OpenPromoter vs Rewardful
As of November 2026, the Rewardful facts come from Rewardful's own pages and documentation linked on this page. Check their site for current pricing.
Rewardful or OpenPromoter: who should pick which
Pick Rewardful if you want a hosted service that can also pay affiliates and handle their tax forms for a 3% fee. Pick OpenPromoter if you want no revenue cap, several billing systems at once or code you can audit. On published prices OpenPromoter Cloud costs less at every level we checked.
Pick OpenPromoter if
- You use Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar or Chargebee
- You run more than one billing system
- You want fraud rules you can read
- You want to self-host for $0
Pick Rewardful if
- You want the vendor to send payouts for you
- You want tax forms handled by the vendor
- You want a hosted tool with nothing to maintain
Rewardful pricing in 2026
Rewardful has three plans priced by the affiliate revenue they track each month. Starter costs $49 for up to $7,500 and Growth costs $99 for up to $15,000. Enterprise starts at $149 for up to $30,000 and every plan has a 14-day free trial (pricing).
| Plan | Price a month | Affiliate revenue cap | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49 ($490 a year) | $7,500 | Unlimited affiliates with 1 campaign and 2 team members |
| Growth | $99 ($990 a year) | $15,000 | Branded portal, custom domain and invite-only campaigns |
| Enterprise 30k | $149 ($1,490 a year) | $30,000 | Phone support and one-click PayPal payouts |
| Enterprise 75k | $299 ($2,990 a year) | $75,000 | The same features as Enterprise 30k |
| Enterprise 150k | $499 ($4,990 a year) | $150,000 | The same features as Enterprise 30k |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
What happens above the cap
Rewardful moves you to the next tier in the next billing cycle once you pass a limit. The pricing schedule lists tiers up to $5,000 a month for $2.5 million of affiliate revenue. Annual billing charges 12 months for the price of 10.
Source: Rewardful pricing and pricing schedule (November 2026).
Rewardful fees on payouts
Rewardful takes no cut of commissions when you pay affiliates yourself through PayPal or Wise. Its optional Managed Payouts service charges you 3% of every payout to pay affiliates and handle tax forms for you. Affiliates then pay their own withdrawal fees (Managed Payouts FAQ).
OpenPromoter takes 0% of payouts on every plan. You pay only the fee that Stripe, PayPal or Wise charges for the transfer. Stripe lists its rates on its Connect pricing page.
Every OpenPromoter payout waits for a person to approve it. Batches above $1,000 need a fresh 2FA code by default. The affiliate payouts page shows each rail and check.
What each costs at $5k to $100k a month
At $5,000 a month of partner revenue OpenPromoter Cloud costs $29 and Rewardful costs $49. At $25,000 it is $79 against $149 and at $100,000 it is $199 against $499. Self-hosted OpenPromoter costs $0 at every level plus the cost of your server.
| Partner revenue a month | OpenPromoter Cloud | Rewardful | Rewardful with Managed Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 ($1,500 paid out) | $29 (Starter) | $49 (Starter) | $94 ($49 + $45) |
| $25,000 ($7,500 paid out) | $79 (Growth) | $149 (Enterprise 30k) | $374 ($149 + $225) |
| $100,000 ($30,000 paid out) | $199 (Scale) | $499 (Enterprise 150k) | $1,399 ($499 + $900) |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
We assume partners earn 30% of the revenue they bring in. Our program guide suggests that rate for plans from $15 to $499 a month.
Fees that Stripe, PayPal or Wise charge to move the money are left out for every tool. OpenPromoter Cloud plans are on the pricing page.
OpenPromoter vs Rewardful fact by fact
OpenPromoter vs Rewardful differs most on billing systems, fraud rules and source code. Rewardful connects Stripe or Paddle one at a time and does not disclose how it detects self-referrals. OpenPromoter connects five billing systems at once, publishes its fraud signals and is AGPL-3.0.
| Topic | OpenPromoter | Rewardful |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Plans | Self-host: $0 with every feature and no limits. Cloud: free up to $1k/mo partner revenue and $29, $79 or $199/mo above that. | Starter $49/mo, Growth $99/mo and Enterprise $149+/mo.[1] |
| Revenue caps | None when self-hosted. Cloud tiers cap partner revenue at $1k, $10k, $50k and $250k a month. | $7.5k, $15k and $30k+ of affiliate revenue a month.[1] |
| Fee on payouts | 0% of payouts on every plan. Only the payout rail's own fee applies. | 0% platform fee; optional Managed Payouts cost 3%.[2] |
| Tracking | ||
| Attribution | First-party cookie (60 days by default, configurable), first- or last-click per program, coupon codes, Stripe client_reference_id and metadata. | First-touch by default or last-touch per campaign; 60-day configurable cookie.[3][4] |
| Billing systems | Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar and Chargebee connected side by side. | Stripe and Paddle, but not both at once. Lemon Squeezy and Polar are not listed.[5][6] |
| Custom domain | Cloud Starter and up; any self-hosted instance. | From the Growth plan.[1] |
| Payouts and fraud | ||
| Payout rails | Stripe Connect Express transfers, PayPal Payouts, Wise or manual with CSV export. Every payout waits for a person to approve it, and batches above $1,000 (configurable) need a fresh 2FA code. | PayPal mass payouts and Wise bulk on all plans; one-click PayPal on Enterprise.[1] |
| Fraud | Self-referral, same network, duplicate accounts, shared payout accounts, coupon leaking, paid ads on your brand, click patterns, bots, refunds after payout and fast churn. Every plan has auto-hold above a risk score you set. | Self-referral detection and brand-bidding blocks on all plans. The detection methods are not disclosed.[7][8] |
| Developers and AI | ||
| API and agents | REST API with OpenAPI spec, signed webhooks (8 retries with backoff), TypeScript SDK and a CLI that forwards events to localhost. openpromoter-mcp is read-only unless you turn on write tools. Agents can prepare payouts but never send them; a person approves in the dashboard. | REST API, webhooks and a free Claude skill. An MCP server was not verified in our research.[6][9] |
| Source code | AGPL-3.0. Self-host with one docker compose command. | Hosted only; no public source code or self-host option found in our research.[1] |
Pricing
- Plans
- OpenPromoterSelf-host: $0 with every feature and no limits. Cloud: free up to $1k/mo partner revenue and $29, $79 or $199/mo above that.
- RewardfulStarter $49/mo, Growth $99/mo and Enterprise $149+/mo.[1]
- Revenue caps
- OpenPromoterNone when self-hosted. Cloud tiers cap partner revenue at $1k, $10k, $50k and $250k a month.
- Rewardful$7.5k, $15k and $30k+ of affiliate revenue a month.[1]
- Fee on payouts
- OpenPromoter0% of payouts on every plan. Only the payout rail's own fee applies.
- Rewardful0% platform fee; optional Managed Payouts cost 3%.[2]
Tracking
- Attribution
- OpenPromoterFirst-party cookie (60 days by default, configurable), first- or last-click per program, coupon codes, Stripe client_reference_id and metadata.
- RewardfulFirst-touch by default or last-touch per campaign; 60-day configurable cookie.[3][4]
- Billing systems
- OpenPromoterStripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar and Chargebee connected side by side.
- RewardfulStripe and Paddle, but not both at once. Lemon Squeezy and Polar are not listed.[5][6]
- Custom domain
- OpenPromoterCloud Starter and up; any self-hosted instance.
- RewardfulFrom the Growth plan.[1]
Payouts and fraud
- Payout rails
- OpenPromoterStripe Connect Express transfers, PayPal Payouts, Wise or manual with CSV export. Every payout waits for a person to approve it, and batches above $1,000 (configurable) need a fresh 2FA code.
- RewardfulPayPal mass payouts and Wise bulk on all plans; one-click PayPal on Enterprise.[1]
- Fraud
- OpenPromoterSelf-referral, same network, duplicate accounts, shared payout accounts, coupon leaking, paid ads on your brand, click patterns, bots, refunds after payout and fast churn. Every plan has auto-hold above a risk score you set.
- RewardfulSelf-referral detection and brand-bidding blocks on all plans. The detection methods are not disclosed.[7][8]
Developers and AI
- API and agents
- OpenPromoterREST API with OpenAPI spec, signed webhooks (8 retries with backoff), TypeScript SDK and a CLI that forwards events to localhost. openpromoter-mcp is read-only unless you turn on write tools. Agents can prepare payouts but never send them; a person approves in the dashboard.
- RewardfulREST API, webhooks and a free Claude skill. An MCP server was not verified in our research.[6][9]
- Source code
- OpenPromoterAGPL-3.0. Self-host with one docker compose command.
- RewardfulHosted only; no public source code or self-host option found in our research.[1]
Where Rewardful is the better choice
Rewardful is the better pick when you want a vendor to pay affiliates and handle their tax forms. It also suits teams that want a hosted service and nothing to maintain. Brand-bidding blocks and self-referral checks come on every plan (pricing schedule).
Payouts sent for you
Managed Payouts pays affiliates and handles tax forms for 3% (FAQ). OpenPromoter sends payouts from your own accounts.
Nothing to host
Rewardful runs everything. Self-hosted OpenPromoter means you run Postgres, email and backups yourself.
Is Rewardful worth it?
Rewardful is worth it for a Stripe or Paddle SaaS that wants a hosted tool and stays under $15,000 a month of affiliate revenue. Above that the price climbs with each Enterprise tier. It does not fit if you sell through Lemon Squeezy or Polar (integrations).
The plan price is most of the bill because Rewardful takes no fee when you pay affiliates yourself. Budget for the next tier before you need it. A good month moves you up from the next billing cycle.
Rewardful connects Stripe or Paddle but not both at once (Paddle guide). OpenPromoter connects Stripe, Paddle and three more side by side.
Moving from Rewardful to OpenPromoter
Export your affiliates from Rewardful as CSV and import them into OpenPromoter with their referral codes. OpenPromoter reads Rewardful's ?via= parameter and links partners already shared keep working. Past commissions are not imported and stay in your Rewardful export for your records.
- 1
Export your partners
Export your partners from Rewardful as CSV. The file needs an email column.
- 2
Connect billing
Connect Stripe or Paddle in OpenPromoter and match your current commission terms.
- 3
Import the file
Drop the CSV into Settings > Import. Partners arrive approved with their codes, PayPal emails and coupons where the file has them.
- 4
Swap the script
Replace the Rewardful script with op.js. The tracking docs show the script tag and the ?via= support.
- 5
Test one purchase
Buy through a Stripe test-mode Payment Link and check the commission. Delete the test data after.
- 6
Close out the old tool
Pay the commissions you still owe in Rewardful. Keep its export of past commissions for your records.
The Rewardful alternative page covers why teams switch. The getting started guide walks through each step in the app.
Rewardful and OpenPromoter questions
Does Rewardful have a free plan?
Does Rewardful charge a transaction fee?
Does Rewardful work with Lemon Squeezy or Polar?
Can I keep my Rewardful affiliate links?
Can I self-host Rewardful?
Is OpenPromoter really free?
Sources9 vendor pages, checked November 2026
Table facts are numbered here. The sections above link theirs in place. Check Rewardful's site for current pricing. Spotted something out of date? Open an issue on GitHub and we will correct it.
- 1Rewardful · Pricing
- 2Rewardful · Merchants faq managed payouts
- 3Rewardful · First or last touch attribution
- 4Rewardful · How long are referral cookies valid
- 5Rewardful · Integrating rewardful with paddle
- 6Rewardful · Integrations
- 7Rewardful · Dealing with self referrals
- 8Rewardful · Pricing schedule
- 9Developers
Other comparisons: Tolt · FirstPromoter · Dub Partners
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