Which Web Hosting Affiliate Program Pays the Most?

Before we begin, I’d like to make two things clear. First of all, while I link to various web host affiliate programs below, none of the links are affiliate links themselves. Second, most of my information is second-hand; commissions can vary from month to month, and I haven’t used most of these programs myself. Take the information with a grain of salt - I certainly have - and test before you go all-in recommending any one web host for your primary income.

Web Host Affiliate Programs

Web hosting is a pretty prominent and lucrative affiliate niche, which makes it all the more surprising that it has remained as lucrative for as long as it has. The competition has caused various web hosts to pay some very nice commissions, since getting successful conversions is tough.

As with most affiliate programs, you do need an actual sale to earn a commission, and since web hosting packages are ongoing contracts, it means you have a tough job. People are going to be very careful about the web host they sign up for, because it’s something they’ll be stuck with for a long time, with quite a bit of hassle involved in changing from one to another.

Since web hosting packages at the low level tend to run anywhere from $3 to $10 per month, you might think commissions are pretty low. However, most web hosts assume a certain minimum length of the average contract - since they try to avoid turnover and cancellations at all costs - the “value” of a single customer can be much higher to them. High end packages are even more valuable to them. This means many web hosts are willing to pay commissions ranging from $50 to $200 per sale.

Shockingly good, right? When you’re used to Amazon-level commissions, where you’re getting a few percent of a low-cost product, having such a single large payday is impressive. The trick, of course, is getting enough people to sign up each month that you’re able to make a decent wage. $100 per commission is great, but not if you only make one sale per month.

This is why many of the best web hosting affiliate sites are comparison shopping sites. They list a dozen or so different web hosts, compare their vital stats and plans, and allow the user to choose which one they want to buy.

They don’t shill any one specific web host over any others unless there’s a special deal running. They want as many satisfied users as possible, to keep the web hosts happy, and keep the commissions rolling in.

You are, of course, free to set up any kind of affiliate site you want. I recommend doing your research into the offerings of various web hosts, so you can provide accurate information and reasonable reviews, even if you haven’t used the web host yourself. A compelling review is the foundation for a good affiliate sale, so it pays to be able to write something that sounds legitimate.

Well, that all aside, let’s start at the beginning. Here are a bunch of various web hosts, their commissions, and some basic impressions.

A2 Hosting

Commissions: $85-$140+ per sale.

A2 is not one of the big names in web hosts, but they’re certainly a viable option for affiliate marketers able to send a lot of referrals their way.

A2 runs on a sliding commission scale, based on the number of sales you refer to them each month. If you send in 1-10 sales, you get $85 per sale. If you send in 11-20 sales, it rises to $100 per sale. If you send in 21-30 sales, it’s $120 per sale, and if you send in over 31 sales, each sale is worth $140.

It’s worth noting that this is not a tiered system, it applies to every sale in the month retroactively. If you sell 30 sales in February, all 30 of those will be worth $120 each, for a total of $3,600 that month. If in March you sell 31, all 31 will be worth $140, for a total of $4,340 that month. This means it’s very worthwhile to hit certain higher tiers if you’re close, since it can boost your income significantly.

They also allow you to argue a higher commission with their affiliate manager directly. There are two reasons why I think you might be able to do this.

• You consistently refer high levels of sales, 50+ or 100+ per month. This will be difficult to achieve, but if you’re sending that many sales to them per month, they will probably be happy to increase the cost of your commissions.
• You’re specifically always referring high-end customers. If, for example, your niche is “high end business web hosting” you might expect to be selling mid-high tier packages rather than basic packages. This means the average value of a sale from your traffic is higher, so you may be able to argue a higher payment.

As for some perks of using this particular affiliate, they have real time stats reporting, a 90-day cookie to get you commissions on late sales, monthly payments, and they allow deep linking.

WP Engine

Commissions: $200+ per sale.

WP Engine is a niche-focused web host built specifically around WordPress, offering managed WP installs that you’re still able to completely customize. You get to offload the hassle of maintaining WordPress yourself, without the security risks that come from neglecting updates.

The base commission is $200 per sale, with bonuses kicking in for every 5-10 sales you refer in a given period, so volume is rewarded. The one caveat is that commissions only apply to new customers - an existing customer signing up for a new plan, or a lapsed customer renewing, won’t count toward your commission.

To offset this restriction, there are three primary benefits to using WP Engine’s affiliate program.

• Since they’re focused specifically on WordPress hosting, you have a narrower niche and a more focused sell, which can allow you to target and convert customers in a narrowly focused manner.
• Their cookies last for 180 days, so you have a full six months for the customer to make their purchase after they’ve clicked your link.
• They allow you to refer other people to their affiliate program, at which point you earn $50 for each sale they refer. This means you can set up an affiliate’s affiliate and recommend their program and make money that way. It’s not as lucrative as direct sales, but it’s a nice bonus for when you refer marketers as well as customers.

Overall, WP Engine is one of the better affiliate programs in the web hosting space, particularly for anyone already operating in the WordPress niche.

Liquid Web

Commissions: 150% of the sale amount, minimum $150 per sale.

Liquid Web is a premium-level, high tier web host and arguably one of the most lucrative affiliate programs in the web hosting space. Their commission structure is percentage-based at 150% of the sale amount, with a floor of $150 per sale. That means the more expensive the package your referral buys, the more you earn - and given that Liquid Web’s plans aren’t cheap, commissions can climb quickly into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars per sale.

Liquid Web has three different partner programs. The first one is their basic affiliate program, which gives you a one-time commission on each sale, residual commissions when someone purchases a dedicated server rack for their site, and the option of working through either CJ Affiliate or Impact Radius to manage everything. If you’re working in multiple affiliate niches with numerous sites, CJ is an excellent option. Impact Radius, meanwhile, is their in-house platform.

The second partner program is a reseller program, where you are able to make yourself a web host and sell “your” web hosting space to customers for a markup, discount, or whatever you want. They offer tiered discounts so you’re not just trying to sell their product for more than they are, which is a tough sell regardless. They do all the server support, you just do the sales. Plus, since you’re a reseller, you get monthly billing and can set prices and discounts on your own, which means residual income.

The third partner relationship is a “solutions partner” which is basically a commissioned salesman role. They do the server support, they do the billing, they serve the clients, and you just sell. This is, however, focused on volume and working with business-class clients, not individual affiliates.

Cloudways

Commissions: $30 per sale + 7% lifetime recurring commission.

Cloudways isn’t what you might typically think of as a high paying affiliate up front, but the reason to consider them is specifically because of their recurring commission structure. Every sale earns you a flat $30 for the month of the sale, plus 7% of the customer’s monthly plan price every month for as long as they stay. Their cookie window is 90 days, giving referrals a decent amount of time to convert.

It’s not flashy, but web host customers tend to be sticky, and if you build up a large enough base of referred customers over time, you can end up pulling in a meaningful passive income without constantly chasing new sales. It takes patience and consistent effort to build up, but the compounding nature of the recurring commissions is genuinely attractive for the long game.

DreamHost

Commissions: Up to $200 per sale.

DreamHost is one of the more recognizable names in web hosting, and their affiliate program has improved considerably. Commissions vary based on the plan and billing cycle the referral chooses. If a referral signs up for the annual DreamPress (managed WordPress) plan, you earn $150. If they go for a dedicated server, the commission jumps to $200. Other shared hosting plans sit at lower tiers, so the biggest paydays come from steering referrals toward the higher-tier offerings.

The name recognition does work in your favor here - DreamHost is a brand people have heard of, which can help with conversions compared to promoting a lesser-known host. That said, the space is competitive, and you’ll want a strong angle or community to cut through the noise.

Bluehost

Commissions: $65 per sale.

Bluehost is one of the most widely promoted web hosts in the affiliate marketing world, and for good reason - it’s a flat, reliable $65 per sale with no complicated tiers or conditions. It’s not the highest commission on this list, but the brand is enormously recognizable, especially among beginner bloggers and small business owners, which makes conversions more achievable than with some of the more niche or premium hosts.

The tradeoff is that the market is saturated. A huge number of affiliate sites already promote Bluehost heavily, so you’ll need a strong differentiator - whether that’s a particularly well-written review, a niche audience, or a compelling comparison post - to stand out.

SiteGround

Commissions: $50-$150+ per sale, scaling with volume.

SiteGround runs a volume-based commission structure. Refer 1-5 sales per month and you earn $50 per sale. That scales upward as your monthly referral count grows, reaching $150 per sale at higher volumes, with the possibility of custom commission rates negotiated directly for top performers.

SiteGround has a strong reputation in the WordPress community in particular, which gives you a built-in audience to target. Their hosting is well-regarded for speed and customer support, which makes writing genuine, positive reviews easier and more credible than with some competitors.

HostGator

Commissions: At least 70% of the sale, capped at $100 per sale.

HostGator is another well-known name in budget web hosting, and their affiliate structure is a little different from most - they pay at least 70% of each sale, capped at $100. For lower-tier plans, this percentage-based model works reasonably well, though the cap limits your upside on higher-value sales. Like Bluehost, HostGator benefits from strong brand recognition, particularly among first-time website owners, which helps with conversions even in a crowded affiliate landscape.

Pressable

Commissions: $200 per sale.

Pressable is a managed WordPress hosting provider that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves in affiliate circles. Their program pays a flat $200 per sale, putting it on par with WP Engine’s base commission. Like WP Engine, the focus is entirely on WordPress hosting, which means you’re selling to a well-defined audience with a clear need.

If you already operate in the WordPress space - writing about themes, plugins, or site building - Pressable is worth adding to your comparison pages alongside WP Engine, since the $200 flat rate is straightforward and competitive without the additional complexity of tiered structures.