Easy Affiliate vs ThirstyAffiliates

Easy Affiliate and ThirstyAffiliates are often compared, but they fill completely different needs. Easy Affiliate is strictly for running your own affiliate program successfully. ThirstyAffiliates is the ultimate link management tool for active content affiliates.

Easy Affiliate
Easy Affiliate
Ciroapp review
0.0
#4 in WordPress Affiliate Marketing Plugin

Pros

    Cons

      Pricing
      $99.6/mo
      Free trial
      Money-back14 days
      Best for
      E-commerce merchants using WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads for sales., Businesses needing to launch a self-hosted affiliate program immediately., Companies prioritizing fraud detection and affiliate tax reporting tools for US affiliates.
      ThirstyAffiliates
      ThirstyAffiliates
      Ciroapp review
      0.0
      #2 in WordPress Affiliate Marketing Plugin

      Pros

        Cons

          Pricing
          $99.6/mo
          Free trial
          Money-back14 days
          Best for
          Content publishers managing an archive of 500+ blog posts., Affiliate marketers needing strict compliance for programs like Amazon Associates., Multi-site owners managing up to 10 affiliate-heavy WordPress websites.
          Quick verdict
          Choose Easy Affiliate if you need to launch a secure, self-hosted affiliate program with zero transaction fees and powerful merchant controls.
          Choose ThirstyAffiliates if you are an active blogger managing hundreds of external affiliate links across multiple sites and need powerful link automation and compliance features.

          AboutEasy Affiliate

          Easy Affiliate is the powerful, all-in-one plugin designed specifically for WordPress. It lets you create a completely self-hosted affiliate program for your membership site or ecommerce store in just minutes. Built by the trusted MemberPress team, Easy Affiliate makes the process simple for any WordPress ecommerce entrepreneur. If you sell anything online, this tool is tailor-made to help others promote your products successfully. It seamlessly uses your site's existing look and feel for a polished, integrated experience. 💡

          AboutThirstyAffiliates

          ThirstyAffiliates is a powerful tool designed specifically for bloggers and affiliate marketers. It is much more than a simple affiliate link cloaker. This plugin helps serious affiliates make money by turning blog visitors into affiliate income without annoying their audience. It's trusted by thousands worldwide and is compatible with all affiliate programs. 💡

          Highlights

          Quick winners by category at a glance.
          Ease of Use
          Both Eazy Affiliate and ThirstyAffiliates are highly rated WordPress plugins that focus on making their specific tasks simple. Setup is straightforward for both.
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          Feature Set (Purpose)
          Easy Affiliate is superior for merchant management and payouts, while ThirstyAffiliates offers unmatched link automation features for publishers. They are not interchangeable.
          Tie
          Value for Money
          ThirstyAffiliates offers coverage for up to 10 sites versus Easy Affiliate’s limit of 5 sites at the comparable $199.60 price point.
          Customer Support
          Easy Affiliate provides tiered support levels (Priority and Premium) based on the subscription tier purchased, ensuring quick access for high-value users.
          Scalability
          ThirstyAffiliates scales wider, supporting 10 sites versus 5 sites for complex affiliate portfolios. Easy Affiliate limits program scale to 5 sites.
          Link Maintenance
          ThirstyAffiliates includes essential tools like the Automatic 404 Checker and Proactive Link Fixer to ensure link health—Easy Affiliate lacks these.

          Feature Comparison

          Compare key features side by side
          Primary Use Case
          Easy Affiliate:Run Merchant Affiliate Program
          ThirstyAffiliates:Manage Publisher Affiliate Links
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          Link Cloaking & Cleaning
          Easy Affiliate:No (Focus on tracking)
          ThirstyAffiliates:Yes (Robust cloaking/compliance)
          ThirstyAffiliates
          Automatic Keyword Linking
          Easy Affiliate:No
          ThirstyAffiliates:Yes (Autolink Keywords)
          ThirstyAffiliates
          Affiliate Payout Management
          Easy Affiliate:Yes (PayPal 1-Click Payouts)
          ThirstyAffiliates:No
          Easy Affiliate
          Integrated Affiliate Dashboard
          Easy Affiliate:Yes (Self-service Pro Dashboard)
          ThirstyAffiliates:No
          Easy Affiliate
          Automatic Fraud Detection
          Easy Affiliate:Yes
          ThirstyAffiliates:No (Focuses on link theft)
          Easy Affiliate
          Multi-Level Commission Tracking
          Easy Affiliate:Yes (Plus Plan)
          ThirstyAffiliates:No
          Easy Affiliate
          Geographic/Geo-location Redirects
          Easy Affiliate:No
          ThirstyAffiliates:Yes
          ThirstyAffiliates
          Broken Link Checker (404)
          Easy Affiliate:No
          ThirstyAffiliates:Yes (Automatic 404 Checker)
          ThirstyAffiliates
          Compliance (Smart Uncloaking)
          Easy Affiliate:N/A
          ThirstyAffiliates:Yes (For Amazon TOS, etc.)
          ThirstyAffiliates
          Built-in Affiliate Tax Reporting
          Easy Affiliate:Yes (Pro Plan Add-on)
          ThirstyAffiliates:No
          Easy Affiliate
          API / Webhooks Access
          Easy Affiliate:Yes (Pro Plan Developer Tools)
          ThirstyAffiliates:No (CSV import only)
          Easy Affiliate
          Max Sites Supported (Top Tier)
          Easy Affiliate:5 Sites
          ThirstyAffiliates:10 Sites
          ThirstyAffiliates
          Integrates with WooCommerce
          Easy Affiliate:Yes (Tracks sales)
          ThirstyAffiliates:N/A (Manages links)
          Tie
          Zero Transaction Fees
          Easy Affiliate:Yes (Self-hosted model)
          ThirstyAffiliates:N/A
          Easy Affiliate
          Link Library Management (CSV)
          Easy Affiliate:Not explicit for link library
          ThirstyAffiliates:Yes (CSV Import/Export)
          ThirstyAffiliates
          Feature Comparison Summary
          7
          Easy Affiliate
          2
          Ties
          7
          ThirstyAffiliates

          Features Overview

          We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.

          Core Purpose Defining

          Easy Affiliate helps you run your own sales program successfully. ThirstyAffiliates manages external affiliate links for publishers.

          Tie

          Easy Affiliate is a powerful merchant tool for hosting your own referral program. You recruit affiliates to sell your services or products. ThirstyAffiliates is a publisher tool used by bloggers to manage links from outside programs like Amazon or CJ Affiliate. It helps you organize, cloak, and automate link insertion. These tools serve two entirely different user bases with opposing goals. Easy Affiliate is a platform owner's solution; ThirstyAffiliates serves the content creator. Before choosing, determine if you are selling a product or writing content to monetize third-party links.

          Affiliate Payouts

          Easy Affiliate provides simplified payment processing for merchants. ThirstyAffiliates manages links and handles no direct payments.

          Easy Affiliate

          Easy Affiliate streamlines payment processing for your marketing partners efficiently. It offers convenient PayPal 1-Click Payouts directly from the WordPress dashboard. This feature significantly reduces the monthly administrative burden for merchants. ThirstyAffiliates is not designed to function as an affiliate program manager whatsoever. Its core function is strictly link organization and smart redirection within your web content. If paying out commissions is a major administrative pain point, Easy Affiliate is the clear functional choice. ThirstyAffiliates offers zero features in this complex area. Easy Affiliate also offers tax reporting tools, essential for managing US-based affiliates accurately.

          Link Automation

          ThirstyAffiliates excels at automatically applying links across existing content. Easy Affiliate mostly provides tools for affiliates to create links.

          ThirstyAffiliates

          Easy Affiliate offers a personalized dashboard where your affiliates grab custom links and marketing assets. The merchant sets the rules, but the affiliate generates the link. ThirstyAffiliates uses its powerful Autolink Keywords feature to monetize your entire site instantly. You define keywords, and the links are embedded throughout old and new posts automatically. ThirstyAffiliates saves immense time for content creators managing large content archives. Easy Affiliate focuses on program management, not bulk content link automation. If your business is content monetization, ThirstyAffiliates delivers a significant automation advantage right away.

          Link Health & Compliance

          ThirstyAffiliates proactively checks and fixes broken links sitewide. Easy Affiliate focuses on reliable commission tracking.

          ThirstyAffiliates

          Easy Affiliate ensures commissions are tracked reliably, often using secure first-party cookies. Its priority is conversion tracking efficacy for the merchant. ThirstyAffiliates includes an Automatic 404 Checker, identifying broken links before they cost commissions. Smart Uncloaking ensures compliance with strict partners like Amazon TOS. For high-volume content publishers, ThirstyAffiliates offers essential link hygiene and protection features. Easy Affiliate lacks these proactive link maintenance tools entirely. Using ThirstyAffiliates guarantees your links are functional and compliant, maximizing earning potential.

          Customer Security Focus

          Easy Affiliate prevents merchant loss via fraud detection. ThirstyAffiliates protects affiliate commissions via link cloaking.

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          Easy Affiliate includes Automatic Fraud Detection that flags questionable self-referrals instantly. Merchants can investigate and reject transactions before paying out commissions. ThirstyAffiliates uses robust link cloaking to protect your commissions from theft or modification. This ensures the integrity of your links across the web. Easy Affiliate protects the business owner from fraudulent payments and chargebacks. ThirstyAffiliates protects the publisher's income stream from loss and external errors. Both offer valuable security but address different risks inherent to their respective user roles.

          Global Targeting

          ThirstyAffiliates offers explicit features for optimizing global traffic flow. Easy Affiliate focuses on domestic program management.

          ThirstyAffiliates

          Easy Affiliate helps structure commission rules and manage critical tax reporting. It does not contain any specific features for geo-optimizing visitor clicks. ThirstyAffiliates features Geolocation Links for smart international redirection. Visitors from international regions are sent to the correct country-specific store landing page. This distinct feature in ThirstyAffiliates minimizes friction and significantly increases conversion rates globally. Easy Affiliate is location-agnostic in its internal program structure. If your audience spans multiple continents, ThirstyAffiliates gives you a key monetization tool.

          Developer Access

          Easy Affiliate offers API and webhooks for complex needs. ThirstyAffiliates scales automation using keyword linking and CSV processing.

          Easy Affiliate

          The Easy Affiliate Pro plan unlocks a full REST API and webhooks immediately. This allows developers to integrate deeply with external CRM or bespoke internal systems. ThirstyAffiliates focuses on robust CSV Import/Export functionality for bulk management across sites. It integrates tightly with MonsterInsights for Google Analytics tracking data. Easy Affiliate provides advanced integration functionality for internal system administration. ThirstyAffiliates ensures ease of bulk link management for publishers. If system-level customization is mandatory, Easy Affiliate provides the superior developer tools access.

          Our Verdict

          Objective guidance based on features, pricing, and user fit.

          This comparison truly comes down to defining your business role accurately. You must decide if you are running an affiliate program or building an affiliate business. Easy Affiliate is the definite choice for running your own referral program. ThirstyAffiliates is exclusively built for professional affiliates managing external links. Easy Affiliate's superpower is zero-transaction-fee program management and strong security features. The Automatic Fraud Detection protects merchants from costly mistakes before payouts occur. Plus, Easy Affiliate’s 1-Click PayPal Payouts save massive administrative time every month. ThirstyAffiliates excels with unparalleled link organization and content automation. You can monetize your entire website archive instantly using Autolink Keywords. Features like Geolocation Links help global publishers maximize revenue effectively. The deciding factor is functionality: Easy Affiliate provides the dashboards, commissions tracking, and payment processing tools for ownership. ThirstyAffiliates provides the cloaking, compliance, and link health tools for publishing success. Both are leaders in their specific niche. Choose Easy Affiliate if you sell products and recruit affiliates to promote them. Select ThirstyAffiliates if you are an established content publisher utilizing third-party affiliate programs across multiple sites.

          Frequently Asked Questions

          Which tool is better for running my own internal affiliate program?

          Easy Affiliate is specifically designed to run your own self-hosted program effortlessly. It includes affiliate applications, fraud detection, and a dashboard for your partners. ThirstyAffiliates only handles external affiliate links you use as a publisher.

          Does ThirstyAffiliates include automation for linking keywords in posts?

          Yes, ThirstyAffiliates is known for its powerful Autolink Keywords feature. This tool automatically inserts your affiliate links across your site's content based on defined keywords. Easy Affiliate does not offer this content automation feature.

          Are there recurring fees for commissions via Easy Affiliate’s payouts?

          No, Easy Affiliate is a self-hosted solution, ensuring you pay zero transaction fees. This allows you to retain substantial savings compared to using external affiliate networks. You save money on every payment processed.

          Which tool offers Geolocation Redirects for international traffic?

          ThirstyAffiliates includes Geolocation Links to optimize international traffic flow. This feature redirects visitors to the appropriate country-specific offer, increasing conversions. Easy Affiliate does not include this global targeting capability.

          Is Easy Affiliate useful for merchants who need sophisticated fraud protection?

          Yes, Easy Affiliate includes robust Automatic Fraud Detection within the Plus and Pro plans. This system alerts you to suspicious activity, helping you reject bad transactions before any payout is processed.

          Can I use ThirstyAffiliates to manage my links if I own many sites?

          Absolutely. The ThirstyAffiliates ADVANCED plan allows usage on up to 10 separate sites. It is highly scalable and perfect for professionals managing a portfolio of affiliate websites efficiently.

          Ready to Choose?

          Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.