Highest paying web hosting affiliate programs, and how they really pay
By the LinkedAffiliate team ·
Most hosting customers buy once and then forget about it for years. They pick a plan, pay for one to three years up front, point a domain at it and go back to building their site. That habit shapes how hosting programs pay, and it is why the number on a program page is only the start of the story.
This page ranks the web hosting programs in our directory by the best commission they publish, then covers what turns that number into money: fixed bounties against percentages, tiers that rise with volume, which plans qualify, what intro pricing does to a percentage, and how refunds and holds decide when you get paid.
Web hosting affiliate programs ranked by commission
These are the 14 web hosting programs in the directory with published terms, best rate first. The category covers shared, managed, VPS and cloud hosting, plus the domain and website tools often sold beside them. Each name links to its listing, where you can see every program the company runs, the terms we read and the page we read them from.
| Program | Best rate | Cookie window | Networks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Servebolt | 100% | 60 days | Direct (in-house) |
| SiteGround | 60% | 60 days | Direct (in-house) |
| HostSailor | 34% | 90 days | Direct (in-house) |
| Icedrive | 20% | 60 days | Direct (in-house) |
| UptimeRobot | 20% | 30 days | Direct (in-house) |
| Middlehost | 15% | 90 days | Direct (in-house) |
| Ecenica Hosting | 10% | 90 days | Direct (in-house) |
| Lifetime Commissions with Cherry Servers | 10% | 90 days | Direct (in-house) |
| BigCloudy | See listing | 365 days | Direct (in-house) |
| HostPapa | See listing | 30 days | Direct (in-house) |
Here is how the category looks as a whole:
- Programs with published terms
- 14
- Median best commission
- 20%
- across 8 programs that publish a percentage
- Median cookie window
- 60 days
- across 14 programs that publish one
The list is not every hosting program in the world, and it changes as we add programs and as companies correct their own listings. A program with no rate in the table states more than one rate, or a rate with conditions, so the listing shows the full terms instead of a single number. Use the table as a shortlist, then read the source page before you write about any one program.
Bounties, percentages and recurring shares
Hosting programs tend to pay in one of three shapes.
A fixed bounty per sale. You earn a set amount for each new customer, whatever plan they buy. This is common for shared hosting, where the plans are cheap and the company values the customer more than the first order.
A percentage of the sale. You earn a share of what the customer pays, so a longer term or a bigger plan pays more.
A recurring share. You earn a share of each payment for as long as the customer stays, or for a fixed period. This is more common with managed WordPress, cloud and VPS hosting, where customers pay monthly and the bills are larger.
None of these is better by default. Our guide to commission types shows how to put a fixed amount, a percentage and a recurring share on the same scale.
Is a fixed bounty or a percentage better for hosting?
It depends on what your readers buy. A fixed bounty pays the same for a cheap starter plan as for a bigger one, so it suits content aimed at beginners who pick the entry plan. A percentage grows with the order, so it suits readers who buy larger plans, longer terms or managed hosting. Work out both on the plan your reader is most likely to choose.
Tiers that rise with volume
Many hosting programs pay more per sale once you send more customers in a month. The first few sales pay the base bounty, and each tier above it pays a little more, sometimes for every sale that month and sometimes only for the sales above the threshold.
Read the tier table with your own numbers in mind. A top tier that needs dozens of sales a month means nothing to a site that sends three. Check, too, whether the tier resets each month and whether refunded sales still count towards it.
Which plans qualify
Hosting companies sell a lot of things besides hosting, and not all of them pay. Look for these in the terms:
- Domains on their own. A customer who only registers a domain often earns you nothing.
- Add-ons. Email, backups, SSL and site builders may be excluded, or paid at a lower rate.
- Monthly plans. Some programs only pay when the customer commits to a longer term, or pay less for a month-to-month plan.
- Free trials. A customer on a trial usually counts only once they pay.
If the plan your readers would sensibly pick does not qualify, the rate on the program page does not apply to them.
Intro prices and renewals
Hosting is often sold at a low introductory price that rises at renewal. A percentage program pays on what the customer actually pays at checkout, so it pays on the discounted first term, not on the price they will see later.
Most percentage programs pay on that first purchase only. A few pay on renewals too, which can be worth a lot with hosting, because customers rarely move once a site is live. The terms page says which kind it is. Renewal income takes a year or more to arrive, so count it, but do not count on it. Our guide to web hosting affiliate programs with recurring commission covers how those renewals are paid and what ends them early.
Refunds and the hold period
Many hosts offer a money-back guarantee for the first weeks after purchase, and a refunded sale almost always reverses its commission. So programs hold commissions until that window has passed, which means a sale you make today usually shows up as approved a month or two later.
Content that helps someone pick the right plan keeps more of what it earns than content that pushes them to buy fast. A reader who chose a plan too small for their site, or too big for their budget, is the one who asks for a refund. Our guide to affiliate payout terms explains holds, thresholds and net terms.
Cookies and the long decision
Choosing a host can take a while. People read several reviews, compare plans and come back when the site is ready to launch. A cookie window long enough to cover that gap keeps the sale credited to you, and our guide to web hosting affiliate programs with the longest cookie windows ranks them by it. Most programs use last-click attribution, so if your reader later clicks a coupon site or another review before buying, the sale usually goes to them.
Hosting programs also tend to have rules about where you may promote. Many forbid ads on their own brand name, and some limit coupon sites or require you to show the current price accurately. Check these before you spend money on traffic.
How to compare two hosting programs
Answer the same questions for both:
- Which plan and term would your typical reader pick?
- Is the commission a fixed bounty, a percentage or a recurring share, and does it pay on renewals?
- Does that plan qualify, and are monthly plans or add-ons excluded?
- Are there tiers, and how many sales a month would you realistically send?
- How long is the money-back window, and how long are commissions held?
- How long is the cookie window, and what is the minimum payout?
Work out the commission on the plan your reader is most likely to buy, at the tier you would actually reach. That figure is fairer than the headline number, and it often reorders the table above.
Match the program to your readers
A beginner starting a first blog wants cheap, simple shared hosting and a one-click install. A freelancer building client sites cares about managed WordPress, staging and backups. A developer wants a VPS or cloud platform with root access and clear pricing. The best bounty earns little on a product your readers did not come looking for.
Hosting also sits close to other software. If your readers build sites for a living, the highest paying SaaS affiliate programs covers the subscription tools around a website and how recurring commission works over time. If they run marketing for those sites, the highest paying marketing tool affiliate programs looks at email, SEO and social tools.
Where to go from here
Browse every program in the web hosting category, open the listings on your shortlist and read the source pages for the qualifying plans, the tiers and the refund window. If affiliate marketing is new to you, how affiliate programs work covers the basics first.