactly why it is worth your attention.

The Fiverr affiliate program pays up to $150 per referral depending on the cost-per-action the buyer takes. The barrier to entry is low, and the platform itself sells itself. When someone needs a logo or a YouTube thumbnail done quickly and affordably, the pitch almost writes itself. As an affiliate, you have two natural angles: you can promote specific sellers whose work you have used and trust, or you can create general content about how to find great freelancers on Fiverr for a specific use case. Either way, you are pointing people to a platform they were probably already going to find eventually. You are just the one who gets credit for the introduction.

Program 5: Legendary Marketer

Legendary Marketer is an online education platform where people learn how to build high-ticket affiliate marketing businesses. The entry point is low: a starter training course that walks beginners through the basics of high-ticket affiliate marketing. But the backend is where things get interesting. Once someone is inside Legendary Marketer, they have access to more advanced courses, live coaching, and ongoing membership options, all of which generate additional commissions for the affiliate who referred them.

One feature that makes Legendary Marketer stand out from other education platforms is their policy on stacking affiliate links. You can actually add your ClickFunnels affiliate link directly inside Legendary Marketer, so when your students use ClickFunnels as part of their training, you earn commissions from both platforms at the same time. That kind of combination is rare in affiliate marketing, and it means your upfront work of bringing someone into Legendary Marketer can keep paying through multiple revenue streams.

Legendary Marketer also offers monthly recurring commissions for people who join their coaching programs, which adds another layer of predictable income. The platform is flexible enough to promote almost anywhere: blog posts, Pinterest pins, TikTok videos, Facebook content, or YouTube walkthroughs. The fact that the product is about affiliate marketing itself means your audience and the product’s ideal customer overlap almost perfectly if you are creating content in the make-money-online space.

Bonus Software Niches Worth Considering

After the five main programs, the video covers a handful of bonus software categories that beginners tend to overlook. If none of the five above feel like a natural fit for your content, one of these might.

WordPress Themes and Plugins: If you are already promoting Bluehost, pairing it with a WordPress theme affiliate program is a natural next step. Platforms like ThemeForest and individual premium theme companies often have their own affiliate programs, and buyers who just set up hosting are immediately looking for a theme. You can build an entire content funnel that moves someone from “I want a website” to “I need hosting” to “I need a theme” with affiliate links at every step.

Online Course Platforms: Thinkific, Podia, and Udemy all have affiliate programs. These are tools that coaches, consultants, and experts use to sell their knowledge online. As the creator economy grows, more people are looking to package their skills into courses, and they need a platform to host them. If your audience includes anyone who wants to teach online, these programs are worth exploring.

Zoom: Zoom became a household name in a very short period, and it has an affiliate program that most people still do not know exists. Because nearly every professional already understands what Zoom does, the promotional lift is low. You do not have to explain the product. You just have to show someone a reason to sign up through your link.

VPNs: A virtual private network adds a layer of security by masking a user’s actual location online. VPN affiliate programs often pay well because the products carry monthly subscriptions, and the audience for security software is large and growing. If you create content around privacy, remote work, or online security, a VPN affiliate program fits naturally.

Not sure which of these programs fits your skills and situation?

Take the free quiz at finder.platformproof.com to find the income stream that matches what you already know.

Commission Comparison: Running the Numbers

Before you pick a program and start creating content, it helps to understand how the math works across different commission structures. Here is a straight comparison using the numbers from the five programs above.

Bluehost: $65 per sale starting rate, up to $100 per sale at higher volume. One sale per day at $100 puts you at $3,000 a month. No recurring component, so income depends on consistent new referrals.
ClickFunnels: 40% recurring on active subscribers. The monthly software plan sits around $97, so 40% is roughly $39 per subscriber per month. Twenty active subscribers means about $780 per month in passive income. Back-end high-ticket commissions can hit $500 or more on a single sale.
GetResponse: Choose between $100 one-time or 33% recurring. A $97/month subscriber on the recurring plan earns you about $32 per month, every month, with no additional work. Fifty active subscribers at $32 each is $1,600 in recurring income.
Fiverr: Up to $150 per cost-per-action. The payout varies based on what the buyer purchases, so income is less predictable, but the ceiling is solid for a platform with no monthly subscription requirement from the buyer.
Legendary Marketer: Combines low-ticket entry commissions with high-ticket back-end commissions and monthly recurring payments from coaching subscribers. Also allows stacking with ClickFunnels affiliate links inside the platform, creating multiple income streams from a single referral.

The pattern is clear: programs with recurring commissions (ClickFunnels, GetResponse, Legendary Marketer) build income that compounds over time. Programs with flat per-sale payouts (Bluehost, Fiverr) can produce bigger immediate wins but require you to keep bringing in new buyers to maintain your income level. Neither structure is wrong. A beginning affiliate might want the quick wins from Bluehost while building up a recurring base with GetResponse on the side.

Honest Drawbacks to Know Before You Start

Software affiliate marketing is genuinely one of the better models for beginners, but it is not without real challenges. Here is what the pitch videos tend to leave out.

Competition is real. Bluehost, ClickFunnels, and Legendary Marketer have been around for years. Thousands of affiliates are already creating content around these programs. You can still break through, but you need a specific angle, a specific audience, or a specific platform that the crowd has not saturated yet. A YouTube channel comparing Bluehost to newer competitors like NameHero or Kinsta has less competition than a generic “best web hosting” review.

Recurring commissions can disappear. When you earn 40% recurring from ClickFunnels, that income depends entirely on your referrals staying subscribed. If someone cancels, your commission goes away. High churn rates in a tool’s user base can make recurring commissions much less stable than they look on paper. Research the retention rates of any software you promote before you bet your income on the recurring model.

First commissions take time. Organic YouTube and blog content can take three to six months before it starts ranking and sending consistent traffic. If you need income in the next 30 days, paid ads can speed things up, but they also carry real cost. Be honest with yourself about your timeline before you commit to an organic-only strategy.

Find Your X

Five programs, four bonus categories, two commission structures, and one key decision: which one do you actually start with? The answer depends on your audience, your content platform, and what problems your specific followers are trying to solve. If you want a shortcut to figuring that out, take the free quiz at finder.platformproof.com. It matches your existing skills and situation to the income stream most likely to pay off quickly instead of having you guess your way through six months of wrong turns.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is software affiliate marketing?

Software affiliate marketing means promoting software tools through a unique tracking link and earning a commission when someone signs up or purchases through that link. Unlike physical products, software often comes with monthly subscriptions, which creates the possibility of recurring commissions that keep paying as long as your referral stays a customer.

Why is software a better category than physical products for beginners?

Physical products are often returned, shipped globally, and priced low enough that commission percentages produce tiny payouts. Software products rarely get returned, have no shipping cost, and typically carry monthly subscription fees that generate recurring commissions. A single active subscriber can pay you every month for years, which is something a physical product sale will never do.

How much can a beginner realistically earn with Bluehost?

Bluehost pays $65 per sale as a starting rate, with the potential to reach $100 per sale at higher volume. A beginner who creates targeted YouTube comparison videos or how-to content can realistically earn a few hundred dollars in their first few months, scaling up as their content builds views. One sale a day at the $100 rate would equal $3,000 a month, but most beginners should plan for a slower ramp-up during the first three to six months while their content gains traction.

Is ClickFunnels saturated as an affiliate opportunity?

ClickFunnels has a large existing affiliate base, but most affiliates target the same internet-marketing audience. The real opportunity is in niches that ClickFunnels serves but that fewer affiliates are reaching: dentists who need lead capture pages, landscapers building quote forms, fitness coaches selling programs. If you create content for business owners in a specific niche and show them how ClickFunnels solves their specific problem, the competition is much lighter than it looks from the outside.

Which GetResponse commission plan should I choose?

The recurring 33% plan is almost always the better choice for building stable income. A $100 one-time payout feels satisfying, but once that money is paid, your income from that referral is finished. The 33% recurring plan turns each referral into a monthly payment that compounds as you add more subscribers. The one-time plan can make sense if you need a quick influx of cash and plan to reinvest it, but for long-term income stability, recurring wins.

How do I promote Fiverr as an affiliate without feeling like I am just spamming links?

The most natural way to promote Fiverr is to create content around a specific problem that Fiverr solves. If you run a YouTube channel about content creation, you could review the best thumbnail designers on Fiverr. If you run a blog about small businesses, you could write a guide on finding affordable logo designers. Specific, helpful content that recommends a specific seller or category converts far better than a generic “check out Fiverr” mention at the end of unrelated content.

What makes Legendary Marketer different from other online marketing courses?

Legendary Marketer is structured specifically around high-ticket affiliate marketing, which means the products students learn to promote carry higher commission rates than the typical $10-$30 products most affiliate courses focus on. The platform also allows affiliates to embed their own affiliate links from other programs, including ClickFunnels, directly inside Legendary Marketer’s training. That stacking capability creates multiple commission streams from a single referral, which is unusual in the education space.

How long does it take to make a first commission with software affiliate programs?

The timeline depends heavily on how you drive traffic. Organic YouTube content and blog posts can take three to six months to rank and generate consistent clicks. Paid advertising on Facebook or TikTok can produce commissions faster but costs money upfront. A realistic expectation for a beginner using free organic content is your first commission within 60 to 90 days if you publish consistently and target specific buyer-intent keywords rather than broad informational topics.

Sources

Bluehost Affiliate Program: bluehost.com/affiliates
ClickFunnels Affiliate Program: clickfunnels.com/affiliates
GetResponse Affiliate Program: getresponse.com/affiliate-program
Fiverr Affiliates: affiliates.fiverr.com
Legendary Marketer Affiliate Program: legendarymarketer.com
Original video: youtube.com/watch?v=ULGt-l8xKTg