{"id":5464,"date":"2022-08-29T15:36:37","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T14:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/commission.academy\/blog\/?p=5464"},"modified":"2025-03-05T20:40:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T20:40:37","slug":"affiliate-marketing-vs-dropshipping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commission.academy\/blog\/affiliate-marketing-vs-dropshipping\/","title":{"rendered":"Affiliate Marketing vs Dropshipping: 7 Differences To Know In 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Should you start affiliate marketing<\/a> or dropshipping to make real money online? What are the differences, how do they compare and which is best? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter today\u2019s guide on affiliate marketing vs dropshipping<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both affiliate marketing and dropshipping business models give you a real way to earn a sizable income online selling other people\u2019s products<\/a> and the chance to live that sweet laptop lifestyle many only dream about. Both models come with a unique set of pros, cons and challenges too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could try and do affiliate marketing and dropshipping at the same time but you’ll be spreading yourself too thin and having a lack of focus will stop you from getting results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proverb “Chase two rabbits and you’ll catch neither”<\/em> springs to mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, it’s better to choose ONE<\/strong> to start so let’s run through the differences (and similarities) between affiliate marketing and dropshipping so you don’t throw too much time, money and energy down the wrong rabbit hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should YOU Do Affiliate Marketing Or Dropshipping?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve got cash to invest upfront and you want to start generating income sooner, you should do dropshipping. If you’re looking for low-cost and low-risk, then affiliate marketing is best for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to decide whether you should start dropshipping or affiliate marketing is to ask yourself how comfortable you are with risk. If you love taking higher stakes then you can win big with dropshipping. On the other hand, if you’re in no rush and want to build a solid and reliable online income then becoming an affiliate marketer may be your best move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best place to get started?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For affiliate marketing<\/strong> check out the free Commission Academy Fast-Start Course \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dropshipping<\/strong> check out the free Marketplace Superheroes Masterclass \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, let\u2019s dive into our guide about choosing to start affiliate marketing vs starting dropshipping this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcb0 If You’re On A Tight Budget…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Go with affiliate marketing \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both business models cost a fraction of what it’d take to start a conventional offline business but compared to dropshipping, affiliate marketing has lower running costs and you can start for free<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfaf If You Like Simple & Straightforward…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Go with affiliate marketing \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With dropshipping, you’re creating a Shopify store, sourcing products, dealing with branding and dealing with customer service and delivery issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With affiliate marketing, you’re creating a website that’s going to direct people to online stores to earn a commission on every sale and the online retailer you’re sending them to takes care of the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcc8 If You Want To See Results As Fast As Possible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Go with dropshipping \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match a winning product with a winning traffic source and you can see results quicker with dropshipping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, building neither dropshipping nor affiliate marketing is an overnight job and it can take several months of learning and hard work upfront before you start to reap the rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfd6\ufe0f If You Want A More Hands-Off Approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Go with affiliate marketing \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both models take effort upfront to get off the ground, but day-to-day, affiliate marketing is much more passive<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you put in that initial effort to create content that gets ranked on Google, you’ll be generating a steady stream of traffic and sales months and even years down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udd14 If You’re Still Not Sure…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Watch free training for both to get a more detailed overview of how they work and then go with whichever one resonates best with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here to take the free Commission Academy affiliate marketing course \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here\u2019s the free Marketplace Superheroes dropshipping webinar \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let’s look at how affiliate marketing and dropshipping works and what the pros and cons are of both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Affiliate Marketing Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Affiliate marketing is a commission-based model<\/a> where you sell other people’s products online for a percentage of each sale you generate. You join affiliate programs of online retailers like Amazon or eBay and earn a commission every time someone clicks through your unique link and makes a purchase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or as Neil Patel<\/a> puts it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Affiliate marketing is the process of earning commissions by promoting other people\u2019s or company\u2019s products.\u201d<\/em><\/div>