Comparison
Affiliate trackingBoth start at $49/month, but the billing stack and plan limits can change your shortlist. Rewardful documents Paddle Classic only; FirstPromoter has a Paddle Billing setup guide. The details below are based on vendor documentation, not hands-on tests.
Affiliate and referral management software for SaaS, built on a native Stripe integration.
Consider it forStripe or Paddle Classic subscription businesses that want recurring affiliate commissions and billing event synchronization.
Affiliate management software for SaaS to launch affiliate, influencer and referral programs.
Consider it forSaaS teams needing recurring commissions, multiple attribution methods and several supported subscription billing integrations.
SaaSAlways has not hands-on tested either product. This comparison is based on official vendor documentation. Editorial policy
You use Stripe or Paddle Classic, expect one campaign, and value a $7,500 monthly affiliate-attributed revenue allowance with unlimited affiliates on Starter. Check branding and team limits.
You use Paddle Billing or need several affiliate campaigns and flexible recurring commission rules. Starter allows $5,000 monthly affiliate revenue and up to 1,000 affiliates.
Documented facts, not a quality ranking. “Not verified” means we have not yet confirmed it in an official source.
| Rewardful | FirstPromoter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Paid entry, monthly | $49/month | $49/month |
| Billing detail | Starter: $49/month or $490/year. Affiliate revenue limits apply. | Starter: $49/month or $490/year. Plans scale with affiliate revenue. |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free plan or trial detail | No permanent free plan is listed. A 14 day trial is available. | No permanent free plan is listed. A 14 day trial is offered without a credit card. |
| Pricing checked | 9 Oct 2026 | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly fee, Free trial | Flat monthly fee, Free trial |
| Affiliate program features | ||
| Commission structures | Supports fixed or percentage commissions, one time and recurring rewards, and commission duration limits. Subscription changes and refunds can adjust commissions. | Fixed and percentage rewards support one time or recurring commissions. Rules can vary by product, campaign or partner; advanced commission features depend on plan. |
| Tracking method | Referral links and coupon attribution are supported, with configurable attribution settings and self referral detection. | Supports referral links, coupon attribution and assigned URLs, with first or last click options and a server side tracking API. |
| Payouts | PayPal and Wise mass payouts are supported. Optional Managed Payouts add a 3% merchant processing fee; affiliate withdrawal fees may also apply. | One-click payouts via PayPal and Stripe payout integrations can be configured, and bulk exports support other external providers. Fully managed Auto Payouts require Enterprise 2 or higher, SaaS business eligibility and account approval; affiliate withdrawal fees and payout availability vary. |
| Platform | ||
| Documented integrations | Native billing integrations include Stripe and Paddle Classic. Paddle Billing is not supported by the documented Paddle integration. | Documented integrations include Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly and Braintree. A separate official guide covers Paddle Billing setup. |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
| API and webhooks detail | REST API access is included on all listed plans. A branded portal and custom domain require Growth or above. | APIs and webhooks support custom integrations. A custom domain requires Business or above. |
| Fit | ||
| Consider it for | Stripe or Paddle Classic subscription businesses that want recurring affiliate commissions and billing event synchronization. | SaaS teams needing recurring commissions, multiple attribution methods and several supported subscription billing integrations. |
| Check before choosing | Paddle Billing users, teams needing a permanent free plan, or programs that require advanced portal customization on the entry plan. | Teams seeking a permanent free plan, unlimited affiliates on Starter, or a subscription cost independent of affiliate revenue. |
| Documented features | ||
| Coupon tracking | Documented | Documented |
| Fraud detection | Documented | Documented |
| Mass payouts | Documented | Documented |
| Multi currency | Documented | Documented |
| Recurring commissions | Documented | Documented |
| Server side tracking | Documented | Documented |
| Tiered commissions | Not documented | Documented |
| White label portal | Documented | Documented |
| Documented connections | ||
| Chargebee | Not documented | Documented |
| Paddle | Documented | Documented |
| Stripe | Documented | Documented |
| Zapier | Not documented | Documented |
| Evidence | ||
| Sources checked | 9 Oct 2026 | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Official sources | ||
For Paddle Billing, FirstPromoter is the documented match of these two. For Stripe, assess Rewardful’s higher Starter affiliate-attributed revenue allowance against FirstPromoter’s campaign controls and integrations. Neither has been hands-on tested by SaaSAlways.
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