Trackli
Comparison

Trackli vs FirstPromoter

FirstPromoter is a popular affiliate management platform built specifically for SaaS businesses. It tracks referrals, manages commissions, and provides an affiliate portal — all tightly integrated with recurring billing systems.

Free plan: Trackli / FirstPromoter
5-min setup: Trackli
Supports Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, Chargebee, and Braintree. FirstPromoter has one of the broader integration selections among SaaS-focused affiliate tools.

What is FirstPromoter?

Best suited for

Mid-size SaaS companies that already have an established affiliate program and need multi-tier commissions across multiple billing providers.

May not be right for

Early-stage startups testing affiliate marketing for the first time, or teams that want a modern UI and full feature access without paying for premium tiers.

Where FirstPromoter shines

  • Broad payment processor support including Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, and Chargebee out of the box
  • Multi-tier and multi-campaign commission structures that handle complex affiliate hierarchies
  • Mature platform with years of refinement and a large user base providing proven reliability

Where startups struggle with FirstPromoter

  • Starter plan caps affiliate-driven revenue at $5,000/mo and 1,000 affiliates — cross either limit and you're forced onto the $99 or $149+ plan
  • The user interface feels dated compared to modern SaaS tools, which can frustrate both you and your affiliates
  • Automation features and advanced commission rules are locked behind higher-tier plans starting at $99/mo

The Trackli approach

No cap on affiliate count — as many partners as you want on any plan
Modern, intuitive interface built for today's workflows
Automatic commission calculation for every conversion, available from day one
Free tier lets you validate your program before committing budget

Recruit affiliates, not just track them

Most tracking tools stop at the link and the commission. Trackli's Growth and Pro plans also cover the part that actually grows a program — finding partners and getting a reply:

  • Discovery with reasons — prospects in your niche get a relevance score and the reasons behind it, so you know who to contact first.
  • Multi-step sequences from your own inbox — timed follow-ups with per-step subject and template, sent from your connected Gmail or Microsoft 365 account.
  • Reply detection that stops the follow-ups — a reply marks the thread as replied and cancels the rest of the sequence automatically.
  • Campaign links per affiliate — each partner can run separate named links (newsletter, YouTube, podcast) with their own ref codes, attributed through to commission.

Discovery and outreach are included in the Growth ($99/mo, 200 prospects/mo) and Pro ($199/mo, 500 prospects/mo) subscriptions — no credit packs. If you are evaluating FirstPromoter for recruiting as well as tracking, compare how each tool handles follow-ups and replies, not just link tracking.

Feature-by-feature: Trackli vs FirstPromoter

FeatureFirstPromoterTrackli
Setup time~25 minutesUnder 5 minutes
PricingFrom $49/moFree tier available
Free tierNoYes
Stripe supportNativeNative
Multi-gateway supportStripe, Paddle, Recurly, ChargebeeStripe, Paddle, and more
Recurring commissionsYes, multi-tierYes — flat or percentage rate
Real-time trackingYesYes
Affiliate portalFunctional but datedModern, branded affiliate portal
API accessFull APIConversion ingestion API
Custom commissionsMultiple structuresFlat or percentage rate
Auto-scaling/limitsManual plan changes, $5K/mo revenue cap on StarterFixed monthly plans

How Trackli tracks affiliate conversions

Affiliateshares ref linkVisitor Clickstracked by TrackliCustomer Paysvia your processorCommissionauto-calculatedby TrackliWebhook eventHow Trackli Tracks Affiliates90-day first-party cookie · Webhook-based conversion recording · Native Stripe integration

Setup & time-to-value comparison

Trackli Setup

1
Sign up1 min

Create your free Trackli account with just an email address. No credit card required, no sales calls, no waiting for approval.

2
Connect payment processor2 min

Configure a webhook in your payment processor dashboard. Trackli records conversions automatically when payments succeed.

3
Create first affiliate1 min

Add your first affiliate partner and configure their commission structure. Choose percentage-based or flat-rate commissions.

4
Share referral links1 min

Generate unique referral links and share them with your affiliates. They can start driving traffic immediately through your branded portal.

FirstPromoter Setup

1
Create account3 min

Sign up and choose from FirstPromoter's tiered plans starting at $49/mo.

2
Connect billing provider10 min

Integrate with Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, or Chargebee using API keys and webhook configuration.

3
Set up campaigns8 min

Create affiliate campaigns with commission structures, tiers, and payout rules.

4
Customize affiliate portal5 min

Configure the affiliate dashboard branding, welcome content, and promotional assets.

5
Install tracking script3 min

Add the FirstPromoter JavaScript snippet to your website for referral attribution.

6
Invite affiliates5 min

Import existing affiliates or send invitation links to recruit new partners.

Pricing & value

FirstPromoter starts at $49/mo but caps affiliate-driven revenue at $5,000/mo on that plan — cross it and you're pushed to $99/mo, then $149+/mo as your program keeps working. Trackli's $29/mo Tracking plan has no revenue cap, so a successful program doesn't force an upgrade on its own — you upgrade when you want the Growth/Pro features, not because a counter forced your hand.

Frequently asked questions

What happens when I hit FirstPromoter's $5,000/mo revenue cap on the Starter plan?
FirstPromoter's Starter plan caps affiliate-driven revenue at $5,000/month (and affiliates at 1,000). Once your affiliates generate more than that in a month, you're forced onto the $99/mo Business plan, then $149+/mo Enterprise as revenue grows further. Trackli's plans are flat — $29/$99/$199/mo — with no revenue-based cap that raises your bill as your program succeeds.
Is FirstPromoter's multi-tier commission system worth the complexity?
FirstPromoter's multi-tier commissions are powerful if you have a complex affiliate hierarchy with sub-affiliates. However, most SaaS companies don't need this complexity. Trackli focuses on straightforward per-affiliate commission rules — flat rate or percentage — without requiring complex configuration.
How does FirstPromoter compare to Trackli for a new SaaS product?
FirstPromoter is built for established programs with predictable affiliate counts, while Trackli is designed to grow with you from zero. Trackli's free tier lets you start without any financial commitment, and flat-rate paid plans at $29, $99, and $199/mo mean you always know your costs.
Can I migrate my affiliates from FirstPromoter to Trackli?
Yes. You can add your existing affiliates to Trackli individually or invite them to re-register through your branded affiliate portal. Commission history from FirstPromoter is not migrated — tracking starts fresh in Trackli from the date you connect.
Does FirstPromoter support the same payment processors as Trackli?
FirstPromoter supports Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, Chargebee, and Braintree. Trackli supports Stripe natively, with Paddle and other processors connected via webhooks/API. For most SaaS companies using Stripe, both platforms provide native support.
Does Trackli include affiliate recruiting, or only tracking?
Trackli's Growth and Pro plans include affiliate discovery (relevance-scored prospects with reasons), multi-step outreach sequences sent from your connected Gmail or Microsoft 365 inbox, and automatic reply detection that stops follow-ups once someone answers. Free and Tracking plans cover tracking, commissions and the affiliate portal.

Related use cases

Stripe Affiliate Tracking
B2B SaaS Affiliate Programs
Recurly Affiliate Tracking
All comparisons

Start with Trackli

Set up in about 5 minutes and invite your affiliates by email. Start free — no credit card required.