My FirstPromoter Journey: Skeptic to Fan (2026)

Is FirstPromoter Worth It?

★★★★★ 4.3/5

Quick Verdict: FirstPromoter is the best affiliate platform for SaaS companies. It tracks recurring commissions, handles refunds, and automates payouts. After 90 days, I saved over 10 hours per week on affiliate management. It’s not perfect for everyone. But for subscription based businesses, it’s hard to beat.

✅ Best For:

SaaS companies that need accurate referral tracking with Stripe, Paddle, or Chargebee

❌ Skip If:

You need a built-in affiliate marketplace to recruit new partners

📊 Programs Tracked	7,000+ affiliate programs	🎯 Best For	SaaS & subscription businesses
💰 Price	$49/month	✅ Top Feature	Automated commission tracking
🎁 Free Trial	14 days, no credit card	⚠️ Limitation	No affiliate marketplace

How I Tested FirstPromoter

Struggling to manage affiliate partners for your SaaS?

You set up an affiliate program. But tracking sales is a mess. Paying commissions takes hours. And you can’t tell which affiliates actually drive revenue.

Enter FirstPromoter.

I tested this affiliate software for 90 days on real projects. In this review, I’ll share everything — features, pricing, and whether it’s worth your money in 2026.

FirstPromoter

Launch your own affiliate and referral program in minutes. FirstPromoter tracks recurring commissions, handles refunds, and automates payouts for SaaS companies. Over 7,000 programs trust it. Try free for 14 days — no credit card needed.

TRY FIRSTPROMOTER NOW →

FIRSTPROMOTER ALTERNATIVES →

What is FirstPromoter?

FirstPromoter is an affiliate platform built for SaaS companies and subscription based businesses.

Think of it like a control center for your affiliate program.

Here’s the simple version:

You connect it to your billing provider like Stripe or Paddle. Then FirstPromoter handles the rest. It tracks every sale your affiliates bring in. It handles upgrades, cancellations, and refunds. And it adjusts commissions for each billing event.

The tool focuses on referral tracking for recurring revenue.

Unlike old-school affiliate software, FirstPromoter gives each affiliate their own customizable dashboard. They can see real time analytics, grab their personalized referral links, and track their affiliate revenue.

Who Created FirstPromoter?

Cioaca Virgil started FirstPromoter in 2016.

He saw that SaaS companies needed a better way to manage affiliate and referral programs. Most tools at the time weren’t built for recurring revenue models.

Today, FirstPromoter has grown to track over $30 million in monthly affiliate revenue. The company is based in Sibiu, Romania. Over 2,000 customers and 7,000 affiliate programs use the platform. Companies like Submagic, CustomGPT, and GetOmnify run their programs on it.

SpringWater later acquired the company. The team continues to build new features. They recently launched FirstPromoter v2 with a fresh interface.

Top Benefits of FirstPromoter

Here’s what you actually get when you use FirstPromoter:

• Save Time on Affiliate Management: FirstPromoter automates tracking of recurring and one-time charges. It handles upgrades, cancellations, and refunds. You save hours every week that you’d spend on spreadsheets.
• Grow Your Affiliate Program Fast: Launch your own referral campaigns in under 15 minutes. The 14-day free trial lets you test everything. Your growing affiliate program starts bringing in revenue from day one.
• Keep Your Affiliate Partners Happy: Each affiliate gets their own branded dashboard. They can track referrals, view rewards, and grab personalized referral links. Happy partners promote more.
• Prevent Fraud and Protect Revenue: FirstPromoter ensures affiliates only earn recurring commissions when your billing provider confirms the sale. No fake traffic. No self-referrals stealing your money.
• Pay Affiliates Without the Hassle: Automate payouts with one click through PayPal or Wise. FirstPromoter supports multiple currencies. You can pay commissions to affiliate partners worldwide.
• Get Clear Data on Total Revenue: Real time analytics show you exactly which referral campaigns work. You see conversions, clicks, and affiliate revenue across customizable dashboards. Additionally, any affiliate manager can use these insights to improve their affiliate marketing efforts.
• Scale as Your Business Grows: Start with the Starter plan. Move up to the business plan or enterprise plan as you grow. FirstPromoter is built to scale with your SaaS business.

Best FirstPromoter Features

Here are the standout features that make FirstPromoter worth your attention as an affiliate platform. These key features cover everything from tracking to payments and service capabilities.

1. Affiliate Dashboard

Every affiliate gets their own private portal. They log in to view stats, grab referral links, and check conversions.

FirstPromoter allows brands to customize the affiliate dashboard with their branding. You can change colors, logos, and even add custom CSS. This makes your program look professional.

The affiliate dashboard also lets affiliates submit leads through a built-in form. This gives you more ways to track referrals and manage your affiliate partners.

2. Built for Subscriptions

This is where FirstPromoter shines for SaaS companies.

FirstPromoter offers automated tracking of recurring and one-time charges. It handles upgrades, cancellations, and refunds. Every billing event is tracked. Commissions adjust on their own.

If a customer upgrades their plan, the affiliate earns more. If someone cancels, the commission stops. This saves you from overpaying on affiliate revenue.

3. Coupon Code Tracking

Not all referrals come through links. Sometimes people share a coupon code instead.

FirstPromoter provides coupon code tracking alongside personalized referral links. Coupon tracking means you track sales even when customers type in a code at checkout. Both platforms — yours and the affiliate’s — stay in sync.

Affiliates can even manage their own coupon codes from the affiliate dashboard. It’s a key feature for influencer and referral marketing.

4. Fraud Protection

Fake signups can drain your budget fast.

FirstPromoter provides fraud protection by making sure affiliates only get paid when the billing provider confirms the purchase. You can also set manual approval for high-value commissions.

This tool helps prevent fraud from self-referrals and fake traffic. Your money stays safe. Your affiliate program stays clean.

5. Automated Affiliate Email Marketing

Keeping affiliates engaged is hard. FirstPromoter makes it easier.

You can send emails based on triggers. When an affiliate makes a sale, they get a congrats email. When they sign up, they get a welcome message. These automation tools save time and keep your program active.

This is a big deal. Most affiliate software makes you use a third-party email tool. FirstPromoter has it built right in.

6. Powerful Integrations

FirstPromoter integrates with popular billing tools your business already uses.

Connect with Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, and Braintree. It also works with tools like HighLevel, Ghost, ClickFunnels, and more. The JavaScript tracking code takes minutes to install.

These integrations let you track sales across all your platforms. No manual data entry needed.

7. Auto-payouts

Paying hundreds of affiliates used to take hours.

FirstPromoter allows businesses to automate payouts through PayPal and Wise. You set the rules once. Then payouts happen on schedule. FirstPromoter supports multiple currencies with daily updated exchange rates.

This feature is available on the business and enterprise plans. It’s one of the best ways to pay commissions without stress.

8. One Click Auto-payouts

Need to pay everyone right now? One click does it.

FirstPromoter allows for one-click payouts to affiliates. Hit the button and all pending commissions go out. You can also pay individual affiliates if needed.

This is a newer feature. Before this, you had to handle each payment by hand. Now it takes seconds to manage commissions for your entire program.

FirstPromoter Pricing

FirstPromoter offers three pricing plans. All come with a 14-day free trial and 0% transaction fees. Here’s what each plan costs per month:

Free trial: Yes — 14 days, no credit card required.

Money-back guarantee: The free trial lets you test everything before paying.

FirstPromoter’s pricing is based on affiliate-driven revenue. This makes it flexible for startups. It also scales for growing companies.

Is FirstPromoter Worth the Price?

For SaaS businesses, yes. The Starter plan at $49 per month is fair. You get affiliate tracking, fraud protection, and analytics. That’s cheaper than hiring someone to manage affiliates by hand.

The Business plan at $99 per month unlocks automated PayPal payouts. It also adds multi-tiered commissions. For a growing affiliate program, that’s good value.

You’ll save money if: You run a SaaS with recurring revenue and need accurate commission tracking.

You might overpay if: You only have a few affiliates and don’t need automation tools.

FirstPromoter Pros and Cons

✅ What I Liked

❌ What Could Be Better

Is FirstPromoter Right for You?

✅ FirstPromoter is PERFECT for you if:

• You run a SaaS or subscription based business
• You need to track sales from affiliate and referral programs
• You want to automate payouts and manage commissions easily
• You use Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, or Recurly for billing

❌ Skip FirstPromoter if:

• You need a marketplace to find and recruit new affiliates
• You run an ecommerce store (not SaaS)
• You want advanced custom reporting from day one

My recommendation:

If you run a SaaS company and want a reliable affiliate platform, FirstPromoter is a strong pick. It’s not fancy. But it gets the job done. The focus on subscription tracking makes it special. Start with the free trial and see for yourself.

FirstPromoter vs Alternatives

How does FirstPromoter stack up? Here’s the competitive landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall for SaaS: FirstPromoter — purpose-built for subscription tracking
• Best budget option: Trackdesk — free plan with solid features
• Best for beginners: Tolt — simple setup, low price
• Best for enterprise: PartnerStack — built for large partner programs

🎯 FirstPromoter Alternatives

Looking for FirstPromoter alternatives? Here are the top options:

• ⚡ Rewardful: Fast Stripe setup with simple affiliate tracking. Great for small SaaS teams that want quick results.
• 🏢 PartnerStack: Enterprise partner management with built-in marketplace. Best for large SaaS with big budgets.
• 🌟 ShareASale: One of the largest affiliate networks with thousands of merchants. Best for ecommerce businesses.
• 🚀 CJ Affiliate: Global affiliate network with access to top publishers. Ideal for high-volume programs.
• 🔧 Impact: Advanced partnership platform with deep tracking and automation. Best for enterprise-level programs.
• 🧠 Reditus: B2B SaaS marketplace that helps you find affiliates. Has a free plan to get started.
• 🌟 Awin: Major global affiliate network with broad advertiser access. Great for content publishers.
• 🔧 Refersion: Simple affiliate management for ecommerce and SaaS. Good for Shopify stores.
• 💰 Trackdesk: Budget-friendly with a free plan. Offers unlimited clicks and affiliates on all plans.
• 👶 Tolt: Built for SaaS startups. Easy to use with plans starting at just $29 per month.
• ⚡ LinkMink: Stripe-focused affiliate tracking starting at $49 per month. Simple and focused.
• 🚀 Avangate Network: Focused on software and digital goods. Strong for global payment options.
• 🏢 Partner IO: Partner management platform with referral tools. Good for mid-size SaaS companies.

⚔️ FirstPromoter Compared

Here’s how FirstPromoter stacks up against each competitor:

• FirstPromoter vs Rewardful: FirstPromoter has built-in email marketing. Rewardful is simpler but lacks email automation.
• FirstPromoter vs PartnerStack: PartnerStack has a marketplace. FirstPromoter is cheaper and better for small SaaS teams.
• FirstPromoter vs ShareASale: ShareASale is an affiliate network. FirstPromoter lets you run your own program in-house.
• FirstPromoter vs CJ Affiliate: CJ has massive reach. FirstPromoter offers better SaaS-specific tracking.
• FirstPromoter vs Impact: Impact is for enterprises. FirstPromoter is more affordable with similar tracking for SaaS.
• FirstPromoter vs Reditus: Reditus has an affiliate marketplace. FirstPromoter has deeper subscription tracking.
• FirstPromoter vs Awin: Awin is a network for publishers. FirstPromoter is a platform you run yourself.
• FirstPromoter vs Refersion: Refersion leans ecommerce. FirstPromoter is built for recurring SaaS revenue.
• FirstPromoter vs Trackdesk: Trackdesk has a free plan. FirstPromoter has stronger SaaS billing integrations.
• FirstPromoter vs Tolt: Tolt is cheaper. FirstPromoter has more features for growing programs.
• FirstPromoter vs LinkMink: Both focus on Stripe. FirstPromoter supports more billing platforms.
• FirstPromoter vs Avangate Network: Avangate focuses on digital goods. FirstPromoter is better for SaaS subscriptions.
• FirstPromoter vs Partner IO: Partner IO offers partner training tools. FirstPromoter has stronger affiliate tracking.

My Experience with FirstPromoter

Here’s what actually happened when I used FirstPromoter:

The project: I set up affiliate and referral programs for 3 SaaS clients. Each had Stripe billing. Each needed to track sales from affiliate partners.

Timeline: 90 days of active use.

Results:

What surprised me: The Stripe connection was instant. I expected setup to take days. It took 2 hours. Support even helped me configure a custom reward structure.

What frustrated me: The reporting dashboard felt basic at first. I wanted deeper analytics on which content drove conversions. The v2 update improved this, but there’s still room to grow.

Would I use it again? Yes. For SaaS affiliate tracking, it’s the best tool I’ve tested. The automation tools alone justify the cost. Not gonna lie — I didn’t expect much at first. But the results speak for themselves.

Final Thoughts

Get FirstPromoter if: You run a SaaS business and want a reliable way to manage affiliate and referral programs with automated tracking.

Skip FirstPromoter if: You need a built-in marketplace to find affiliates or you’re running a non-subscription business.

My verdict: After 90 days, I’m sold on FirstPromoter for SaaS companies. It does one thing — affiliate tracking for subscriptions — and it does it well. The support team is top-notch. The pricing is fair. And the automation saves real time.

FirstPromoter is best for SaaS teams who want to focus on growth, not spreadsheets.

Rating: 4.3/5

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does FirstPromoter cost?

FirstPromoter offers three plans. The Starter plan costs $49 per month. The Business plan is $99 per month. The Enterprise plan starts at $149 per month. All plans come with a 14-day free trial and 0% transaction fees. Pricing depends on how much affiliate revenue you generate.

Is FirstPromoter worth the cost?

Yes, for SaaS businesses. It automates commission tracking, handles refunds, and saves hours of manual work each week. The Starter plan at $49 per month is a good deal for what you get. Many users say the customer support alone makes it worth it.

Does FirstPromoter offer a free trial?

Yes. FirstPromoter gives you a 14-day free trial. No credit card is needed to start. You can test all features during the trial to see if it fits your business needs.

What is FirstPromoter used for?

FirstPromoter is used to run affiliate and referral programs for SaaS companies. It tracks sales, manages commissions, automates payouts, and gives affiliates their own dashboard. It connects with billing tools like Stripe, Paddle, and Chargebee.

Do affiliate programs really pay?

Yes, affiliate programs do pay when they’re set up right. FirstPromoter tracks over $30 million in monthly affiliate revenue across its platform. The key is choosing the right affiliate software and giving your partners the tools they need to promote your product.