Is this comparison worth considering?

Yes. trackdesk and Cello.so are both available and both support partner referrals. The choice is most relevant to software companies deciding between affiliate-focused tracking and an in-product referral experience.

Does trackdesk still have a free plan?

No. trackdesk says its Free plan is discontinued for new users. It currently advertises a 14-day trial and lists its Business plan at $299 per month.

Cello.so has a free Partner Referrals plan with one campaign, five transacting partners, and a 5% transaction fee. Its listed User Referrals Start plan costs $65 per month.

Can both products manage external affiliates?

Yes. trackdesk provides affiliate management and tracking, while Cello.so offers Partner Referrals with a portal for external partners. Cello.so also offers in-product User Referrals.

Which product supports referrals inside a mobile app?

Cello.so publishes mobile referral SDKs for iOS, Android, Flutter, and React Native. trackdesk does not publish an equivalent in-product mobile referral SDK on the pages reviewed.

Can I use Cello.so without a logged-in product?

Cello.so says eligible products must provide a logged-in web or mobile experience. Teams without one should confirm eligibility before choosing its partner-referral offering.

How do the products handle payouts?

trackdesk publishes payout options including Wise, PayPal, Tipalti, and Confirmo. Cello.so lists automated PayPal and Venmo reward payouts and publishes transaction fees for Partner Referrals.

Which integrates with Shopify?

trackdesk lists Shopify among its integrations. Cello.so lists integrations including Stripe, Chargebee, HubSpot, and Salesforce, but does not list Shopify on its pricing page.

trackdesk vs Cello.so

Choose trackdesk for an affiliate program spanning SaaS, ecommerce, or multiple advertisers; choose Cello.so if your main goal is to let users refer others from inside a logged-in software product. Both also support external partners, but trackdesk emphasizes affiliate tracking and management, while Cello.so combines in-product user referrals with a separate partner portal.

Last updated November 1, 2026.

At a glance

trackdesk compared with Cello.so, one row per dimension
Dimension	trackdesk	Cello.so
Primary focus	Affiliate programs and networks	User and partner referrals for software
Product experience	Affiliate dashboard and tracking links	In-product user referrals and partner portal
Supported businesses	SaaS, ecommerce, agencies, and other verticals	Software with a logged-in web or mobile experience
Entry price	Business: $299/month	Partner Referrals: free; User Referrals: $65/month
Free access	14-day free trial; no free plan for new users	Free Partner Referrals plan; User Referrals sign-up starts free
Entry-plan limits	Business: 5 seats and 10 active offers	Free Partner Referrals: 1 campaign and 5 transacting partners
Pricing basis	Business, Enterprise, and Enterprise PLUS plans	User Referrals by referral ARR; Partner Referrals by plan limits
Transaction fees	Not published	User Referrals: 0%; Partner Referrals: 2%–5%
Integrations	Stripe, Shopify, Zapier, and 900+ app integrations	Stripe, Chargebee, HubSpot, Salesforce, and API
Mobile referrals	Not published	SDKs for iOS, Android, Flutter, and React Native
Payouts	Wise, PayPal, Tipalti, and Confirmo payout options	Automated PayPal and Venmo reward payouts
Entry-plan support	Business: chat and email	User Referrals Start: Slack support

Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.

Which should you choose?

Choose trackdesk if

Teams running affiliate programs across SaaS or ecommerce
Businesses managing multiple offers and commission structures
Teams seeking affiliate tracking integrations with Shopify or Stripe
Companies that need an affiliate marketplace on an eligible plan

See trackdesk

Choose Cello.so if

Software teams embedding referrals in a logged-in product
Mobile apps needing an in-product referral experience
Teams running both user and external partner referrals
Small partner programs that fit the free tier's limits

See Cello.so

The verdict

The deciding factor is where referrals begin. Pick trackdesk when affiliates, offers, tracking options, and payout workflows drive the program. Pick Cello.so when authenticated users need a referral experience embedded in a web or mobile app, especially if you also want to manage external partners. Check current pricing carefully: trackdesk no longer offers its former free plan to new customers, while Cello.so has a free Partner Referrals tier but charges transaction fees on that tier.