Affiliate Programs for Online Course Platforms

David Zenler Author

Aug 23, 2026 |

Compare affiliate programs for online course platforms and learn what creators should evaluate before promoting a course platform.

Affiliate Programs for Online Course Platforms

Affiliate programs can be useful for creators, marketers and educators who recommend tools they genuinely understand and trust. This guide explains how to compare affiliate programs for online learning platforms, with examples including New Zenler, Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific. Features of each of the programs will be discussed individually, and we'll compare the deals, all to give you an inside look when deciding on which affiliate program will suit your needs best.

Quick answer: The best affiliate program for an online course platform depends on commission rate, cookie duration, payout rules, product fit, audience trust, promotional materials and whether you already use the platform. Always verify current partner terms before publishing rates or recommending a program, because affiliate offers change over time.

Get to Know Affiliate Marketing

But before we get to the programs themselves, let refresh on exactly what it is that 'affiliate marketing' entails. Affiliate marketing is the process by which a business rewards affiliates based on every customer acquired through the efforts of an affiliate marketer. It's frequently done through an affiliate link, referral code, or promo code, with which sales are then traced back to the referring site or person.

Key terms in affiliate marketing include:

Affiliate link: A unique URL that allows one to trace traffic and sales originating from an affiliate.

• Referral link: Another term used for an affiliate link.
• Partner program: The program through which affiliates are allowed to promote products or services of a company.
• Referral code: A one-of-a-kind code identifying referrals and sales.
• Promo code: A code that gives a customer the benefit of a discount while tracking affiliate sales.
• Discount code: Almost similar to a promo code in the sense that it gives discounts while tracking sales.

Now, let us look at the kinds of terms to compare across online learning platform affiliate programs. Verify the live partner pages before relying on any rate or payout detail.

New Zenler Affiliate Program

New Zenler is an all-in-one online course platform that comes with a smart affiliate program for its users.

Here are the principal components of New Zenler's affiliate program:

Commission Structure

• Tier 1 referrals: check the current New Zenler partner page for the latest rate
• Tier 2 referrals: check current partner terms if tiered referrals are available
• Recurring commissions may be available depending on current partner terms

Program Details

• No public affiliate sign-up available at this point.
• Course Creator Manual Adding of Affiliates
• Commission Rates Customizable per Course
• Unique Affiliate Codes for real-time Tracking
• Affiliate Management
• Detailed Reporting on Sales and Commissions
• Manual payout system— Creators process payments through their payment gateway
• Ability to set cookie expiration days [Default 30 Days]

Pros:

• Potentially strong commission terms when current partner conditions fit
• Possible tiered referral structure depending on current terms
• Dynamic Commission Structure for Course Creators

Cons

• No Public Affiliate Sign up
• Manual Payout Process

Kajabi Partner Program

Kajabi is an all-in-one online course marketplace. Within that marketplace, their Partner Program exists with lucrative opportunities for affiliates. Commission Structure: 30% lifetime commission off of referrals' Kajabi subscription payments. 

Program Details You have to be an active Kajabi account holder to participate. Commissions are paid based on whatever the referral's payment schedule might be. 

All Partner payouts have a 60-day hold. Affiliate Management This program is managed in-house, so PayPal payouts will happen on the 25th of every month. Generate and share custom campaign links

Partner Dashboard to Track Performance

Pros

• Lifetime Commissions
• Integration w/ Kajabi's All-in-One Platform
• Dedicated Partner Support Team

Cons

• Will Need to have to be a Kajabi user
• 60 day hold on payouts
• Teachable Affiliate Program

Teachable is one of the well-known online course platforms with an affiliate program that can be availed for its users and even partners.

Commission Structure

• Up to 30% commission on referrals

Program Details

One year of recurring commission per sale

• 30 day cookie duration
• $100 payout threshold
• Affiliate Management
• Full, in-depth affiliate dashboard and reporting system
• Access to promotional materials

Pros

• Well Built Platform w/ High Reputation
• Advanced reporting features

Disadvantages

• Shorter commission duration compared to some competitors
• Longer payout threshold

Thinkific Partner Program

Thinkific has a partner program aimed at agencies, app developers, and marketing partners.

Commission Tiers

• 30% lifetime recurring commission
• Program Details
• Cookie durability: 90 days
• Over 51,000 active course creators
• Get to participate in the Experts Marketplace
• Partner management
• Priority technical support and other respective resources
• Partner-specific training
• Early acknowledgement of new platform releases

Pros

• Long cookie duration
• Huge network of course creators
• Full partner support and resources

Cons

• More agency- and developer-oriented than affiliate-oriented

Comparing the Affiliate Programs

To help you decide on the best affiliate program for you, let's compare these four platforms:

Choosing the right Partner Program factors

Anyway, the factors in play while choosing an affiliate program include:

1. Commission rates and structure: Go for competitive rates and recurring commissions.
2. Cookie duration: The longer it is, the better are your chances of earning.
3. Payout terms: Consider payout threshold, frequency, and method.
4. Program reputation: Be sure to research the credibility of the platform and user satisfaction.
5. Support and resources: The best of them provide you with marketing materials and affiliate support.
6. Relevance to your audience: Go for those programs that concern your audience's interests and needs.

Successful Affiliate Marketing Strategies

Maximize your affiliate program earnings by adopting the following strategies:

• Quality Content: Come up with informative blog posts, videos, or podcasts about using a certain platform.
• Email Marketing: Build an email list and send them quality content with your affiliate offers.
• Use social media effectively: Share experiences and success stories you have got from the platform on social media.
• Offer bonuses: Provide some kind of bonuses exclusively when they sign up through your affiliate link.
• Transparency: Always be open about the links being affiliate links.
• Track and analyze performances: Use the affiliate dashboards provided to track results and optimize strategies.

Let us Compare platforms

Comparing its partner programs to those of New Zenler, Thinkific, Teachable, and Kajabi will be done based on some key aspects of each program, after which a determination of the overall best package for affiliates is presented.

New Zenler Partner Program

1. Commission rate: Up to 40% on Tier 1 referrals, 5% on Tier 2 referrals
2. Commission duration: Recurring commissions may be available depending on current partner terms
3. Cookie Duration: Not specified
4. Payout threshold: Not specified
5. Promotional materials: Available

Thinkific Partner Program

1. Commission rate: 30% lifetime recurring commission
2. Commission Duration: Lifetime
3. Cookie duration: 90 days
4. Payout threshold: Not specified
5. Promotional materials: Ready-to-go creative and promotional content provided

Teachable Partner Program

• Commission rate: Up to 30%
• Commission duration: One-year recurring commission per sale
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Payout threshold: $100
• Promotional materials: Provided

Kajabi Partner Program

• Commission rate: 30% lifetime commission
• Commission Duration: Lifetime
• Cookie duration: 30 days
• Payout threshold: Not specified
• Promotional materials: Not mentioned explicitly

Comparative and highlighting Notes

Commission Rate: New Zenler is the highest at up to 40%. 

Competitor rates and payout rules can change, so use this guide as a comparison framework rather than a fixed rate table.

Commission Duration: New Zenler and Thinkific both have commission duration for life. However, Thinkific does not spell it out clearly. 

Teachable also follows this approach but shall have it limited only up to a year.
Kajabi does not mention this as well.

Cookie Duration

• New Zenler cookie duration can be set by you to a maximum of 365 days.
• Thinkific's cookie duration at 90 days.
• Teachable trailed second at 30 days. 
• Kajabi just did not specify their cookie durations.

Promotional Materials

All programs but Kajabi specifically mention that promotional material is provided to the affiliate.

Unique Features

Some programs may include tiered or recurring structures; always check current partner documentation before promoting a rate.

Conclusion

New Zenler can be a strong fit for affiliates who already understand the platform and serve course creators, coaches, membership owners or online educators. The best choice still depends on current partner terms, audience fit and the trust you have with your readers.

That said, the best program will vary depending on individual needs.

Those who are looking for an older, more established, reputable platform will like Teachable or Kajabi.

If someone is already using one of these platforms to host their own courses, then they may prefer to promote the very same platform.

Finally, do not choose an affiliate program on commission rate alone. Choose a product you can explain clearly, support honestly and recommend to the right audience.

Verify Current Partner Terms

Affiliate and partner-program terms change. Before publishing current rates, cookie windows, payout thresholds or campaign details, check the official partner page and keep a dated note of what you verified.

Related New Zenler resources

• What is the best course platform for creators?
• Kajabi alternative guide
• Thinkific alternative guide
• Teachable alternative guide

Related platform comparison resources

Use these related guides to compare platforms and plan your creator workflow on New Zenler:

• New Zenler vs Kajabi vs Thinkific comparison
• Migrate to New Zenler without breaking your course business
• New Zenler creator workflow examples

FAQ

What should I look for in an online course platform affiliate program?

Look for product fit, commission structure, cookie window, recurring potential, audience relevance, support, brand trust and whether you can recommend the platform honestly.

Are recurring commissions useful for affiliates?

Recurring commissions can be valuable because they reward long-term customer relationships, but the platform still needs to be a good fit for the audience.

Should creators promote every affiliate program they find?

No. Creators should promote only products they understand and can recommend responsibly, especially when their audience relies on their advice.

Categories: : Platform Comparisons