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Tolt and FirstPromoter solve the same problem for a similar buyer: a SaaS company that wants to track affiliate referrals and pay commissions without building it in-house, priced in the same $50-100/month range as an entry tier. Where they actually split is what each one caps your growth against and whether it takes a cut once money starts moving through it.
The short version: at the same $99/month price point, Tolt’s Growth tier caps affiliate-driven revenue at $20,000/month; FirstPromoter’s Business tier caps it at $15,000/month. Tolt wins on ceiling. But Tolt charges a 2% processing fee on auto payouts starting at that Growth tier (its cheaper Basic tier has no auto payouts at all, manual only), while FirstPromoter charges nothing on payouts at any tier. Which one actually costs less depends on how much you’re paying out, not just the sticker price.
Quick Comparison
| Tolt | FirstPromoter | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $69/mo (Basic) | $49/mo (Starter) |
| Entry-tier revenue cap | $10,000/mo | $5,000/mo |
| $99/mo tier | Growth: $20,000/mo cap | Business: $15,000/mo cap |
| Payout fee | 0% base; 2% on auto payouts (Growth and up) | 0% at every tier |
| Auto payouts on entry tier | No (Basic is manual-only) | Yes, one-click Stripe payouts on Business |
| Affiliate cap on entry tier | Unlimited | 1,000 |
| Billing platforms | Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee | Not specified beyond Stripe integration |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card required | 14 days, no card required |
Both companies’ own pricing pages checked directly on September 12, 2026.
Tolt: Higher Ceilings, But the Auto-Payout Fee Kicks In Fast
Tolt’s Basic plan ($69/month) caps affiliate-driven revenue at $10,000/month, twice FirstPromoter’s Starter ceiling at a similar price, and includes unlimited affiliates and referrals from day one. The catch is that Basic doesn’t include auto payouts at all; you’re paying affiliates manually, and the plan still carries Tolt’s “powered by” branding on your affiliate portal. Move up to Growth ($99/month, $20,000/month cap) to get automated payouts through PayPal, Wise, local bank, crypto, or wire, plus custom branding, but that automation carries a 2% processing fee. Pro ($199/month, $50,000/month cap) removes the branding requirement and adds a dedicated Slack channel, at the same 2% payout fee.
- Who should NOT start on Tolt Basic: anyone who wants automated payouts from day one. Basic is manual-only, and jumping to Growth for auto payouts means accepting the 2% fee along with it.
- Who it’s right for: a program that expects to outgrow FirstPromoter’s revenue caps at the same price, and that bills through Chargebee specifically, since Tolt’s own marketing lists Chargebee support that FirstPromoter doesn’t advertise.
FirstPromoter: No Payout Fee Ever, But Lower Ceilings at Every Price
FirstPromoter’s structure is flatter: no percentage fee on affiliate payouts at any tier, at any revenue level. Starter ($49/month) caps at $5,000/month in affiliate-driven revenue with up to 1,000 affiliates and 3 campaigns. Business ($99/month) removes the affiliate and campaign caps entirely, adds multi-tiered commissions and one-click Stripe payouts, but still tops out at $15,000/month in revenue, a third less than Tolt’s Growth tier at the same price. Enterprise (starting at $149/month) adds SSO, fraud protection, and self-referral detection for programs above that ceiling.
- Who should NOT use FirstPromoter Starter: a program already generating more than $5,000/month through affiliates, or one that needs more than 3 campaigns; both push you to Business immediately.
- Who it’s right for: a program with high-volume affiliate payouts where Tolt’s 2% auto-payout fee would add up to more than the $50/month difference between the two tools’ comparable tiers, or a team that specifically wants Stripe one-click payouts without a per-transaction cut.
Do the Math on the 2% Fee Before Picking on Price Alone
The sticker prices are close enough ($69 vs. $49 entry, $99 vs. $99 at the second tier) that the payout fee is usually what actually decides this, not the monthly subscription. On Tolt’s Growth tier, 2% of $20,000/month in payouts is $400/month at the ceiling, more than four times the plan’s own price. On a smaller program paying out $3,000/month, that same 2% is $60, closer to a rounding error. FirstPromoter charges nothing either way, which matters more as payout volume grows and matters less if you’re nowhere near either tier’s revenue cap yet.
If Neither Fits: Reditus’s Marketplace Is a Different Bet Entirely
Both Tolt and FirstPromoter assume you already know how to find affiliates and just need the tracking and payout layer. If cold-recruiting affiliates yourself isn’t realistic for your team, Reditus takes a different approach: its Scale Up plan ($399/month, annual only) adds a marketplace of 27,000+ B2B SaaS affiliates you can list your program to, so affiliates discover you instead of the other way around. That’s a materially different price point and a 12-month commitment, so it’s only worth considering if affiliate discovery, not tracking, is the actual bottleneck. Our Reditus vs. Rewardful comparison covers that tradeoff against a third tracking-only tool in more depth, and our full affiliate software roundup covers all four tools (plus PartnerStack and Affise for agencies) side by side.
Who Should NOT Pay for Either One Yet
If your program has zero live affiliates and no revenue flowing through it, both tools are asking you to pay for infrastructure with nothing to track yet. Both offer 14-day free trials, enough time to sign up a handful of affiliates manually with unique coupon codes in your existing billing tool and confirm the channel produces real referrals before committing a monthly fee to either one.
FAQ
Is Tolt or FirstPromoter cheaper? Depends on your payout volume, not just the subscription price. Tolt’s entry tier ($69) is more expensive than FirstPromoter’s ($49), but caps revenue twice as high. Once you’re on Tolt’s Growth tier or above, its 2% auto-payout fee can outweigh the price difference if you’re paying out a meaningful amount each month; FirstPromoter never charges that fee.
Which one has a higher revenue ceiling for the same price? Tolt. At $99/month, Tolt’s Growth tier caps at $20,000/month in affiliate-driven revenue versus FirstPromoter Business’s $15,000/month at the same price.
Does either charge a percentage fee on affiliate payouts? Tolt does, but only once you’re on a tier with auto payouts (Growth and up): 2% per payout. Its Basic tier has no auto payouts and no fee, but also no automation. FirstPromoter charges 0% on payouts at every tier.
What if I bill through Chargebee instead of Stripe? Tolt’s own marketing lists Chargebee support alongside Stripe and Paddle. FirstPromoter’s pricing page doesn’t advertise Chargebee support, so confirm directly with their team before committing if that’s your billing platform.
I have zero affiliates right now. Where do I start? Neither platform’s paid tiers make sense yet. Use the 14-day free trial on either one, or manual coupon codes in your existing billing tool, to sign up a handful of affiliates and confirm the channel produces real referrals before paying for tracking software to manage it.
Bottom Line
- Expect to outgrow a $5-10K/month affiliate revenue cap quickly, or bill through Chargebee: Tolt, and budget for its 2% auto-payout fee once you’re on Growth or above.
- Want to avoid any percentage cut on what you pay affiliates, regardless of volume: FirstPromoter, accepting its lower revenue cap at each price tier.
- The actual bottleneck is finding affiliates, not tracking them: look at Reditus’s marketplace tier instead, budgeting for its higher price and annual commitment.
- No live affiliates yet: don’t pay for either. Validate the channel manually first, then compare tiers against actual referral volume and payout size.
Whichever one you pick, the subscription and any payout fees are a real expense line that needs to show up in your books alongside affiliate commissions themselves. See our FreshBooks vs Wave vs Zoho Invoice comparison if you’re deciding what to track it in.