Affiliate network
LinkApprove vs Impact
Impact is a full partnership-management platform that brands use to run their own programs. LinkApprove is a publisher on Impact and other networks, giving creators access to programs they would not be approved for individually.
The short answer
These are not really alternatives. Brands use Impact to run a program. Creators use LinkApprove to get into programs, including ones on Impact, without being approved individually.
Head to head
LinkApprove
Impact- Model
- Sub-affiliate network (publisher)Affiliate network / SaaS platform
- Primary customer
- Creators and publishersBrands and advertisers
- Individual approval needed
- No. we hold the relationshipYes, per program
Feature by feature
LinkApprove and Impact compared
| LinkApprove | Impact | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Sub-affiliate network (publisher) | Affiliate network / SaaS platform |
| Primary customer | Creators and publishers | Brands and advertisers |
| Individual approval needed | No. we hold the relationship | Yes, per program |
| Consolidated payout | One balance, all programs | Per advertiser |
| Platform fee | None for partners | Paid by the brand |
| Reporting depth | Consolidated across networks | Deep, single-network |
| Suits brands | Via our partner network | Yes, core product |
Where Impact is stronger
Written without hedging, because a comparison that only flatters the author is not worth reading.
- The most capable partnership-management platform available to brands
- Extremely deep reporting and attribution controls
- Direct relationship between brand and partner with no intermediary margin
- Industry-standard infrastructure trusted by large advertisers
Where LinkApprove is stronger
The specific cases where we are the better choice.
- Creators are approved once, not program by program
- One payout across programs from every upstream network together
- Access to invite-only programs through our upstream approval
- No platform fee or contract for partners
The longer answer
It is worth being clear that Impact and LinkApprove sit at different layers of the same stack rather than in competition. Impact is infrastructure; we are a publisher on it.
For a brand, going direct on Impact and avoiding an intermediary is usually correct if you have the in-house resource to recruit and manage partners. Where a sub-affiliate network earns its margin is in doing that recruitment and vetting for you against a single publisher relationship.
For a creator, the practical reality is that many Impact programs will not approve an individual account. Going through a network that already holds the approval is often the only available route.
Run both and compare the numbers
No exclusivity, no contract and no fee, so testing us against what you already use costs you nothing but a signup.