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Affiliate Networks With No Setup Fee: 9 Options for Startups

Where the real costs hide in affiliate pricing, from deposits and minimums to payout fees, and the networks that let you launch without an entry ticket.

By Nora Ellis, Affiliate Marketing & Creator Economy Writer · with Wooly Network, Advertiser Success · 10 October 2026 · 15 min · Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate networks with no setup fee are now easy to find: Wooly Network, Refersion, Shopify Collabs, Rewardful, Tapfiliate, FirstPromoter, Tolt, PromoteKit and Dub all let a startup sign up without paying an onboarding fee or a deposit, according to their public pricing pages in September and October 2026. The catch is that "no setup fee" does not mean "no fees". Each of them charges somewhere else: a monthly plan, a percentage of affiliate sales, a payout fee or a revenue cap that pushes you up a tier. The cheapest option for you depends on which of those costs your program will actually trigger.

Last checked October 2026. Pricing and features change, so confirm on each vendor's site before you sign. We refresh this page every three months.

This guide is written for founders who count every dollar twice. We will show you where affiliate pricing hides its costs, which well known networks still reportedly charge to get in, the nine options that do not, and what each would cost a small startup in its first year. Bring a calculator. Leave the corporate card in the drawer.

Why do affiliate networks charge a setup fee at all?

Traditional networks were built for retailers with big catalogs and big budgets. Onboarding meant a person integrating your tracking, configuring your program and introducing you to publishers, and the setup fee paid for that person. A deposit served a second purpose: it guaranteed the network could pay publishers if your account went quiet or your card bounced.

Self serve software removed most of that labor, so setup fees have mostly disappeared from tools aimed at startups. They survive where onboarding is still a human project, or where a network wants proof that you are serious before it puts you in front of its publishers. Neither reason is sinister. Both are expensive when you have six months of runway and a product that might pivot in four.

What are the hidden costs in affiliate network fees?

A setup fee is the most visible cost and often not the largest. Here are the six places affiliate network fees actually live.

Affiliate costs arrive at five different moments. Most pricing pages only show you one or two of them.

1. Setup fees

A one time charge before launch. Sometimes called an onboarding, integration or implementation fee. Impact.com's pricing FAQ, for example, says it has "a one time fee that is dependent on the number of technical resources your onboarding requires" and publishes no amount.

2. Deposits

Money held against future commissions. The famous one belonged to ShareASale, which reportedly charged a setup fee of $550 to $625 and a deposit of $100 to $125. ShareASale closed on October 6, 2025 and its brands moved to Awin, so that particular ticket is gone, but deposits still turn up in network contracts. Ask whether a deposit is refundable, and when.

3. Monthly minimums

A floor you pay even if affiliates sell nothing. A minimum is a setup fee in disguise, collected monthly. Impact.com's Starter plan, for instance, charges the greater of 2.5% of partner driven revenue or $30 a month.

4. Network overrides and tracking fees

A percentage the network adds on top of what you pay affiliates. It might be charged on the commission (an override) or on the whole sale (a tracking fee). Awin's US Access plan charges 3.5% per transaction as a tracking fee, and third party reviews describe that fee as applying to sale value rather than commission. That difference is big: 3.5% of a $100 order is $3.50, while 20% of a $10 commission is $2.

5. Payout and transaction fees

A fee for moving money to partners, paid by the brand, the partner or both. Dub charges brands 5% by ACH; Tolt charges 2% on auto payouts; Shopify Collabs says a 2.9% commission processing fee on automatic payments may apply. On the partner side, fees for withdrawing earnings vary by platform and are worth checking before you recruit, because partners do check.

6. Commitment periods

The minimum time you are locked in. Awin Access has a 3 month minimum contract with 14 days' notice; Everflow says it requires a 6 month commitment; Reditus sells its marketplace plan annually. A commitment is not a fee, but it is the cost of being wrong, and startups are wrong often.

Where each hidden cost appears

Cost type	Where we found it (pricing pages, or reportedly per third party reviews)	Question to ask before signing
Setup fee	Impact.com (one time onboarding fee, amount not published); CJ Affiliate, reportedly $500 to $3,000; Rakuten Advertising, reportedly £5,000 or more; Awin, reportedly "a one off integration fee may apply" per its FAQ	Is it waived on self serve plans? Is it refundable if we never launch?
Deposit	Legacy ShareASale, reportedly $100 to $125 (platform closed in 2025); still possible in network contracts	Is it refundable, and how long is it held?
Monthly minimum	Impact.com Starter ($30 floor); CJ Affiliate, reportedly $100 to $500; Rakuten, reportedly £1,500 to £3,000	What do we owe in a month with zero sales?
Override or tracking fee	Awin (3.5% on Access, 2.5% on Accelerate); Refersion (3% or 2% of affiliate sales); Impact.com Essentials (20% on partner payouts above $2,500); CJ, reportedly 20 to 30%; Rakuten, reportedly 25 to 35%	Is it charged on the sale or on the commission?
Payout fee (brand)	Dub (5% ACH, 8% card); Rewardful Managed Payouts (3%); Tolt auto payouts (2%); Shopify Collabs (2.9% may apply); Reditus (5% card, 2% invoice)	Can we pay partners another way to avoid it?
Withdrawal fee (partner)	PartnerStack ($2.25 + 0.25% by Stripe, 2% by PayPal, each capped at $20); Dub ($0.50 under $10)	Will our partners receive the full commission?
Commitment period	Awin Access (3 months); Everflow (6 months); Reditus Scale Up (12 months); PartnerStack and enterprise contracts, reportedly annual	Can we cancel monthly, and with how much notice?

The best single test we know: ask what you would owe in a month with zero sales. If the answer is more than the plan price, find out why.

Which affiliate networks charge setup fees or deposits?

The well known traditional networks are where entry costs are most reported. CJ Affiliate publishes no pricing; third party reviews such as Spires Digital report a setup fee of about $500 to $3,000, monthly minimums of about $100 to $500 and a network override of about 20 to 30% on top of commissions. Rakuten Advertising pricing is available on request; the same source reports a setup fee of £5,000 or more, minimums of £1,500 to £3,000 a month and overrides of 25 to 35%. Impact.com publishes its plan prices (Starter from $30 a month, Essentials from $500, Pro from $2,500) and also confirms a one time onboarding fee that depends on your technical needs.

Awin sits in between. Its US pricing page shows no setup fee: Access is $49 a month plus a 3.5% tracking fee, with the first month free and a 3 month minimum. Awin's FAQ reportedly says there are no joining fees but a one off integration fee may apply. We left Awin off the main list for that reason, not because it is a bad deal. For a retailer that wants a large established publisher network, Awin is a sensible place to start, and our guide to Impact.com alternatives compares it with the other mid market options.

These networks earn their fees for the right buyer. A large retailer with a dedicated affiliate manager gets real value from a big publisher base. A five person startup gets a sales call, a contract and a lot of reading.

The 9 affiliate networks with no setup fee

Strictly speaking, only some of these are networks (they bring partners to you). The rest are affiliate software: you bring the partners and they track and pay them. Founders search for both, so we list both and label them clearly. Each entry shows what you skip and what you still pay.

1. Wooly Network (marketplace)

Setup fee: none. Other costs: Growth at $99 a month (1 live performance campaign) or Scale at $249 a month (up to 4 campaigns, server to server conversion API, app install tracking, fraud review queue, cross device attribution, automated Stripe payouts); annual billing gives two months free. An operational fee applies to creator payouts only, so it is zero in a month with no sales. No network minimum, cancel anytime, no free trial (there is a campaign demo). Good for: startups that need creators to find them, with campaigns paid per sale, per lead, by revenue share or as a sponsorship.

On Wooly Network: you publish a campaign once and creators discover it and apply, so you are not paying a fee to get into a network and then a second time in hours spent recruiting. The affiliate marketplace for brands page shows how a campaign looks to creators.

2. Refersion (marketplace plus software)

Setup fee: none listed. Other costs: a free Marketplace Listing tier; Launch at $39 a month ($29 billed annually) plus 3% of affiliate driven sales; Growth at $199 ($159 annually) plus 2%. Refersion's page stresses the percentage applies to affiliate driven sales only, not total store revenue. Good for: e-commerce brands that want a marketplace listing and are fine trading a lower subscription for a percentage of sales.

3. Shopify Collabs (creator network for Shopify stores)

Setup fee: none; the app is "free to install". Other costs: a 2.9% commission processing fee on automatic payments may apply, and you need a Shopify store. Creators reportedly must be in the US, Canada or the UK. Good for: Shopify merchants who want creator discovery without leaving their admin. Our guide to affiliate marketing for Shopify stores covers the setup.

4. Rewardful (software for Stripe, Paddle and Chargebee)

Setup fee: none listed. Other costs: Starter $49 a month up to $7,500 of affiliate revenue, Growth $99 up to $15,000, Enterprise from $149; 0% transaction fee; optional Managed Payouts at 3%. 14 day trial. Good for: SaaS startups on Stripe who already have partners.

5. Tapfiliate (software)

Setup fee: none, and it says so plainly: "No. There are no extra or hidden setup fees." Other costs: Launch at $89 a month ($74 billed annually) with 5,000 clicks and 500 conversions a month and overage charges beyond that; Scale at $179 ($149 annually). Good for: teams on a mix of platforms that want a well established tracker.

6. FirstPromoter (software for SaaS)

Setup fee: none listed. Other costs: Starter $49 a month up to $5,000 of affiliate revenue and 1,000 affiliates; Business $99 up to $15,000; Enterprise $149. 14 day trial with no card. Good for: SaaS programs with recurring and lifetime commissions.

7. Tolt (software for SaaS)

Setup fee: none listed. Other costs: Basic $69 a month up to $10,000 of affiliate revenue (manual payouts only); Growth $99 up to $20,000; Pro $199 up to $50,000; "0% commission", with a 2% processing fee on auto payouts. 14 day trial with no card. Good for: Stripe or Paddle SaaS teams that want higher revenue caps per dollar.

8. PromoteKit (software for Stripe)

Setup fee: none. Other costs: free for your first 3 referrals, then Pro at $29 a month or $261 a year, up to $10,000 a month of affiliate revenue; no transaction fees; payouts via PayPal and Wise. Good for: very early Stripe startups that want the lowest possible monthly bill while they test whether affiliates work at all.

9. Dub (link platform with partner program)

Setup fee: none listed. Other costs: the partner program starts on Business at $90 a month, with Advanced at $300; the brand pays 5% by ACH or 8% by card on payouts; payouts are capped at $2,500 a month on Business and $15,000 on Advanced. 14 day trial. Good for: developer led teams that want links, analytics and partner payouts in one place. Our full breakdowns are in Wooly Network vs Dub Partners and Dub Partners alternatives.

The nine at a glance

Option	Type	Entry price	Percentage fees	Brings partners to you	Commitment
Wooly Network	Marketplace	$99 a month	Operational fee on creator payouts only	Yes	Cancel anytime
Refersion	Marketplace and software	Free listing; $39 a month	3% of affiliate sales (Launch)	Yes	Not listed
Shopify Collabs	Creator network	Free to install	2.9% on automatic payments may apply	Yes	None listed
Rewardful	Software	$49 a month	0%; 3% if you use Managed Payouts	No	Monthly or annual
Tapfiliate	Software	$89 a month	None listed; overages on clicks and conversions	No	Monthly or annual
FirstPromoter	Software	$49 a month	None listed	No	Monthly or annual
Tolt	Software	$69 a month	0%; 2% on auto payouts	No	Monthly
PromoteKit	Software	Free for 3 referrals; $29 a month	None	No	Monthly or annual
Dub	Link platform	$90 a month	5% ACH or 8% card on payouts	Enterprise only	Monthly or annual

What does an affiliate network for startups cost in the first year?

Here is a hypothetical. Say you run a small ecommerce or SaaS startup. Your program ramps to an average of $4,000 a month in affiliate driven sales ($48,000 for the year) and you pay a 20% commission, so $800 a month or $9,600 a year goes to partners. The table shows what each option costs on top of those commissions in year one, using annual prices where the vendor lists them.

Option	Plan	Subscription, year one	Percentage or payout fees, year one	Platform cost, year one
PromoteKit	Pro, annual	$261	None (you pay partners via PayPal or Wise)	$261
Rewardful	Starter, annual	$490	None (or $288 with Managed Payouts at 3%)	$490 to $778
FirstPromoter	Starter, annual	$490	None listed	$490
Shopify Collabs	Free app	$0 (your Shopify plan not included)	Up to $278 at 2.9% on automatic payments	$0 to $278
Tolt	Basic, monthly	$828	None (manual payouts on Basic)	$828
Tapfiliate	Launch, annual	$890	None listed, if you stay under 500 conversions a month	$890
Wooly Network	Growth, annual	$990	Operational fee on creator payouts	$990 plus the operational fee
Dub	Business, annual (10% off)	About $972	$480 (5% ACH on $9,600)	About $1,452
Refersion	Launch, annual	$348	$1,440 (3% of $48,000)	$1,788
For comparison: Awin Access	Monthly, first month free	$539	$1,680 (3.5% of $48,000)	$2,219, plus any integration fee

What the table says, and what it does not:

Software is cheap when you already have partners. PromoteKit, Rewardful and FirstPromoter cost less than a team lunch per month. None of them will find you a single affiliate.
Percentage fees overtake subscriptions fast. Refersion's $29 a month looks like the bargain until 3% of sales arrives. Double the sales and its fee doubles too, while flat plans stay put until you hit a cap.
Revenue caps are the quiet price rise. FirstPromoter Starter stops at $5,000 a month of affiliate revenue. Our hypothetical sits at $4,000. One good month from a creator and you are on the $99 plan.
Your time is the biggest line nobody prints. If recruiting partners for a software tool takes five hours a week, that is 260 hours in year one. Price your hour honestly before calling anything free.
Payment rails cost something somewhere. Where the table says "None", you still pay PayPal or Wise their own transfer costs when you send money to partners.

For a deeper look at how network models differ (marketplace, software, full service), our guide to comparing affiliate networks and choosing the right one is the companion to this list.

How do you avoid an affiliate network deposit?

Mostly by choosing self serve platforms that bill a card monthly. If a network does ask for one, try these, in order:

Ask for the self serve plan. Several networks waive onboarding costs on self serve tiers and keep them for sales led accounts.
Offer a shorter ramp instead. A 90 day pilot with a small publisher list is easier for a network to approve than a deposit waiver.
Get refund terms in writing. If a deposit is held against commissions, it should be released against commissions, not quietly absorbed when you leave.
Read the exit clause before the entry price. A waived setup fee paired with a 12 month commitment is not a discount; it is a loan.

Which affiliate networks with no setup fee suit which startup?

SaaS on Stripe, partners already lined up: Rewardful, FirstPromoter, Tolt or PromoteKit. Pick by revenue cap and payout method. Our Rewardful vs Dub vs Wooly Network comparison works through the costs at three program sizes.
Developer led team that lives in short links: Dub, budgeting for the payout fee.
Shopify store that wants creators: Shopify Collabs first, Refersion if you want a broader affiliate marketplace.
No partners yet, any business model: a marketplace, so creators come to you. That is what Wooly Network is built for.
B2B SaaS with resellers and agencies: look at PartnerStack, which is quote only and reportedly sold on annual contracts. Our Wooly Network vs PartnerStack comparison explains when it is worth that.
Retailer that wants a huge publisher base: Awin, accepting the tracking fee and 3 month minimum. If you are weighing it against an enterprise platform, read Wooly Network vs Impact.com first.

On Wooly Network: there is no setup fee, no network minimum and no deposit, and creators are paid monthly through Stripe with nothing taken from their commissions. If you want to know exactly what you would pay, the plans and pricing page lists every brand plan.

A frugal launch is not about finding the platform with the smallest number on its homepage. It is about paying only when the program works. See how a campaign runs on the brand side of Wooly Network, or compare plans before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Which affiliate networks have no setup fee?

Wooly Network, Refersion, Shopify Collabs, Rewardful, Tapfiliate, FirstPromoter, Tolt, PromoteKit and Dub show no setup fee on their pricing pages as of October 2026. Each charges in other ways, such as a monthly plan, a percentage of affiliate sales or a payout fee.

Does Awin charge a setup fee?

Awin's US pricing page shows no setup fee: the Access plan is $49 a month plus a 3.5% tracking fee per transaction, with the first month free and a 3 month minimum contract. Awin's FAQ reportedly notes that a one off integration fee may apply, so ask before you sign.

Do I need to pay a deposit to join an affiliate network?

Usually not on self serve platforms. Deposits were common on older networks; ShareASale reportedly required $100 to $125 before it closed in October 2025. If a network asks for a deposit, confirm whether it is refundable and when it is released.

What is a network override fee?

A network override is a percentage a network charges on top of the commission you pay affiliates. CJ Affiliate's override is reportedly about 20 to 30% of commissions. Some networks charge a tracking fee on the sale value instead, such as Awin's 3.5% on its Access plan.

What is the cheapest way to start an affiliate program?

If you already have partners and use Stripe, low cost software such as PromoteKit ($29 a month) or Rewardful ($49 a month) is the smallest bill. If you need partners to find you, a marketplace with no setup fee and no minimum, such as Wooly Network from $99 a month, avoids paying for tools you cannot fill.

Is a free affiliate platform really free?

Rarely in full. Free tiers usually cap referrals or revenue, take a percentage of sales or charge a processing fee on payouts. Shopify Collabs is free to install but says a 2.9% processing fee on automatic payments may apply, and PromoteKit is free only for the first 3 referrals.