Commission Junction, MaxBounty, Clickbooth – with over 10,000 CPA affiliate marketing networks out there, how do you even begin to choose the right one?
As an advertiser or publisher, picking the best CPA affiliate network is crucial yet challenging. Get it right, and you can drive truckloads of highly targeted, quality traffic that converts. Choose poorly, and you‘ll waste tons of time and money with little to show.
But with the variety of payout models, vertical focuses, tracking capabilities and more to consider – it‘s enough to make your head spin!
Not to worry, we‘ve done the hard work for you. In this epic 4,000 word guide, we cover everything you need to find your perfect CPA affiliate network match.
What is CPA Affiliate Marketing? A Beginner‘s Guide
CPA stands for Cost Per Action or Cost Per Acquisition.
It is a pricing model used in affiliate marketing where advertisers/merchants only pay the affiliate network when a specific action is completed. This action can be:
- A sale
- A signup
- App install
- Form submit
- Click/Visit to advertisers site etc.
The action is clearly defined beforehand between advertiser and network. Payout per action is also decided upfront.
So affiliates/publishers drive traffic and generate conversions, advertisers track actions/sales, and the network acts as an intermediary handling payments, tracking etc.
Why CPA Networks Rock: Benefits for Advertisers and Publishers
CPA marketing networks offer some unique advantages over other online advertising models that make them extremely popular.
Awesome for Advertisers
- Pay only for actual conversions: No wasted spends on impressions. Each conversion represents real business value
- Attract massive volumes of visitors: CPA network partnerships give you instant access to a vast pool of affiliate publishers
- Enhanced targeting capabilities: Geo, device, timeframe and niche targeting ensures higher intent traffic
- Fast scaling: Scale your campaigns rapidly across channels and traffic sources
- Risk-free: Pay only when agreed goals are achieved
Super for Publishers
- High commissions: $1 to $100+ payout per conversion
- Variety: Tons of verticals and offers from top brands to promote
- Flexibility: Multiple creative formats like banners, landing pages, email outreach etc to use
- Performance-driven: Get paid more for driving better results
- Reporting: Conversion tracking lets you optimize promotion strategy
With so many advantages, it’s no surprise top CPA networks drive over 5-10 billion conversions annually.
Now let’s move on to the good stuff of how to pick the best one for your specific needs.
7 Key Factors in Choosing a Top CPA Affiliate Network
While each CPA network caters to a slightly different target market, they aren’t all created equal.
As an advertiser or publisher, you need an affiliate network tailored to your goals, business model, traffic profiles and monetization capabilities.
Here are the 7 criteria our team uses to evaluate networks:
1. Vertical Focus
Does the network specialize in your niche? Choose one laser targeted to your industry.
For example, finance apps would match better with networks focused on finance verticals. Gaming apps with gaming networks.
Niche networks have higher intent users, proven campaign models, and better conversion tracking for that vertical.
2. Geo-Targeting Options
What regions can the network help you target?
Identify countries and users critical for your business before shortlisting networks.
Global networks like ClickBank work if you have a broad international target market. Go for country-specific ones like Lemoins for France or Ellads for China if you need to localize campaigns.
3. Publisher Reach
How many active affiliates does the network have? More publishers means wider audience access.
Networks like Commission Junction, ClickDealer, and Clickbooth have over 100k active affiliates while supersized ones like Google AdSense, Taboola and Outbrain gain access to over 1 billion viewers monthly.
Bigger is not always better though. Niche networks often have the most qualified publishers for your vertical.
4. Traffic Quality
This is a huge factor in network choice. Low quality bot traffic and click spam can sabotage campaign performance.
Verify the network’s traffic screening processes before partnering. Features like publisher rating systems, anti-fraud algorithms, incentive models to reward genuine publishers etc demonstrate serious commitment to traffic quality.
5. Tracking and Analytics
In-depth targeting, fraud checks and publisher management amount to nothing if a network’s tracking falls short.
Make sure they provide granular tracking – right down to user-level conversions – to optimize bids, creatives and offers for higher conversions.
Analytics should also give publisher performance data and trends to guide optimization.
6. Customer Support
Even well-oiled machines run into issues. Conversions drop unexpectedly. Affiliates ask complex questions. Server crashes happen.
Having a supportive account management team to help navigate challenges is invaluable.
Evaluate each network’s support offerings. Live chat, email, in-app messaging, 24/5 operations etc indicate better experience.
7. Pricing and Payouts
Last but not least, compare network pricing models and payout ranges thoroughly.
- Cost per mile (CPM) – Pay per 1000 impressions
- Cost per click (CPC) – Pay per click
- Cost per acquisition/action (CPA) – Pay per desired conversion action
Also research typical payouts per conversion. Depending on vertical, payouts range from $0.25 to over $250+.
Choose networks offering rates and models fitting your budget and growth goals.
Now let’s analyze the top 10 CPA affiliate networks on these 7 factors.
10 Best CPA Affiliate Networks Compared 2023
Overview
| Network | Founded | Focus | Publishers | Advertisers | Traffic Quality | Tracking | Support | Pricing Models |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission Junction | 1998 | Broad Network | 200k+ | 3500+ | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | CPA, CPC, CPM |
| Clickbooth | 2002 | Dating, Nutra, SaaS | 80k+ | 1500+ | Good | Very Good | Good | CPA, CPC |
| MaxBounty | 2004 | Broad Network | 5k+ | 1000+ | Good | Very Good | Good | CPA, CPC, CPM |
| ClickDealer | 2012 | Dating, Nutra | 50k+ | 800+ | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | CPA, CPC |
| Admitad | 2010 | Broad Network | 15k+ | 1000+ | Very Good | Good | Good | CPA, CPC, CPM |
| CrakRevenue | 2014 | Broad Network | 20k+ | 500+ | Good | Good | Okay | CPA, CPC |
| ClickBank | 1998 | Digital Goods | 200k+ | 50k+ | Okay | Okay | Okay | CPA |
| CPA Lead | 2007 | Mobile Apps | 15k+ | 500+ | Good | Good | Okay | CPC, CPI, CPA |
| AppLift | 2012 | Mobile Apps | 15k+ | 800+ | Very Good | Very Good | Good | CPI, CPA |
| Intadia | 2005 | Mobile Apps | 10k+ | 300+ | Good | Good | Okay | CPI, CPA |
Now let‘s dive into detailed reviews of each network.
#1. Commission Junction
The affiliate marketer network, Commission Junction partners with over 200,000 publishers and 3500+ leading advertisers across industries. Leveraging their massive reach and proprietary tracking platform, it‘s delivered over $100 billion in partner payouts since 1998.
Pros
- All verticals: One of the most diversified networks supporting all niches
- Global Reach: 80% traffic from North America and Europe
- Robust publisher vetting: Strict initial and ongoing quality checks
- Powerful analytics: Comprehensive reporting on clicks, conversions, revenue etc. helps optimize bids and creative for 4X higher ROI
Cons
- Entry level pricing is higher than other networks better suited for big brands
- Support experience varies. Larger managed accounts get white glove treatment
Learn more @ https://www.cj.com
#2. Clickbooth
Founded in 2002, Clickbooth is a lading CPA affiliate network focused on dating, nutraceutical, ecommerce, finance and SaaS verticals. It drives over 800 million visits monthly through its 80,000+ publishers spread across 190 countries.
Pros
- Niche focus drives high relevancy and conversions
- Powerful anti-fraud algorithms minimize invalid traffic
- Dedicated affiliate managers provide guidance to improve promotions and grow
- Real-time performance notifications
Cons
- More limited vertical scope
- Technical issues with tracking platform occasionally
Learn more @ https://www.clickbooth.com
#3. MaxBounty
Since 2004, MaxBounty has prided itself on industry-leading publisher payouts. Covering various niches, it leverages 4000 hand-picked publishers to drive 500+ million monthly visitors.
Pros
- High CPA rates up to $250 for certain verticals
- Dedicated account managers provide campaign creation and optimization assistance
- Robust affiliate management features – auto-approve, tiered rates etc
Cons
- Support experience varies based publisher tier
- Reporting less customizable than leading networks
Learn more @ https://www.maxbounty.com
#4. ClickDealer
A global performance marketing platform, ClickDealer drives 500 million clicks monthly across verticals like Dating and Fintech. Since 2012, they‘ve focused extensively on traffic quality and optimization capabilities.
Pros
- Powerful AI tracks impressions to prevent click spam at scale
- Conversion analytics to guide testing and personalization
- Wide variety of billing models – CPA, CPC, CPM etc
- Dedicated account managers provide campaign guidance
Cons
- Support experience varies based publisher tier
- Reporting customization less flexible than top players
Learn more @ https://www.clickdealer.com
#5. Admitad
Admitad has helped over 170,000 publishers monetize traffic through promotions since 2010. Covering all niches, it provides exclusive global offers that convert 3 times higher than average.
Pros
- Coupon sites access drives retail shoppers with high buyer intent
- Publisher University trains publishers on better optimization
- Marketplace lists best converting offers saving tons research
- Anti fraud AI to veto low quality traffic
Cons
- Technical issues occasionally disrupt tracking
- Account manager support very limited
Learn more @ https://www.admitad.com
#6. CrakRevenue
This network leverages deep partnerships with 20,000+ publishers to drive over 50 billion ad impressions per month across verticals.
Pros
- Wide variety of offers and verticals including gaming, dating and mobile content
- 100% advertiser focused optimistic tracking
- Certified traffic filters improve quality
Cons
- Support experience varies drastically based on account tier
- Less customizable tracking/analytics compared to competitors
Learn more @ https://www.crakrevenue.com
#7. ClickBank
Founded in 1998, ClickBank helps over 200,000 publishers promote over 50,000 digital offers from product creators ranging from fitness guides to security software to gardening tools.
Pros
- Huge digital offer inventory. Great for content and review sites
- Recurring revenue share commissions on successful promotions
- Quick approval process
Cons
- Outdated interface and limited tracking features
- Significantly higher EPC competition vs CPA networks so harder to profit
Learn more @ https://www.clickbank.com
#8. CPA Lead
CPA Lead focuses exclusively on mobile partnerships – driving over 70 million iOS and Android app installs to date.
Pros
- Complete mobile marketing toolkit – creative, tracking, attribution tools
- App store optimization assistance to maximize rankings
- Predictive algorithms match publishers to appropriate campaigns for 2X higher payouts
Cons
- Solely focused on mobile app install goals
- Publisher communication lacks transparency
Learn more @ https://cpalead.com
#9. AppLift
Since 2012, app monetization pioneer appLift has paid out $800M+ to mobile publishers. It leverages performance marketers and 300+ data points to match apps with best publishers resulting in 3X industry average CPIs.
Pros
- Fixed CPI pricing models maximize mobile ad revenue
- Dedicated account managers help map out profitable user acquisition strategies
- Fraud prevention technologies minimize wasted installs
Cons
- Solely focused on mobile app install goals
- More limited offer inventory size vs broader networks
Learn more @ https://www.applift.com
#10. Intadia
Specializing since 2005, Intadia drives over 100K daily mobile installs across 180+ countries through 10K+ publishers. Complimenting massive supply with strict quality filtering provides above average conversions for mobile marketers.
Pros
- Global scale – 6 regional offices support targeting
- Predictive analytics matches publishers to appropriate campaigns for higher ROI
- Higher payouts compared to other mobile networks
Cons
- Solely focused on mobile app install goals
- Communication transparency varies based on account tier
Learn more @ https://www.intadia.com
Key Takeaways on Finding the Best CPA Affiliate Network
With so many options, choosing the right CPA affiliate network partner critical yet tricky. By clearly defining your customer profile, geographic targets, channels, vertical focus and marketing objectives first – picking the right CPA network gets much easier.
While Commission Junction, ClickDealer and Clickbooth score very high marks across our 7 criteria – I‘d recommend researching the top vertical focused networks like CrakRevenue for gaming, Intadia for mobile apps and niche players like Lemoins.fr for your country before deciding.
Most networks offer free signup and even testing budgets for new partners so take advantage of that! Setup tracking, create test campaigns and experiment across a few networks for at least 2 months to determine the best fit long term.
The effort will pay off tremendously in unlocking targeted, high intent, high lifetime value users to drive conversions and ROI like never before!
Have you had success growth hacking through CPA performance marketing? Share your tips and favorite networks below!
