If you’re looking for affiliate software to manage your affiliate program, Rewardful and Refersion are perhaps at the top of your list.
You’ve done your research and heard good things about them—yet, you still can’t decide which affiliate marketing software is best for your business.
This Rewardful and Refersion comparison blog can help.
In general, Refersion is built for ecommerce and DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands, while Rewardful is specifically designed for SaaS and subscription-based businesses.
This core distinction along with other comparisons of their key features, pricing, and use cases will be discussed, helping you find the perfect affiliate management tool to support your affiliate marketing program.
Rewardful vs. Refersion: Overview
Sometimes the smallest details reveal the biggest differences. Here's what sets Rewardful and Refersion affiliate software apart at their core:
What is Rewardful?
As mentioned, Rewardful was created specifically for SaaS and subscription-based companies.
It's specifically made to handle the unique complexities of managing affiliate programs within a subscription model.
Whether you're selling AI tools or running a health tech platform, it tracks recurring revenue properly, handles upgrades and downgrades automatically, and keeps your commission calculations accurate without turning you into a human spreadsheet.
Plus, it covers the essential features like campaign segmentation, customizable commissions, real-time reporting, and coupon code tracking.
Additionally, if your business runs on Stripe, connecting Rewardful into your tech stack is super easy.
The Rewardful and Stripe integration takes less than 15 minutes (on average) and requires no coding. This is perfect for teams who'd rather grow their business than tinker with technical settings. You can also integrate with other third-party apps with just a click of a button.
Rewardful brings all affiliate management tasks together into intuitive workflows that save you time and let you focus on growth.
What is Refersion?
Refersion started in the world of online retail, and it shows.
The platform excels at tracking one-time purchases through shops on Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.
They've mastered the art of managing traditional retail affiliate relationships and are focused mainly on DTC brands.
Their affiliate marketplace helps stores find partners to promote physical products.
This setup makes perfect sense for online retailers, but many SaaS businesses may not need this affiliate marketplace offering.
Rewardful vs. Refersion: How Do They Compare?
Let's put Rewardful and Refersion side by side to compare their real-world use cases further.
Rewardful vs. Refersion: Key Features Comparison
Let's dive deeper into what Rewardful and Refersion affiliate solutions offer.
Rewardful Key Features
Rewardful provides a comprehensive suite of features designed to make affiliate management efficient and effective.
Affiliate Payment Processing
- Benefit from seamless two-way Stripe sync for precise tracking and commission calculations
- Streamline operations with PayPal and Wise affiliate mass payout options, reducing manual payment time
- Rely on automated commission calculations that handle everything from refunds to recurring payments
- Monitor transactions in real-time, maintaining complete visibility into your affiliate program
Affiliate Management
- Design custom cookie durations that match your business model and sales cycle
- Scale quickly with bulk affiliate import capabilities that simplify program growth
- Secure your program with advanced fraud detection that spots and prevents suspicious activities
- Create a professional, branded affiliate portal that reflects your company identity
Affiliate Attribution and Campaign Management
- Affiliate coupon code and affiliate link generator
- Create targeted groups of affiliates based on performance, location, or other criteria
- Implement flexible commission structures for each campaign to reward top performers
- Set up exclusive, invite-only campaigns for VIP affiliates and strategic initiatives
- Customize terms and conditions for different affiliate types to ensure clear expectations
Affiliate Performance Analytics and Reporting
- Access detailed real-time affiliate performance metrics for data-driven decisions
- Track conversions reliably across multiple touchpoints and attribution models
- Generate comprehensive reports for analysis and stakeholder presentations
- Monitor campaign performance to optimize your affiliate marketing strategy
Dive deeper into Rewardful’s features.
Refersion Key Features
Ecommerce brands can find a number of interesting features in the Refersion affiliate toolkit.
Affiliate Tracking and Attribution
- First-party tracking for better attribution and privacy compliance
- Real-time conversion tracking for accurate performance measurement
Program Management
- Unlimited affiliates and campaigns for flexible growth
- Tiered commissions and custom rates based on products or customer types
Insights & Compliance
- Detailed performance reporting with dashboards for merchants and affiliates
- GDPR and CCPA compliance for secure data handling
- Fraud detection tools to prevent self-referrals and invalid commissions
Rewardful vs. Refersion: Integration Options
Rewardful Integrations
Rewardful's extensive integration ecosystem sets it apart with thoughtfully chosen third-party app connections that matter most to SaaS and subscription-based companies. This includes:
- Payment platforms: Stripe, Paddle Classic, PayPal, Wise, and bank transactions
- Membership platforms: LaunchPass, Memberstack, and MemberSpace
- Marketing tools: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Customer.io, and Zapier
- Automation and customization options: Rewardful API and Webhook
See other tools and applications that you can seamlessly integrate with Rewardful.
Refersion Integrations
Key integrations that Refersion offers are:
- Ecommerce platforms: Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, and Salesforce Commerce Cloud
- Payment platforms: Stripe, PayPal, ReCharge, and Chargebee
- Marketing platforms: Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Zapier
- Automation and customization: Refersion APIs and Webhooks
Rewardful vs. Refersion: Customer Reviews and Satisfaction
Rewardful User Reviews
Rewardful consistently gets strong ratings from customers, with a Capterra score of 5/5. Users frequently highlight these key strengths:
- Simple setup process
- Responsive customer support
- Accurate tracking system
- Adaptable commission options
One recent review from G2 highlighted the following:
''Rewardful is incredibly easy to start affiliate marketing. The dashboard is straightforward, payouts are intuitive, and it took basically no dev time to "install" since it works so flawlessly with Stripe. While we don't use the API it's very nice to have it available for future integrations with Zapier/our custom backend.
I cannot overstate how easy it was to go from signup to sending invites and getting affiliate marketing for us. The process from idea to execution could literally not be easier.''
Refersion User Reviews
On Capterra, users leave positive reviews on a range of Refersion features:
- It's a beginner-friendly affiliate management tool
- It's simple to onboard new affiliates and brand ambassadors
- Tracking sales and performance is a breeze
That said, some users do leave comments on small glitches in the process. As one user puts it:
''Overall, I love the data it provides and how it tracks all influencer and affiliate data pertaining to sales and traffic. This data has been incredibly useful in making business decisions. But I do not like how glitchy and underdeveloped the software is. It can use some more work.''
Rewardful vs. Refersion: Pricing Comparison
So what do all these beautiful affiliate management features cost? Here is the pricing structure of Rewardful and Refersion monthly subscriptions.
See Rewardful’s pricing details.
Why You Should Choose Rewardful Over Refersion
We hope that this detailed comparison between Rewardful and Refersion helps you decide which affiliate management tool best fits your needs.
To sum up, if you’re running a SaaS or subscription-based business and want a simple, cost-effective way to manage your affiliate program, Rewardful should be your choice. Here’s why:
- Rewardful is budget-friendly: its lowest tier plan is almost half the price of Refersion’s but offers similar features.
- Rewardful is customizable: through personalized cookie duration, commission tiers, affiliate attribution, and affiliate portal.
- Rewardful slot right into your business: through rich integration options with popular sales and marketing apps and an easy, one-click installation process.
- Rewardful is helpful: our customer service is only a chat away if you need help. Many of our customers are super happy with our reliable support team. See what they say in these testimonials.
Ready to Test Out Rewardful Affiliate Software?
If you want to go all-in on setting up the best affiliate program for your SaaS business, we're here to help.
In fact, many companies have seen how efficient and helpful Rewardful has been in growing their affiliate marketing programs.
Take Podia, for instance.
Five months after they switched from another affiliate software to Rewardful, they doubled their affiliate revenue.
Read Podia’s success story with Rewardful.
Take Rewardful for a 14-day test drive and see how we can elevate the affiliate management burden from your team.
Want to see how Rewardful is compared to other affiliate tools? Check out these comparisons:
FAQs - Rewardful and Refersion Comparison
1. What Is the Biggest Difference between Rewardful and Refersion?
While both platforms offer affiliate management, Rewardful is specifically designed for SaaS and subscription-based businesses, focusing on recurring revenue tracking and subscription lifecycle management. Refersion's core strength lies in ecommerce, with features optimized for tracking one-time purchases and product-based sales.
2. How Does Rewardful Pricing Compare to Refersion?
Rewardful's pricing starts at $49/month for up to $7,500 in monthly affiliate revenue, with unlimited affiliates included. Refersion’s pricing starts at $79/month but limits you to 10 monthly order conversions. Rewardful's model generally offers better value for SaaS businesses, as it scales based on revenue rather than order count. Learn more about Rewardful pricing and features.
3. Can I Track Stripe Affiliate Transactions on Rewardful and Refersion?
Yes, both platforms offer Stripe integration. However, Refersion only supports recurring subscriptions and cannot track one-time purchases through Stripe. Rewardful, on the other hand, supports recurring, one-time, and limited commissions on its payment integration with Stripe. Get the details on how Rewardful processes sales through Stripe here.
