CJ vs Awin vs ShareASale: best affiliate network for content affiliates

Three established networks compared on reliability, payout speed, and focus.

CJ Affiliate, Awin, and ShareASale are three of the most established affiliate networks, and all three are reliable enough for serious content affiliates. The differences are in payout speed, minimums, and focus. Note that ShareASale is now migrating onto the Awin platform.

Side by side

Factor	CJ Affiliate	Awin	ShareASale
Trust Layer Metric	75	84	80
Payout schedule	monthly, around the 20th	twice monthly, 1st and 15th	monthly, net 20
Minimum payout	$50 deposit, $100 check	$20	$50
Methods	direct deposit, check, Payoneer	BACS, ACH, SEPA, wire	ACH, check, Payoneer, direct deposit
Data transparency	72	86	70

Which network to choose

Awin pays twice a month with the lowest minimum of the three and the strongest transaction transparency, which makes it the best default for most content affiliates. CJ Affiliate has the widest catalog of big brand advertisers, so pick it when the specific brands you want are there. ShareASale has a long ecommerce history but is being folded into Awin, so new publishers may as well start on Awin directly. Check all three on the Reliability and Trust Index.

FAQ

Is Awin better than CJ Affiliate?

For most content affiliates, Awin is the better default because it pays twice a month with a low minimum and strong reporting. CJ wins when the specific big brand advertisers you want are on it.

Is ShareASale closing?

ShareASale is migrating onto its parent company Awin platform. It still pays reliably, but new publishers may prefer to start on Awin directly.

Which of these networks pays fastest?

Awin pays twice a month on the 1st and 15th. CJ and ShareASale pay monthly. See the payout schedule row in the table above.