Below is a focused, up-to-date comparison of the leading affiliate marketing platforms for Shopify stores (information checked on and current as of Sep 4, 2025). I include best-use cases, key features, starting pricing, pros/cons, and quick recommendations so you can pick the right tool for your store.

Top picks by use-case (short)

• Best overall for most Shopify merchants: UpPromote (good feature set, free tier, easy Shopify integration). (apps.shopify.com)
• Best for scaling / enterprise & Shopify Plus: Refersion (robust tracking, advanced commissions, marketplace, multi-store support). (apps.shopify.com, refersion.com)
• Best budget / small stores: GoAffPro or RecomSale (free plans with useful features; upgradeable). (apps.shopify.com)
• Best for white-label / advanced program control: Tapfiliate or Post Affiliate Pro (white‑label, large-volume tracking, advanced rules). (tapfiliate.com, postaffiliatepro.com)
• Best for custom/enterprise integrations: Post Affiliate Pro or Tapfiliate (API, S2S, high tracking quotas). (postaffiliatepro.com, tapfiliate.com)

Detailed platform-by-platform comparison

1. UpPromote (Affiliate, influencer & referral)

• Best for: Most merchants who want a combined affiliate + referral solution and a low starting cost.
• Starting price: Free plan available; paid plans from ~$29.99/mo with per‑sale service fees on some tiers; higher tiers add automation, PayPal auto‑payout and 1099 generation. (apps.shopify.com)
• Key features: Unlimited affiliates on free plan, link & coupon tracking, automated emails, fraud protection, affiliate portal, PayPal auto‑payout on paid plans, marketplace listing. (apps.shopify.com)
• Pros: Excellent value, very high Shopify App Store rating, 24/7 in‑app chat support, easy setup. (apps.shopify.com)
• Cons: Some merchants report edge-case tracking/refund handling issues on large volumes; advanced features gated to paid tiers. (apps.shopify.com)

2. Refersion

• Best for: Medium → large stores and Shopify Plus merchants needing robust attribution, product/SKU‑level commissions and marketplace recruiting.
• Starting price: Launch/Growth/Scale tiers; Shopify listing shows plans starting around $39–$129/mo but typical featureed “Professional/Business” pricing is higher (see vendor pricing for full tiers and conversion limits). Refersion uses monthly fees + a % fee in some plans. (apps.shopify.com, refersion.com)
• Key features: First‑party tracking (no reliance on 3rd‑party cookies), SKU/email/discount tracking, one‑click payouts, tax/form management, multi‑store support and API/webhooks on higher tiers. (apps.shopify.com, refersion.com)
• Pros: Enterprise-grade features and reporting, scalable, good support for complex commission logic and Shopify Plus. (apps.shopify.com)
• Cons: More expensive than basic apps; pricing models can include conversion limits and usage fees—verify your expected monthly referral volume. (refersion.com)

3. Tapfiliate

• Best for: Merchants who want a white‑label, standalone affiliate platform with API + S2S tracking and deeper customization.
• Starting price: Plans commonly start at about $89/mo (Essential) and $149/mo (Pro); enterprise for high volumes. Click/conversion overage pricing is used. (tapfiliate.com, apps.shopify.com)
• Key features: Deep-linking, recurring commissions, multi-level/bonus systems, custom domain and white‑label on higher plans, integrations and automated payouts via Trolley. (tapfiliate.com)
• Pros: Good for white‑label programs and agencies, solid reporting and automation. (tapfiliate.com)
• Cons: Higher base price than simple Shopify apps; overage charges for clicks/conversions can add cost with heavy traffic. (tapfiliate.com)

4. LeadDyno

• Best for: Stores that want strong support, easy Shopify setup, and affiliate recruiting features.
• Starting price: Vendor pricing tiers commonly start around $49/mo and scale to several hundred per month depending on features and quotas. (leaddyno.com)
• Key features: Discount-code & link tracking, recurring commissions, fraud prevention, PayPal payouts, affiliate groups, email marketing integrations, and store refund sync. (leaddyno.com)
• Pros: Good balance of features and support; long-standing provider. (leaddyno.com)
• Cons: Higher tiers required for big programs; UI/UX is more utilitarian than some newer apps. (leaddyno.com)

5. GoAffPro

• Best for: New/small stores on a tight budget that still want a fully functional affiliate portal.
• Starting price: Free plan available; premium plan ~ $49/mo for advanced features; enterprise plans also available. (goaffpro.com, apps.shopify.com)
• Key features: Unlimited affiliates on free tier, branded portal, mobile apps for affiliates, MLM and advanced options on paid plans. (apps.shopify.com, goaffpro.com)
• Pros: Very affordable; generous free tier; easy Shopify integration. (apps.shopify.com)
• Cons: Some advanced features only on paid plans; support & reliability vary by store size. (apps.shopify.com)

6. Affiliatly

• Best for: Simple affiliate needs and stores that want a low-cost, easy-to-configure app.
• Starting price: Plans from about $16/mo and scale by number of active affiliates; no commission fees from the vendor. (apps.shopify.com)
• Key features: Link/coupon/SKU/email tracking, custom pages, analytics, integration with common tools. (apps.shopify.com)
• Pros: Low price and straightforward feature set. (apps.shopify.com)
• Cons: Interface and support rankings are mixed; may lack advanced automations for larger programs. (apps.shopify.com)

7. Post Affiliate Pro

• Best for: Complex/enterprise affiliate networks and merchants that need heavy customization and very high tracking quotas.
• Starting price: Pro/Ultimate/Network tiers (e.g., Pro ~ €119/mo annually; Ultimate/Network higher). Designed for heavy tracking volumes and integrations. (postaffiliatepro.com)
• Key features: Massive tracking request allowances, advanced reward rules, performance rewards, white‑label, multiple admin accounts and network merchant features. (postaffiliatepro.com)
• Pros: Extremely flexible and powerful for large networks. (postaffiliatepro.com)
• Cons: Cost and setup complexity; often requires configuration help/agency work. (postaffiliatepro.com)

8. RecomSale / ReferrLy (and similar low-cost apps)

• Best for: Micro merchants who need a very low-cost or free start and want referral + affiliate combo features.
• Starting price: RecomSale has a free tier and cheap paid tiers ($9–$49/mo). Many similar apps offer free or <$30 plans. (apps.shopify.com, ecommerce-gold.com)
• Pros: Very cheap, easy onboarding, good for testing the channel. (apps.shopify.com, ecommerce-gold.com)
• Cons: Feature and security gaps reported (coupon leakage, limited controls) — read reviews carefully before committing. (apps.shopify.com, storecensus.com)

How to pick the right platform (short checklist)

• Volume & scale: If you expect many referred orders per month or use Shopify Plus, favor Refersion, Post Affiliate Pro or Tapfiliate. (apps.shopify.com, postaffiliatepro.com)
• Budget: If cost is the priority, start with UpPromote, GoAffPro or RecomSale (all offer free/cheap plans). (apps.shopify.com, goaffpro.com)
• Tracking reliability & privacy: If you need cookieless/first‑party tracking (important with browser privacy changes), prefer platforms explicitly offering server‑side/first‑party tracking (Refersion calls out first‑party tracking). (apps.shopify.com)
• Payout automation & tax forms: If you want automated payouts and tax form support, check Refersion and UpPromote’s paid plans (both support automated PayPal/Trolley payouts and tax handling on certain tiers). (apps.shopify.com)
• Customization & white label: If you need a custom portal on your domain or full white‑labeling, look at Tapfiliate, Post Affiliate Pro, GoAffPro (paid tiers) and higher UpPromote tiers. (tapfiliate.com, postaffiliatepro.com, goaffpro.com, apps.shopify.com)

Quick recommendations

• If you want an easy, low-risk starting point: install UpPromote (free) or GoAffPro (free) and run a pilot to validate affiliate ROI. (apps.shopify.com)
• If you expect to scale and need enterprise capabilities: choose Refersion or Post Affiliate Pro and negotiate onboarding/usage tiers aligned to your referral volume. (apps.shopify.com, postaffiliatepro.com)
• If you need white‑label + advanced automation: evaluate Tapfiliate (and its overage model) vs Post Affiliate Pro. Run a short proof-of-concept to measure real tracking/costs. (tapfiliate.com, postaffiliatepro.com)

Notes & next steps

• All platforms above offer free trials