Is it worth promoting mobile app affiliate programs?
The mobile app market will be worth at least US$407 billion within five years, with almost 20% growth projected yearly. That means the question isn’t so much about “If” you should monetize your traffic with mobile apps and mobile app affiliate programs.
But why aren’t you already doing this?
We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 affiliate marketing offers in the mobile app space for your reading pleasure. There were some very interesting findings, too.
So, let’s get to it.
Mobile App Affiliate Programs
- Play Store
- Apple App Store
- Microsoft 365
- ExpressVPN
- Swiftic
- InboxDollars
- Instamobile
- Personal Capital
- Blinkist
- Coinbase
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1 Play Store
You all know who and what Google is. The Play Store is also an obvious place to start our round-up of mobile app affiliate programs.
It also includes the Chromebooks affiliate program, so you don’t have to manage two separate affiliate offers.
So, does that mean you can get paid to promote Google apps on your site or social channels?
Not quite. Unfortunately, Google is typically vague regarding the actual details of what their performance marketing offer pays.
So, in the case of their mobile app affiliate program, you’ll have to sign up for it to find out.
- URL: Google Play affiliate program
- Commission: Unknown
- Cookie duration: Unknown
2 Apple App Store
Yes, Apple actually runs an affiliate program for its App Store, but you’d never know unless you looked for it.
It’s also remarkably similar to the Google Play program in terms of the actual details of how it works. Basically, you don’t get paid to promote free or paid apps or even Apple TV.
However, you can earn money by pointing your readers to Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple Books. And there’s more than enough variety in those products for your visitors to find something they want to purchase.
Unlike smaller, more transparent advertisers, details of what this program pays are non-existent.
And when I say “thin on the ground,” I mean non-existent. They have a lot to learn from smaller advertisers.
- URL: Apple App Store affiliate program
- Commission: Possibly 2%
- Cookie duration: Unknown
3 Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office has been a desktop and laptop staple since 1998, so you may not have expected it to appear on this list as a mobile app.
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is ideal for laptop, smartphone, or Chromebook users who want to tap into the power of a decentralized office suite. One that relies heavily on cloud technology.
The real benefit here is that visitors can take their worth wherever they go and access all their documents, spreadsheets, and presentations from a similar interface in 100% compatible formats.
This affiliate offer is available via Rakuten Marketing and pays up to $15 per signup for Microsoft 365 Business accounts. And it won’t be hard to get your traffic to react to an offer from a name brand like Microsoft.
Especially with the marketing tools and marketing materials available from Rakuten.
- URL: Microsoft 365 affiliate program
- Commission: Up to $15 per sale
- Cookie duration: 30 days
Check out our in-depth Microsoft affiliate program review.
4 ExpressVPN
No, you didn’t find a VPN service like ExpressVPN listed as an app on any other blogs you read about mobile app affiliate programs. This is because these blogs often copy each other without any original or creative thinking. Their approach lacks innovation.
VPNs are part of our modern technological culture because people realize their online privacy is no longer guaranteed.
It’s just a facade. That’s why around 57% of smartphone owners use VPN mobile apps on their devices.
So, this growth market could be very profitable for you to tap into.
The Express VPN affiliate marketing program is run in-house and pays affiliates up to $36 per sale. But that’s for an annual subscription, so don’t expect to make that much per referral.
- URL: ExpressVPN affiliate program
- Commission: Up to $36 per sale
- Cookie duration: 30 days
5 Swiftic
Loyalty apps are becoming increasingly popular, and businesses are expected to have one as part of their digital marketing strategy. However, many businesses lack the necessary skills to create a loyalty app and often cannot afford to hire a developer. This challenges businesses that want to meet customer expectations and stay competitive.
Customers expect you to have a loyalty app for your digital marketing effort. The problem is that most businesses have no idea how to create such an app.
They typically have zero mobile app development skills.
And/or they can’t afford a developer.
Swiftic (formerly Como app builder) is the answer to their prayers. It provides the tools to create and publish an app, including app templates, with expert support. The entire deal costs less than $40 per month.
Services aimed at helping businesses tend to offer higher commission rates, and the Swiftic program is no different. Affiliates can expect to earn up to $150 per sale.
- URL: Swiftic affiliate program
- Commission: Up to $150
- Cookie duration: TBC
6 InboxDollars
InboxDollars offers a pretty tempting proposition for most mobile device users: perform or complete certain activities, and we’ll pay you money for doing that.
What kind of activities?
Everything from watching TV shows to taking surveys, reading emails, or getting cash back for using coupons. You can even get paid to play online games.
InboxDollars stands out from other referral programs as it pays you in cash rather than some strange “token” that is usable only on its website. Your referrals can receive payments through PayPal, Amazon, gift cards, or even real cash.
Instead, your visitors will be paid by PayPal, Amazon, or similar gift cards or with cold, hard cash.
This program is more of a referral than a true affiliate program you might find on an affiliate network. However, it’s worth noting that you can earn a 30% commission on what your “sub-affiliates” make, which is a great opportunity to consider.
- URL: InboxDollars affiliate program
- Commission: 30% of tier 2 earnings
- Cookie duration: N/A
7 Instamobile
Mobile marketing is now an integral part of the digital marketing landscape. However, most businesses have trouble finding the tools to make app development less of a headache because they are not developers by trade.
That’s where Instamobile enters the picture. They supply small businesses and entrepreneurs with everything they need to develop and style an app.
All are based on the ‘React’ native framework and templates designed for it. With these tools, you can put together your own app in minutes instead of months.
That’s the kind of pre-sell that should lead to a pretty decent conversion rate. You don’t need to be an app developer to become an affiliate – you need an audience interested in developing their own apps for any purpose, from business to education.
And you’ll get a 30% cut of whatever they buy through your affiliate links.
- URL: Instamobile affiliate program
- Commission: 30%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
8 Personal Capital
Most people are absolutely terrible at managing their finances. This is usually because nobody ever taught them how to live within their financial means.
That’s why an entire generation of late Boomers and almost all of Gen X are turning to apps like Personal Capital.
It allows your visitors to get an overview of how good (or bad) their current financial status is, like whether or not they can afford to send their kids to college. Or retire before they’re too old to enjoy it.
Your visitors can even get personalized help from an experienced financial advisor.
So, how much is this offer worth to app affiliates?
Most financial affiliate offers/money tools pay substantial affiliate commissions. Personal Capital doesn’t disappoint – you can earn up to $100 for each new customer you send their way.
- URL: Personal Capital affiliate program
- Commission: Up to $100 per signup
- Cookie duration: 30 days
9 Blinkist
Blinkist is an app ideal for people who don’t have enough time to absorb all the information they want because there are only 24 hours in the day.
So what if your visitors could get the “Cliffs Notes” version of everything from popular podcasts to best-selling non-fiction? And in a format that they could consume in 15 – 20 minutes?
That way, they can always stay updated with what’s happening worldwide or in their profession or social circle.
They even have a subscription plan specifically for businesses.
They’re also happy to pay you a 20% commission on whatever pricing plan your readers sign up for through your affiliate links, which will amount to around $2.50 per sign-up.
- URL: Blinkist affiliate program
- Commission: 20%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
10 Coinbase
We have reached the end of our list of mobile app affiliate programs. As a final addition, we have included something slightly different – Coinbase.
Although primarily known as a cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase offers a popular software wallet for storing cryptocurrencies, especially for beginners. This wallet is available as an app for Android and iOS devices and has an affiliate offer associated with it.
As an affiliate of Coinbase, you can earn 50% of the fees for three months when someone signs up with Coinbase. Rest assured that these fees are substantial, especially for heavy cryptocurrency speculators. This means you can earn considerable money as an affiliate of Coinbase.
- URL: Coinbase affiliate program
- Commission: Up to 50%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
Check out our in-depth Coinbase affiliate program review.
Over to You
And that concludes our roundup of mobile apps and the affiliate programs associated with them. As you can see, there’s more than enough variety in the different products and services available to suit many affiliate niches.
It’s down to how tangential you can be with your site. The trick is to build your affiliate site on a solid foundation based on tried-and-tested principles.
You can learn this in our free training on building an affiliate site.
With the right approach, you could be well on your way to generating a passive income stream.
