How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- GetResponse and AWeber are the long-standing affiliate-friendly choices with automation depth.
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit) suits creators promoting affiliate products to engaged audiences.
- Systeme.io and Kartra bundle email with funnels for affiliate businesses.
- MailerLite, Brevo, Moosend and Drip offer value with automation for careful senders.
- ActiveCampaign brings the deepest automation for sophisticated affiliate sequences.
- Critical: not all platforms allow affiliate marketing; check terms before you build.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 GetResponse | Affiliate-friendly automation | See website | Free plan |
 AWeber | Trusted affiliate-friendly sending | See website | Free plan |
 Kit | Creators promoting products | See website | Free plan |
 MailerLite | Value automation | Free | Yes |
 ActiveCampaign | Deep affiliate sequences | See website | Free trial |
 Brevo | Affordable sending at scale | Free | Yes |
 Moosend | Budget automation | See website | Free trial |
 Systeme.io | Funnels plus email | Free | Yes |
 Kartra | All-in-one affiliate business | See website | Free trial |
 Drip | Ecommerce affiliate automation | See website | Free trial |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best email marketing software for affiliate marketing
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree plan
GetResponse has welcomed affiliate marketers for years while competitors banned them: clear terms, automation workflows, landing pages and even webinars in one platform. The free plan lets affiliates start building before spending. Autoresponders and segmentation handle the classic affiliate sequences.
The interface packs a lot in, which overwhelms beginners, and pricing tiers gate the better features. Like all platforms, deliverability depends on your list hygiene. But the affiliate-friendly terms are the deciding factor: build here without fearing an account ban.
GetResponse's conversion funnels, built for lead magnets and sales pages, give affiliates the landing infrastructure alongside email: the free funnel templates suit common affiliate offers. Webinar hosting, unusual in email platforms, lets affiliates run live promotions. The affiliate program itself pays recurring commissions, which affiliates appreciate. For affiliates wanting funnels plus email in one account, the combination is practical.
What we like- Explicitly allows affiliate marketing
- Strong automation and webinars
- Free plan to start
Watch out for- Interface is dense
- Pricing tiers gate features
- Deliverability needs list hygiene
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree plan
AWeber is the veteran affiliate marketers trust: decades of deliverability expertise, explicit affiliate-friendly policies, and support that understands the business model. The free plan covers starting out, and the automation handles welcome sequences and broadcasts reliably.
The interface shows its age and automation depth trails the modern leaders. Per-subscriber pricing grows with your list. But for affiliates who prioritize "my emails reach inboxes and my account stays open," AWeber's reputation is earned.
AWeber's deliverability team works proactively with senders: the feedback loops and list hygiene tools protect sender reputation. The automation library includes affiliate-friendly sequences for welcome series and promotions. Landing pages and forms convert traffic cleanly. For affiliates who have been burned by platform bans elsewhere, AWeber's explicit permission and stability are the reason to stay.
What we like- Affiliate marketing explicitly allowed
- Excellent deliverability reputation
- Long track record
Watch out for- Interface feels dated
- Automation trails ActiveCampaign
- Pricing is per-subscriber
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree plan
Kit, formerly ConvertKit, serves creators who recommend products: bloggers, YouTubers and newsletter writers whose affiliate revenue comes from trusted recommendations. The automation is simple but effective, forms and landing pages convert, and engaged audiences get great inbox placement.
It is not built for complex ecommerce or corporate marketing. Subscriber-based pricing grows with success. But for creators whose affiliate strategy is "recommend what I use," Kit's creator-first design fits perfectly.
Kit's visual automation builder keeps sequences understandable as they grow: tagging, segmenting and branching without the enterprise complexity. The paid newsletter features let creators monetize directly alongside affiliate revenue. Forms and landing pages are optimized for creator audiences. For creators whose affiliate income comes from trusted recommendations to engaged subscribers, the simplicity sustains the consistency that drives revenue.
What we like- Built for creators with audiences
- Simple automation
- Good deliverability for engaged lists
Watch out for- Ecommerce features are thin
- Pricing grows with subscribers
- Less corporate polish
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
MailerLite offers remarkable value: a generous free plan, clean design, and automation that covers most affiliate needs. The drag-and-drop editor is pleasant, and pricing stays low as lists grow.
The catch for affiliates is approval: MailerLite scrutinizes affiliate marketing use, and accounts face review. Read the terms carefully and keep lists clean. For compliant senders, the value is excellent; for aggressive affiliate tactics, choose GetResponse or AWeber instead.
MailerLite's approval process, while strict, actually protects deliverability for everyone on the platform: the shared sending reputation stays clean. The drag-and-drop editor produces professional emails fast. Automation workflows cover welcome series, abandoned carts and re-engagement. Compliant affiliates get remarkable value; the key is reading the terms and keeping practices clean from day one.
What we like- Generous free plan
- Clean interface
- Good automation for the price
Watch out for- Strict approval for affiliate content
- Interface simplicity limits depth
- Support is ticket-based
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
ActiveCampaign's automation is the industry benchmark: multi-branch sequences, behavioral triggers, lead scoring and CRM in one platform. Sophisticated affiliates build entire funnels, segmentation by interest, re-engagement, launch sequences, that simpler tools cannot.
The power brings complexity and higher pricing. Affiliate marketers must keep practices clean; the platform enforces quality standards. For affiliates running serious automation, the depth justifies the learning curve.
ActiveCampaign's lead scoring identifies the subscribers most likely to buy: affiliates focus energy where it converts. The site tracking triggers emails from browsing behavior. Split testing optimizes subject lines and content systematically. For affiliates running sophisticated operations, the depth turns email from a broadcast channel into a revenue engine.
What we like- The deepest automation builder
- Excellent segmentation
- CRM included
Watch out for- Learning curve
- Pricing is higher
- Affiliate use needs care with terms
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, prices on emails sent rather than subscribers, which suits affiliates with large lists and infrequent sends. The free tier is generous, and SMS, chat and CRM add channels. Transactional email strength helps deliverability.
Automation depth trails the leaders, and affiliates should verify current terms for their use case. But the pricing model is genuinely different and often cheaper: large list, occasional promotions, minimal cost.
Brevo's transactional email strength means order confirmations and password resets share the platform with marketing: the sending reputation benefits from the mixed use. The chat and CRM additions make it a broader marketing suite. SMS marketing suits affiliates with mobile audiences. For high-volume senders, the per-email pricing often beats per-subscriber models substantially.
What we like- Generous free tier
- Pay-per-email options
- SMS and chat included
Watch out for- Automation is simpler
- Affiliate policies need checking
- Interface is utilitarian
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Moosend packs automation, segmentation and landing pages into budget pricing. Small affiliates get professional email marketing without enterprise costs. The interface is friendly and templates look good.
The smaller vendor means fewer integrations and a thinner deliverability reputation than the giants. But the price-to-feature ratio is excellent for affiliates starting out or running lean.
Moosend's AI-powered product recommendations personalize affiliate promotions: subscribers see relevant offers automatically. The automation templates include affiliate-friendly sequences. Landing pages and forms round out the toolkit. For budget-conscious affiliates wanting automation that punches above its price, Moosend delivers.
What we like- Affordable with real automation
- Easy to use
- Good templates
Watch out for- Smaller company
- Fewer integrations
- Deliverability reputation is thinner
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Systeme.io is the affiliate's all-in-one: funnels, email, courses, blogs and affiliate program management with a genuinely useful free plan. Beginners build their entire affiliate business on one platform without integrations. The simplicity is deliberate.
Email sophistication is basic next to dedicated platforms, and design options are limited. But for affiliates wanting funnels plus email in one free-start tool, Systeme.io removes every excuse not to start.
Systeme.io's affiliate program management lets product creators recruit affiliates while running their own email: the platform serves both sides of the relationship. The blogging feature hosts content that feeds the email list. Evergreen funnels automate the affiliate promotions. For beginners building their first affiliate business, the all-in-one free start removes every barrier.
What we like- Free plan includes funnels and email
- All-in-one for affiliate businesses
- Simple to learn
Watch out for- Email features are basic
- Design flexibility is limited
- Smaller ecosystem
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Kartra is the all-in-one for digital marketers: email marketing, funnel builder, membership sites, helpdesks and its own affiliate management. Product creators running affiliate programs manage everything here. The integration of tools is the value.
It costs real money, takes learning, and each module is good rather than best-in-class. But for affiliates who also sell products and recruit affiliates, the unified platform beats stitching five tools together.
Kartra's behavioral automation reacts to what subscribers do: video watches, page visits and email engagement trigger tailored sequences. The membership features let affiliates build communities around their recommendations. Helpdesk integration supports the audience. For digital marketers running complex affiliate businesses, the unified data, every interaction in one profile, powers personalization simpler tools cannot.
What we like- Everything in one: email, funnels, memberships, affiliate management
- Built for digital marketers
Watch out for- Expensive
- Learning curve
- Jack-of-all-trades depth
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Drip built its name on ecommerce email: behavioral triggers, revenue attribution, and automation that ties emails to purchases. Affiliates in the ecommerce and DTC space get segmentation and workflows matched to buying behavior.
Content affiliates find it ecommerce-heavy, and pricing scales with subscribers. But for affiliates promoting physical products with purchase-intent audiences, Drip's ecommerce DNA fits.
What we like- Ecommerce-focused automation
- Good segmentation
- Visual workflow builder
Watch out for- Ecommerce-centric
- Pricing grows with list
- Less suited to content affiliates
The affiliate terms warning
This matters more than features: many email platforms prohibit or restrict affiliate marketing, and building a list on a platform that bans your business model ends in a closed account. Mailchimp famously restricts affiliate links. Before committing, read the terms of service specifically for affiliate marketing, and prefer platforms with explicit permission: GetResponse, AWeber and Kit state it clearly.
Protect yourself regardless: use your own domain for links, keep lists opt-in and clean, avoid spammy tactics, and export your list regularly. The platform is rented land; the list is your asset only if you can take it with you.
How we chose
We selected platforms with real affiliate marketer adoption and workable terms for affiliate content. We reviewed terms of service, automation features and deliverability reputations, and verified each vendor's current status, noting Kit's rebrand from ConvertKit and Brevo's from Sendinblue.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do affiliate marketing with email?
Yes, on affiliate-friendly platforms. Build an opt-in list, recommend products you trust, disclose affiliate relationships per FTC rules, and use platforms whose terms allow it.
Which email platforms allow affiliate marketing?
GetResponse, AWeber and Kit explicitly allow it. Others like MailerLite and ActiveCampaign permit it with restrictions. Always check current terms; Mailchimp restricts affiliate links.
How much does email marketing for affiliates cost?
From free (MailerLite, Brevo, Systeme.io tiers) to $15-50 monthly starting plans, scaling with list size. Factor list growth into long-term costs.
How do I avoid spam complaints?
Only email opt-in subscribers, set expectations at signup, recommend relevant products, include clear unsubscribe, and maintain list hygiene. Reputation is everything in affiliate email.
Should I use funnels or just email?
Both work. Email alone suits content creators with engaged audiences. Funnels (Systeme.io, Kartra) suit paid traffic and launch-style promotions. Start with email; add funnels when you have traffic to convert.
Do I need to disclose affiliate links?
Yes. FTC rules require clear disclosure of affiliate relationships. Disclose in emails containing affiliate links; it also builds trust with your audience.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.getresponse.com/
- https://www.aweber.com/
- https://kit.com/
- https://www.mailerlite.com/
- https://www.activecampaign.com/
- https://www.brevo.com/
- https://moosend.com/
- https://systeme.io/
- https://kartra.com/
- https://www.drip.com/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.