Are you a blogger looking to monetize your website and earn some extra income? Joining a hosting affiliate program is a great way to do just that. By promoting web hosting services to your audience, you can earn generous commissions on every sale you refer.
But with so many hosting affiliate programs out there, it can be tough to know which ones are worth your time and effort. That‘s why we‘ve compiled this list of the top 10 highest paying hosting affiliate programs for bloggers. Whether you‘re just getting started with affiliate marketing or you‘re a seasoned pro, these programs offer the best potential for high earnings.
What exactly is a hosting affiliate program? Essentially, it‘s a partnership between a web hosting company and an affiliate who promotes their services. When someone clicks on your unique affiliate link and signs up for a hosting plan, you earn a commission. The commission amount varies depending on the program and the specific sale, but it can be quite substantial – up to $200 or more in some cases.
The key to success as a hosting affiliate is to choose a reputable program that offers competitive commission rates, a generous cookie duration (the length of time after clicking your link that you get credit for the sale), and reliable payouts. You‘ll also want to make sure the hosting company itself is one you feel confident recommending to your audience.
With that in mind, let‘s dive into our top 10 picks for the best hosting affiliate programs for bloggers:
- WP Engine
WP Engine is a leading managed WordPress hosting provider that powers over 500,000 websites around the world. Their affiliate program is one of the most generous in the industry, with commissions up to $200 per signup or 100% of the customer‘s first month payment (whichever is higher). They also offer a 180-day cookie window, giving you a full six months to earn a commission after someone clicks your link.
Other key features of the WP Engine affiliate program include:
- Customized coupon codes to incentive signups
- Dedicated affiliate management team for support
- Detailed real-time tracking and reporting
- Wide range of creative assets like banners and landing pages
The main drawback of WP Engine is their hosting plans are on the pricey side compared to some other options. But for bloggers in the WordPress space who want to promote a premium product, they‘re a fantastic choice.
- Liquid Web
Liquid Web is another top-notch hosting provider that offers a lucrative affiliate program. They provide a wide range of hosting options including managed WordPress, WooCommerce, VPS and dedicated servers. So they‘re a great fit for bloggers in various niches.
The Liquid Web affiliate program offers payouts of up to $150 per referral depending on the product sold. They have a 90-day cookie length and a low payout threshold of just $50. Their affiliate managers provide dedicated support to help you optimize your campaigns. And they give you access to exclusive discounts and promotions to help drive conversions.
One unique aspect of Liquid Web‘s program is that for managed WordPress and WooCommerce plans, you continue to earn a 10% commission on the customer‘s monthly billing for as long as they remain a customer. This allows you to earn truly passive recurring income from your referrals.
- Cloudways
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that allows customers to choose from five different cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean. Their affiliate program offers some of the highest commissions in the industry at up to $125 per sale.
They also offer a generous 90-day cookie duration and a hybrid commission structure that includes a $30 flat rate per sale plus a 7% lifetime recurring commission. So you continue to earn money as long as your referred customers stay with Cloudways.
The Cloudways affiliate dashboard provides detailed insights into your performance and allows you to easily track your campaigns. They also offer a variety of creative assets, educational resources, and promotional materials to help you succeed.
One thing to note about Cloudways is that their platform is geared more toward developers and agencies. So it may not be the best fit for beginner-level bloggers or those with less tech-savvy audiences. But for bloggers who cater to a more advanced crowd, it‘s definitely worth considering.
- Flywheel
Flywheel is a managed WordPress hosting provider that offers an excellent affiliate program, especially for bloggers in the design and creative niches. They offer commissions of up to $500 per referral, which is one of the highest payouts you‘ll find anywhere.
In addition to the high commissions, Flywheel also offers a 90-day cookie window and custom coupon codes you can use to offer discounts to your audience. They have a user-friendly affiliate portal where you can grab tracking links, view your earnings, and get support from their team.
One standout feature of Flywheel‘s affiliate program is their "two-tier" structure. In addition to earning commissions on direct referrals, you can also earn payouts on the sales generated by any affiliates you refer to the program – essentially doubling your earning potential.
Like WP Engine, Flywheel‘s hosting plans are on the higher end in terms of pricing. But for bloggers whose readers are willing to invest in a premium product, it can pay off big time.
- SiteGround
SiteGround consistently ranks as one of the most popular and highest-rated hosting providers, especially among WordPress users. So it‘s no surprise their affiliate program is a favorite of many successful bloggers.
With payouts ranging from $50-$100 per sale, SiteGround‘s commissions are competitive although not the absolute highest out there. But they make up for it with an extremely generous 120-day cookie duration. This gives you a full four months to get credit for a referral.
They also offer unlimited referrals with no minimum sales requirement to get paid, so it‘s a great program for bloggers who are just getting started with affiliate marketing. Their affiliate support team is very responsive and they provide a wealth of resources to help you succeed.
The user-friendly and intuitive SiteGround hosting platform makes this program an easy one to promote to your audience, even if they‘re beginners. And with a wide array of plans at different price points, there‘s something to fit every budget.
- HostGator
HostGator is a well-established, reliable hosting company that offers a solid affiliate program. While their commissions start on the lower end at $50 per signup, they offer a tiered structure that allows you to earn up to $125 per sale if you reach 21+ referrals in a month.
The HostGator affiliate program features a 60-day cookie length, which is about average for the industry. They have a low payout threshold of just $100, so you don‘t have to wait forever to get your earnings.
Where HostGator really shines is with the sheer amount and variety of creative assets they provide for affiliates. From banners and text links to customized coupons and social media templates, they give you everything you need to effectively promote their services to your audience. They also have an affiliate resource center with tutorials, guides, infographics and more to support your success.
HostGator may not be the sexiest hosting company out there, but they provide a dependable service at affordable rates. For bloggers who want to promote a solid budget-friendly option to their readers, they‘re a great choice.
- GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks is a great option for bloggers who want to promote an eco-friendly hosting solution. They‘re an EPA Green Power Partner and replace 3x the amount of energy they consume with renewable energy through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
From an affiliate perspective, GreenGeeks offers $50 commissions on all referrals with a 30-day cookie window. While not the highest payouts, their plans are very affordable so they tend to convert well. They also offer unlimited referrals with no minimum sales quotas or complex tiered structures.
One unique feature is that GreenGeeks gives you $100 in free AdWords credits when you sign up for their affiliate program. This allows you to experiment with paid advertising to drive traffic and boost your referrals. They also have a very clean, user-friendly affiliate dashboard.
If green hosting is important to your blog audience, GreenGeeks should definitely be on your radar. Even if not, they still provide excellent performance and features at a great price point.
- A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting has been around since 2001 and offers a wide variety of hosting solutions, from shared hosting to reseller plans to dedicated servers. Their affiliate program features commissions up to $140 per referral depending on the products sold.
They have a tiered commission structure, but even at the first tier of 1-10 sales per month, you‘ll earn $85 per referral for shared hosting – much higher than the starting tier for many competitors. The cookie length is 90 days, giving your referrals plenty of time to convert.
In terms of affiliate resources, A2 Hosting offers the standard banners and text links. But one thing that sets them apart is their library of professional pre-written articles and tutorials you can use to promote their services. This is a huge time saver for busy bloggers who want to add valuable content to their site without having to write it all themselves.
A2 Hosting may fly under the radar compared to some of the bigger names in hosting. But their generous commissions, lengthy cookie window, and useful affiliate resources make them well worth checking out.
- Kinsta
Kinsta is a premium managed WordPress hosting provider that‘s powered by the Google Cloud Platform. They‘re known for their blazing fast speeds, rock-solid security, and expert support. So they‘re a great option for bloggers who want to promote a top-of-the-line hosting solution to their audience.
Kinsta‘s affiliate program offers a base commission of $50-$100 per referral, depending on the plan purchased. But what really sets them apart is the opportunity to earn much more than that – their affiliate managers are open to negotiating higher commissions for top performing affiliates.
They don‘t publish a specific cookie length, but their website states that it‘s "longer than most competitors." Kinsta offers a 10% recurring commission as well, so you can continue to earn money as long as your referrals remain customers.
One of the standout features of Kinsta‘s affiliate program is their custom dashboard built specifically for affiliates. It provides a detailed real-time breakdown of your performance including clicks, conversions, and commissions. They also offer bespoke coupon codes you can use to entice referrals.
Kinsta isn‘t the cheapest hosting option out there. But for bloggers who cater to a more sophisticated audience with higher budgets, it‘s an excellent choice. The opportunity to negotiate above-average commissions is a major plus for high-performing affiliates.
- Bluehost
No list of the top hosting affiliate programs would be complete without Bluehost. They‘re one of the largest hosting companies in the world and also one of the oldest, founded all the way back in 2003. Bluehost is a particularly popular choice for WordPress users, as it‘s one of the few hosts that‘s officially recommended by WordPress.org.
The Bluehost affiliate program offers $65 per qualified signup, with no tiers or thresholds to meet. They have a standard 60-day cookie length. One nice feature is their automatic tracking of signups, even if the user doesn‘t click directly on your affiliate link. As long as the user has clicked one of your links within the 60-day window, you‘ll get credit for the sale.
Bluehost provides a wide variety of professional-looking banners and links for affiliates. They also offer content and landing page templates to help you convert your traffic into paying customers. Their affiliate resource center includes step-by-step tutorials, marketing guides, and other tools to help you succeed.
With their affordable pricing, user-friendly platform, and status as an officially recommended WordPress host, Bluehost is one of the easiest hosting services to promote as an affiliate. They may not have the highest payouts, but their popularity and brand recognition make them a reliable choice.
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So, how do these top 10 hosting affiliate programs stack up against each other? Here‘s a quick side-by-side comparison:
Program | Commission | Cookie Length | Payout Threshold |
---|---|---|---|
WP Engine | $200 or 100% | 180 days | $50 |
Liquid Web | $150 | 90 days | $50 |
Cloudways | $125 + 7% lifetime | 90 days | $100 |
Flywheel | $500 | 90 days | $50 |
SiteGround | $50-$100 | 120 days | None |
HostGator | $50-$125 | 60 days | $100 |
GreenGeeks | $50 | 30 days | $100 |
A2 Hosting | $85-$140 | 90 days | $100 |
Kinsta | $50-$100+ | Not published | $50 |
Bluehost | $65 | 60 days | $100 |
As you can see, each program has its own unique mix of commission rates, cookie durations, payout terms, and other features. There‘s no one-size-fits-all "best" hosting affiliate program. The right choice for you will depend on factors like your audience, your niche, and your personal preferences.
Here are a few key takeaways and tips for success as a hosting affiliate:
- Focus on hosting companies that are a good fit for your particular audience and their needs
- Take advantage of all the creative assets, marketing materials, and educational resources your affiliate programs offer
- Aim for a mix of programs with high commissions and long cookie windows to maximize your earnings
- Test out different programs to see which ones resonate best with your audience and generate the most conversions
- Don‘t just throw up banners and links – take the time to create valuable content that educates your audience and pre-sells them on the benefits of the hosting services you promote
- Be transparent about your affiliate relationships and always put your audience‘s interests first
Ultimately, there‘s a huge amount of money to be made as a hosting affiliate. But it takes time, testing, and dedication to find the right mix of programs and promotional strategies that work for you and your audience.
If you‘re looking to get started, the 10 hosting affiliate programs covered here are all fantastic options. WP Engine is an excellent choice for WordPress users, Kinsta is great for bloggers with high-budget audiences, and Bluehost is a reliable pick for just about anyone.
No matter which program(s) you choose, remember that successful affiliate marketing is all about providing genuine value to your readers. By educating your audience and helping them choose the best hosting solution for their needs, you‘ll build trust and authority. The commissions will follow.
What are your favorite hosting affiliate programs? Have you had success with any of the ones mentioned here? Let us know in the comments!