The best web hosting affiliate programs pay either a big one-time bounty or a small cut that keeps coming. DreamHost pays up to $1,000 per referral with no minimum payout, Hostinger pays at least 40% of each eligible sale, and Kinsta pairs a bonus of up to $500 with 10% lifetime recurring. Developer platforms like Netlify, Vercel and Cloudflare run partner programs for agencies and integrators instead of plain affiliate links.
Hosting is one of the oldest affiliate niches, and it's crowded for a reason: every website needs a host, and people rarely switch once they're set up. That stickiness is why the payouts are high. It's also why the competition for "best hosting" keywords is brutal.
PartnersWatch isn't affiliated with any brand on this page. Rates come from each brand's own partner page on the date shown on its listing. Hosting companies change their affiliate terms often, so confirm before you publish a number.
Hosting and domain programs at a glance
| Program | Partner types | Terms | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| DreamHost | Affiliate | Up to $1,000 per referral | Flat fee / bounty |
| Hostinger | Affiliate | At least 40% per eligible sale, increasing with volume | One-time |
| Kinsta | Affiliate, Referral partner | Up to $500 one-time bonus plus 10% lifetime monthly recurring commission | Recurring |
| SiteGround | Affiliate | $50-$100+ per sale by monthly volume; 60% of first year on other services | Flat fee / bounty |
| WP Engine | Affiliate | Tiered per-referral commissions that rise with volume | One-time |
| Porkbun | Affiliate | 15% on email and shared hosting; per-TLD payouts on domains | One-time |
| Elementor | Affiliate | 45-55% of first purchases | One-time |
| Webflow | Affiliate | 50% revenue share on a new customer's first subscription for up to 12 months; Pro/Premium tiers add 10%/15% for up to 12 more months on renewal | Recurring |
Developer platforms and cloud partner programs
| Program | Partner types | Terms | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netlify | Referral partner, Agency, Reseller | 20% revenue share for 12 to 24 months | Revenue share |
| DigitalOcean | Reseller, Integrator / MSP, Agency | Up to a 25% margin | Revenue share |
| Vercel | Agency, Integrator / MSP | On request | — |
| Cloudflare | Reseller, Distributor, Integrator / MSP | On request | — |
| Supabase | Integrator / MSP, Agency | On request | — |
| MongoDB | Integrator / MSP, Reseller | On request | — |
| Twilio | Integrator / MSP, Agency | On request | — |
| GitLab | Reseller, Distributor, Integrator / MSP | On request | — |
| Auth0 | Reseller, Integrator / MSP, Agency | On request | — |
DreamHost: the headline number
DreamHost's affiliate program advertises up to $1,000 per referral, uncapped earnings and no minimum payout. That last part is underrated. Plenty of hosting programs hold your money until you hit $100 or more, which can take a small site months. With DreamHost, a single sale is a single payout.
"Up to $1,000" is doing a lot of work, though. Like most hosting programs, the amount depends on what the customer buys. A shared hosting plan won't pay the top figure; bigger plans pay more. Write your reviews around the plans your readers actually need, not around the maximum.
If you're searching for the DreamHost affiliate login, it lives on DreamHost's own affiliate site. The "Apply" button on our listing sends you to the brand's page, and that's where existing affiliates sign in too.
DreamHost affiliate program review, in one line: a solid choice for blogs that teach beginners how to start a website, because the no-minimum payout makes it worthwhile even at low volume.
Hostinger: percentage, not bounty
Hostinger pays at least 40% per eligible sale, and the rate rises with volume. It's free to join and comes with a dashboard and branded assets.
Hostinger's prices are low, so 40% of a cheap plan is a modest number. The rate tends to pay off for high-volume content: YouTube tutorials, "how to start a blog" guides and website-builder comparisons where readers pick the cheapest serious option.
Kinsta and WP Engine: managed WordPress
Managed WordPress hosting costs more, and so do the commissions.
Kinsta offers up to $500 as a one-time bonus plus 10% lifetime monthly recurring commission, with a 60-day cookie. That combination is rare in hosting. You get a meaningful upfront payment and a tail that continues while the site stays live. Requirements are clear: a finished website with a domain and an affiliate disclosure. Coupon sites, bare social profiles and adult content are rejected. Kinsta customers are approved automatically, and everyone else hears back within three business days.
WP Engine pays tiered per-referral commissions that rise with volume, and has the longest cookie on this page at 180 days. Agency owners and developers often take months to move a client site, so that window catches deals other programs would miss. You also get a dedicated affiliate manager, affiliate-only discounts and co-branded landing pages.
Which one? If your readers are agencies or WooCommerce stores, either works. Kinsta's recurring tail is the better long-term bet if you trust your audience to stay put.
SiteGround: weekly cash
SiteGround pays $50 to $100+ per hosting sale depending on your monthly volume, plus 60% of the first year on other services. The cookie is 60 days. Payouts are weekly with no minimum, and custom deals open up at 21+ sales a month.
The weekly schedule makes SiteGround a good fit for affiliates who reinvest in content or ads and care about cash flow.
Porkbun and domain registrar affiliates
Domain registrar programs pay less per sale than hosting, but domains are the first thing anyone buys, and the audience is huge.
The Porkbun Ambassador Program pays 15% on email and shared hosting, and set amounts per TLD on domains. Referrals are tracked for 90 days and paid automatically by PayPal each month. You need a PayPal account for payouts, and that's about it.
Porkbun has a loyal following among developers and indie hackers, which makes it a natural link in "how I set up my side project" posts. Don't expect big checks per domain. Do expect volume if you write for builders.
Website builders that compete with hosting
Some readers don't want hosting at all. They want a builder.
Webflow pays 50% revenue share on a new customer's first subscription for up to 12 months, with Pro and Premium tiers adding 10% or 15% for up to 12 more months on renewal. The cookie is 90 days. The catch: Webflow wants content creators, influencers or bloggers, and explicitly excludes agencies and freelancers, coupon sites, incentivized traffic and sub-affiliates. You also need to publish content within 30 days of acceptance.
Elementor pays 45-55% of first purchases of Elementor One, Editor Pro or Elementor Host, with a 45-day cookie. If your audience builds on WordPress, this pairs well with any of the hosts above.
Developer platforms: Netlify, Vercel, Supabase, Cloudflare
This is where "affiliate program" stops being the right word. Most developer platforms don't pay for clicks. They pay, or reward, agencies and integrators who bring and support real customers.
Netlify Partners. The clearest numbers in this group: 20% revenue share for 12 to 24 months for referring and delivering on Netlify. Ecosystem partners don't need a Netlify account to apply, and there's a certified partner track.
Vercel Partner Program. People search for a "Vercel affiliate program". As far as Vercel's own page goes, what it runs is a partner program with solution and technology tracks for agencies and software companies. The rewards are a Partner Finder listing, co-marketing and referrals, and priority technical support. No published commission. For an agency, a Partner Finder listing can be worth more than a commission, because it puts you in front of companies already choosing Vercel.
Supabase Partner Program. Integration and solution tracks. To qualify you need a real integration with Supabase or Postgres, or you need to build on Supabase for clients. Perks include a Partner Catalog listing, co-marketing during Launch Weeks and a direct line to the product team. There's no public affiliate commission, so anyone searching "Supabase affiliate program" should know this is a partnership, not a link program.
Cloudflare PowerUP. On Cloudflare partner requirements: its public page describes tracks to resell, manage, distribute or consult on Cloudflare's network security and performance services, with enablement, dedicated support and pre-built integrations. It doesn't list entry criteria publicly. Expect to be assessed on your existing customer base and technical capability, and go in ready to explain both.
DigitalOcean Partner Pod. Up to a 25% margin for MSPs, agencies and ISVs building on DigitalOcean, plus go-to-market help, a directory listing and proposal templates.
The other platforms in the table above, including MongoDB, Twilio, GitLab and Auth0, work the same way: technology, services and resale tracks rather than affiliate links.
How to choose a hosting affiliate program
Four questions sort most of the field.
- Who's reading? Beginners buy cheap shared hosting and builders. Agencies and stores buy managed hosting. Developers buy platforms, domains and APIs.
- Bounty or tail? Hosting churn is low, so recurring deals like Kinsta's 10% can outgrow a one-off payment over a few years. If you need money now, take the bounty.
- How long is the cookie? WP Engine's 180 days and Porkbun's 90 days give slow decision-makers time. Short windows lose them.
- When do you get paid? SiteGround pays weekly with no minimum. DreamHost has no minimum. Others hold small balances for months.
For the general version of this checklist, read how to join a partner program. If you're comparing models, affiliate vs referral vs reseller explains when an agency should stop using affiliate links and start reselling.
Mistakes that kill hosting affiliate income
- Ranking only for "best web hosting". You'll compete with sites that have spent a decade on it. Target narrower questions: "best hosting for a WooCommerce store in the UK", "Kinsta vs WP Engine for agencies".
- Ignoring renewal prices. Readers get burned by intro pricing, then blame you. Mention the renewal price and they trust the next recommendation.
- Coupon and cashback setups. Kinsta rejects coupon sites, and Webflow bans them too. Build real content.
- Stale reviews. Hosting plans change constantly. Re-check your top pages every quarter.
FAQ
Which web hosting affiliate program pays the most?
DreamHost advertises up to $1,000 per referral, the highest headline number we track. Kinsta pays up to $500 as a bonus plus 10% lifetime recurring, which can earn more over time. Actual payouts depend on the plan your referral buys.
Is the DreamHost affiliate program worth it?
For most beginner-focused sites, yes. It pays up to $1,000 per referral, has uncapped earnings and no minimum payout, so you get paid even on low volume. The amount per referral depends on the plan purchased.
How does the Porkbun Ambassador Program work?
Porkbun pays 15% on email and shared hosting, and a set amount per TLD on domains. Referrals are tracked for 90 days and payouts go out automatically each month by PayPal.
Does Vercel have an affiliate program?
Vercel runs a partner program rather than an affiliate program. It has solution and technology tracks for agencies and software companies, offering a Partner Finder listing, co-marketing, referrals and priority support, but no published per-click commission.
What are the Cloudflare partner requirements?
Cloudflare's PowerUP program offers tracks to resell, manage, distribute or consult on its services. Its public page doesn't list fixed entry criteria, so expect to be evaluated on your customer base and technical capability when you apply.
Do Netlify and Supabase pay affiliates?
Netlify pays partners a 20% revenue share for 12 to 24 months for referring and delivering projects. Supabase doesn't publish a commission; its partner program offers catalog listings, co-marketing and product access to integration and solution partners.
Which hosting affiliate programs pay recurring commission?
Kinsta pays 10% lifetime monthly recurring on top of its signup bonus. Webflow pays 50% of the first year's subscription, with renewal payouts for higher tiers. Most other hosts, including DreamHost, SiteGround and Hostinger, pay per sale.