Partner programs

Affiliate vs referral vs reseller program: which software partner model fits you?

Updated 7 November 20265 min readnaffo.tech partner desk

What is the difference between an affiliate, a referral and a reseller program?

An affiliate program pays a commission when people who click your tracked link or use your code become paying customers. A referral program pays you for introducing specific people or businesses you already know. A reseller program lets you sell the product yourself, usually onboarding and supporting the customer, in exchange for a margin. Affiliates and referral partners hand the customer to the software company; resellers usually keep the relationship.

Key takeaways

Affiliate programs suit people who publish content to an audience; referral programs suit people who advise a small number of clients closely.
Reseller programs are a business model, not a side income: you take on selling, onboarding and often first-line support.
Affiliate and referral commissions are usually a percentage of what the referred customer pays; resellers usually earn a margin or discount.
The written program terms decide tracking, payout timing, refunds and what you may claim, whatever the model is called.
Many partners start with a referral or affiliate link and move to a reseller agreement once they serve enough customers.

The short answer

All three models pay you for helping a software company win customers. They differ in how far you go after the first introduction. An affiliate publishes and points; a referral partner introduces someone they know; a reseller sells and stays with the customer. Choose by what you already do every week, not by which label sounds bigger.

Comparison table: affiliate, referral and reseller programs

Software partner models side by side (typical arrangements; each program's terms decide)
	Affiliate program	Referral program	Reseller program
Main activity	Content with a tracked link or code	Personal introductions	Selling, onboarding and support
Typical partner	Creator, blogger, educator, newsletter writer	Accountant, consultant, advisor, happy customer	IT firm, agency, implementation partner
Reach	Many people, light touch	Few people, high trust	Accounts you manage
How you are paid	Commission on referred payments	Commission or benefits on referred payments	Margin or discount on what the customer pays
Who bills the customer	The software company	The software company	Often you, or the company on your behalf
Who owns the relationship	The software company	The software company	Usually you, under the agreement
Support duty	None	Little	Often first-line support and training
Typical commitment	Free to join, no targets	Free to join, no targets	Agreement, training, sometimes targets

Affiliate program: best when you publish content

An affiliate shares a tracked link or code in tutorials, reviews, newsletters or videos. When someone signs up through it and pays, the affiliate earns a commission set by the program. Tracking usually relies on a cookie or code with a fixed window, so content that keeps getting found, such as a search-friendly tutorial, keeps working long after it is published. The trade-off is that you rarely know the customer and you depend on the tracking being right.

Referral program: best when you advise a few people closely

A referral partner introduces a specific person or business, often a client who has told them about a problem. Because the introduction comes from someone they trust, referrals tend to be well matched. Many software companies run one program for both affiliates and referral partners, so the difference is mostly in how you work: fewer, warmer introductions instead of broad publishing.

Reseller program: best when you want to build a services business

A reseller buys or sells the software under an agreement and is responsible for more of the customer journey: demos, pricing conversations, setup, data migration, training and first-line support. The reward is usually a margin on what the customer pays, plus the services revenue you charge for yourself. It suits firms that already serve business customers and want a product to build repeatable work around. Read our guide to ERP reseller partner programs for what a reseller agreement usually covers.

How to choose the right software partner model

If your main asset is an audience that reads, watches or listens to you, start with an affiliate link.
If your main asset is a list of clients who ask you for advice, use a referral link or code and introduce only those who need the product.
If you already deliver setup, training or IT support to businesses, look at a reseller agreement.
Whatever you choose, read the terms first: tracking window, payout timing, refunds and approved claims.
Disclose the relationship every time you recommend the product, as advertising regulators require.

How the Naffo Partners Program maps to these models

The Naffo Referral Program covers both affiliates and referral partners: it is free to join, approved partners get a link and a code, tracking lasts 60 days, and the commission is 20% of a referred customer's first-year payments and 10% of renewals for up to 24 months. Firms that want to sell, onboard and support Naffo can apply to the Reseller Program. Every rule, including eligibility and payout requirements, is in the Program Terms. For the bigger picture, read how to earn money selling software without building it.

Frequently asked questions

Is a referral program the same as an affiliate program?

Often they run on the same system and pay in a similar way. The usual difference is the style of work: affiliates publish content to a broad audience, while referral partners make a smaller number of personal introductions to people they already know and advise.

Do resellers earn more than affiliates?

Not automatically. Resellers usually earn a margin and can charge for their own services, but they also carry the cost of selling, onboarding and supporting customers. Affiliates carry little cost and little responsibility. What you keep depends on your work and the written terms, and no program guarantees income.

Who owns the customer in each model?

In affiliate and referral programs the software company normally bills and owns the customer relationship. In a reseller program the reseller usually manages the relationship and may bill the customer directly, as set out in the reseller agreement.

Can I be an affiliate and a reseller at the same time?

Some companies allow it and some ask you to choose one agreement so the same customer is not paid for twice. Check the program terms or ask the partner team before you start promoting under both arrangements.

This page also answers

Is a referral program the same as an affiliate program?
Should I become a software affiliate or a reseller?
Who owns the customer in a reseller program?
How are affiliate, referral and reseller partners paid?

References

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