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Today you’re going to learn which are the best affiliate marketing courses online, so you don’t waste massive amounts of time and money on the crappy ones. These recommendations are based on the 1000+ hours we’ve spent buying, researching and testing affiliate marketing training programs. Plus lots of feedback from real students.
Here are the best courses we’ve reviewed…
🏆 Best Affiliate Marketing Course 🏆
🧐 Affiliate Marketing Courses – Expert Picks 🧐
| Best Overall | |
|---|---|
| Best For Travel Bloggers | |
| Best for Advanced Training | |
| Best For Tight Budgets | |
| Best For Beginners |
If you want to know…
- Why the Authority Hacker course is our top pick
- Why popular courses like Wealthy Affiliate and Commission Hero are rated low
- How much money I make from affiliate marketing
- Why learning affiliate marketing on Udemy isn’t a great idea
- The best places to learn affiliate marketing for free
Then definitely keep reading.
Jump to…
About the Author
Hey, I’m Niall Doherty.
I quit my last 9-to-5 job back in 2010.
Since then, I’ve earned my living online doing a variety of things:
- Blogging
- Web design
- Advertising
- Online courses
- Ebooks
At the end of 2018, I decided to focus on affiliate marketing.
Here’s a graph of my affiliate income since then…
All that to say: I haven’t simply taken lots of affiliate marketing courses – I’ve actually TRIED and TESTED many of the tactics and strategies shared in those courses, and know from experience what works and what doesn’t.
Plus, we’ve surveyed 100’s of real students of these affiliate marketing courses. Their feedback strongly impacts our overall ratings.
Best Affiliate Marketing Courses 2023
The Authority Site System by Authority Hacker
The Authority Site System – Key Points
The Authority Site System (TASS) isn’t just the best affiliate marketing training I’ve seen – it’s one of the best online courses I’ve seen on ANY topic.
It checks all the boxes:
- Plenty of recent student success stories.
- They explain WHY they advise each action, then show you HOW to actually do it, step-by-step.
- Regularly updated.
- No over-the-top salesy crap.
- Totally white hat.
- An active and helpful private community.
- Combined text AND video lessons, making it easy to learn and refer back.
- Loads of useful templates included in the course.
- A 30-day money-back guarantee (no strings attached).
- A one-time entry fee (no recurring payment).
- Created by well-respected affiliate marketing experts who are constantly building their own successful sites (ie. they practice what they preach).
That’s not to say that the Authority Hacker course is perfect – you’ll find a list of criticisms and nitpicks in our full review – but it’s about as good as an online course can be.
Their training was the main reason I quickly began earning $1k/month as an affiliate marketer 11 … and I’ve yet to find another course that packs the same punch.
Scale Your Travel Blog by Mike & Laura Travel
Scale Your Travel Blog – Key Points
If you’re an aspiring travel blogger aiming to monetize with affiliate marketing, this course is tailor-made for you. And I mean that literally: the level of personal care and attention delivered to students as part of SYTB is simply outstanding.
They teach multiple ways to monetize a travel blog, but affiliate marketing gets the most time and attention.
Here are the top 5 reasons it’s by far the best travel blog training…
- Proven results: Many students have seen significant increases in traffic and income after taking the course. For example, one student increased their traffic by 2,000% and another went from earning pennies of affiliate income to about $5,000 per month.
Example…
- Personalized coaching: Students receive personalized coaching from Laura, the course creator, who is an expert in travel blogging. This coaching is invaluable for helping students apply the lessons they learn in the course to their own blogs.
- Active community: The Scale Your Travel Blog community is active and supportive. This is a great resource for students who are looking for help and advice from other travel bloggers.
- Lifetime access: Once you purchase the course, you have lifetime access to the materials and coaching. This means that you can revisit the course and get help from Laura whenever you need it.
- Money-back guarantee: Scale Your Travel Blog offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means that you can try the course risk-free and get your money back if you’re not satisfied.
The Affiliate Lab by Matt Diggity
The Affiliate Lab – Key Points
This is another course you can’t really go wrong with.
We’ve surveyed dozens of reviews from students of The Lab and their comments are overwhelmingly positive 🤩
Some results…
Here’s why The Affiliate Lab is the best advanced affiliate marketing training around…
- In-depth training: The Affiliate Lab covers everything you need to know to build a successful affiliate marketing business, from niche selection to keyword research to content creation to monetization. The course is packed with actionable advice and strategies that you can implement right away.
- Experienced instructors: The Affiliate Lab is taught by Matt Diggity and SEO Jay Yap, two of the most respected affiliate marketers in the industry. Matt is the founder of Diggity Marketing, a successful affiliate marketing website that generates over 270,000 visitors per month. SEO Jay Yap is an expert in SEO and has helped hundreds of affiliate marketers achieve success.
- Active community: The Affiliate Lab has a private Facebook group with over 3,800 members. This is a great resource for getting help and advice from other affiliate marketers.
FB group stats…
- Regularly updated: The Affiliate Lab is regularly updated with new content and strategies. This means that you can always be sure you’re learning the latest and greatest affiliate marketing techniques.
- Lifetime access: Once you purchase The Affiliate Lab, you have lifetime access to the course materials. This means that you can revisit the course and get help from Matt and SEO Jay Yap whenever you need it.
Passive Income Geek by Morten Storgaard
Passive Income Geek – Key Points
Passive Income Geek puts a strong focus on monetizing with display ads, more than with affiliate marketing.
But with respectable training, a relatively low price point, and a 30 day money-back guarantee, this is a good choice if you’re on a tight budget.
Here’s why…
- Affordable price: Passive Income Geek is one of the most affordable affiliate marketing courses on the market, costing just $399 for the first year and $199 per year after that. This is significantly less than many other popular affiliate marketing courses.
- No-questions-asked refund policy: Passive Income Geek offers a 30-day “no questions asked” refund policy. This means that you can try the course risk-free and get your money back if you’re not satisfied. This is a great way to ensure that you’re making a sound investment before you commit to the course.
- Step-by-step guidance: Passive Income Geek is a very well-structured course that provides step-by-step guidance on how to build a successful affiliate marketing business. The course is divided into eight core modules and five advanced modules, covering everything from choosing a niche to monetizing your website.
- Strong community: Passive Income Geek has a strong and active community of students who are always willing to help each other out. The community is a great resource for getting advice, asking questions, and finding support.
- Covers AI blogging: Passive Income Geek is one of the few affiliate marketing courses that covers AI blogging. This is a hot topic in the affiliate marketing world, and it’s something that you’ll want to learn about if you want to stay ahead of the competition.
Blog Growth Engine by Adam Enfroy
Blog Growth Engine – Key Points
The (relatively) new course on the block, Blog Growth Engine is also getting lots of rave reviews from students.
Course creator Adam Enfroy built his personal blog to over 500,000 monthly readers and $100,000 monthly revenue in about 2 years. Blog Growth Engine is where he lays out exactly how he did it.
In short, this is why Blog Growth Engine is in our top 5…
- Expert training from Adam Enfroy: Blog Growth Engine is taught by Adam Enfroy, a successful blogger who has built a six-figure blog in just two years. Adam’s experience and expertise are evident in the course, which provides comprehensive and actionable advice on how to start, grow, and monetize a blog.
More on Adam…
- Straightforward and practical approach: Blog Growth Engine is not a fluffy or theoretical course. Instead, it is a practical and actionable guide that provides step-by-step instructions on how to implement Adam’s strategies. This makes the course ideal for beginners who are looking for a clear and concise path to blogging success.
- Realistic expectations: Adam is upfront about the fact that blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme. He emphasizes the importance of hard work, patience, and dedication, and he sets realistic expectations for students. This helps to set students up for success and prevents them from becoming discouraged.
- 1-on-1 coaching: One of the unique features of Blog Growth Engine is that it offers unlimited 1-on-1 coaching calls. This is a valuable perk that allows students to get personalized feedback and guidance from experienced coaches.
- 14-day money-back guarantee: Blog Growth Engine offers a 14-day money-back guarantee, which means that you can try the course risk-free. This takes the pressure off of you and allows you to make sure that the course is a good fit for you before you commit.
Niche Site Profits by Jon Dykstra
Niche Site Profits – Key Points
In this course the emphasis is more on display ads than affiliate marketing, but there’s a lot to learn here for anyone looking to monetize their website.
Course creator Jon Dykstra of Fat Stacks is renowned for earning $50,000+ per month from display ads on his own sites, and also reports earning about $10,000 per month in affiliate commissions from the same sites.
(Btw, this course used to be known as The Fat Stacks Bundle.)
Why Niche Site Profits is great…
- Reliable business model: Niche Site Profits teaches a proven method for monetizing niche sites with display ads.
- Relatively inexpensive: At just $497 for the first year, Niche Site Profits is one of the more affordable blogging courses on the market. This makes it a great option for beginners who are on a budget.
- 30-day refund policy: Niche Site Profits offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the course risk-free. This gives you plenty of time to decide if the course is right for you before you make a commitment.
- Jon’s track record: Jon Dykstra is a well-respected blogger and online marketer. He has a proven track record of success, and he is known for his honest and upfront approach.
- Solid community: Niche Site Profits comes with access to a private Facebook group where students can connect with each other and get support from Jon and his team.
Project 24 by Income School
Project 24 – Key Points
Project 24 teaches a simple approach to building successful affiliate sites, one that doesn’t require paid keyword tools or active link building.
The people behind Income School have a track record of building successful niche sites (and YouTube channels), so clearly their approach works well for them.
More importantly, the same approach seems to work well for many of their students.
Here’s 5 reasons Project 24 is a solid choice…
- Frequent student success stories: Income School has a track record of helping students achieve success with their blogs and YouTube channels. There are numerous testimonials from students who have made significant income from their online businesses after taking Project 24.
- Several courses in one: Project 24 is more than just a single course; it’s a comprehensive training program that includes multiple courses on blogging, YouTube, and online marketing. This gives you the flexibility to learn as much or as little as you want, depending on your goals.
A look at the dashboard…
- Great community: Income School has a thriving online community where students can connect, share ideas, and get support from each other. This can be a valuable resource for staying motivated and on track.
- Solid training for productive people: Project 24 is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a solid training program that requires dedication and hard work to succeed. However, if you’re willing to put in the effort, Project 24 can help you build a successful online business.
- New to blogging or YouTube: Project 24 is a great option for beginners who are new to blogging or YouTube. The training is easy to follow and provides a step-by-step guide to building a successful online business.
Given this, we’re happy to recommend Project 24.
Blogging Fast Lane
Blogging Fast Lane – Key Points
Blogging Fast Lane is an 8-week program that shows you how to build and grow “an affiliate machine.”
Course creators Tom and Anna have walked their talk by building their own highly-profitable travel blog, but their training is applicable to pretty much any niche.
Why we like it…
- Practical and comprehensive training: Blogging Fast Lane provides a step-by-step guide to building and growing a profitable affiliate marketing blog. The course covers everything from setting up your blog and choosing a niche to creating high-quality content and monetizing your traffic.
- Reasonable price: At $697 for lifetime access, Blogging Fast Lane is still one of the more affordable blogging courses on the market. This makes it a great option for beginners who are on a budget.
- No misleading marketing tactics: Tom and Anna are very upfront about what Blogging Fast Lane can and cannot do. They don’t promise quick riches or get-rich-quick schemes. Instead, they focus on teaching you the skills and strategies you need to build a successful blog over time.
- Tom Rogers and Anna Faustino walk their talk: Tom and Anna are both successful bloggers who have built their own profitable blogs. They are passionate about helping others achieve the same success.
- You pay once and get lifetime access with free updates: Unlike some other blogging courses, Blogging Fast Lane gives you lifetime access to the course materials and all future updates. This means that you can learn at your own pace and refer back to the material as needed.
Perfecting Blogging is a blogging course for beginners.
Though it’s not quite the best, here’s why it’s still a valuable option…
- Low price: At $169 for lifetime access, Perfecting Blogging is one of the most affordable blogging courses on the market. This makes it a great option for beginners who are on a budget.
- Decent training on blogging fundamentals: Perfecting Blogging covers all the essential topics that new bloggers need to know, such as how to set up a blog, choose a niche, write high-quality content, and promote your blog.
- Regularly updated: Sophia Lee is committed to keeping Perfecting Blogging up-to-date with the latest blogging trends and strategies. She regularly adds new content and updates existing lessons.
- Sophia Lee walks her talk: Sophia Lee is a successful blogger who has built a thriving business from her blog, By Sophia Lee. She is passionate about helping others achieve the same success, and she is very generous with her knowledge and advice.
- No hype or sleazy sales tactics: Sophia Lee is honest and upfront about what Perfecting Blogging can and cannot do. She doesn’t engage in any hype or sleazy sales tactics. She simply wants to provide her students with the information they need to be successful bloggers.
👨💻 70+ More Affiliate Marketing Courses
We’ve rated and reviewed many other affiliate marketing courses, including…
- 123 Affiliate Marketing by Pat Flynn
- Affiliate Marketing Mastery by Stefan James
- Commission Hero by Robby Blanchard
- Launch You by Stuart Ross
- Legendary Marketer by David Sharpe
- Solo Build It
- Spark by ClickBank
- Wealthy Affiliate
If there is another affiliate marketing course you’d like us to review, tell us about it here.
I’ve also written an article to help you figure out for yourself if an affiliate marketing course is good or not…
Affiliate Marketing FAQs
- What is affiliate marketing?
- What is the best BUDGET affiliate marketing course?
- Why do so many other reviews recommend Wealthy Affiliate?
- Why haven’t you reviewed [insert name of course here]?
- What about Udemy affiliate marketing courses?
- What about Skillshare affiliate marketing courses?
- What is the best affiliate marketing course?
- How can I learn affiliate marketing for free?
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is when you promote other people’s products or services, and collect a commission for every successful referral.
Here’s an example of how affiliate marketing can work…
The above graphic uses the Amazon affiliate program as an example. Many other ecommerce sites also have affiliate programs you can sign up for.
Such as:
- AliExpress
- eBay
- Target
- Walmart
- Almost every web hosting service (eg Bluehost)
If someone else is selling something online, chances are they have an affiliate program you can sign up for. Then it’s simply a matter of linking to their products and services from your website – or newsletter / ads / social media – and collecting a commission for every sale you refer.
Affiliate marketing is often touted as the ultimate online business model because you don’t have to create any products yourself, nor are you responsible for stuff like order fulfilment or customer support.
You’re simply the middle-man (or woman) who connects buyers and sellers, while collecting a percentage of any sale you facilitate.
Sounds easy, right?
Well, not quite.
The hard part is getting people’s attention – eg. getting them to visit your website, or follow you on social, or watch your video – and providing them with enough value that they trust your recommendation, click on your link, and make a purchase.
What is the best BUDGET affiliate marketing course?
Currently my pick for best budget course is Passive Income Unlocked. It costs just $90 for a 6-month subscription or $150 for a yearly subscription. And you don’t need any expensive tools to follow the training.
PIU is a relatively new course so it can’t boast many success stories yet, but I’ve been inside and the training is solid. The two guys who created the course – Jeff and Ben – have consistently earned $30,000+ per month from their own portfolio of niche sites, and they show you how to do the same.
Just know that PIU is not primarily an affiliate marketing course, as they are first and foremost about monetizing with display ads. But they do cover monetizing with affiliates as well.
Why do so many other reviews recommend Wealthy Affiliate?
There are probably more reviews of Wealthy Affiliate online than there are reviews of all the other affiliate marketing courses combined. This is because 60% of the Wealthy Affiliate core training explicitly encourages and instructs students to recruit other paying members to WA.
Most of the legit affiliate marketing courses I’ve seen have a lesson or two at the end showing you how to sign up for the affiliate program and start promoting the course to others.
But inside Wealthy Affiliate there are literally 70 core lessons teaching people how to promote WA itself. Compared to only 50 lessons for folks who are not interested in the make money/affiliate marketing niche.
That’s insane.
And it’s the reason why the internet is now littered with overly positive reviews of WA.
I wrote more about this in my full review of Wealthy Affiliate »
Can you please review [insert name of course here]?
There are other affiliate marketing courses out there that we simply haven’t gotten to yet.
If there is another affiliate marketing course you’d like us to review, tell us about it here.
I’ve also written an article to help you figure out for yourself if an affiliate marketing course is good or not:
What about Udemy affiliate marketing courses?
Udemy is an online course platform that regularly offers courses for as little as $10.
There are dozens of courses related to affiliate marketing on there. But having spent 5+ hours of researching those courses, I can’t in good faith recommend ANY of them.
But if you’re still keen, these are the 5 top-rated affiliate marketing programs on Udemy…
Disclaimer: the prices shown on this page are auto-updated from Udemy's database every 24 hours. Prices may change at any time. Be sure to double-check the price on the Udemy website or app before signing up for a course.
(For more about Udemy, check out my full Udemy review.)
What about Skillshare affiliate marketing courses?
Skillshare doesn’t seem to offer any decent affiliate marketing training either. The several courses I researched on there all had serious issues.
I really wanted to find a good affiliate course on Skillshare because you can get two weeks free access with this link.
But it wasn’t to be…
The courses on Skillshare suffer from the same issues as those on Udemy (explained here):
- Meaningless ratings
- Outdated training
- No proof that the instructors are successful affiliate marketers themselves
By all means, sign up for the two free weeks of Skillshare and go through a few courses, but I believe you’d be better off going through the free affiliate marketing resources listed here.
How can I learn affiliate marketing for free?
Check out our list of free affiliate marketing resources here.
What is the best affiliate marketing training?
Below are our picks, based on the 900+ hours we’ve spent buying, researching and testing a bunch of affiliate marketing courses. Plus lots of feedback from real students.
🏆 Top 10 Affiliate Marketing Courses 🏆
🧐 Expert Recommendations 🧐
| Best Overall | |
|---|---|
| Best For Travel Bloggers | |
| Best for Advanced Training | |
| Best For Tight Budgets | |
| Best For Beginners |
