The Stripe-First Alternative to UpPromote
UpPromote is a popular affiliate marketing app for Shopify stores, but its performance fees and plan-based referral caps can make costs less predictable as you scale. Referello is built for Stripe-first SaaS teams that want flat pricing, unlimited affiliates, and clean attribution without revenue share.
UpPromote adds a variable performance-based fee on successful referral sales, which can make forecasting total affiliate software cost harder as your revenue grows.
Most UpPromote tiers cap the number of referral orders you can approve each month, so scaling programs can force upgrades or create operational workarounds.
UpPromote is optimized for Shopify order workflows and merchant tooling, which can introduce friction when you need Stripe-first SaaS attribution and subscription-aware tracking.
Feature Breakdown
| Core Features | UpPromote | Referello |
|---|---|---|
Flat monthly pricing Subscription plus performance fee varies. | Missing | |
Instant Stripe referral tracking Built for Shopify orders, not Stripe. | Missing | |
Reliable last-touch attribution Uses last-click for link tracking. | Included | |
Unlimited revenue tracking Unlimited referrals only on Enterprise. | Enterprise only | |
Drop-in tracking script Shopify app install; headless option exists. | Shopify app | |
Auto-generate referral codes Auto-generates coupons for affiliates. | Included | |
Real-time conversion feed New referral orders appear in Referrals. | Included | |
0% revenue share Charges 1–2% performance fee. | Missing | |
Unlimited affiliates Unlimited affiliates across plans. | Included | |
Easy setup effort Easy for Shopify; less for SaaS. | Medium | |
No campaign limits Unlimited programs starts on Growth plan. | Paid plans | |
No team member limits Unlimited staff accounts on Enterprise plan. | Enterprise only | |
Branded affiliate portal Hosted portal supports branding options. | Included | |
Custom domain Custom domain available on Professional plan. | Pro plan | |
Coupon code tracking Tracks sales via coupons and links. | Included | |
Automatic payouts Scheduled PayPal auto-payouts supported. | Included | |
Self-referral abuse prevention Fraud protection flags suspicious referrals. | Included |
Which tool is right for you?
Built specifically for Stripe SaaS Founders.
We focus on one thing: Making affiliate tracking seamless for Stripe. No clunky integrations, no enterprise bloat.
- 2-Minute Setup
- Automatic Commissions
- Simple Flat Pricing ($29/mo)
No credit card required · 14-day free trial
"I switched from UpPromote because I was tired of paying monthly fees for features I didn't use. Referello is exactly what I needed."
Final Verdict
Migration Steps
- Export or copy your affiliate roster, key program settings, and any active incentives from UpPromote so you have a clean source of truth for partners and commissions.
- In Referello, recreate your program structure at a high level (commission rules, approval logic, and partner onboarding), keeping the setup aligned to how your SaaS bills in Stripe.
- Invite affiliates into Referello and issue fresh referral links or codes so new traffic is attributed to the new system going forward.
- Install the Referello tracking snippet on your marketing site and app surfaces where signups happen, then connect Stripe so conversions map to real subscription payments.
- Run both systems briefly in parallel for validation, spot-checking attribution and payouts until you are confident new referrals are being captured correctly.
- Communicate the cutover date to partners and deprecate old UpPromote links and coupons to minimize split attribution.
UpPromote Shopify tracking and cookies do not transfer to Referello; plan for new-click attribution after cutover and treat historical Shopify referral reporting as read-only.