Tolt vs Cello.so
Choose Tolt if your priority is a branded affiliate program with unlimited affiliates; choose Cello.so if you want to start a partner program on a free tier or build referrals into a logged-in product. Both offer user and partner referrals, so the deciding questions are how you want referrals to appear in your product and how each plan’s limits and fees fit your program.
Last updated November 1, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Tolt | Cello.so |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Growth: $99/month, billed monthly | Partner Free: $0/month; User Start: $65/month shown |
| Pricing basis | Monthly partner-revenue limits | User referral ARR tiers; partner transaction fees |
| Partner transaction fees | No Tolt payout fee listed; payout-method fees apply | 5% Free; 3.5% Plus and Pro; 2% Enterprise |
| Entry-plan limits | Growth: $20,000 monthly partner revenue; 5 programs | Partner Free: 5 transacting partners; 1 campaign |
| Affiliate or partner count | Unlimited affiliates on every plan | 5, 25, or 100 transacting partners by paid tier |
| User-referral experience | In-app referral widget | In-product web and mobile SDKs |
| Product eligibility | Not published | Logged-in web or mobile software product required |
| Billing integrations | Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee; API and webhooks | Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle, Recurly webhooks; REST API |
| CRM integrations | Not published | HubSpot and Salesforce |
| Mobile apps | RevenueCat purchases sent through API | iOS, Android, React Native, and Flutter SDKs |
| Partner experience | Branded portal on a custom domain | Partner portal with referral links and analytics |
| Support | Dedicated Slack channel on Pro; priority on Enterprise | Slack on User Start; priority Slack on higher tiers |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Tolt if
- Teams running an affiliate program with unlimited affiliates
- Teams wanting a branded affiliate portal on their own domain
- Teams wanting direct two-way billing sync with Stripe, Paddle, or Chargebee
- Teams preferring a 14-day trial over a transaction-fee-based free tier
Choose Cello.so if
- Teams testing partner referrals on a free plan
- Software products with a logged-in web or mobile experience
- Teams embedding user referrals through web or mobile SDKs
- Teams connecting referral conversions to HubSpot or Salesforce
The verdict
Tolt is the better fit for teams that want unlimited affiliates, a branded portal on their own domain, and a plan whose published limit is based on monthly partner revenue. Cello.so is the better fit for teams that want a free entry point for partner referrals or web and mobile SDKs for an in-product user-referral experience. Compare the full cost at your expected volume: Cello.so’s partner plans include transaction fees and transacting-partner limits, while Tolt’s paid plans have monthly partner-revenue limits.
Tolt vs Cello.so: common questions
- Are Tolt and Cello.so close enough alternatives to compare?
- Yes. Both sell software for user and partner referrals. Tolt emphasizes affiliate-program management and a branded portal, while Cello.so offers separate user- and partner-referral plans with an in-product referral experience.
- Can I start a partner program for free?
- Cello.so has a free partner-referral plan with one campaign, five transacting partners, and a 5% transaction fee. Tolt offers a 14-day free trial; its published paid plans start at $99 per month billed monthly.
- How do their limits differ?
- Tolt includes unlimited affiliates and referrals but limits monthly partner revenue to $20,000 on Growth and $50,000 on Pro. Cello.so’s partner plans limit transacting partners and campaigns by tier; its user-referral plans have referral ARR thresholds.
- Do both support referrals inside an app?
- Yes. Tolt lists an in-app user-referral widget. Cello.so lists a web SDK and mobile SDKs for embedding referrals in a logged-in product.
- Which works with Stripe, Paddle, and Chargebee?
- Both list Stripe, Paddle, and Chargebee. Tolt describes direct two-way billing sync with all three; Cello.so lists pre-built webhook integrations for them and also lists Recurly.
- Can either track referrals from mobile apps?
- Yes, through different approaches. Tolt says mobile-app purchases can be sent from RevenueCat through its API. Cello.so publishes mobile SDKs for iOS, Android, React Native, and Flutter.
- What should I check before choosing Cello.so?
- Cello.so says the software product must have a logged-in web or mobile experience. For a partner program, also check the tier’s transacting-partner limit and transaction fee against your expected volume.
- Do they handle partner payouts?
- Tolt lists automatic affiliate payouts on every plan and says payout-method fees apply. Cello.so lists automated partner reward payouts through PayPal and Venmo and publishes partner transaction fees by tier.
