Amazon Affiliate vs. ShareASale: Which Program is Best?

If you’ve been trying to make money with affiliate marketing, you’ve probably heard of two big names: Amazon Associates (often called Amazon Affiliate) and ShareASale.

Both let you earn commissions by promoting products. But they work very differently. And picking the wrong one can cost you months of wasted effort.

I’ve seen too many people jump into Amazon because it’s famous, only to get frustrated with low payouts. Others pick ShareASale without realizing it takes more work to get approved.

So let’s break this down. No fluff. Just a straight comparison to help you decide which one actually fits your site, your audience, and your goals.

How Amazon Affiliate Works (The Short Version)

Amazon’s program is simple. You sign up, get approved (usually automatically if you have a website or social account), and then you can share links to any product on Amazon.

When someone clicks your link and buys something within 24 hours, you earn a commission. Not just on that one product – on everything they buy in that session.

That’s the famous “cookie window” – 24 hours. After that, the click expires and you get nothing.

The Good Side of Amazon

Trust is built in. People already trust Amazon. They have Prime, they know the return policy, and they don’t think twice about entering their credit card. That means conversion rates are often higher than with smaller, unknown stores.

Almost any product exists. Need a niche like “left-handed gardening tools”? Amazon probably has it. This makes it great for review sites or gift guides.

Low barrier to entry. You don’t need a massive audience or a fancy website. Many new bloggers get approved in hours.

The Real Problems with Amazon

The commission rates keep dropping. A few years ago, you could earn 8–10% on many categories. Now? Most are 1–3%. Electronics pay as low as 1%. Furniture and home improvement are around 3%. Only luxury beauty and Amazon Fresh pay 10%, but those are tough niches.

The 24-hour cookie is brutal. Someone clicks your link, gets distracted, and comes back the next day? You get nothing. They add items to cart but buy two days later? Nothing.

You need lots of traffic to make real money. At 3% commission on a $20 item, you earn $0.60 per sale. If you want $1,000 a month, you need over 1,600 sales. That’s a huge amount of traffic and clicks.

How ShareASale Works (The Short Version)

ShareASale is an affiliate network. Instead of promoting one giant store, you promote thousands of individual merchants. Think of it like a mall where each shop has its own rules, payouts, and products.

You apply once to ShareASale. Then you apply separately to each merchant you want to promote. Some approve instantly, others take days or weeks.

The Good Side of ShareASale

Higher commissions are normal. Many merchants pay 10%, 15%, even 30% or more. Digital products, software, courses, and specialty physical goods often have great rates. A $100 product at 20% gives you $20 per sale – the same as 20 sales on Amazon at 1%.

Long cookie windows. Many merchants offer 30 days, 60 days, or even 90 days. Some use “lifetime” cookies (though those are rare). That means someone can click your link, think about it for a month, and you still get paid.

More control over what you promote. You can pick merchants that match your audience perfectly. If you run a yoga blog, you can find yoga mat companies, clothing brands, and online classes – all on ShareASale.

Better reporting. You see exactly which links perform, which products convert, and even which geographic areas bring sales. Amazon’s reporting is basic compared to this.

The Real Problems with ShareASale

Harder to get approved. ShareASale reviews every application. If your site looks thin, has no original content, or seems spammy, they’ll reject you. And you can’t just reapply the next day – you usually have to wait and improve your site first.

Each merchant approves you separately. You might get into ShareASale easily, but then apply to ten merchants and get rejected by half. Some merchants want to see traffic numbers. Others want social proof. It takes patience.

Less brand recognition. Most people don’t know the random small store you’re promoting. They might hesitate to enter their credit card. Your conversion rate could be lower, especially for expensive items.

You need to build trust yourself. With Amazon, Amazon does the selling. With ShareASale, you have to convince people that this specific merchant is legit. That means honest reviews, personal experiences, and maybe even buying the product yourself first.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Which One Wins?

Let’s put them side by side on the factors that actually matter.

Commission Rates

Winner: ShareASale

Amazon pays 1–10% depending on category, but most popular categories (electronics, home, tools, toys) are 1–3%. ShareASale merchants regularly offer 10–20% for physical products and 30–50% for digital products or services.

Expert tip: Don’t just look at the percentage. Look at the average order value. A 3% commission on a $1,000 laptop ($30) beats a 20% commission on a $50 course ($10). Know your numbers.

Cookie Duration

Winner: ShareASale by a mile

Amazon: 24 hours. That’s it.
ShareASale: Usually 30–90 days. Some merchants offer 7 days, but you can avoid those.

This matters more than most beginners think. People rarely buy on the first click. They compare prices, read reviews, ask a friend, or just get busy. A 30-day cookie gives them room to breathe – and still pays you.

Ease of Getting Started

Winner: Amazon

Amazon will approve almost anyone with a legitimate website, YouTube channel, or social media account. ShareASale has a real application process. If you’re brand new with no traffic, Amazon is much easier to get into.

But here’s the catch: Just because Amazon is easy to join doesn’t mean it’s easy to make money. Many people join Amazon, make $5 in three months, and quit. ShareASale’s barrier to entry might actually save you time by pushing you to build a real site first.

Product Selection

Winner: Amazon for variety, ShareASale for quality

Amazon has everything. That’s useful for general sites or gift lists. But you’re competing with millions of other affiliates promoting the same products.

ShareASale has fewer products overall, but you can find unique, high-ticket items that aren’t flooded with competition. Small brands, specialty tools, handmade goods, software subscriptions – these can be goldmines.

Payout Reliability

Winner: Tie

Amazon pays like clockwork – every month if you hit the minimum ($10 for gift cards, $100 for direct deposit). ShareASale also pays reliably, but each merchant has its own return and refund policy. Some might claw back commissions if a product gets returned weeks later. Amazon does this too, but it’s usually simpler.

Reporting and Tools

Winner: ShareASale

ShareASale gives you deep data. You can see which sub-affiliates (if you have them), which links, which products, and even real-time clicks. Amazon’s dashboard works, but it feels dated and limited.

If you like tracking performance and optimizing based on data, you’ll prefer ShareASale.

Which One Should You Actually Pick?

This depends on your situation. Here’s a simple decision guide.

Pick Amazon Affiliate if:

• You’re brand new and want to learn the basics without jumping through hoops.
• Your content is about “best X under $Y” or gift guides with lots of small, cheap items.
• Your audience is very price-sensitive and already shops on Amazon constantly.
• You don’t have much traffic yet and just want to test affiliate marketing with low risk.

Pick ShareASale if:

• You have an established site with consistent traffic (even 5,000 visits a month is fine).
• You promote specialized products, services, or digital goods.
• You want higher commissions per sale, even if you make fewer sales.
• You’re willing to spend time applying to merchants and building relationships.
• Your audience trusts your recommendations deeply (personal blog, review site, tutorial channel).

Use Both (The Smart Move)

Most experienced affiliates use multiple programs. Here’s a common strategy:

Promote Amazon for low-cost, high-volume items (books, household goods, cheap electronics). Promote ShareASale merchants for higher-ticket or specialty items (software, courses, unique gear).

This way you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket. If Amazon cuts commissions again (they probably will), you still have income from ShareASale.

Practical tip: Use a link management tool like Pretty Links or ThirstyAffiliates to organize your links. Then you can swap out Amazon for a better ShareASale merchant later without editing every single blog post.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Only promoting Amazon because it’s easy. Easy approval doesn’t mean easy money. Many people waste a year on Amazon earning pennies before realizing they should have switched.

Joining ShareASale without a real site. Don’t apply with a free WordPress.com blog that has three posts. Build a real site with original content first. ShareASale rejects thin sites daily.

Ignoring the cookie window. If you promote products with long consideration phases (like mattresses, cameras, software), a 24-hour cookie is almost useless. Don’t use Amazon for these.

Not reading merchant terms on ShareASale. Some merchants don’t allow coupon sites. Others ban social media promotion. Always read the program rules before spending time on a merchant.

FAQ

Can I use Amazon and ShareASale on the same site?

Yes, absolutely. Many sites do this. Just be transparent with your audience. Use Amazon for some products, ShareASale for others. There’s no conflict.

Which program pays more for the same product?

You can’t promote the exact same product because Amazon doesn’t allow other affiliates to sell the same items through their platform. But for similar products, ShareASale almost always pays a higher percentage.

Do I need a website for both?

Amazon accepts social media (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok) as a traffic source. ShareASale strongly prefers a website. If you only have a social following, start with Amazon.

How much traffic do I need to make $1,000 a month?

On Amazon at 3% commission on $30 average order: about 1,100 sales per month. That’s roughly 37 sales a day. You’d need thousands of clicks daily.
On ShareASale at 15% commission on $100 average order: about 67 sales per month. That’s 2-3 sales a day. Much more realistic for a smaller site.

Are there better alternatives than both?

Yes, for some niches. CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction), Impact, and Rakuten have higher-end brands. But ShareASale is a great middle ground – easier than those, better than Amazon.

What’s the biggest hidden cost of Amazon Affiliate?

Opportunity cost. While you earn 1% on Amazon, you could be earning 20% somewhere else. Don’t stick with Amazon just because it’s familiar.

Final Thoughts

Amazon Affiliate is like a reliable old bicycle. It’s easy to ride, you can find parts anywhere, and it gets you moving. But it won’t win you any races.

ShareASale is more like a real job application. Harder to get in, but once you’re there, the pay is much better for the same effort.

If you’re just starting and need a quick win to stay motivated, join Amazon. Learn how links work, how to drive clicks, and how to write product reviews. That’s valuable practice.

But the moment you have steady traffic – even 100 visitors a day – start applying to ShareASale merchants in your niche. Spend a weekend finding 5–10 good ones. Test them for a few months.

Most people who make a full-time living from affiliate marketing don’t rely on Amazon. They use networks like ShareASale, or they work directly with brands. Amazon is training wheels, not the finish line.

Here’s a question to think about before you go: If Amazon cut commissions to zero tomorrow, would your site still make money? If the answer is no, you already know what to work on next.