Awin vs Referral Factory
Choose Awin if you want an affiliate program connected to a large publisher network; choose Referral Factory if you want to build and run branded customer, affiliate, or partner referral programs yourself. Both can track affiliate-driven results, but they differ most in how you find promoters, structure rewards, and pay for the platform.
Last updated November 1, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Awin | Referral Factory |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Affiliate and partnership marketing network | Customer, affiliate, and partner referral program software |
| Finding promoters | Search a directory of 1M+ partners | Optional bespoke affiliate sourcing service |
| Advertiser pricing | Access $49/month; Accelerate from $99/month; Advanced custom | Basic $200/month; Pro $400/month; Enterprise from $1,000/month |
| Transaction costs | Access 3.5%; Accelerate 2.5% tracking fee, plus partner commission | Reward value funded by the business; transaction fee not published |
| Program capacity | Partner or participant cap not published | 20,000 Basic users; 40,000 Pro; 100,000+ Enterprise |
| Campaign limits | Not published | Unlimited campaigns on all listed plans |
| Integrations | Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento plugins | HubSpot, Salesforce, Stripe, Zapier, API, and webhooks |
| Rewards and payouts | Partner commissions and network-facilitated payments | Commission or other rewards via connected accounts or providers |
| Branding | Branded private networks on Advanced | White-label programs on Pro and Enterprise |
| Deployment | Website integration wizard or ecommerce plugins | Hosted platform; self-hosted data option on Enterprise |
| Support | Access email support; account management on higher plans | Chat and tickets; video calls on Basic and above |
| Getting started | Access first month free; three-month minimum term | 15-day trial; monthly subscriptions cancellable anytime |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Awin if
- Advertisers seeking access to an established affiliate publisher directory
- Ecommerce teams building performance-based publisher partnerships
- Teams that want affiliate tracking and payments handled through a network
Choose Referral Factory if
- Teams running customer referrals alongside affiliate or partner programs
- Businesses that need branded referral pages, links, and reward rules
- Teams qualifying referrals through CRM, payment, or automation tools
- Enterprises that need the option to host their own referral data
The verdict
Awin is the better fit when access to its publisher directory and network-managed affiliate payments are central to your plan. Referral Factory is the better fit when you want to configure referral journeys, qualify leads through your existing systems, and fund rewards through your own payout methods. The deciding factor is whether you primarily need an affiliate network or software to operate a referral program you control.
Awin vs Referral Factory: common questions
- Can both Awin and Referral Factory run an affiliate program?
- Yes. Awin provides an affiliate network with partner discovery, tracking, and payments. Referral Factory lets businesses create affiliate campaigns with referral links, qualification rules, and commissions.
- Which is better suited to customer referral programs?
- Referral Factory is built to run customer referral programs, including branded sharing experiences and rewards. Awin primarily positions its platform around advertiser partnerships with affiliate publishers.
- Do either of them help find affiliates?
- Awin gives advertisers access to a searchable directory of more than 1 million partners. Referral Factory offers a separate, demo-led affiliate sourcing service with pricing scoped to the search.
- How does pricing differ?
- Awin Access costs $49 per month plus a 3.5% tracking fee per transaction and the commission you set for partners. Referral Factory Basic costs $200 per month; the business funds its own referral rewards.
- Which works with a CRM?
- Referral Factory lists integrations including HubSpot and Salesforce, plus webhooks and an API on Basic and higher plans. Awin lists ecommerce plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento.
- Who pays affiliates or referrers?
- Awin facilitates affiliate payments through its network. Referral Factory tracks rewards and supports issuance through methods such as a business's connected PayPal account, but does not hold or pay out reward funds on the business's behalf.
- Can I remove the platform's branding?
- Referral Factory offers white-label programs on Pro and Enterprise. Awin lists branded private networks on its Advanced plan.
- Is there a trial or free starting period?
- Awin offers the first month of Access free, with a three-month minimum term. Referral Factory advertises a 15-day free trial and says monthly subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.
