Marketing

Comparing the is*hosting Affiliate Program with Competitors

Hosting affiliate program comparison showing how is*hosting’s lifetime commissions compare to common one-time payout models so you can choose the best fit.

is*hosting team 9 Dec 2025 7 min reading
Comparing the is*hosting Affiliate Program with Competitors
Table of Contents

If you have an audience online and want to turn it into a steady income, a web hosting affiliate program may seem like an easy way to start. Big brands promise “high payouts,” dashboards look impressive, and every company claims its offer is generous. But once you read the details, you see very different rules and very different long-term results.

A quick look at the most common affiliate models already shows how differently a web hosting affiliate program can pay you, especially when it comes to recurring income rather than one-time payouts.

At a Glance

  • Most hosting brands run on flat or volume-tiered cost per action (CPA): you get paid once per sale and start every month from zero.
  • Some providers offer a hybrid web hosting affiliate program that combines upfront CPA with a small revenue share, but the recurring share is usually around 5–10% or limited to select plans.
  • The is*hosting hosting affiliate program uses a hybrid model with a strong first-purchase bonus and high lifetime revenue share (RevShare) on core services.
  • This structure is designed for recurring affiliate revenue and a more passive earning style: once you build a base of referrals, you can keep earning even in quieter months.

The Basics: How Hosting Affiliate Programs Usually Work

Most hosting companies use one of three basic approaches.

Model 1: Flat CPA (One-Time Payout Per Sale)

Many well-known providers pay a fixed CPA every time you send a new customer. For example, some programs pay around $65 USD per qualified sale. Others use simple tiers, moving from about $50 USD per sale for a few sign-ups a month, up to $100–125 USD per sale when you send 20+ customers.

In this flat CPA model, it doesn’t matter how much the client spends or how long they stay. You send the sale, you get your one-time reward, and that’s the end of it. Your revenue resets every month.

Refer and earn

Recommend is*hosting, bring clients, and get paid for every order they make.

Learn More

Model 2: Volume-Tiered CPA

Here, the logic is similar but with steeper steps between levels. Some companies start at about $50 USD per sale and unlock $75, $100, or even $125 USD per sale when you send more sign-ups in the same month.

If you are running large campaigns and can send hundreds of new users every month, this can look like one of the strongest affiliate deals in hosting because each additional sale raises your average payout.

Model 3: Hybrid — Upfront CPA + Recurring RevShare

Some providers mix an upfront CPA with a smaller percentage that repeats as long as the customer stays. For example, you might see $50–125 USD for the first sale and then 5–10% from renewals, or a lower first payout with a 7–10% lifetime revenue share.

These programs are usually closer to a true residual income model in hosting, but the recurring percentage is often quite modest and limited to specific plans. In many cases, most of your income still comes from the CPA portion.

No matter which program you choose, the idea is the same: a hosting affiliate program pays you for connecting people who need hosting with a company that can serve them. The difference is whether you are rewarded only once or whether you build recurring affiliate revenue that continues to pay when referrals stay for months or years.

What Makes is*hosting Affiliate Model Different

What Makes is*hosting Affiliate Model Different

The is*hosting affiliate program is a hybrid setup: a generous upfront payout combined with a high lifetime recurring commission on future invoices. This mix gives partners room to build long-term, partly passive income.

Here’s the structure:

  • Strong first-purchase bonus. When a client you refer makes their first purchase of VPS, VPN, or data storage, you earn 50% of that first payment. When they order a dedicated server for the first time, you earn 15% of the amount.
  • Lifetime revenue share on renewals and subsequent purchases. After the first purchase, you receive a percentage of every future payment from that client. For VPS, VPN, and storage, you earn 3% to 20% on all later invoices. For dedicated servers, you earn 3% to 15%. This is where the program starts to function like a true web hosting affiliate program with residual income in practice, not just in theory.
  • Clear growth tiers. Your percentage increases with the number of active referrals. For VPS, VPN, and storage, you move from 3% (1–10 referrals) up to 20% (101+ referrals). For dedicated servers, you grow from 3% to 15% once you have 51 or more referrals. The rules are simple and don’t change from month to month.
  • Focus on core services. Commissions are paid for the main products: VPS, dedicated servers, VPN, and storage. Add-ons, such as extra IPs or control panel licenses, are not included, so you always know which part of the invoice generates your affiliate revenue.

Real Numbers of is*hosting’s Affiliate Program

To understand how this hybrid model works in real life, here are the actual performance indicators for 2025:

  • Top-earning partner. Over $5,000 USD per month.
  • Average monthly earnings per active partner. Around $1,200 USD. For a hybrid model with recurring revenue share, this average indicates healthy long-term monetization.
  • Click-to-purchase conversion rate. Between 10% and 50%, depending on audience and content type.

These results show that the combination of a strong first-purchase bonus and growing lifetime commissions works in practice. For many affiliates, it feels like a far more reliable and rewarding structure because it supports both new referrals and long-term client retention, creating recurring affiliate revenue that doesn’t rely solely on new sales every month.

How is*hosting Compares to Common Competitor Models

How is*hosting Compares to Common Competitor Affiliate Program Models

When you read about big names in the industry, it is easy to think that every web hosting affiliate program is the same. Landing pages often promise “high payouts” and “top commissions.” But once you look at the fine print, several patterns appear. To keep things simple, let’s compare is*hosting with three typical anonymous examples: Provider A, Provider B, and Provider C.

Provider A: Classic High-Flat CPA

Many large brands in the shared hosting segment use this structure. They pay a flat $65 USD per sale as a base and may increase this to around $100–125 USD per sale when you send enough sign-ups in a month.

There is no lifetime RevShare: once the CPA is paid, future renewals belong only to the host. This can seem like the highest-paying hosting affiliate program if you judge only by the number on the landing page. But your income fully resets every month, and a quiet month can drop your earnings to zero.

Provider B: Aggressive Volume-Tiered CPA

Another group of providers rewards volume even more strongly. For example, they might pay $50 USD per sale for 1–5 sign-ups, $75 USD for 6–10, $100 USD for 11–20, and offer custom deals if you send more than 21 customers in a month.

The structure is simple, but again, the focus is on one-time payments. If you can run large campaigns and don’t mind the pressure of hitting volume targets every month, this can feel like the best web hosting affiliate program for a very active CPA marketer. But if you pause your campaigns, your income pauses with them.

Provider C: Mixed CPA and Small Recurring Share

A smaller, more technical group of providers offers a combination of up-front payout (for example, $50–125 USD per sale) and a modest recurring RevShare, like 5–10% for as long as the client stays.

On paper, this is closer to recurring affiliate revenue because you do earn something from renewals. However, the recurring percentage is usually low and may not apply to all plans, so most of the income still comes from the CPA side.

Comparison with is*hosting

Now compare these patterns with is*hosting:

  • You still get a strong up-front reward. You’ll get up to 50% of the first purchase for VPS, VPN, and storage, and 15% for dedicated servers.
  • You also get a meaningful lifetime RevShare. You’ll earn up to 20% on VPS, VPN, and storage, and up to 15% on dedicated servers, with clear tiers based on the number of active referrals.
  • You don’t depend on hitting high monthly volume to unlock better tiers permanently. Once you grow your base of active referrals, your higher percentage applies to all their future payments.

In other words, is*hosting takes some strengths of Provider A and Provider C and combines them in a way that's friendly both for beginners and for experienced marketers. It may not always show the biggest single number on a banner, but in many real-life scenarios, it performs as a strong, balanced option because it supports both quick wins and long-term growth.

Who Can Benefit the Most From is*hosting

Who Can Benefit the Most From is*hosting affiliate program

Every affiliate has a different style, so there is no single “perfect” hosting affiliate program for everyone. But there are clear situations where is*hosting fits especially well.

Creators with Evergreen Content

If you write tutorials, how-to guides, or honest reviews that stay relevant for a long time, you are playing the long game. A reader can find your article months after you publish it, click your link, and buy a plan. In this case, it makes sense to choose a web hosting affiliate program that rewards you for renewals, not only the first payment.

Because is*hosting combines a substantial first bonus with lifetime commissions, it supports this model naturally. Your early articles may bring only a few sales each month, but as you publish more, old and new content together can turn into a stable stream of web hosting affiliate program residual income.

Agencies, Freelancers, and Consultants

If you build websites, set up VPNs, or advise on infrastructure, you already recommend specific providers. By joining the is*hosting program, you can turn these recommendations into an extra income line. Each time a client follows your advice and orders a VPS, dedicated server, VPN, or storage plan, you receive both the first-purchase bonus and a share of their future payments.

Over time, this can feel more attractive than a pure CPA deal from the highest-paying web hosting affiliate program that pays only once. You are rewarded for the long-term relationships you already nurture with your customers, and the RevShare component means that upgrades, renewals, and larger plans all grow your income without you having to “resell” hosting to the same client.

International infrastructure you can count on

Low latency, reliable data centers, and locations suitable for business and weekend projects.

See Coverage

Smaller but Focused Communities

Maybe you run a small blog, a focused newsletter, or a niche social media channel. Your audience may not be huge, but they listen carefully to your recommendations. In this situation, you don’t need thousands of clicks every month. Even a modest, stable stream of visitors can be enough if you send them to a hosting affiliate program that converts and keeps clients for a long time.

With the is*hosting program, real partners see click-to-sale conversion rates between 10% and 50%. This means targeted, high-intent traffic can turn into sales very efficiently. When those sales also bring lifetime recurring commissions, your recurring affiliate income can grow steadily even if your community remains compact and personal.

Beginners Testing Affiliate Marketing

If you’re just starting with affiliate work, it can feel risky to invest time without knowing whether your efforts will pay off. You may not want to choose between a program that pays quickly but only once and a program that pays small amounts over a long period.

Here, the is*hosting structure is helpful because it offers both. A strong first-purchase bonus gives you early feedback and motivation (similar to a flat CPA) while lifetime RevShare rewards you for sticking with it.

You can experiment with tutorials, comparison posts, or simple “how to get started” guides and see which content brings the most sign-ups. Step by step, you build experience and a base of active referrals that continue to bring income long after the first campaigns.

For many creators, agencies, and small but loyal communities, this balance can matter more than a single headline CPA figure. In practice, this is what can turn a regular hosting affiliate program into a real long-term asset that pays you even when you are not actively running new promotions.

Conclusion

When you choose a hosting affiliate program, it helps to look past the biggest CPA number on the page. One-time payouts can be useful if you run short campaigns and want fast results, but they do not protect you from slow months, and they do not build a base of recurring commissions.

is*hosting’s approach is different. You get a strong start through the first-purchase bonus on VPS, VPN, storage, and dedicated servers, and then you continue earning a share of subsequent purchases as your referral base grows. That mix of early rewards and lifetime commissions turns a simple link into a long-term income source.

If your goal is to build trust with your audience, publish helpful content, and grow a stable side income, this structure matters more than a single CPA banner. In that case, is*hosting can be a serious contender for the best web hosting affiliate program for your readers, and a practical partner if you want your affiliate work to grow step by step instead of starting from zero every month.