A dated interface does not always mean dated features. Affiliates by itthinx proves this with a surprisingly powerful commission engine hidden behind an old-fashioned design. Solid Affiliate takes the opposite approach: it offers a contemporary, WooCommerce-exclusive experience where every feature feels native to your store.
In this Solid Affiliate vs Affiliates by itthinx comparison, we'll look at their setup experiences, commission engines, management tools, and overall cost to help you determine where your priorities lie.
📑 Table of Contents
Setup and Configuration
The first impression a WooCommerce affiliate plugin makes could give you a good idea of which plugin is better suited for your site.
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Guided Setup Wizard | ✅ | ❌ |
| Free Version | ❌ | ✅ |
| Manual Configuration | ❌ | ✅ |
| One-Click Existing Customer Conversion | ✅ | ❌ |
| Built-In Commission Calculator | ✅ | ❌ |
| Auto-Creates Affiliate Portal Pages | ✅ | ❌ |
Solid Affiliate launches a setup wizard the moment you activate it. Within minutes, you have an affiliate portal, a default commission rate set with a live calculator, email notifications configured, and optional coupons generated. You can even convert your existing WooCommerce customer base into affiliates with a single click.
Affiliates by itthinx does not use a wizard at all. Instead, it offers a set of manual instructions on the settings page that guide you through reviewing general options, enabling registration, creating an affiliate area, and installing your WooCommerce integration. The interface feels old-fashioned, and every page must be created and configured by hand.
Core Tracking and Commission Features
Solid Affiliate is built exclusively for WooCommerce. That focus allows it to handle eCommerce-specific behavior natively, without extra extensions.
Affiliates by itthinx covers the essentials and layers on advanced rule-setting you rarely see at this price point. However, a few notable features sit behind its premium tiers.
Commission Structures
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Site-Wide Default Rate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Per Product Rates | ✅ | ✅ |
| Per Category Rates | ✅ | ✅ |
| Per Affiliate Rates | ✅ | ✅ |
| Recurring Commissions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lifetime Commissions | ✅ | ❌ |
| Revenue Sharing | ✅ | ❌ |
| Tiered Commissions | ❌ | ✅ |
| Pay-Per-Click (PPC) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Lead Commissions | ❌ | ✅ |
| Multi-Level Marketing | ❌ | ✅ (Enterprise) |
Affiliates by itthinx stands out with support for tiered commissions that increase as affiliates hit sales thresholds, plus pay-per-click and lead commission models.
Solid Affiliate counters with lifetime commissions and revenue sharing, which allow you to reward partners for all future purchases from their referred customers.
Referral Tracking Methods
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Referral Links | ✅ | ✅ |
| WooCommerce Coupon Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Affiliate Landing Pages | ✅ | ❌ |
Solid Affiliate offers a dedicated landing page tracking option, where traffic to an assigned page is automatically credited to the partner.
WooCommerce Integration Depth
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Adds Notes to WooCommerce Orders | ✅ | ❌ |
| Automatic Refund Reversal | ✅ | ✅ |
| Subscription Renewal Handling | ✅ (Deep native) | ✅ |
Both plugins can protect your revenue by automatically reversing commissions when an order is refunded through WooCommerce. Both plugins also handle WooCommerce Subscriptions for recurring commission.
Affiliate Management
Keeping affiliates informed and equipped is central to program growth. The two plugins approach this with very different levels of built-in polish.
Affiliate Portal and Tools
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Modern Portal Interface | ✅ | ❌ |
| Drag-and-Drop Registration Builder | ✅ | ❌ |
| Built-In Link Generator | ✅ | ✅ |
| Marketing Creatives / Banners | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom Registration Fields | ✅ | ✅ |
Solid Affiliate gives you a contemporary, standalone portal and a drag-and-drop form builder for custom registration pages.
Affiliates by itthinx provides a functional dashboard where partners can track earnings, referrals, and traffic, plus access banners and a link generation tool. The trade-off is an interface that feels significantly dated compared to modern alternatives.
Admin Workflow
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Real-Time Activity Feed | ✅ | ❌ |
| Detailed Traffic Reports | ✅ | ✅ |
| Invalidate Affiliate by Date | ❌ | ✅ |
Solid Affiliate includes a real-time activity feed that shows a timeline of registrations and commissions inside your admin area.
Affiliates by itthinx does not offer this, though it does provide detailed administrative reports on traffic and referrals. One unique management feature in itthinx is the ability to invalidate an affiliate as of a specific date, which stops new commissions without deleting their history.
Payouts, Security, and Fraud Protection
Timely, accurate payments keep affiliates engaged. The two plugins diverge in how they deliver funds and safeguard your program.
Payout Methods
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Automated PayPal API Payouts | ✅ | ❌ |
| Store Credit | ✅ | ❌ |
| Export for Bulk Payment | ✅ | ✅ |
Solid Affiliate streamlines payments with native one-click PayPal automation and store credit rewards, plus CSV exports for manual processing.
Affiliates by itthinx prepares a mass payment file formatted for PayPal based on your accepted referrals. You then send the payment outside the plugin and mark the commissions as closed.
Fraud Prevention
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Affiliate Approval | ✅ | ✅ |
| Automatic Commission Reversal on Refund | ✅ | ✅ |
Both plugins let you manually approve every affiliate before they begin earning. Beyond that shared safeguard, Solid Affiliate includes self-referral blocking, a configurable referral grace period, and Google reCAPTCHA on registration forms.
Integrations
This is perhaps the clearest divide between the two.
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | ✅ (Deep native) | ✅ (Requires Pro for deep sync) |
| WooCommerce Subscriptions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mailchimp integration | ✅ | ✅ |
Solid Affiliate dedicates itself entirely to WooCommerce, including native subscription renewal handling.
Affiliates by itthinx Pro also supports subscription renewals. Additionally, itthinx allows you to integrate affiliate registration with the standard WordPress and WooCommerce customer registration processes. Both plugins also offer a direct Mailchimp integration.
Reporting and Analytics
| Feature | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Central Admin Dashboard | ✅ | ✅ |
| Traffic & Referral Reports | ✅ | ✅ |
Both plugins provide an administrative dashboard and detailed reporting. Solid Affiliate separates coupon performance into its own dedicated report, tying into its deep coupon-tracking system.
Affiliates by itthinx offers summarized overviews and detailed referral and traffic logs, along with the ability to search and sort your affiliate list.
Pricing
Your budget and commitment level will likely steer you here.
| Plan | Solid Affiliate | Affiliates by itthinx |
|---|---|---|
| Free Version | ❌ | ✅ |
| 1 Site / Annual | $149.60/year | $69/year (Pro) |
| 1 Site / Annual | $149.60/year | $149/year (Enterprise) |
| 5 Sites / Annual | $174.65/year | $119/year (Pro) |
| 25 Sites / Annual | $224.70/year | $229/year (Pro) |
Solid Affiliate keeps it simple with premium-only annual tiers. Affiliates by itthinx offers a free version and some of the lowest premium pricing available.
In comparison, Affiliates by itthinx offers good value, especially on multi-site licenses. However, some advanced capabilities like multi-level marketing and campaign A/B testing require the Enterprise tier.
Solid Affiliate vs Affiliates by itthinx: Which Plugin Is Right for You?
Solid Affiliate is the stronger pick for most WooCommerce merchants. It pairs deep store integration with a modern interface, so you can launch quickly and keep your attention on growing partnerships rather than navigating dated settings screens or patching together advanced features.
Choose Solid Affiliate if:
- You want a modern, all-in-one affiliate solution with no extra dependencies.
- You need advanced tracking like landing pages, revenue sharing, and native subscription handling.
- You value a guided setup wizard and a polished affiliate experience.
- Premium support and every feature on a single-site license are important to you.
Choose Affiliates by itthinx if:
- You are on a strict budget and want either a free version or an extremely low annual cost.
- You need advanced commission rules like pay-per-click, tiered rates, or lead commissions.
- Multi-level marketing is part of your growth strategy.
- You are comfortable with a dated interface in exchange for powerful configuration options.
Frequently Asked Questions: Solid Affiliate vs Affiliates by itthinx
Does WooCommerce Have Affiliate Links?
No, not by default. WooCommerce can display external affiliate products, but it does not generate trackable referral links for your own affiliates without a plugin. You need an affiliate plugin that assigns unique referral links and connects them to WooCommerce orders. For more information, see Does WooCommerce Have Affiliate Links.
How Do I Create an Affiliate Link on WooCommerce?
WooCommerce cannot create affiliate links alone. You need an affiliate plugin that generates a unique referral link for each partner and automatically attributes their sales inside your WooCommerce dashboard. For more information, see How Do I Create an Affiliate Link on WooCommerce.
Why does every WooCommerce store need an affiliate program?
An affiliate program is a powerful and cost-effective marketing channel. It allows you to engage your happy customers and other content creators to promote your products. You only pay when a sale is made, which makes it a low-risk, high-reward way to drive new traffic and sales.
