Best Affiliate Link Tools for Creators in 2026: An Honest Comparison

The affiliate page problem

If you recommend products — on YouTube, a blog, a podcast, Instagram, anywhere — you've probably tried to find a good tool for organizing your affiliate links into something shareable. And you've probably been disappointed.

The options range from fashion-first platforms that technically support gear (LTK) to link-in-bio tools that weren't designed for products (Linktree) to storefronts locked into one retailer (Amazon) to tools that don't exist anymore (Kit.co, Collective Voice). Each one solves part of the problem while creating new ones.

Here's what's actually out there, what each tool does well, and where each one falls short. Real commission rates. Real pricing. No fluff.

Teed — purpose-built for gear and product pages

What it is. A platform specifically designed for curating and sharing product collections — "bags" of gear — with affiliate link support built in. If the thing you need is "a shareable page of products I use with affiliate links," this is the most direct solution.

What's genuinely good.

• Purpose-built for the use case. Products get visual cards with photos, descriptions, and buy links. Collections ("bags") have sections for organizing by category — Camera Body, Lenses, Lighting, Audio. This is the core feature, not an afterthought bolted onto a link-in-bio tool.
• Context per product. Each item has a "why I chose this" field for the personal note that builds trust. "Switched from the Sony A7III after three years — the autofocus tracking alone was worth the upgrade" tells visitors this is a real recommendation.
• Any retailer. Amazon, B&H, REI, ShareASale, direct manufacturer links — your page isn't locked to one store. The platform auto-converts product links to your affiliate links if you've set up your tags.
• Built-in FTC disclosure. Automatic affiliate disclosure that appears when your bag has affiliate links. You don't have to remember to add it manually.
• AI identification. Snap a photo of a product and AI identifies it, pulling in details automatically. Fast item entry for physical products you have on hand.
• Permanent URLs. Your bag gets a clean URL like teed.so/u/yourname/studio-gear. One link for YouTube descriptions, Instagram bio, newsletters, anywhere.
• Embeddable. One line of HTML embeds your collection on any website — WordPress, Squarespace, Ghost, personal sites.

What's not. Newer platform. Doesn't have the consumer app install base of LTK (40M monthly users) or the ubiquity of Linktree. No built-in checkout for digital products — it's focused on physical product recommendations and gear curation.

Pricing: Free.

Best for: Anyone whose primary need is a shareable, credible gear or product page with affiliate links from multiple retailers. Photographers, golfers, tech reviewers, outdoor enthusiasts, home office setup creators — anyone answering "what do you use?"

Amazon Influencer Program / Storefronts

What it is. Amazon gives qualifying influencers a custom storefront at amazon.com/shop/YourHandle where you can organize Amazon products into "Idea Lists" with photos, descriptions, and shoppable videos.

What's genuinely good.

• Massive trust. People already buy from Amazon. Conversion rates are high because shoppers are in buying mode.
• Product data is automatic. Photos, prices, reviews, and availability all pull from Amazon's catalog — no manual data entry.
• Onsite commissions are passive income. Upload product review videos and Amazon surfaces them on product pages to its own shoppers. You earn commissions from Amazon's traffic without doing any promotion. These stack separately from your offsite commissions.
• Shoppable content. Lifestyle photos with tagged products, video reviews, and Amazon Live streams with real-time purchase carousels. Content formats are rich and growing.
• Creator Hub consolidation (2025). Amazon merged the Influencer dashboard, Amazon Live, and Creator Connections (brand deals) into a single interface. Content publishing, brand negotiations, and analytics all in one place.

Real commission rates.

| Category | Rate | |----------|------| | Amazon Games | 20% | | Luxury Beauty | 10% | | Digital Music, Handmade | 5% | | Physical Books, Kitchen, Automotive | 4.5% | | Fashion, Echo/Ring/Fire Devices, Watches, Luggage | 4% | | Toys, Home, Lawn & Garden, Pets, Sports, Outdoors, Beauty | 3% | | PC, PC Components | 2.5% | | TVs, Digital Video Games | 2% | | Grocery, Health & Personal Care, Physical Video Games | 1% | | Gift Cards, Wireless Plans, Alcohol | 0% |

That headline "up to 20%" only applies to Amazon Games. A $50 kitchen gadget at 3% earns you $1.50. Most everyday product categories pay 1–4%.

What's not.

• Amazon only. If the best version of a product is at B&H, REI, or a specialty retailer — too bad. Your storefront only links to Amazon.
• 24-hour cookie window. Most affiliate programs offer 30–90 day cookies. Amazon gives you 24 hours (though items added to cart extend to 90 days). People who browse today and buy next week earn you nothing.
• You look like Amazon, not you. Every storefront uses the same Amazon template. You can't change fonts, colors, or layout. Your profile photo and Idea List names are the only brand touches. No custom domain.
• Amazon owns your page. Per their TOS, Amazon reserves all rights to your Influencer Page and URL. They can change appearance, display advertising, or modify functionality without notice.
• Commission rate cuts without warning. Amazon slashed rates overnight in April 2020 (Home/Garden went from 8% to 3%, Grocery from 5% to 1%). Creators have zero negotiating power.
• 60-day payment delay. Commissions are paid approximately 60 days after the month they were earned. January earnings arrive in late March at the earliest.

Pricing: Free to join.

Best for: Creators whose audience buys primarily from Amazon and who don't need products from other retailers. Strong supplemental income stream alongside other tools.

LTK (formerly LIKEtoKNOW.it / rewardStyle)

What it is. The largest creator commerce platform, founded in 2011. LTK connects creators to 8,000+ retailers and 1 million brands, driving nearly $5 billion in annual retail sales. It has a consumer shopping app with 40 million monthly users.

What's genuinely good.

• Highest commission rates in the space. Average brand commission rate on LTK is ~16%, with ranges of 10–30%. Significantly higher than Amazon's 1–4% on most categories.
• Massive consumer audience. 40 million monthly shoppers use the LTK app. You're not just sharing links to your existing followers — LTK's own audience discovers your recommendations. 67% of users repeatedly return to search for the same creators.
• Full-cart attribution. Cookie-based tracking means you earn on everything the shopper buys during the attribution window (7–30 days depending on retailer), not just the item they clicked.
• Video-first shopping (2024–2025 pivot). The app now resembles a shoppable TikTok — creators upload short-form video reviews with tagged products. Videos drive 2x more purchases and 64% more click-outs than static content.
• Product Commission Comparison (2024). Creators can see and compare commission rates across retailers when tagging the same product, choosing the highest-paying option.
• 450 million products from 8,000+ retailers searchable in the platform.

What's not.

• Fashion and beauty first, everything else second. LTK's consumer base overwhelmingly comes for fashion, beauty, and home inspiration. If you're a tech reviewer, golf gear creator, or outdoor enthusiast, the audience engagement on LTK won't match what fashion creators see.
• App download friction. When you share an LTK link from Instagram Stories, new users get redirected to download the LTK app before they can buy. That extra step kills conversions for first-time visitors.
• Selective approval. You need at least 4 months of original, high-quality, shoppable content. No official follower minimum, but ~5,000+ engaged followers on Instagram/TikTok is the practical threshold. Non-fashion niches have a harder time getting accepted.
• Partner products only. You can only link products from LTK partner brands and retailers. If a product isn't in their network, you can't link it — no matter how much your audience wants it.
• Favoritism and diversity concerns. Creator communities have criticized LTK for favoring certain aesthetic types and lacking inclusive practices.
• Payment protection gaps. Some creators report problems with unpaid brand collaborations and insufficient protection mechanisms.

Pricing: Free for approved creators (LTK earns from the retailer side).

Best for: Fashion, beauty, and home creators with 5,000+ engaged followers who want high commission rates and access to a built-in shopping audience. Not the strongest fit for tech, outdoor, or niche gear categories.

ShopMy

What it is. A newer creator affiliate platform (raised $18.5M in funding) that's growing rapidly as an LTK alternative. Creators build permanent, searchable storefronts of product recommendations organized by category.

What's genuinely good.

• Link any product from any site. Unlike LTK, you can link products even without a commission arrangement. The link still works for shoppers. Your storefront stays complete — no gaps because a retailer isn't partnered.
• Lower barrier to entry. Minimum ~1,000 engaged followers (vs LTK's effective ~5,000). Easier approval process.
• Brand transparency. Brands can see exactly which creators drive their sales. This transparency attracts better brand deals compared to platforms where attribution is opaque.
• Weekly payments. Paid every Friday via PayPal or Stripe. Compare that to Amazon's 60-day delay or LTK's monthly cycles.
• Consumer-facing Circles (2025). Shoppers create accounts, build AI-driven taste profiles, and discover products across multiple creators' recommendations. An emerging consumer audience.
• Tier system. Four tiers (Enthusiast → Ambassador → Trendsetter → Icon) based on activity and sales, unlocking cash bonuses, brand chat access, gifting requests, and priority for opportunities.

What's not.

• Commission rates vary widely. Typically 1–20%, with some brands up to 50% — but practical averages for many categories are 3–5%. Lower than LTK's ~16% average for fashion.
• Fashion-leaning. Strong in fashion, beauty, home, and lifestyle. Growing into other verticals, but the platform culture skews fashion like most creator commerce tools.
• No mature consumer app yet. Circles launched in 2025 and a mobile app is planned for 2026, but it doesn't have LTK's 40M monthly user base. You're mostly driving your own traffic.
• Not a link-in-bio replacement. ShopMy is a product storefront — you'd still need Linktree or similar for non-product links.

Pricing: Free for creators.

Best for: Creators who want an LTK-like affiliate storefront with a lower barrier to entry and the ability to link products from any retailer, regardless of partnership status.

Linktree (and link-in-bio tools)

What it is. The most popular link-in-bio tool with 50M+ users. Originally a list of links for Instagram bios, now expanding into creator commerce with Linktree Shops (launched April 2025).

What's genuinely good.

• Ubiquitous. Everyone knows what it is. Simple setup. Quick to add links.
• Linktree Shops (2025). U.S. creators can now build a shoppable storefront within Linktree. Paste a product URL and it auto-generates product images, titles, and prices. Products display as visual cards in a dedicated Shop tab.
• Sponsored Links. Brands pay creators directly for placement on their Linktree (CPA model, with CPM/CPC planned). Early partners include Hulu, Sam's Club, and Harry's.
• Unified earnings. New "Wallet" feature houses all earnings from courses, digital products, sponsored links, and Linktree Shops in one place.
• Course sales via Kajabi. Build and sell courses directly on Linktree with Stripe integration.

What's not.

• Product sharing is secondary. Linktree's core is still a list of links. The Shops feature is new and the product card experience doesn't match purpose-built tools. Collections exist but there's no hierarchical categorization or in-shop search for visitors.
• Commission opacity. On Free, Starter, and Pro plans, Linktree takes a cut of affiliate commissions earned through Linktree Shops — baked into the displayed rate so you never see a separate deduction. You need Premium ($24/mo) for 0% Linktree cut.
• U.S. only for Shops and Sponsored Links.
• 2.3-second average load time vs industry standard ~1.5 seconds.
• Limited customization on Free tier. Linktree branding visible, minimal design control, no custom domain.
• Customer support issues. Consistently cited pain point — slow responses, billing/cancellation difficulties.

Pricing.

| Plan | Price | Shops Commission Cut | |------|-------|---------------------| | Free | $0 | Linktree takes a cut | | Starter | $5/mo | Linktree takes a cut | | Pro | $9/mo | Linktree takes a cut | | Premium | $24/mo | 0% — you keep everything |

Best for: Creators who need a quick link-in-bio for socials and want to add some product links as a secondary feature. Not ideal as a primary gear or product page.

Howl (formerly Narrativ)

What it is. The leading creator affiliate platform for tech, gaming, and wellness — the categories that LTK and ShopMy underserve. Founded by Li Haslett Chen, Howl has crossed $1.1 billion in creator-led sales with $100 million paid out to creators.

What's genuinely good.

• Built for non-fashion categories. Gaming, consumer tech, headphones, cameras, wearables, fitness equipment, supplements. This is where Howl dominates while LTK and ShopMy focus on fashion.
• Higher-than-average payouts. Average creator payout of $4,348 (as of Q2 2025) — reportedly 2x the industry average. Conversion rates 3x higher than industry standards.
• Major brand partnerships. Samsung, Target, Walmart, and other major electronics and retail brands.
• Superlinks. Instantly generate authenticated tracking links during product launches with dynamic compensation based on sales impact.
• Real-time analytics. See exactly which content drives conversions immediately, not weeks later.

What's not.

• Category-specific. If you're not in tech, gaming, or wellness, this isn't your platform. No fashion, beauty, or lifestyle focus.
• Newer platform. Growing fast but doesn't have the established creator network of LTK.
• Net 30–90 day payments depending on the brand. Not as fast as ShopMy's weekly payouts.
• Limited public information. Less transparent about exact commission rates and tier structures than competitors.

Pricing: Free for creators.

Best for: Tech reviewers, gaming creators, and wellness/fitness content creators who find LTK and ShopMy too fashion-focused.

Beacons

What it is. An "all-in-one creator platform" combining link-in-bio, digital product sales, email marketing, media kits, and affiliate links. Positions itself as a one-stop shop for creator business tools.

What's genuinely good.

• Everything in one place. Link-in-bio, storefront, email marketing (50 emails/mo free), media kit, AI brand outreach, affiliate links, courses, and subscriptions.
• Affiliate Marketplace (April 2025). "Beacons for Brands" connects creators with brand campaigns, providing transparent conversion data.
• AI tools. AI-generated captions, emails, and media kits. AI brand outreach on paid plans.
• Visual storefront. Customizable product pages with thumbnail images and gallery support, optimized for mobile.

What's not.

• 9% transaction fee on Free and Creator Pro ($10/mo) plans — steep for product sellers. You need Store Pro ($30/mo) for 0% fees.
• Tries to do too much. Common criticism is that it feels like "opening a junk drawer." Overwhelming if you just want a clean product page.
• 2-star Trustpilot rating, 3.6-star App Store. Customer service is a known weakness.
• No physical product sales or inventory. Digital products only for direct sales. Affiliate links for external products.

Pricing.

| Plan | Price | Transaction Fee | |------|-------|----------------| | Free | $0 | 9% on sales | | Creator Pro | $10/mo | 9% on sales | | Store Pro | $30/mo | 0% | | Business Pro | $90/mo | 0% |

Best for: Creators selling digital products (courses, ebooks, templates) who also want affiliate links as a secondary feature. Overkill if you just need a gear page.

Stan Store

What it is. A creator commerce platform focused entirely on selling digital products — courses, memberships, coaching sessions, and digital downloads.

What's genuinely good.

• 0% transaction fees on all plans. Unlike Beacons' 9% on lower tiers, Stan takes no cut.
• Clean checkout experience. One-click purchase flow optimized for social media traffic.
• Turn customers into affiliates. Buyers automatically get unique affiliate links to promote your products and earn commissions you set.

What's not.

• No physical product support at all. No shipping, inventory, or product cards for external goods. Not designed for "here's my gear" pages.
• No free plan. $29/mo minimum ($99/mo for Pro features like email marketing, discount codes, and affiliate commissions).
• Discontinued Funnels feature (February 2025). The platform is narrowing scope, not expanding.
• Not an affiliate tool for others' products. It's for selling your own digital goods.

Pricing: $29/mo (Creator) or $99/mo (Creator Pro). 14-day free trial. No free tier.

Best for: Creators selling their own digital products. Not relevant for physical product recommendations or gear pages.

Kit.co (discontinued — absorbed into Kit/ConvertKit)

What it was. The closest thing to a purpose-built affiliate gear page. Founded in 2015, Kit.co let creators organize products into curated "kits" — themed bundles with photos, descriptions, and affiliate links from any retailer. Popular among YouTubers, photographers, and tech reviewers. Casey Neistat and Tim Ferriss were notable users.

The ownership chain. Patreon acquired Kit.co in June 2018 as an acqui-hire. Patreon sold it to Geniuslink in September 2019 after just one year. Geniuslink operated it for five years before selling it to ConvertKit (now rebranded as "Kit") in October 2024.

What happened. The original Kit.co product-curation experience is gone. Kit (ConvertKit) is an email marketing platform — a completely different product. The Kit.co domain redirects to Kit's creator network recommendation feature, which is about cross-promoting newsletters, not curating gear.

What creators lost. A simple, standalone gear page with affiliate links, zero platform fees, community-driven product suggestions, and video embeds for explaining picks. If you had a Kit.co page, your product links, organization, and context are gone.

The lesson. Your affiliate page tool shouldn't depend on being acquired to survive. Kit.co changed hands three times in six years before the original product disappeared entirely.

Also gone: Collective Voice (formerly ShopStyle). Announced wind-down in December 2025. Links track until March 2026, final payment July 2026, full closure July 2026. Another creator affiliate platform that didn't survive.

Notion / Google Sheets

What it is. General-purpose tools repurposed for product lists. Worth mentioning because a surprising number of creators use them.

What's genuinely good. Flexible. You own the data. Notion looks decent when published.

What's not. No product cards with images (not practically). No clean mobile experience — open a shared Google Sheet on your phone and try tapping a product link. No affiliate link management. No FTC disclosure. Notion published pages load slowly and feel like documents, not product pages. A Google Sheets URL is 80 characters of random letters with no social preview.

Best for: Personal tracking, serial numbers, warranty dates, purchase history. Not for public-facing product pages. See also: Why Your Gear Spreadsheet Isn't Working.

The comparison

| Feature | Teed | Amazon Storefront | LTK | ShopMy | Linktree | Howl | |---------|------|-------------------|-----|--------|----------|------| | Purpose-built for gear/products | Yes | Yes (Amazon only) | Yes (fashion-first) | Yes (fashion-first) | No (link-in-bio) | Yes (tech/gaming) | | Product photos | Auto + manual | Auto from Amazon | Auto from retailers | Auto from retailers | Auto from URL | N/A | | Multiple retailers | Any | Amazon only | Partner brands only | Any (even without commission) | Any (Shops: select brands) | Partner brands | | Sections/organization | Drag-and-drop sections | Idea Lists | Collections | Collections | Collections (basic) | N/A | | Context per product | "Why I chose this" field | Product comments | Caption/description | Notes | None | N/A | | Commission rates | Your own affiliate rates | 1–20% (most 1–4%) | 10–30% (avg ~16%) | 1–50% (avg 3–5%) | Opaque on free tiers | Higher than avg | | Platform commission cut | 0% | 0% | 0% (retailer pays) | 0% | Cut on non-Premium | 0% | | Minimum followers | None | Engagement-based | ~5,000 effective | ~1,000 | None | Not specified | | Consumer app/audience | No | Amazon shoppers | 40M monthly users | Circles (new) | No | No | | FTC disclosure | Built in | Built in | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual | | Embeddable on your site | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | | Mobile experience | Optimized | Good | Good (app) | Good | Good (2.3s load) | Good | | Cost | Free | Free | Free (if approved) | Free | Free–$24/mo | Free | | Custom domain | No | No (amazon.com/shop/) | No | No | Pro+ plans | No |

What to actually pick

If your primary need is a gear or product recommendation page — a permanent, organized collection of things you use with affiliate links from any retailer, context for every pick, and a clean URL you can share anywhere: Teed. It's the most direct solution for the "what's in my bag?" use case.

If you're a fashion, beauty, or home creator with 5,000+ followers and want access to the highest commission rates and a built-in shopping audience of 40 million: LTK. The commission rates (avg ~16%) are significantly higher than other platforms, and the consumer app drives real discovery.

If you want an LTK-like storefront with a lower barrier and the ability to link products from any site regardless of partnership: ShopMy. Weekly payouts and brand transparency are genuine advantages.

If you review tech, gaming, or fitness gear and find fashion-first platforms a poor fit: Howl. Purpose-built for the categories where expert opinions drive high-ticket purchases.

If you're already earning from Amazon and want passive onsite commissions: Amazon Influencer Program as a supplement. Upload product videos, earn from Amazon's own traffic. But don't make it your only channel — commission rates are low and you're locked to one retailer.

If you need a quick link-in-bio and want to add some product links as a secondary feature: Linktree. But consider a dedicated product page tool alongside it.

If you sell courses, ebooks, and digital products: Beacons (with affiliate links as a side feature) or Stan Store (digital-only, 0% fees).

The right answer depends on what you're optimizing for. If it's affiliate revenue from product recommendations specifically, you want the tool that makes your recommendations look the most credible. People click affiliate links when they trust the recommendation. Trust comes from context, organization, and authenticity — not from a longer list of products.

See also: Affiliate Links Without the Sleaze — how to share recommendations that build trust instead of eroding it.