Secure Higher Commissions with the Best VPN Affiliate Programs

Posted by Coty Perry, in Affiliate Programs

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have exploded in popularity in recent years as more people become concerned about online privacy and security. 

The global VPN market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2032. There was a time when a VPN was considered “hacker technology,” but today, they’re available to almost anyone and are simple enough to install and use on a personal computer. 

This growth has created a legitimate lucrative opportunity for affiliate marketers. VPN affiliate programs tend to offer ridiculously high commission rates and many are recurring so you can nearly build your entire affiliate business from promoting VPNs. 

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll highlight the 15 best VPN affiliate programs to help you maximize your earnings. We evaluated each program based on commission rates, cookie duration, site conversions, product quality, and more.

Let’s take a closer look at the best VPN affiliate programs for cybersecurity-savvy affiliates. 

1. ExpressVPN

Commission Rate: Up to $36 per sale initially

Cookie Duration: 30 days

ExpressVPN consistently ranks as one of the top VPN services on the market thanks to its user-friendly apps, lightning-fast speeds, watertight security, and access to over 3,000 servers across 94 countries.

The ExpressVPN affiliate program pays generous commissions of $13 for 1-month package sales, $22 for 6-month subscriptions, and $36 for 12-month subscriptions. It also offers increased variable commissions for high-volume affiliates who drive a substantial number of new customers.

One major benefit of the ExpressVPN affiliate program is the stellar marketing support. Dedicated affiliate managers provide customized landing pages, high-quality banner creatives, educational product videos, and individual campaign consulting. 

Partners gain access to all the resources required to effectively educate visitors and boost conversions.

With its industry-leading product, transparent no-logs policy, acclaimed 24/7 live chat support and helpful affiliate resources, ExpressVPN checks all the boxes. Any website focused around online security and privacy would benefit greatly from becoming an ExpressVPN partner.

2. Surfshark

Commission Rate: 40%+

Cookie Duration: 30 days

Surfshark has exploded onto the scene in recent years as a low-cost yet full-featured VPN option. It’s become widely acclaimed for its user-friendly apps, unlimited device connections, and budget-friendly pricing. 

Surfshark’s two-year subscription plan costs just $2.49/month, making it one of the most competitively priced options on the market.

The Surfshark affiliate program offers an excellent base commission rate of 40% on all sales driven, not including the lucrative performance bonuses granted to active top partners. Unlike some VPN affiliate programs with opaque commission structures, Surfshark’s payouts are clear and consistent.

Partners also gain access to an abundance of marketing collateral including text links, banners, infographics, product brochures, special discount promo codes and more. Dedicated affiliate managers can advise on geo-targeting, strategic optimization and seasonality trends as well.

With its competitive pricing, wide app compatibility, dedicated IP functionality and effective affiliate backend, Surfshark appeals to virtually any site focused on streaming, security and network performance.

3. IPVanish

Commission Rate: 50%

Cookie Duration: 45 days

IPVanish consistently rates as one of the fastest and most reliable VPN providers on the market. It offers shared IP addresses, zero traffic logs, and one-click access to top streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus across 1,900+ global servers.

The IPVanish affiliate program sweetens an already appealing service by paying a generous 50% commission on all monthly, quarterly, and yearly subscription plans. While commissions aren’t recurring, the lengthy 45-day cookie period gives you plenty of runway to earn multiple bounties from the same referral.

Marketing assets include sleek banner builds, educational product videos, exclusive promo offers and advanced analytics within the affiliate dashboard. An expert affiliate management team can also advise partners on optimizing funnel flows and conversion rates.

For partners focused on maximizing affiliate revenue from a proven VPN provider, IPVanish checks all the boxes.

4. NordVPN

Commission Rate: 40-100%

Cookie Duration: 30 days

Any list of the best VPN affiliate programs isn’t complete without NordVPN, the world’s most ubiquitous consumer virtual private network brand. While its plans trend higher in terms of pricing, Nord backs it up by offering an exceptional balance of security, speed and ease-of-use.

The NordVPN affiliate program provides tremendous revenue share flexibility, with commissions scaling from 40-100% depending on the plan purchased by referred users. It also pays appealing 30% commissions on any subscription renewals, providing affiliates recurring income potential.

NordVPN operates one of the most well-developed affiliate backends, supplying its partners with an exhaustive library of banners, text links, over-the-shoulder video tutorials, reviews, exclusive discounts and more. The assets available covering multiple geos and languages help ensure relevancy for any audience base.

For website owners seeking to monetize a highly trusted brand with tremendous resources, NordVPN is a premier global affiliate program.

5. CyberGhost

Commission Rate: Up to 100% on monthly plans; 45% on annual subscriptions

Cookie Duration: 45 days

CyberGhost has aggressively grown its user base in recent years to over 10 million customers, establishing itself as a low-cost yet full-featured VPN provider. It earns strong marks for ease-of-use, allowing simultaneous connections and seamless access to 7,400+ servers spanning 91 countries.

The CyberGhost affiliate program matches its compelling frontend offer with one of the most affiliate-friendly commission structures across the VPN landscape. Partners earn up to 100% commissions on all monthly subscription plans sold – an exceptionally lucrative bounty. Annual subscription plans still pay a healthy 45% revenue share as well.

For additional appeal, dedicated affiliate managers help tailor promotional strategies and assets for geo, platform and audience segmentation. CyberGhost also runs special affiliate promotions with elevated payouts throughout the year.

Website owners catering to budget-conscious consumers or emphasizing platform accessibility can drive serious value through CyberGhost partnerships.

6. Private Internet Access (PIA)

Commission Rate: Up to 33% on new sign-ups and renewals

Cookie Duration: 30 days

Private Internet Access (PIA) has built a large user base centered around its stringent no-logs policy, bundled antivirus software and military-grade encryption protocols guarding customer connections. For even greater peace of mind, its apps can activate an automatic kill switch if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly.

The PIA affiliate program offers lifetime commissions of up to 33% on all customer referrals. So you’ll earn money on subscription renewals in addition to new sales. Affiliates also gain access to conversion rate optimization tools and a content-rich marketing assets backend with tons of banners, text links and more.

PIA plans start at just over $2/month for a 2-year subscription, while still offering premium features and functionality. Combined with the recurring commission structure, it delivers exceptional affiliate monetization potential over a long horizon.

7. TunnelBear

Commission Rate: 50%

Cookie Duration: 45 days

While TunnelBear may not have the brand cachet of a NordVPN or ExpressVPN yet, it remains a formidable mid-tier VPN provider in its own right. 

The independent testing site VPNMentor lists TunnelBear as one of its top recommendations thanks to bank-grade encryption protocols, user-friendly clients for every major platform and high-speed domestic servers.

The TunnelBear affiliate program shines for its sheer simplicity. Partners earn an uncomplicated 50% flat commission on any monthly, yearly or multi-year subscription plan sold through referred links. There’s no need to decode complex commission tiers or satisfy monthly quotas.

The streamlined payout structure couples with a solid set of affiliate resources including over-the-shoulder tutorial videos, email creatives and coupons exclusive for partners. For website owners valuing transparency and ease above all else, TunnelBear hits the spot.

8. ProtonVPN

Commission Rate: 100% on new monthly plans, 40% on 1- and 2-year plans, 30% on renewals

Cookie Duration: 30 days

Swiss software developer Proton Technologies entered the VPN landscape through its popular ProtonMail encrypted email platform. 

ProtonVPN builds on that foundation with a strict zero logs policy, IP cloaking to prevent data sniffing and trojan attacks, and military-grade encryption routed through its Secure Core network.

Fitting its premium positioning, the ProtonVPN affiliate program offers tiered commission rates:

• 100% earnings on new monthly subscriptions
• 40% earnings on new 1- and 2-year plans
• 30% earnings on renewals

It also pays 20% commissions to affiliates who cross-sell ProtonMail paid cloud storage accounts, unlocking secondary monetization from existing effort.

ProtonVPN operates a polished affiliate backend providing analytics, creatives and optimization best practices from its in-house affiliate team. If your site visitors demand uncompromising privacy and security with pricing flexibility, Proton is a natural fit.

9. VyprVPN

Commission Rate: $10 – $30 per sale

Cookie Duration: 30 days

Golden Frog has cultivated a passionate user base around its VyprVPN service, which leverages a proprietary high-speed network called Chameleon. Testing consistently clocks VyprVPN among the fastest VPN options, aided by unlimited bandwidth and connection allowances.

While lesser known than ExpressVPN and NordVPN, VyprVPN punches above its weight through category-leading speeds. But its standout accommodation for torrenting and P2P sharing also appeals to a key consumer niche.

Despite its smaller size, VyprVPN offers a compelling affiliate program compensating partners via incremental flat rate bounties based on subscription term. Structured commissions remove guesswork:

• $10 for 1-month subscription sales
• $20 for 6-month subscription sales
• $30 for 1-year subscription sales

It’s a clean pay scale that still allows for solid recurring revenue through long-term customer retention.

10. PrivateVPN

Commission Rate: 30%

Cookie Duration: 60 days

Unlike other VPN services boasting thousands of servers, PrivateVPN takes a boutique approach centered around quality over quantity. It operates a hand-picked network of 150+ high-speed VPN servers strategically placed across 60+ countries to reliably unblock content and bypass restrictions.

PrivateVPN further differentiates itself through proprietary Stealth VPN protocol and custom DNS/IP configurations providing an added layer of privacy and security. Port forwarding support also appeals to the power user demographic seeking advanced control options.

Affiliates can earn top-tier commissions of 30% per PrivateVPN sale lasting an ultra-generous 60 days from click time. Such expansive cookies provide tremendous flexibility in timing promotional initiatives.

PrivateVPN may fly below the radar currently, but its unique product strengths and affiliate incentives present monetization upside.

11. PureVPN

Commission Rate: 40% – 100% + 35% lifetime recurring

Cookie Duration: 90 days

Based out of Hong Kong, PureVPN manages one of the largest and most dispersed VPN networks comprising 6,500+ servers across over 78 countries on 180+ co-location sites. It offers dedicated streaming servers optimized to unblock Netflix USA, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, ESPN+ and other leading platforms.

The PureVPN affiliate program features multiple compelling elements:

• 100% flat commission rate on monthly subscription sales to maximize initial earnings
• 40% bounty payment PLUS 35% lifetime recurring commissions on annual sign-ups
• 90-day cookie period – 50% longer than the typical affiliate VPN program

Together these components enable tremendous earnings velocity both immediately and over a long duration through repeat customer renewals.

12. Hotspot Shield

Commission Rate: 50%

Cookie Duration: Unlisted

Hotspot Shield stays true to its name by focusing exclusively on deliver blazing fast VPN speeds catered to the North American market. It offers unlimited bandwidth across its 25 high-speed servers based in the U.S. and Canada. Custom ad and malware blocking also come standard.

The Hotspot Shield affiliate program follows suit with its straightforward positioning through a simplified 50% flat payout. Partners receive the same 50% cut regardless of subscription duration or package level.

Supporting assets include over-the-shoulder video tutorials walking through setup processes to aid in conversions. For website owners catering to bandwidth-hungry cord-cutters or emphasizing no frills speed, Hotspot Shield warrants consideration.

13. Ivacy VPN

Commission Rate: Up to 100%

Cookie Duration: Unlisted

While lacking the brand equity of category mainstays, Ivacy VPN consistently garners excellent user reviews thanks to its combination of features and affordability. Based in Singapore with a network spanning 100+ locations, it reliably unblocks leading video streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer.

Ivacy also works closely with partners to ensure affiliate success. Its in-house team offers dedicated account management, real-time performance analytics and optimizationSplit testing assistance helps determine highest converting offers across geos and platforms.

These specialized capabilities combine with commissions up to 100% across multiple customer segments All in all, Ivacy VPN delivers a balanced backend/frontend partnership structure with robust affiliate incentives.

14. Torguard

Commission Rate: 30% recurring

Cookie Duration: 60 days

Torguard stands out through its wide array of advanced features, including an optional dedicated IP address, port forwarding, and enhanced security protocols like OpenVPN scramble obfuscation.

The company manages its own in-house affiliate program that offers generous 30% lifetime recurring commissions and a 60-day cookie window – one of the longest in the industry.

Affiliates also receive priority support for optimization and growth initiatives. So if you prefer direct communication, Torguard has you covered.

15. Cactus VPN

Commission Rate: 25%

Cookie Duration: Not listed

Cactus VPN offers VPN apps and proxy extensions for all major desktop and mobile platforms. It provides access to global servers using industry-standard 256-bit AES encryption paired with a zero logs policy for extra privacy.

The Cactus VPN affiliate program offers 25% commissions on conversions driven by referred users. Partners gain access to graphics packs and are encouraged to publish reviews on their own websites.

While the payout isn’t as high as other entries on our list, Cactus VPN delivers on usability and security.

Choosing the Best VPN Affiliate Programs

Selecting the optimal VPN affiliate programs to promote requires careful evaluation across multiple criteria:

Commission Rates

The earnings percentage you receive for each conversion is the most basic affiliate consideration. Programs offering commissions between 30-50% generally provide fair baseline compensation. Anything above 50% is excellent as it represents elevated income potential.

When assessing commission rates, also confirm details on one-time versus recurring structures. Affiliate programs with recurring payouts through subscription renewals offer greater long-term value.

Cookie Duration

The cookie duration dictates the window of time you have to generate multiple sales from the same referral. Standard affiliate industry practice sets average cookie length at 30 days.

Seeking out VPN affiliate programs with 60, 90 or even 180+ day cookies gives you extended leeway to convert subscribers. Even if a visitor doesn’t purchase VPN services on first website contact, they may recall your recommendation weeks later. 

It’s important to note that cookies in general are frowned upon by a lot of VPN companies because this is the kind of thing a VPN seeks out to protect users from. As a result, we were unable to locate cookie duration information for a lot of programs but it’s likely that they do not have cookies at all so you won’t be able to convert on revisits. 

Long cookie durations are common in affiliate niches where impulse buying is less common. Niches like finance would be a good example.

Historic Conversion Rates

Analyze affiliate program reviews, testimonials or documented conversion metrics to gauge expected sales performance. Programs touting strong VPN conversion percentages merit closer inspection.

If properly optimized, converting 7-12% of site visitors into subscribers is feasible. Seek out affiliate partnerships demonstrating results within or above that range through marketing initiatives.

If you choose affiliate programs through affiliate networks like CJ and ShareASale, the network provides you with this information. 

Service & Product Quality

While commissions may tempt you to overlook substandard offerings, promoting unreliable or defective VPN services only breeds long term issues. Disgruntled customer complaints yield negative word-of-mouth, sparking refunds and cancellations.

Rigorously scrutinize attributes like encryption protocols, platform support, speeds, server availability, clutter-free apps and customer service for each VPN service.

Fortunately, our top recommendations excel across these qualitative measures to inspire subscriber confidence. But always exercise due product diligence regardless to protect site integrity.

Final Thoughts

High visitor demand for VPN services produces outstanding affiliate earning potential. With breaches and surveillance permeating the digital landscape, most consumers recognize the value of a premium VPN.

We hope this guide helps you capitalize on that growing market by discovering the best VPN affiliate programs to promote across customer segments. Whether you prefer broad recurring commissions, lengthier cookies, or simplified payout structures, options abound to advance your affiliate income.

Be sure to keep the quality of the VPN in mind because it will help you earn those long-term recurring commissions. If the lead sticks with the VPN for years, you’ll be able to rack up some serious recurring over time.

So dive into our top recommendations, become an authority on virtual private network services and privacy tools, and watch your earnings amplify.

Are you still struggling to find an affiliate niche for beginners? If so, check out our guide breaking down the best beginner affiliate programs!