RefRef vs PartnerStack
Published prices and no fee on your partner commissions.
PartnerStack is built for B2B channel programs with resellers and co-sell partners, and RefRef is the open-source platform for referral, affiliate, and loyalty programs. PartnerStack sets each price in a sales demo and adds a percentage fee to every commission invoice; RefRef publishes participant-based prices and charges no fee on your own payout rail.
Open sourceFree up to 1,000 active participantsNo share of your revenue
Updated October 20, 2026, checked against the official pages of PartnerStack.
Feature scorecard
RefRef
12/12
PartnerStack
5/12
+3 partly
- YesOpen sourcePartnerStack: Proprietary; client terms bar reverse engineering the platform.
- YesPricing that doesn't tax your growthPartnerStack: Quote-only plans plus an unpublished percentage fee on commission invoices.
- YesReferral, affiliate, and loyaltyPartnerStack: Affiliate link and lead or deal programs; loyalty not listed.
- YesRewards inside your billingPartnerStack: Partner commissions; billing credit and plan upgrades not listed.
RefRef vs PartnerStack: feature comparison
| Feature | RefRef | PartnerStack |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | YesAGPLv3 on GitHub. Use RefRef Cloud or run it yourself. | NoProprietary; client terms bar reverse engineering the platform. |
| No vendor lock-in | YesFull data export, REST API, and webhooks. | YesAPI and base-record data exports. |
| Pricing that doesn't tax your growth | YesPriced by active participants. No share of referred revenue, no fee on your own payout rail. | NoQuote-only plans plus an unpublished percentage fee on commission invoices. |
| Referral, affiliate, and loyalty | YesAll three program types on one integration. | PartlyAffiliate link and lead or deal programs; loyalty not listed. |
| AI assistant and MCP | YesSet up and run programs from the in-app assistant, Claude, Cursor, or Codex. | YesAI and MCP connector for Claude and ChatGPT on every plan. |
| Cash payouts with tax forms | YesPayPal payouts in 98 countries. W-9 and W-8BEN collected. | YesPartner payments; W-8 and W-9 for direct deposit; fee on commissions. |
| Rewards inside your billing | YesAccount credit, discounts, and plan upgrades in Stripe, Paddle, Polar, Dodo Payments, and RevenueCat. | PartlyPartner commissions; billing credit and plan upgrades not listed. |
| Shopify and WooCommerce | YesNative Shopify app and WooCommerce plugin. | NoPayment tracking only for Stripe, Recurly, Chargebee, and Chargify. |
| Signup attribution for your auth stack | YesBetter Auth plugin and recipes for Clerk, Supabase, Auth0, WorkOS, and Auth.js. | PartlyNo auth-provider plugins listed; signups tracked by script or API. |
| Embeddable widget and join pages | YesBranded referral widget and public partner join pages. | YesReferral iFrame for customer referrals. |
| Custom link domains | YesShare links on your own domain. | YesCustom link domains. |
| Free plan | YesFree up to 1,000 active participants. | NoEvery plan starts with a demo; no free plan or prices listed. |
PartnerStack facts checked on October 20, 2026 against its official pages. See sources
Switch from PartnerStack to an open-source platform, free to start.
Start freeWhy teams choose RefRef over PartnerStack
Prices you can see before a demo
PartnerStack confirms your plan and price during a demo and adds a percentage fee to each commission invoice. RefRef publishes participant-based plans, starts free, and charges no fee when you pay partners on your own rail.
Leave with your data whenever you want
PartnerStack is proprietary, and its client terms bar reverse engineering the platform. RefRef is AGPLv3 on GitHub, with full data export, a REST API, and webhooks, on RefRef Cloud or your own infrastructure.
Customers, partners, and loyalty together
Run a customer referral program, an affiliate program, and a loyalty program on one integration, and reward them with credit, discounts, or plan upgrades inside your billing.
Everything you need, from the first click to the payout.
Referral, affiliate, and loyalty in one place
Run customer referrals, a partner program, and a loyalty program side by side, each with its own rewards and results.
Rewards inside your billing
Give account credit, discounts, or plan upgrades straight in Stripe, Paddle, Polar, Dodo Payments, or RevenueCat.
Partners, invitations, and applications
Invite partners, approve applications, and give each one a branded join page and link.
Cash payouts, done for you
RefRef pays partners through PayPal in 98 countries, collects W-9 and W-8BEN forms, and shows every statement.
PartnerStack pricing vs RefRef pricing
RefRef
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 1,000 active participants |
| Starter | $49/month | 5,000 active participants ($29 billed annually) |
| Pro | From $119/month | 10,000 to 50,000 active participants, custom domains |
No overage, no share of referred revenue. Managed PayPal payouts cost 2%.
PartnerStack
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Contact sales | Marketplace access, AI and MCP connector, partner payments, one tracking method |
| Growth | Contact sales | Adds learning management, challenges, MDF, and segmentation |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | All tracking methods, custom workflows, priority support |
Plugs into the stack you already run.
Native billing, commerce, and auth integrations, plus an open API, webhooks, and MCP for AI agents. The ecosystem grows every month.
- Billing
- StripePaddlePolarDodo PaymentsRevenueCat
- Commerce
- ShopifyWooCommerce
- Auth
- Better AuthClerkSupabaseAuth0WorkOSAuth.js
- Payouts
- PayPalW-9 and W-8BEN forms
- Automation and AI
- REST APIWebhooksMCPZapierMakeActivepiecesClaudeCursorCodex
Switch from PartnerStack in three steps.
Your partners and customers keep what they earned. We help you move.
Export partners, customers, and unpaid commissions from PartnerStack with its data exports. Keep existing partner links live while you switch.
Import partners and their balances into a RefRef affiliate program, and connect your billing provider so recurring commissions keep tracking.
Send partners their new RefRef link and join page, then run one test purchase and one refund before you switch traffic.
01Is RefRef a good PartnerStack alternative?
02How much does PartnerStack cost?
03Does PartnerStack charge a fee on commissions?
04Does PartnerStack track Shopify or WooCommerce sales?
When PartnerStack fits
Choose PartnerStack if you sell B2B SaaS through resellers and co-sell partners, need lead and deal registration synced to your CRM, and want to recruit from its marketplace of partners.
Sources, checked October 20, 2026
Written by the RefRef team. PartnerStack is a trademark of its owner; RefRef is not affiliated with it. Plans change, so check the official pages before you buy. Spot an error? Tell us and we correct it.
Ready to switch from PartnerStack?
Start free. Your first 1,000 active participants cost nothing.