Best Affiliate Marketing Courses in 2025: Pros & Cons, Pricing, and Alternatives

1. Commission Hero by Robby Blanchard

Robby Blanchard’s Commission Hero is an affiliate marketing program that utilizes Facebook Ads to promote products and services. It teaches you to make big commissions even without an email list or website. You get access to the course, done-for-you landing pages, 9 bonuses, and 20+ ad images.

Pros

• Robby Blanchard is an award-winning ClickBank affiliate.
• Commission Hero shows student results with screenshots of earnings.
• It offers access to AI tools for affiliate marketing.

Cons

• Commission Hero’s main strategy relies on paid ads, which is costly.
• The course is expensive.
• Affiliate marketing income is unpredictable and unstable.

Price: Commission Hero costs $997 or 3 payments of $497 monthly.

Refund Policy: Commission Hero has a 14-day money-back guarantee.

My In-Depth Review: Commission Hero Review

2. The Native Ads Master Class by Tom Bell and David Ford

Tom Bell and David Ford’s The Native Ads Master Class is a video-based affiliate marketing course that focuses on native advertising to increase your commissions to $1,000 per day. It provides 14 on-demand modules, landing page templates, native ads webinars, and direct email support from Tom.

Pros

• Tom Bell and David Ford are successful affiliates.
• The Native Ads Master Class provides time-tested paid ads techniques.

Cons

• The Native Ads Master Class has limited website and third-party testimonials.
• The online course is expensive.
• Paid advertising costs a lot in the long run.
• Running native ads requires a significant budget

Price: The Native Ads Master Class costs $997 or 2 payments of $547.

Refund Policy: The Native Ads Master Class has a 30-day refund policy.

My In-Depth Review: The Native Ads Master Class Review

3. AI Offer Publishing by Sam

Sam’s AI Offer Publishing is an affiliate marketing online course that maximizes low-ticket digital product creation through AI to build a buyer base. It then focuses on selling high-ticket affiliate offers to earn a 6-figure monthly income. The course also talks about using paid ads and email list building.

Pros

• AI Offer Publishing is cheap.
• The creator’s strategy focuses on low-cost AI tools for content creation.

Cons

• AI Offer Publishing has no verified reviews on any website.
• The creator is anonymous, which raises a major red flag.
• The website’s domain ownership is hidden.

Price: AI Offer Publishing costs $37.

Refund Policy: AI Offer Publishing offers a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.

My In-Depth Review: AI Offer Publishing Review

4. Affiliate Marketing Dude by Marcus Campbell

Marcus Campbell’s Affiliate Marketing Dude is an online platform that offers various programs and services on affiliate marketing. The coaching programs focus on ranking domains, selecting profitable affiliate offers, and maximizing online tools for simple sites. The blog support forum offers weekly coaching calls, video trainings, custom WordPress plugins, and more.

Pros

• It offers lifetime weekly coaching calls from Marcus.
• Affiliate Marketing Dude has different service offers to fit different needs.

Cons

• Affiliate Marketing Dude’s video lessons have a lot of fluff.
• Most of the programs are overpriced.
• The Affiliate Marketing Dude website is outdated, which contrasts what Marcus teaches.

Price: Affiliate Marketing Dude’s High Ticket Niche costs $1,297, while Simple Sites Big Profits costs $297 and Blog Profit Network costs $127 (one time) + $37 per month.

Refund Policy: Affiliate Marketing Dude offers no refund.

My In-Depth Review: Affiliate Marketing Dude Review

5. The Affiliate Escape Plan by Damien Belak

Damien Belak’s The Affiliate Escape Plan is an affiliate marketing training program for beginners. It emphasizes the ease of starting with no technical skills or prior knowledge. It offers lifetime access, weekly module releases, and 1-on-1 coaching. You also get access to a private Facebook community and weekly group calls.

Pros

• The Affiliate Escape Plan offers access to affiliate marketing training lessons, tools, done-for-you templates, coaching calls, and network.
• The program is cheap.
• It provides lifetime access to the community, modules, and future updates.

Cons

• The Affiliate Escape Plan isn’t consistent with its pricing and inclusions.
• Starting in affiliate marketing is difficult because of market saturation.
• The program promotes 1-on-1 support, but the details suggest only group calls and Facebook communication.

Price: The Affiliate Escape Plan costs $15 monthly (previously $497). However, the link leads you to a Skool page that costs $67 monthly.

Refund Policy: The Affiliate Escape Plan has a 30-day money-back policy.

My In-Depth Review: The Affiliate Escape Plan Review

How Much Money Can You Make With Affiliate Marketing?

You can make $0 to $1,000 in the first few months with affiliate marketing as a beginner. Authority Hacker further reveals that intermediate affiliates earn around $1,000 to $10,000 monthly, while super affiliates can reach over $100,000. However, your income depends on your niche, traffic, engagement, commission structure, and more. This business model has a low barrier to entry, but competitive markets are difficult to penetrate. You need to build your online presence and loyal audience base to continue making significant income monthly.

Ahrefs also noted that over 50% of affiliate marketers make $10,000 or less annually. Only about 33% make over $10,000 for the first year. Success in affiliate marketing requires time, effort, and continuous learning and optimization.

How Does an Affiliate Marketer Get Paid?

Affiliate marketers get paid through:

• Pay Per Sale (PPS) - It’s the most standard model. You earn a commission when someone buys a product through a unique affiliate link. The commission is usually a percentage of the sale price or a fixed amount per sale.
• Pay Per Click (PPC) - You get paid a small amount each time someone clicks on their affiliate link regardless of whether a sale is made.
• Pay Per Lead (PPL) - You earn when a visitor you refer completes a desired action. For example, potential customers signing up for a free trial, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter.
• Revenue Sharing - An affiliate receives an ongoing percentage of the revenue generated. This is often used for subscription-based services.
• Cost Per Action (CPA) - It’s like PPL but can include many actions, including app installs, account creation, or specific in-app activities.
• Tiered Commissions - Affiliates earn higher commission rates as they reach certain sales or performance levels.

Do You Need Money To Start Affiliate Marketing?

You don’t need money to start affiliate marketing. You can sign up for affiliate networks like ShareASale or Amazon Associates for free. You can also use social media platforms, blogs, or YouTube channels to promote products. However, it takes time to earn commissions if you rely on these resources alone. That’s why some affiliates spend money on paid ads, domain and website hosting, AI tools, and even outsourcing. These are ongoing costs that take a significant cut from your affiliate revenue.

Is an Affiliate Marketing Course Worth the Investment?

Yes, an affiliate marketing course is worth the investment for individuals who are seriously considering this business model as their main source of income. These online programs provide the fundamentals of starting an affiliate marketing business. They also offer tools and software hacks, content creation strategies, and ongoing support and coaching. For people with a budget, these courses are valuable for learning new techniques for optimizing campaigns and marketing affiliate offers.

However, it’s not for those starting with affiliate marketing because these courses can sometimes range from $1,000 and $3,000. There are tons of free resources on Google and on YouTube that can teach the basics of this biz model. If you’re looking for an online business that requires very low upfront investment but brings in recurring passive income, then local lead generation is a better alternative.

Is Local Lead Generation More Sustainable Than Affiliate Marketing?

In my experience, local lead generation is more sustainable than affiliate marketing because you’re building in-demand digital assets that drive long-term revenue. It’s like growing a rare Florida Ghost Orchid at Kew Gardens in London, where it takes patience and expertise to grow, but once it blooms, it thrives for years with minimal care. A local lead gen site only requires $30-$100 in initial investment, but generates $500 to $2,000+ per site monthly. You don’t need to create content daily or run paid ads. Plus, you can scale your income by creating more niche sites. Unlike the small commissions you get from affiliate marketing, local lead generation drives 80% to 95% profit margins.

With local lead gen, you own the websites and the leads. No one can shut you down instantly or lower your service value since you control the pricing and whom you send leads to.

Why is Local Lead Generation the Most Passive Online Business in 2025?

Local lead generation is the most passive online business in 2025 because you create low-cost, low-maintenance service sites that you can automate and forget but still bring in recurring income. There are plenty of cities and niches to get into. You’re only going up against 10-15 local business owners instead of thousands of marketers. For example, my site Torrance Expert Concrete Solutions 4348 Redondo Beach Blvd Torrance, CA 90504 (310) 494-2958 https://www.torranceexpertconcrete.com/ drove 8 high-value leads just last month. It drove $29,610 worth of additional revenue to my client’s business, which paid me $2,961 in passive income for a 10% commission.

With local lead generation, you’re the one in control of what niche you choose, who you work with, and how much you get paid every month.