Tapfiliate vs Refersion

These two charge for the same job in opposite ways, and the cheaper sticker depends on sales. Tapfiliate asks a flat monthly fee, $89 on Launch or $74 billed annually, and caps tracked volume per plan with stated overage rates. Refersion starts lower at $39 a month on Launch but adds 3 percent of affiliate-driven sales, and lists unlimited affiliates, clicks and conversions on Launch and Growth. Tapfiliate is a Dutch B.V. in Amsterdam-Duivendrecht, Refersion a New Jersey corporation with a Palo Alto address, and neither company's terms or home page name an owner.

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Both are reviewed in full in our affiliate marketing ranking: Tapfiliate and Refersion.

1. 01

   Flat fee against fee plus a slice of sales

   Tapfiliate Launch is $89 a month, or $74 a month billed annually, and Scale is $179 or $149. Refersion Launch is $39 a month ($29 annually) plus 3 percent of affiliate-driven sales, and Growth is $199 ($159) plus 2 percent. On monthly billing, Refersion Launch costs the same as Tapfiliate Launch at roughly $1,670 of affiliate sales a month. Below that Refersion is cheaper, above it Tapfiliate is. Annual billing lowers both fixed fees but not the Refersion percentage.

   Depends on the buyer

2. 02

   Caps on affiliates, clicks and conversions

   Tapfiliate Launch allows 50 affiliates, 500 conversions and 5,000 clicks a month, with overage at $1.5 per 1,000 clicks and $15 per 1,000 conversions. Scale allows 150 affiliates, 10,000 conversions and 100,000 clicks. Refersion lists unlimited affiliates and unlimited clicks and conversions on both Launch and Growth. A programme that expects a long tail of small affiliates meets Tapfiliate's limits first, and overage then adds to the bill each month, which makes forecasting harder.

   Edge: Refersion

3. 03

   Getting in without paying first

   Tapfiliate lists no free plan, but Launch and Scale each include a 14-day free trial, after which the subscription starts automatically and billing begins. Refersion mentions no free trial on the pricing page. Its Marketplace Listing is free, yet according to the FAQ you must buy a plan to review or approve affiliates, track referrals, manage commissions or issue payouts. Only Tapfiliate lets you run a real test before paying, and it should be cancelled in time.

   Edge: Tapfiliate

4. 04

   Tracking, payouts and connected apps

   Tapfiliate syncs Stripe transactions, tracks Shopify orders and commissions natively, connects to 5,000+ apps through Zapier, and tracks coupons for conversions without a click. Refersion offers first-party tracking links and pays affiliates automatically or manually by ACH, wire, Trolley, PayPal and others. Its footer names Shopify, WooCommerce and Stripe as integrations. Refersion gives more payout detail, Tapfiliate more on integrations and on coupon tracking, an area Refersion does not describe.

   Depends on the buyer

5. 05

   Team members and programmes per plan

   Tapfiliate states the limits: Launch has 1 programme and 1 team member, while Scale has unlimited programmes and 5 team members, plus 50 or 500 triggered notifications a month. Refersion gives no per-plan figure for orders, programmes or users on its pricing page. If you need several brands or several people working in the tool, Tapfiliate lets you check the numbers before you sign up, and can plan the upgrade date.

   Edge: Tapfiliate

6. 06

   Legal entity and governing law

   Tapfiliate B.V. is based at Joop Geesinkweg 701, Amsterdam-Duivendrecht, and its terms are governed by the laws of the Netherlands. Refersion, Inc. describes itself in its privacy policy as a New Jersey corporation, with a mailing address in Palo Alto, California. Neither site names a parent company or says how the product is hosted, so a buyer wanting a European contracting party gets that from Tapfiliate, whereas Refersion fits buyers who do not mind a US entity.

   Edge: Tapfiliate

At what sales level does Refersion's percentage overtake Tapfiliate's flat fee?

Comparing monthly Launch plans, $39 plus 3 percent equals $89 at about $1,670 of affiliate sales a month. Beyond that Tapfiliate Launch is cheaper, though it caps conversions and clicks. The Refersion Scale plan is a flat fee with no price shown.

Do I pay extra on Tapfiliate if my affiliates send more traffic?

Yes. Past the plan limits, Launch charges $1.5 per 1,000 clicks and $15 per 1,000 conversions, and Scale charges $1 and $10. Enterprise has tailored volumes.

Does Refersion work outside Shopify?

Its footer lists WooCommerce and Stripe as well as Shopify, without describing them. How deep the WooCommerce or Stripe support goes is not shown anywhere we looked.

• Tapfiliate pricing page: Launch and Scale prices, volume caps, overage rates, team members, 14-day trial.
• Tapfiliate terms: Amsterdam-Duivendrecht entity under Dutch law.
• Tapfiliate home page: Stripe, Shopify and Zapier integrations, coupon tracking.
• Refersion pricing page: Launch and Growth fees plus sales share, unlimited clicks and conversions, free Marketplace Listing.
• Refersion privacy policy: New Jersey corporation, Palo Alto mailing address.
• Refersion home page: first-party tracking links, payout methods, footer integrations.