Looking for the best affiliate marketing courses that will actually help you make money online?
You’re in the right place.
Affiliate marketing is a magical thing.
You recommend stuff you love. People buy things to help them make their life better. And companies get more sales.
Win-win-win.
There’s just one big problem.
You have to actually know how to set up a system that generates affiliate commissions — ideally on autopilot.
This is easier said than done, hence the overwhelming number of affiliate marketing training programs out there.
After spending hundreds of hours taking and testing different affiliate courses, I’ve found that they are NOT created equal — not even close.
Instead of overloading you with a quadrillion recommendations, I’ve narrowed down our research to the top 5 courses.
Hopefully, this makes your life easier.
Table of Contents
Best affiliate marketing courses in 2024
1. The Affiliate Lab by Matt Diggity
The Affiliate Lab (TAL) is the best affiliate marketing course for anyone looking for an A-to-Z blueprint.
It’ll take you from choosing your niche and setting up your affiliate site – all the way to advanced affiliate marketing, conversion rate optimization tactics, and even how to eventually flip your site for a huge payday.
Everything you need to know about affiliate marketing is in there.
I took The Affiliate Lab after I’d already had some solid success and years of experience in the niche site world.
But even with my experience, I was still scribbling down new ideas like a crazy person as I went through the course.
What stands out about Matt (the creator of TAL) is his engineering background.
He has an extremely analytical mind, and he doesn’t just recommend strategies that seem to work. Rather, he uses his SEO agency to run hundreds of experiments to prove what ACTUALLY works based on hard data.
Matt also runs an annual SEO conference in Chiang Mai and is well-respected in the affiliate marketing industry. So you’re learning from the best of the best.
I could go on and on about TAL, but you can see my full Affiliate Lab review for more thoughts. Or watch my video showing the inside of the course:
Pros
- Matt is an affiliate marketing expert on the front lines testing new strategies with his SEO company and portfolio of affiliate websites. That means you get access to cutting-edge info on what’s working today.
- The TAL Facebook group is the best affiliate marketing FB group I’ve found. So many experts in there openly sharing their insider tips and tests.
- Teaches a clever blueprint to make everything you do look completely natural to Google, which helps protect you from penalties.
- Matt teaches a “clean SEO” strategy that minimizes variables and is easy to debug if you ever have problems.
- The included templates and spreadsheets make you feel like a legit, organized business.
Cons
- The video/audio production quality isn’t the best. But in the end, it’s the actual knowledge that counts.
- There are a few small techniques I thought were a bit shady (but they aren’t mandatory).
- He removed his refund policy because people were stealing his course. So if you buy, you’re committing to following through and building your site.
Cost: $979 (click here for $200 off)
2. The Authority Site System By Mark and Gael
The Authority Site System (TASS) is Authority Hacker’s affiliate marketing course for beginners.
It’s outstanding.
The production quality, user interface, and customer support are second to none.
From the moment you open the course, it oozes quality. You can feel it.
When I signed up, I even received a PERSONALIZED video message (saying my name) from a cute lady. Now that’s how to welcome a new student to a course in style.
The content in the course is also top-notch.
This affiliate marketing course will teach you everything you need to know to build a successful affiliate site earning several thousand dollars per month.
It also includes loads of templates, scripts, spreadsheets, and resources to keep your online business organized. If you’re naturally an “organized chaos” type of person like me, these things are life savers.
Also, I’d say that the beginner lessons in TASS are easier to follow than the beginner lessons in TAL.
That said, TASS doesn’t get into as many advanced tactics as The Affiliate Lab. Authority Hacker saves their top juicy strategies for Authority Hacker Pro, their advanced course (which we’ll cover next).
This is why, in my opinion, The Affiliate Lab is a more comprehensive all-in-one course.
But if you’re setting up an affiliate website for the first time and looking for extra beginner-friendliness, a slick interface, and professional-looking videos, you won’t be disappointed with TASS.
If you want to test the waters, you can check out their free training.
You can also read my full Authority Hacker review for some deeper insights on the course.
Pros
- Comprehensive course that can get you to job-replacing affiliate income.
- Best video quality and UI of any online course I’ve taken.
- Zero experience required — for complete beginners.
- 30-day refund policy to test the waters risk-free.
- Updated frequently with the latest strategies.
Cons
- Facebook group isn’t as helpful as some other course communities on this list.
- Holds back advanced strategies for their expensive advanced course.
Cost: $1,499 (click here for 50% off)
3. Authority Hacker Pro
Authority Hacker Pro is an extremely powerful course for affiliate marketers — one of the most advanced and comprehensive online marketing training programs in existence.
It includes 400+ videos on advanced SEO, email marketing, sales funnels, and link building. Plus other cool things like custom tools and plugins and a Facebook group packed with heavy hitters.
The thing is, this isn’t for beginners.
It’s for digital marketers who are already making several thousand dollars per month.
The strategies taught are meant to help scale an affiliate business from 4 figures per month to 5 figures per month (and beyond).
Since the training is for online business owners who are already raking in decent money, the price of the course is quite hefty.
But if you already have a successful site and want to take things to the next level, applying their strategies can get you a huge ROI.
Pros
- Extremely comprehensive.
- Plug-and-play digital marketing ideas that can set earnings on hyperdrive.
- Tight-knit community of successful affiliate marketers.
Cons
- Only opens a couple times per year.
- Costs several thousand dollars.
Cost: $2997 (and expected to increase). They offer a $500 discount to current TASS students who want to upgrade.
(You can join the waitlist if enrollment is closed.)
4. Fat Stacks Niche Site Profits
Niche Site Profits is a course by Jon Dykstra, the owner of the Fat Stacks blog.
This course takes a slightly different angle than The Affiliate Lab and Authority Hackers.
It includes modules on affiliate marketing, but its main focus is monetizing with display advertising on high-traffic sites.
Jon owns a large portfolio of niche sites that earn $50,000+ per month (and at times, over $100,000 per month).
The course is basically him sharing exactly everything he did (and the new strategies he’s testing) to build this portfolio of sites that rake in big-time traffic.
In addition to the course, you also get access to the Fat Stacks forum, which is the best niche site/SEO/affiliate marketing community I’ve found to date.
I literally try to check in to the forum every single day to stay up to date with all the latest industry developments and strategies.
It’s also a safe place to ask questions if you ever get stuck (which will happen sooner or later).
You can get a feel for Jon’s unique strategy by signing up for his free training.
You can also see my full Fat Stacks Niche Site Profits review for a closer look. Or watch my video showing the inside of the course:
Pros
- Forum is insanely valuable. I’d say it’s worth the price of the course alone.
- Clever ideas to uncover low-competition keywords that are easy to rank.
- 30-day guarantee to test out the course risk-free.
- Jon is just a super cool guy that, despite running a big successful operation — always has time to answer questions.
- Cheaper than the other courses mentioned so far.
Cons
- The course has a module on affiliate marketing strategies, but it’s not the main strategy overall (if that is what you’re looking for).
- This is a no-frills course. Just him quickly screen recording all the strategies he uses.
Cost: $497
(Note: This course is usually closed, but you can get in the “back door” by using this link to first sign up for his free training.)
5. Passive Income Geek
Passive Income Geek is the best option I’ve found for anyone on a tight budget.
It’s similar to Niche Site Profits, but with fewer bells and whistles (and a less active forum).
That said, if money is tight, it’s perfectly capable of helping you get up and running.
It was also recently updated to reflect recent SEO industry changes.
Similar to Niche Site Profits, it’s not a dedicated affiliate marketing course, per se. It focuses on traffic and display ads, but also covers how to make money with affiliate marketing.
See my full Passive Income Geek review for a deeper dissection of the course.
Pros
- 30-day refund period.
- Cheapest option of the courses on our list.
- Fewer bells and whistles means fewer potential distractions and shiny object syndrome.
- Morten (the course creator) is a relatable, down-to-earth guy who doesn’t give off icky “guru” vibes.
Cons
- Not as comprehensive as the other options.
- User interface is a little annoying.
Cost: $399
Alternative: Income School
Income School is another popular blogging course that covers affiliate marketing as a monetization method.
You get check out my Income School review for all the nitty-gritties, but here’s the quick summary.
It’s an easy-to-follow, well-designed course, that used to be all the rage.
But recently, there has been some internal conflicts on their team. And according to several students, they are not handling the changing blogging landscape well.
Many students love what Income School used to be, but admit that they’re simply not getting results anymore.
On the bright side, they also include a Youtube module, which would be a great addition to your website in today’s competitive landscape.
In the end, you’ll learn a lot with Income School, but I think there are better options out there for you money.
Cost: $449 for first year, $249 per year after that (if you’d like to continue your subscription)
Are there any good free affiliate marketing courses?
If you just want a crash course on the basics of affiliate marketing, you can sign up for an extra-long free trial of Skillshare, watch their free affiliate marketing courses for beginners, then cancel before your trial ends.
These are quite basic (and some may be outdated), but they’ll at least help you learn affiliate marketing 101.
Youtube is also jam-packed with affiliate marketing videos, but you’ll need to scour through a lot of crap to find the gold. (And sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference).
Any rando on the internet can throw up a Youtube video, so keep that in mind before following someone’s advice.
I’d say if you’re just curious about learning the basic mechanics of affiliate marketing, Skillshare and Youtube is a free way to do it.
But if you want practical, step-by-step training on how to actually build an affiliate marketing business, then it’s worth investing in one of the top affiliate marketing courses mentioned above.
It not only cuts the learning curve, but it helps you avoid going down rabbit holes that lead to dead ends.
How to choose the best affiliate marketing training course?
The best course for you depends on your unique goals.
I’ll try to break it down to make it easy for ya…
If you want a training program that focuses specifically on how to make money from affiliate marketing, the best options are either The Affiliate Lab or The Authority Site System. They pretty much blow all other affiliate-focused courses out of the water.
For a deeper look at the differences between the two, check out my Authority Hacker vs. Affiliate Lab smackdown comparison.
If you’re already earning $5,000+/month as an affiliate marketer and want to scale, Authority Hacker Pro is for you. If it’s not open, sign up for their newsletter to get notified when it’s available.
If you’re interested in COMBINING affiliate marketing with other niche site monetization strategies (e.g. display ads) and want to learn various strategies for boosting traffic to your site, grab Niche Site Profits.
Finally, if you’re pinching pennies and want a simple, no-frills niche site course with a solid strategy, check out Passive Income Geek.
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Affiliate marketing FAQs
Affiliate marketing is when you promote someone else’s product and get paid a commission for each sale or lead you generate. It’s like being a brand ambassador and getting rewarded for spreading the word about products you love.
An affiliate program is a partnership between a brand and its affiliates. The brand offers a commission to affiliates for promoting their products and driving sales.
Most affiliate marketing programs provide special tracking links (called “affiliate links”) to their affiliates.
When someone clicks this link and makes a purchase, the affiliate is credited with the sale. To become an affiliate for a brand, you have to apply to their program. Some brands are pickier than others with who they accept.
An affiliate network is a platform that houses affiliate programs for many different companies.
Examples of these include the Clickbank affiliate network, CJ, Impact, Shareasale, and more.
By using these affiliate networks, companies can offer affiliate programs without having to build out and manage their own software.
Affiliate marketing courses are only worth it if you take action on the strategies they teach. They give you proven blueprints to start earning as fast as possible while avoiding costly pitfalls.
That said, if you just consume the information without putting in the work, you will waste your money.
Affiliate marketing can make you rich, but you have to put in front-loaded effort first.
This business model is especially scaleable because you don’t have to worry about maintaining a product, providing a service, or dealing with customer service.
That said, unless you have a large audience of people who trust you, affiliate marketing won’t make you rich fast. It takes time and effort to build up passive income streams.
You don’t need money to start promoting products as an affiliate marketer, which is why it is one of the best ways to make money online.
That said, you will need somewhere to actually promote those products, which depending on your strategy, may require money.
There are also paid tools that help affiliate marketers sell more efficiently, but these are not required to start earning.
Mitch is your typical nomadic backpacker. Or at least, he was. But after stopping in Colombia to take “one week” of salsa lessons, his life took a sharp left turn. He met a cute Colombian girl in dance class, fell in love, and got married. Over half a decade has passed since he left his career to travel the world as a digital nomad, and he’s never looked back.
Nowadays, he’s the blogger behind Project Untethered — where he runs an awesome email newsletter and Youtube channel teaching adventure-craved wanderlusters how to escape the rat race, earn money from anywhere, and build an “untethered life”.
His advice has been featured in Forbes, USA Today, Yahoo, MSN, Reader’s Digest, Condé Nast Traveler, and more.
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