FirstPromoter vs Cello.so
Choose FirstPromoter if you primarily need to manage affiliates and their commissions; choose Cello.so if you want referrals embedded in a logged-in software product, with options for both users and partners. Both vendors offer partner referral programs, but Cello.so requires an authenticated web or mobile experience, while FirstPromoter emphasizes affiliate tracking, commission rules and a branded affiliate portal.
Last updated November 1, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | FirstPromoter | Cello.so |
|---|---|---|
| Program focus | Affiliate, influencer and referral programs | User and partner referral programs |
| Product eligibility | SaaS and other businesses | Software with authenticated web or mobile users |
| Starting price | Starter: $49/month or $490/year | Partner Free: $0/month; User Start: $65/month |
| Free access | 14-day free trial; no credit card | Free partner plan; user plans start free |
| Plan limits | Starter: $5,000/month affiliate revenue; 1,000 affiliates | Partner Free: 5 transacting partners; User Start: $10,000 referral ARR |
| Partner transaction fees | Not published | 5% Free; 3.5% Plus and Pro; 2% Enterprise |
| In-product experience | Embeddable affiliate dashboard | Web SDK; iOS, Android, Flutter and React Native SDKs |
| Tracking | Referral links, coupons, direct URLs and sub-IDs | Referral links and automatic attribution |
| Billing integrations | Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly and Braintree | Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle and Recurly |
| CRM and automation | Zapier, Make, Albato, APIs and webhooks | HubSpot, Salesforce, REST API and Zapier |
| Payouts | PayPal, Wise, Stripe, crypto and bank transfer | Automated PayPal and Venmo payouts |
| Support | Customer Success team | Slack support; priority support on higher plans |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose FirstPromoter if
- Teams focused on affiliate and influencer programs
- Programs needing coupon, direct URL or sub-ID tracking
- Teams needing flexible recurring or multi-tier commissions
- Businesses using a branded affiliate portal
Choose Cello.so if
- Software teams embedding referrals in a logged-in product
- Teams running both user and partner referral programs
- Mobile apps needing a referral SDK
- Small partner programs that can start on a free plan
The verdict
The deciding factor is where referrals should happen. FirstPromoter is the better fit when affiliates, influencers and their commission structures are the center of the program. Cello.so is the better fit when existing product users should be able to refer others from inside a logged-in web or mobile app. For a partner-only program, compare FirstPromoter’s revenue-based plan limits with Cello.so’s limits on transacting partners and its partner transaction fees.
FirstPromoter vs Cello.so: common questions
- Are FirstPromoter and Cello.so close competitors?
- Yes. Both offer software for managing referral partners and rewards. FirstPromoter places more emphasis on affiliate program operations, while Cello.so also offers referrals embedded in a software product for existing users.
- Can I use Cello.so without a logged-in product?
- No. Cello.so says its referral technology requires users to authenticate in a web or mobile software product and that it cannot onboard products without a logged-in experience.
- Which has a free plan?
- Cello.so offers a free partner referral plan with one campaign and five transacting partners, subject to a 5% transaction fee. FirstPromoter offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card, rather than a published free plan.
- How do the paid plans scale?
- FirstPromoter tiers depend on monthly affiliate-driven revenue: Starter covers up to $5,000 per month and Business up to $15,000 per month. Cello.so’s user plans have referral ARR thresholds, while its partner plans limit the number of transacting partners and charge tier-dependent transaction fees.
- Which supports mobile referrals inside an app?
- Cello.so publishes mobile referral SDKs for iOS, Android, Flutter and React Native. FirstPromoter publishes an embeddable affiliate dashboard but does not list equivalent mobile SDKs on its pricing page.
- Do both support recurring rewards?
- Yes. FirstPromoter publishes recurring and lifetime commission options, including percentage and flat amounts. Cello.so publishes recurring reward schemes for referral programs.
- Which billing providers do they support?
- FirstPromoter lists Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly and Braintree. Cello.so lists webhook integrations for Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle and Recurly, as well as a REST API for custom systems.
- How are referrers paid?
- FirstPromoter lists mass payouts through PayPal, Wise, Stripe, crypto and bank transfer; its managed auto-payouts require approval. Cello.so lists automated PayPal and Venmo payouts.
