Glossary: All The Tools Affiliate Marketers Use

As an affiliate marketer, you have a million tasks to deal with on a daily basis. Can you imagine doing everything manually? Coding your own landing pages. Manually crawling the web for competitor ads. Communicating by phone. Screw that!

Thankfully, it seems that for every problem out there, someone’s come up with a solution in the form of a tool, app, plugin or program. But finding them can be another challenge entirely… which is why this article aims to serve as an ever-growing bank of all the tools affiliates use.

This list has been curated via submissions, recommendations and our own research. We won’t recommend any over the other (at least in this article) and we welcome your submissions.

The only requirements are that the tool:

• Helps affiliate marketers perform more efficiently and/or effectively.
• Is relatively well-established and trustworthy.

If a tool starts receiving a lot of negative feedback, we will remove it from this list.

To submit a tool you love, please comment below or contact us directly. Thank you!

The Tools

Communication

Skype	Along with Facebook Messenger, Skype has long been the industry standard for communication. Main features are video calls, screen-sharing and international phone plans.
Slack	Private channel-based communication platform for organizations. A modern version of IRC. Great for remote teams, especially those who hold various project-based discussions.
Telegram	Secure end-to-end encrypted messaging app. Popular in some markets, still growing in others. Many large affiliate marketing group discussions take place on Telegram.

Competitor Analysis

Adplexity	Comprehensive affiliate-oriented spy tool. Divided into six categories: Mobile, Desktop, Native, Ecommerce, Carriers and API.
Adbeat	Visual spy tool that shows traffic sources for large campaigns. More mainstream with focus on Desktop, Mobile, Native and Video.
Adsector	Affiliate and Ecommerce-focused spy tool that offers a simple interface.
AmaSuite	Analyzes Amazon’s top-selling products to help you find profitable niches.
Flippa	Marketplace for buying and selling websites and online shops (named after the term “flipping”). Also great for coming up with business ideas.
MagicAdz	A newer spy tool that caters exclusively to affiliates. Features include one-click search, large database and the option to download landing pages.
NerdyData	Competitor website analysis and search tool with emphasis on prospecting, generating leads and competitive research.
Oberlo	Ecommerce discovery platform designed specifically for finding ideal products for dropshippers.
Swiped.co	One of the most comprehensive swipe files currently available online. Includes annotations and everything from old-school classics to modern day funnels.
SimilarWeb	One of the most complete website and app analysis tools, with primary focus on marketing insights, market research, increased sales performance and investor tools.
HardToFindAds	A collection of rare and valuable swipes, classic ads and other direct response resources.
WhatRunsWhere	Competitive intelligence tool with extensive coverage in the USA, Australia, Canada, the UK and Germany.

Content Planning & Discovery

Buffer	Content planning, social media scheduling and content discovery app. Ideal for teams with large content publishing schedules.
Buzzsumo	Content discovery search platform with focus on identifying key influencers.
Hootsuite	Comprehensive social media dashboard that supports finding, scheduling, managing, and reporting on social media content.
SproutSocial	Suite of scheduling and discovery tools, including sub-programs for community management and employee advocacy.

Creating Affiliate Links

Pretty Links	Plugin for cleaning up affiliate links and tracking clicks from emails, social media and other sources.
Bitly	Leading URL shortening service. Includes some advanced options including customized vanity links.
GeniusLink	Comprehensive tool for managing, localizing, and tracking smart links. Automatically localizes links and finds ways to earn extra revenue from traffic.

Creatives - Optimization & Production

Canva	Multi-use drag-and-drop graphic design tool with a simple interface. Gives you access to millions of images, graphics, and fonts.
CoSchedule Headline Analyzer	Analyzes word usage, sentiment, keywords, skimmability and other data-driven factors that can determine the potential potency of your headlines.
Grammarly	Chrome extension and app that checks your grammar, word choice and spelling as you write; essentially, a spell checker that follows you around the web.
Hotjar	Visual heatmap tool that records user sessions on your landing pages and presents insights into clicks, scrolling, time on site and more. Ideal for optimizing landing pages for performance.
Instapage	Landing page builder and optimization tool with advanced team collaboration capabilities. Integrates with clear overview for Facebook pixel, Google Analytics and more.
Last Modified Timestamp	WordPress plugin that removes the default timestamp from your articles, allowing you to revamp content without facing ranking penalties from being outdated.

Email Marketing

Aweber	Email marketing platform that offers autoresponder, email capture, tagging and more.
BananaTag	Email tracker for sales teams and internal communications. Includes tracking, scheduling, email templates, attachment tracking and analytics.
ConvertKit	Visual email sequence automation tool - “Email marketing made by creators, for creators.”
Drip	Ecommerce CRM that offers email automation (“drip sequences”) and personalization using content to segment audiences.
GetResponse	Email marketing software aimed at small businesses and agencies.
Keap (Infusionsoft)	One of the largest automation platforms, featuring a large suite of capabilities and integrations. Typically for advanced users.
Mailchimp	Email marketing platform for small businesses that offers tracking, automation and creative tools.
OptinMonster	Advanced conversion optimization tool specifically designed for opt-ins.

Landing Page Creation & Optimization

Clickfunnels	Funnel creation tool with large community of dedicated users; an all-in-one solution for building and analyzing campaigns.
Drift	Bot-based lead qualification tool that allows you to identify your best leads and contact them within minutes.
LeadPages	Straightforward WYSIWYG landing page builder with built-in optimization tools.
Proof	Conversion optimization plugin that feeds updates to potential customers as they browse your site, encouraging more conversions via social proof.
Shopify	Leading Ecommerce website builder and shop management platform.
SquareSpace	All-in-one website builder that requires minimal technical knowledge. Ideal for simpler sites.
Unbounce	Full conversion optimization suite, allowing you to optimize your landing pages, website popups and sticky bars.
Unsplash	Free stock photos without requiring a license, even for commercial use.
Wix	Simple website builder, ideal for beginners or those with limited technical knowledge. Has some advanced capabilities as well.
WordPress	The world’s largest website development platform, with thousands of themes, plugins and integrations. Ideal for those looking for a flexible, custom solution.

Payment processing

Stripe	Payment processor for online businesses. Supports subscriptions, Ecommerce shops and crowdfunding with advanced APIs.
PayPal	The world’s largest online payment processor. Large base of users, but fees continue to rise.

Productivity, Organization & Wellness

1Password	Stores all your passwords in one place, requiring only one master password to unlock the rest.
Alfred	Overall efficiency-boosting app featuring advanced search, clipboard history, text expansion and more.
Bear	Note-taking app that lets you take control of your notes with smart data recognition, hashtags, focus mode and other advanced tools.
Evernote	Note-taking and organization app; create to-do lists, manage your notes from multiple devices and more.
F.lux	Adjusts the amount of blue light coming from your computer, making it easier on the eyes (especially during long sessions); the color of your screen will constantly adapt.
Fantastical	Clean, easily searchable calendar app for Mac that allows for multi-calendar management.
Franz	Combines all your messaging apps into one easy interface. Chat on FB, Skype, WhatsApp and more from the same device. Multiple accounts are possible as well.
Google Suite	G-Suite covers all the cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools, software and products developed by Google. This goes far beyond Docs and Sheets!
Hazel	Hazel watches whatever folders you tell it to, automatically organizing your files according to the rules you create.
JiTouch	Jitouch is a Mac application that expands the set of multi-touch gestures for the new MacBook, the Magic Mouse, and the Magic Trackpad.
MindManager	MindManager is like a virtual whiteboard; it helps you quickly capture ideas and information, then organize and contextualize everything in one place.
Self-Control	Blocks websites for a set period of time to keep you focused and on task.

Project Management

Note: Find an in-depth comparison of these tools here.

Asana	Work management platform that helps remote teams stay focused on the goals, projects, and daily tasks.
Basecamp	Full-featured task management tool that’s designed to increase accountability and give a clear overview of projects, tasks and team members.
Monday.com	Visual project management tool that offers a simple, intuitive interface for managing projects, deadlines, and building a culture of transparency.
Trello	Collaboration and project management tool that organizes projects into boards. Great for personal use or with teams - integrates well with other tools.
Wrike	Cloud-based collaboration and project management software that scales across teams. Ideal for medium- to large-sized companies.

SEO & Keyword Research

Ahrefs	SEO suite with features including keyword research, backlink research, competitive analysis, content research, rank tracking and web monitoring.
Answer The Public	Long-tail keyword and general inspiration tool. Also great for coming up with angles and researching customer questions and objections.
SEMRush	Advanced website analysis and keyword research tool. Useful for paid search and analyzing social media traffic.
Long Tail Pro	Niche keyword research tool that identifies long-tail keywords with high potential.
Yoast	Free WordPress plugin with basic SEO tools. Useful for those with minimal SEO needs and/or as backup.

Tracking & CRMs

Binom	Self-hosted tracking platform with focus on speed, featuring fast click processing and report building.
CAKE	Real-time tracking, attribution, and optimization platform for affiliate marketers, advertisers and networks.
Funnelflux	Visual tracker with support for cross-selling, upsells and advanced funnels.
HasOffers	Customizable performance marketing platform that helps advertisers, affiliates, and networks manage their offers and relationships.
Konnective	CRM specialized for the affiliate marketing industry, with advanced capacity to integrate all your data sources into one overview.
Limelight	End-to-end Ecommerce platform with flexible billing, supporting all billing models including straight sales, recurring billing, variable billing periods, subscription packages, upsells and more.
ThriveTracker	Campaign management and tracking system for mobile and desktop traffic. Offers integrations, landing page pixel, funnel support and more.
Voluum	One of the largest ad tracking platforms. Tracks actions and clicks, segments data, and offers built-in optimization tools.
ZeusTrak	All-in-one niche-focused tracking tool with built-in filtering and obscuring features for affiliate marketers in specific verticals.

VPNs

HideMyAss	Popular VPN for accessing sites in different GEOs and across restrictions, plus preventing tracking of your own activity.