Earning affiliate commissions by promoting domain registrars and web hosting companies can be extremely lucrative for bloggers. However, with so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
In this comprehensive guide, we break down the top domain affiliate programs available in detail to help you determine the best fits for your blog.
How Do Domain Affiliate Programs Work?
Domain registrars and web hosting providers operate affiliate programs that pay bloggers recurring commissions for referring customers.
When your referral purchases a domain, web hosting plan or other related product through your affiliate link, you earn a percentage of that sale. Many domain affiliate programs also pay out commissions if the customer renews their domain or makes additional purchases down the road.
The cookie periods (how long your affiliate link tracks referrals) tend to be very generous within this industry, often upwards of 180 days. This allows you to earn commissions from followers long after first referring them.
Domain affiliate commissions typically range from 20-35% per sale depending on the company. Some programs have monthly or yearly recurring commissions built in as well.
Now let’s take a look at the top domain and hosting affiliate programs available in 2023.
Top Domain Affiliate Programs Comparison
| Company | Commission Rates | Cookie Period | Payment Threshold | Notable Perks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | Up to 40% | 180 days | $100 | Generous commissions, extensive marketing assets |
| HostGator | Up to 75% | 180 days | $100 | High commissions, recurring payouts |
| Bluehost | $65-$100 per signup | 180 days | $100 | Popular beginner hosting, strong brand |
| Namecheap | 20-50% | 30 days | $50 | Great domain rates, solid commissions |
| Hostinger | Up to 60% | 365 days | $50 | Fast payout, high conversion rates |
| SiteGround | Up to 80% | 180 days | $100 | Top-rated hosting & support |
| DreamHost | $65-$97 per signup | 180 days | $50 | Quality products, good commissions |
| iPage | Up to 70% | 180 days | $50 | Budget hosting, recurring payouts |
| InMotion Hosting | $105 per signup | 180 days | $50 | Reliable hosting, affiliate tools |
| InterServer | 10% of first payment | Lifetime | $50 | Generous recurring commissions |
These are some of the most reputable and highest paying domain and hosting affiliate programs available today. Let‘s explore some of the top players in more depth.
1. GoDaddy Affiliate Program
As the world’s largest domain registrar managing over 80 million domain names, GoDaddy needs little introduction. Their industry leading affiliate program lets you earn commissions by promoting domains, web hosting plans, email accounts, Office 365 subscriptions and more.
Commission Rates: You can earn between 30-40% commissions on most GoDaddy products. On domains specifically, you‘ll receive $6 per new registration and 40% on subsequent renewals.
Cookie Duration: Customers referred through your GoDaddy affiliate link stay tracked for a generous 180 days.
Payment Minimum: $100 before you can request your earnings. Payments are handled via wire transfer or Payoneer.
Why Promote GoDaddy: Nearly ubiquitous brand in domains and hosting, extensive range of products, unmatched authority site for conversions.
GoDaddy supplies bloggers with banners, text links, product links, email templates, social posts and more to help drive referrals. Their 35+ million customers also means immense earning potential.
2. HostGator Affiliate Program
Part of the Endurance International Group, HostGator provides feature-rich shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, WordPress hosting, domains and more. Their popular affiliate program rewards you for referring new customers.
Commission Rates: You‘ll earn $100 for each new HostGator hosting sign-up and an impressive 75% for Websites + Marketing referrals. Domain sales garner you 20% per initial purchase.
Cookie Duration: 180 days so you‘ll receive credit for your referrals‘ ongoing purchases.
Payment Minimum: $100
Why Promote HostGator: Excellent commissions, recurring payout potential, strong brand authority to convert customers.
HostGator provides its affiliates with text links, banner creatives, newsletter templates, promo tools and more. The program dashboard features real-time reporting on your campaigns‘ performance.
3. Bluehost Affiliate Program
A staple in quality budget hosting for small businesses, Bluehost touts over 2 million websites hosted. When you drive new customers to Bluehost, you‘ll earn a generous flat fee.
Commission Rates: $65 for each new Bluehost Plus or Choice Plus signup, $75 for Pro plan signups, and $100 per sale for VPS or dedicated server plans.
Cookie Duration: Customers stay tracked under your affiliate link for 180 days after clicking. That gives you plenty of time to earn additional commissions.
Payment Minimum: $100
Why Promote Bluehost: Conversions optimized for WordPress users, extensive marketing tools for affiliates, and reliable recurring payout potential.
For their affiliates, Bluehost provides an array of banners, links, email templates, social posts and more. Their dashboard also reports clicks, conversions and earnings in real time.
4. Namecheap Affiliate Program
Namecheap excels indomain name registration, shared hosting, VPS plans, security certificates, and site building software. Add their outstanding affiliate program into the mix, and it‘s easy to recommend Namecheap.
Commission Rates: You‘ll pocket 20% on domain purchases and transfers, 30% on Value Bundles, and 50% on hosting plans, SSL certificates and some other products.
Cookie Duration: 30 days is shorter than some others, but that still gives Namecheap plenty of time to track conversions.
Payment Minimum: $50, with payments processing monthly
Why Promote Namecheap: Reliable products with excellent value, generous commissions that compare favorably to competitors.
Namecheap arms its affiliates with text links, banners, social media creatives, product recommendation content, promo tools and more. Their intuitive dashboard also provides real-time reporting.
5. Hostinger Affiliate Program
Hostinger has earned a reputation for quality budget hosting and a site builder packed with SEO tools. Their affiliate program rewards you for referrals with some of the highest commission rates around.
Commission Rates: You‘ll earn an impressive 60% commission on all Hostinger hosting packages, VPS plans, domains and more. Their recurring commission model pays you for the lifetime of your referral‘s subscription term.
Cookie Duration: An industry-leading 365 days. Hostinger does an excellent job keeping affiliates credited for the long haul.
Payment Minimum: $50
Why Promote Hostinger: Sky-high commissions, recurring payment potential, and budgets friendly products actively appeal to small business owners.
To help drive conversions, Hostinger provides its partners promotional text links, dynamic banners, email creatives, social posts, guides, API integration and more. Their intuitive dashboard tracks clicks and sales too.
6. SiteGround Affiliate Program
If exceptional web hosting backed by top-notch support is what you’re after, SiteGround consistently sits atop the best hosting lists with stellar customer satisfaction scores. They also operate a compelling affiliate program.
Commission Rates: You‘ll earn commissions between $50 to $150 per each SiteGround hosting plan purchased, the amount depending on the initial term length. There‘s also ample lifetime recurring commission potential.
Cookie Duration: 180 days
Payment Minimum: $100
Why Promote SiteGround: Excellent host to recommend, stellar products result in higher retention rates and lifetime value of referrals.
For partners, SiteGround provides text links, banners, API feeds, email templates, social posts, promo tools and more. Their user-friendly dashboard also supplies real-time reporting on your campaigns‘ performance.
7. DreamHost Affiliate Program
Operating since 1996, DreamHost offers shared hosting, WordPress plans, VPS, dedicated servers, domain registration and a custom site builder. When you refer customers, you‘ll tap into their lucrative affiliate program.
Commission Rates: $65 per each new shared hosting signup, $75 for WordPress plan signups, and $97 for each VPS or dedicated server purchase via your affiliate link.
Cookie Duration: 180 days
Payment Minimum: $50
Why Promote DreamHost: Established brand supporting over 400,000 websites, competitive commissions paid reliably each month.
For their partners, DreamHost supplies text links, banners, APIs, landing pages, promotional guides and more. Their intuitive dashboard also reports campaign analytics in real time.
8. iPage Affiliate Program
If low-cost shared hosting is what your audience is after, iPage fits the bill. Part of the Endurance International umbrella, iPage provides hosting starting at $1.99 monthly albeit with limitations. Their affiliate program offers nice recurring commissions.
Commission Rates: You‘ll earn an initial payout between $55-$85 per referral (varies based on geography) plus impressive recurring commissions of up to 70% per month. That stacks up significantly given enough referrals.
Cookie Duration: 180 days
Payment Minimum: $50
Why Promote iPage: Attractive commissions, recurring lifetime payouts, budget hosting appealing for referrals.
For its partners, iPage provides text links, banners, APIs, landing pages, creatives and more. Their intuitive dashboard allows tracking your campaigns too.
9. InMotion Hosting Affiliate Program
InMotion Hosting is a well-regarded managed WordPress host providing performance-optimized plans, VPS, dedicated servers, security services and support. As an affiliate, you‘ll earn $105 for each new hosting signup driven.
Commission Rates: You‘ll receive a flat commission of $105 per each new hosting plan purchase. Additional payouts apply if the referral adds hosting features or upgrades later on.
Cookie Duration: 180 days
Payment Minimum: $50
Why Promote InMotion Hosting: Reputable host with excellent plans for WordPress users, generous flat-rate payout is easy to achieve.
InMotion equips its partners with text links, banners, landing pages, product feeds, API access, email templates, promo guides and more. Campaign tracking and reliable monthly payments round out their solid affiliate program.
10. InterServer Affiliate Program
Offering shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and domains starting at just $5 monthly, InterServer appeals to users wanting reliable hosting on a strict budget. For driving new customers their way, you‘ll tap into impressive recurring commissions.
Commission Rate: You‘ll earn an initial 10% commission on first-time hosting packages, VPS plans, dedicated server orders, domains, SSL certificates and the like. After that, you‘ll keep earning 5% monthly for as long as your referral keeps renewing. This adds up significantly over time when promoting discounted terms.
Cookie Duration: Lifetime. Once you referral makes their initial purchase via your link, you‘ll keep earning monthly commissions for good assuming they stay active with Interserver.
Payment Minimum: $50
Why Promote InterServer: Sky-high lifetime value given long cookie period and ongoing commissions from retained customers. Also caters nicely to budget-conscious users.
Those represent 10 of the best domain and hosting affiliate programs available today. As you can see, there is serious earning potential driving new customers to many of the largest domain registrars and web hosting providers. Their generous commissions combined with long 180+ day cookie periods set up bloggers for nice passive income streams over time.
Tips for Success Promoting Domain Affiliate Programs
Here are some suggestions to increase your domain registrar and hosting referrals, ultimately earning higher commissions:
Write In-depth Content Comparing Top Services — Create detailed content like this post highlighting the benefits of the various domain and hosting options. Include pros / cons and your recommendations to establish authority and drive signups via your links.
Compare Pricing in Articles — Publishing real cost data and discount codes allows users to assess their best options before clicking through to make a purchase via your affiliate links.
Email Your List with Promotions — Communicate service sales, special coupons and holiday offers to your subscriber base while including your affiliate links within email templates. This technique alone can drive impressive conversions given enough subscribers.
Post on Social Media — Don’t underestimate the power of regularly showcasing select domain and hosting plans via social platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Followers appreciate advice from trusted sources.
Write Roundups of Services — Comparing the best web hosting services overall or highlighting WordPress specific hosts are evergreen articles year after year. These naturally lead visitors to click affiliate links as they assess top options.
Create Side by Side Comparisons — Easy to digest comparison charts and tables highlighting notable features allow interested readers to quickly identify the best domain or hosting providers for their needs.
The promotions may feel never ending within this industry. Take advantage by routinely publishing refreshed content with updated deals and recommendations via your affiliate links. Over time, the commissions earned from domain and hosting referrals really add up!
