Where they overlap
On the core affiliate feature set the two look similar: unique affiliate links, coupon-code tracking, flexible commission rules, recurring commissions on subscriptions, reporting and affiliate payouts. Tapfiliate is a mature, broad platform, and it goes further than Insert Affiliate in several areas of web affiliate marketing: white labelling, multi-level programmes, automation workflows and a long list of shop, CRM and analytics integrations. The difference isn’t quality. It’s where the sale happens.
The key difference: web checkout vs app in-app purchases
Tapfiliate is built around web sales. Its integrations page lists online shop platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix Stores and Squarespace, payment tools such as Stripe and PayPal, plus a JavaScript library and a REST API. None of the listed integrations is for the App Store, Google Play or a mobile subscription platform.
Tapfiliate does say it supports mobile tracking, and its help centre explains how. You generate a click ID through the REST API, tie that ID to the visitor with a separate install-tracking service, then have your own server create a conversion through the REST API each time that customer pays. The article notes that users are redirected to app stores where Tapfiliate’s tracking codes can’t be applied, which is why the outside service is needed, and it offers coupon-based tracking as the simpler route. Its documentation does not describe an iOS or Android SDK, or a direct connection to App Store or Google Play purchase data. In short, app tracking with Tapfiliate is something you assemble and maintain yourself.
Insert Affiliate is purpose-built for that case. Affiliates share Insert Links, the deep links built into Insert Affiliate, which send people to the right store and open the app with the affiliate already credited. Purchases and renewals are then verified through RevenueCat, Adapty, Apphud, Iaptic or the stores directly, and commission is calculated for you. There are SDKs for Swift, Kotlin, Java, React Native, Flutter, Unity and JavaScript, a free affiliate marketplace for finding promoters, and payouts through Stripe Connect. If you also sell on the web through Stripe, those purchases and subscription renewals are tracked too and credited to the same affiliate.
When you need a Tapfiliate alternative
Most teams looking for a Tapfiliate alternative fall into one of three groups. The first has an iOS or Android app and has found that tracking in-app purchases means building and maintaining the connection themselves. Insert Affiliate is built for exactly that. The second sells software or subscriptions on the web through Stripe and wants different pricing or features. Insert Affiliate handles web-only programmes too: Stripe purchases and renewals are tracked and credited to the affiliate, with the same dashboards and payouts. The third runs an online shop selling physical products on a platform such as Shopify. That is the one case Insert Affiliate is not designed for, and a shop-focused platform is the better comparison.
Pricing differs in shape as well. Tapfiliate’s plans start at $89 a month for Launch, which covers one programme, up to 50 affiliates and 500 conversions a month, with a 7-day free trial and no free plan. Insert Affiliate has a free tier for up to 2 affiliates and 100 transactions, then paid plans from £20 a month plus 10% of affiliate transaction revenue, or a fixed monthly price if you prefer.
Who should choose which
- Choose Insert Affiliate if: you sell subscriptions or in-app purchases inside an iOS or Android app and want affiliate sales attributed, verified and paid without building the tracking yourself.
- Choose Tapfiliate if: you run an online shop selling physical products on Shopify, WooCommerce or a similar platform. Tapfiliate has ready-made integrations for those platforms, and Insert Affiliate is not a fit for that kind of business.
- If you sell software or subscriptions on the web through Stripe: either can work. Insert Affiliate tracks Stripe Checkout purchases and renewals whether or not you have an app, and has a free tier to start on. Tapfiliate offers a wider range of web integrations and web-focused programme features.
Bottom line
Tapfiliate and Insert Affiliate are both capable affiliate platforms aimed at different sales channels. Tapfiliate is a strong, well-established choice for online shops. Insert Affiliate is built first for iOS and Android apps, where affiliate sales happen through in-app purchases and the tracking, verification and payouts come ready to use, and it also runs web-only programmes for businesses that sell through Stripe. If you’re an app or software business, Insert Affiliate is the one designed for you.
