Affiliates Manager vs Affiliates by itthinx
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 33 features compared side by side.
Free WordPress affiliate plugin with click tracking, creatives, PayPal payout files and many ecommerce/membership integrations, plus paid add-ons.
Free affiliate program plugin by itthinx with paid Pro and Enterprise editions adding WooCommerce sync, banners, rates and multi-tier.
Choose Affiliates Manager if…
- You need easy digital downloads
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Affiliates by itthinx if…
- You need auto-generated affiliate coupons and custom referral links
- You also want multi-level commissions and lifetime commissions
- You want the more complete feature set (79/100 vs 74/100)
- You weigh user ratings (4.5 vs 4.1 on WordPress.org)
Affiliates Manager includes 1 feature that Affiliates by itthinx lacks, including Easy Digital Downloads; Affiliates by itthinx has 5 that Affiliates Manager lacks, including Custom referral links, Multi-level commissions and Lifetime commissions. Both include 19 of the 33 features we track. 5 features are not yet verified for one or both plugins.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Affiliates Manager Affiliates by itthinxAffiliate Programs: Tracking4/65/6
Affiliates get links with a wpam_id parameter and can link to any page.
Affiliate links can point to any page; generated in the affiliate dashboard.
Paid WooCommerce Coupon Tracking add-on links existing coupons to affiliates.
Coupon codes can be assigned to affiliates to credit sales.
Only a site-wide default landing URL can be set, not per-affiliate pages.
Links can target any page, but there are no affiliate-specific landing pages.
Blocks earning on own purchases; free reCAPTCHA add-on for signups.
Robot exclusion list and cleaner plus free reCAPTCHA add-on; no fraud scoring.
Logs referral clicks and creative impressions in real time.
Records visits with source, landing page and user agent per affiliate.
Links use the numeric affiliate ID (wpam_id).
Paid Affiliates by Username add-on ($29) puts usernames in links.
Affiliate Programs: Commissions4/76/7
Flat or percentage rates, overridable per affiliate.
Global rate in free integrations; per-affiliate and formula rates in Pro.
Paid Product Specific Commission add-on for WooCommerce products.
Rates can be set per product or by product category terms.
No performance-based rate tiers in features or add-on list.
Free WooCommerce Subscription integration add-on credits renewals.
Recurring referrals on WooCommerce Subscriptions renewals.
No multi-level commissions; paid add-on only gives a one-off recruit bonus.
Unlimited-tier multi-level referrals.
No lifetime customer linking in the feature or add-on list.
Paid Affiliates Permanent add-on ($29) ties customers to an affiliate.
Admins can add manual bonuses/adjustments; no automatic bonus rules.
Bonuses only by adding manual referrals in the admin.
Affiliate Programs: Payouts2/42/4
Generates PayPal Mass Pay / Payouts files to pay many affiliates at once.
Exports a PayPal mass payment file; no direct API payouts.
Payout methods are PayPal, bank transfer and manual.
Stripe payouts are not offered; mass payment export is PayPal-format.
Store credit is not among the payout methods.
Payout file generation for paying multiple affiliates together.
Mass payment file and referral/total exports for batch payouts.
Affiliate Programs: Affiliate tools5/66/6
Front-end area with stats, creatives, link generator and profile.
Affiliate dashboard with login, stats, earnings and profile as blocks/shortcodes.
Customisable signup form with custom fields and manual or auto approval.
Built-in affiliate registration with optional manual approval.
Unlimited banners and text links with impression tracking.
Banner management is a Pro/Enterprise feature.
Editable templates for approval, registration and commission emails.
Basic status notifications free; advanced customisable emails in Pro.
Real-time stats for visits, purchases and commissions.
Per-day and per-affiliate visits, referrals and traffic sources.
No importer from other affiliate plugins; data export only.
Free Affiliates Import add-on bulk-imports accounts; no plugin migrators.
Affiliate Programs: Compatibility3/31/3
Built-in WooCommerce integration records commission automatically.
Free WooCommerce Light add-on; advanced integration built into Pro/Enterprise.
Integrates with Easy Digital Downloads 3.0+.
Easy Digital Downloads is not among the listed integrations.
Supports multi-currency payments made through WooPayments only.
WooCommerce Affiliate Plugins: WooCommerce3/75/7
Coupon add-on links coupons you create manually; no auto-generation.
Paid Affiliates Coupons add-on ($29, needs Pro/Enterprise) auto-creates coupons.
Free WooCommerce Subscription integration add-on.
Renewals credited to the original affiliate via WooCommerce Subscriptions.
Reverses commission when a WooCommerce order is refunded (since 2.1.1).
Referral status auto-syncs with order status, incl. refunds and cancellations.
Affiliate area lives on plugin-created pages, not in My Account.
Dashboard is a separate Affiliate Area page, not a My Account tab.
Commission can be awarded manually to an affiliate, not by editing the order.
Referrals can be added manually in the admin rather than from the order.
WooCommerce Light integration declared HPOS-compatible since 2.0.0.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Affiliates Manager Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free core plugin | Free lifetime, Unlimited |
| WooCommerce Coupon Tracking add-on | $39 one-off, 1 site |
| Product Specific Commission add-on | $29.95 one-off, 1 site |
| Coupon Tracking + Product Commission bundle | $59.95 one-off, 1 site |
| Referral Bonus add-on | $29.95 one-off, 1 site |
Affiliates by itthinx Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Affiliates (free) | Free lifetime, Unlimited |
| Affiliates Pro – Single Site | $69 per year, 1 site |
| Affiliates Pro – 5 Sites | $119 per year, 5 sites |
| Affiliates Pro – 25 Sites | $229 per year, 25 sites |
| Affiliates Enterprise – Single Site | $149 per year, 1 site |
| Affiliates Enterprise – 5 Sites | $229 per year, 5 sites |
| Affiliates Enterprise – 25 Sites | $399 per year, 25 sites |
Downloads trend
Affiliates Manager
1,282 downloads last week
Affiliates by itthinx
461 downloads last week
Verdict
Affiliates by itthinx scores higher on our feature checklist (79/100 against 74/100) and includes auto-generated affiliate coupons, custom referral links and multi-level commissions that Affiliates Manager does not. Affiliates Manager still has the edge on easy digital downloads. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Affiliates Manager: not included. Affiliates by itthinx: via add-on. Paid Affiliates Coupons add-on ($29, needs Pro/Enterprise) auto-creates coupons.
Affiliates Manager: not included. Affiliates by itthinx: via add-on. Paid Affiliates by Username add-on ($29) puts usernames in links.
Affiliates Manager: not included. Affiliates by itthinx: paid version (Enterprise). Unlimited-tier multi-level referrals.
Affiliates Manager: not included. Affiliates by itthinx: via add-on. Paid Affiliates Permanent add-on ($29) ties customers to an affiliate.
Affiliates Manager: not included. Affiliates by itthinx: partial. Free Affiliates Import add-on bulk-imports accounts; no plugin migrators.
Affiliates Manager: included. Affiliates by itthinx: not included. Integrates with Easy Digital Downloads 3.0+.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, Affiliates Manager or Affiliates by itthinx?
Affiliates by itthinx scores higher on our feature checklist (79/100 against 74/100) and includes auto-generated affiliate coupons, custom referral links and multi-level commissions that Affiliates Manager does not. Affiliates Manager still has the edge on easy digital downloads. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Affiliates by itthinx includes 20 of the 26 features we track, against 18 for Affiliates Manager. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Affiliates Manager free?
Affiliates Manager has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $29.95.
Is Affiliates by itthinx free?
Affiliates by itthinx has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $69/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Affiliates Manager or Affiliates by itthinx. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.