FirstPromoter vs UpPromote Comparison 2026
FirstPromoter is Stripe-native affiliate tracking with a branded portal, banded by monthly affiliate revenue from $49 a month with no free tier. UpPromote installs straight into a Shopify store and tracks by coupon code as well as link, with a free plan covering one program and $3,000 of referral review a month before Growth starts at $29.99 plus 2 percent of referral sales. The decision turns on the storefront: Shopify sellers save on UpPromote, everyone else needs FirstPromoter.
Affiliate tracking and a brandable portal
Affiliate marketing built for Shopify stores
At a glance
- UpPromote starts cheaper, at $29.99.
- Only UpPromote has a free tier.
Side by side
FirstPromoter | UpPromote | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $49 | From $29.99 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Paid subscription | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier (they differ) | No | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | 14 days |
| API |
FirstPromoter
Affiliate tracking and a brandable portal
FirstPromoter is the other half of the Stripe affiliate duopoly, and the difference that matters is the portal: affiliates get a dashboard on your own domain with your CSS on it, rather than one that says somebody else's name. Tax forms and broadcast emails to promoters are built in. Setup asks more of you than Rewardful does.
UpPromote
Affiliate marketing built for Shopify stores
UpPromote installs into a Shopify store and turns customers into affiliates without anybody writing tracking code. Recruitment forms, coupon-based attribution and automated payouts all sit inside the admin a merchant already uses. The performance fee on top of the monthly price means a program that works costs more, which is either fair or annoying depending on the month.
Only on this side
- Covers digital products & storefronts
Why people weigh these two
- UpPromote instead of FirstPromoter
- UpPromote is built specifically for Shopify stores and keeps a free tier, cheaper than FirstPromoter at $29.99 a month once you outgrow it.
- FirstPromoter instead of UpPromote
- FirstPromoter adds a brandable portal for affiliates at $49.
Which one should you pick
Pick FirstPromoter for a subscription or software business selling outside Shopify, where a branded affiliate portal on your own domain and built-in tax form collection matter more than a free plan. Starter is $49 a month up to $5,000 of tracked affiliate revenue, with white labelling arriving at the $99 tier.
Choose UpPromote if the store runs on Shopify. The free plan alone covers one program and $3,000 of referral review a month, enough to test whether affiliates convert before paying anything. Growth then costs $29.99 a month plus 2 percent of the sales affiliates bring in, a cost that only appears once the program is working.
Common questions
- Which one has a free plan?
- UpPromote does: it covers one program, link and coupon tracking, and $3,000 of referral review a month at no cost. FirstPromoter has no free tier, so its $49 a month Starter plan is the entry cost from day one.
- Does UpPromote's percentage fee apply on top of the monthly price?
- Yes. Growth is $29.99 a month plus 2 percent of the sales approved referrals generate, dropping to 1.5 percent on the $89.99 tier and 1 percent on the $199.99 tier. FirstPromoter's tiers are flat monthly fees banded by affiliate revenue instead.
- Does either work outside Shopify?
- FirstPromoter is built for any subscription or software business and is not tied to a storefront platform. UpPromote installs into Shopify specifically, and its listing recommends Tapfiliate or Refersion for anybody selling somewhere else.
- Which gives affiliates a branded experience?
- FirstPromoter runs the affiliate dashboard on your own domain with your own CSS. UpPromote's listing describes registration forms and coupon-based tracking inside the Shopify admin instead of a custom-domain portal.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.