ClickReap vs Skimlinks Keep 100% of Your Affiliate Revenue
Skimlinks takes approximately 25% of your affiliate commissions as their fee. ClickReap charges a flat monthly price — you keep every dollar you earn.
The Skimlinks Revenue Share Problem
Skimlinks is one of the largest automated affiliate link platforms. It's been around since 2007 and works with thousands of merchants. But the business model has a fundamental issue for publishers: Skimlinks takes roughly 25% of your affiliate commissions.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
- Revenue share: Skimlinks keeps about 25% of the commission on every sale. If a merchant pays 10% commission, you get 7.5% and Skimlinks keeps 2.5%. The more you earn, the more they take.
- Network-locked merchants: You can only earn from merchants in the Skimlinks network. If your best-converting merchant isn't on Skimlinks, you can't use your direct affiliate relationship — or you have to manage links separately.
- Less control over links: Skimlinks automatically converts commercial links to affiliate links through their network. You don't always control which affiliate program is used or what the commission rate is.
- Privacy concerns: Skimlinks uses JavaScript that scans all links on your page and modifies them in the browser. This raises privacy questions, especially under GDPR, and can trigger ad blockers.
- Opaque reporting: Because Skimlinks sits between you and the merchant, you rely on their reporting for revenue data. You don't have direct relationships with affiliate networks.
For small publishers, the convenience may outweigh the cost. But as your affiliate revenue grows, that 25% cut becomes a significant amount of money. Publishers earning $10,000/month lose $2,500 to Skimlinks. Learn how media companies handle content monetization differently.
Skimlinks vs ClickReap: Side-by-Side
| Feature | Skimlinks | ClickReap |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ~25% revenue share | Flat monthly fee |
| You keep | ~75% of commissions | 100% of commissions |
| Merchant selection | Skimlinks network only | Any affiliate program |
| Auto link insertion | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cookie-free tracking | ✗ Cookie-based | ✓ |
| GDPR compliance | Requires consent banner | ✓ Privacy-first |
| Direct affiliate relationships | ✗ Through Skimlinks | ✓ Your own links |
| Ad blocker resistant | ✗ Often blocked | ✓ |
| Team management | Enterprise only | ✓ All plans |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✓ |
How Much Revenue Are You Losing to Skimlinks?
The revenue share model means the more successful you are, the more you pay. Here's a comparison at different revenue levels:
| Monthly Affiliate Revenue | Skimlinks Cost (~25%) | ClickReap Cost (Pro) | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $125 | $29.99 | $95.01 |
| $2,000 | $500 | $29.99 | $470.01 |
| $5,000 | $1,250 | $29.99 | $1,220.01 |
| $10,000 | $2,500 | $29.99 | $2,470.01 |
| $25,000 | $6,250 | $79.99 | $6,170.01 |
At $5,000/month in affiliate revenue, switching from Skimlinks to ClickReap saves you over $14,000 per year. That's money going directly back into your business. Check our pricing page for the plan that fits your scale.
Who Skimlinks Is For
Skimlinks can make sense in specific situations:
- You're brand new to affiliate marketing and don't have direct merchant relationships yet
- You don't want to manage individual affiliate programs
- You're okay giving up 25% of commissions for convenience
- You primarily link to merchants already in the Skimlinks network
- Your monthly affiliate revenue is under $200 (the cost difference is small)
Skimlinks reduces the upfront work of joining affiliate programs. For very early-stage publishers, that convenience has value.
Who ClickReap Is For
ClickReap is for publishers who want to keep their full earnings:
- You have direct affiliate relationships and want to use your own links
- You don't want to give away 25% of every commission
- You care about accurate, privacy-friendly tracking
- You want automatic link insertion without a revenue share
- You need your links to work even when ad blockers are active
- You want to manage affiliate links across multiple sites from one dashboard
If you already know which affiliate programs you want to promote, there's no reason to give away a quarter of your revenue. Also see our comparison with VigLink (Sovrn Commerce), which uses a similar revenue share model.
How ClickReap Works
Three simple steps to automate your affiliate monetization.
Add Your Products
Import your affiliate products with their links, aliases, and keywords. ClickReap tracks every product mention across your content.
Install the SDK
Add a single JavaScript snippet to your site. No code changes to your content — ClickReap works with any CMS or static site.
Monetize Automatically
ClickReap scans your pages and converts product mentions into affiliate links automatically. Track clicks and revenue in real time.
Flat Pricing — Keep Every Dollar You Earn
ClickReap charges a flat monthly fee. Your affiliate commissions are yours. No revenue share, no hidden costs.
Free
Perfect for trying out ClickReap
- Up to 3 products
- 1 team member
- 10 pages
- Unlimited transformations
- Auto link monetization
Starter
For growing content creators
- Up to 10 products
- 2 team members
- 50 pages
- Unlimited transformations
- Auto link monetization
- Click tracking & analytics
Pro
For professional publishers
- Up to 50 products
- 5 team members
- 250 pages
- Unlimited transformations
- Auto link monetization
- Click tracking & analytics
- Priority support
Business
For teams and media companies
- Up to 200 products
- 20 team members
- 1,000 pages
- Unlimited transformations
- Auto link monetization
- Click tracking & analytics
- Priority support
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ClickReap a Skimlinks alternative without revenue share?
Yes. ClickReap uses flat monthly pricing instead of a revenue share. You keep 100% of your affiliate commissions. Whether you earn $100 or $100,000 per month, your ClickReap cost stays the same — it's based on your plan tier, not your earnings.
Does ClickReap automatically insert affiliate links like Skimlinks?
Yes. ClickReap scans your content for product mentions and automatically converts them to affiliate links — similar to Skimlinks' auto-linking. The key difference is that ClickReap uses your own affiliate links, not a network intermediary, so you maintain full control and keep all commissions.
Do I need to join affiliate programs separately with ClickReap?
Yes, you bring your own affiliate links from programs like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, Impact, CJ, or any other network. This means you have direct relationships with merchants and keep 100% of commissions. The trade-off vs Skimlinks is slightly more setup time, but significantly more revenue.
How does ClickReap handle tracking compared to Skimlinks?
ClickReap uses cookie-free, server-side click tracking. Unlike Skimlinks, which relies on browser cookies that ad blockers frequently disable, ClickReap's tracking works regardless of browser privacy settings. Read more about cookieless affiliate tracking.
Can I switch from Skimlinks to ClickReap gradually?
Yes. You can run both tools simultaneously during a transition period. Start by setting up your highest-earning affiliate products in ClickReap. As you see results, migrate more products over. Once you're fully on ClickReap, remove the Skimlinks script and stop losing 25% of your revenue.
Stop giving away 25% of your revenue
Start with ClickReap's free plan — no credit card required. Keep 100% of your affiliate commissions with flat, predictable pricing.
Free forever plan available. No credit card needed.