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FreshStore vs Skimlinks: a script for your links, or the whole site.

Skimlinks turns the shop links in content you already publish into affiliate links, and keeps a share of the commission. FreshStore builds the affiliate site itself, with the products and the content in it. They do different jobs, and you can use both.

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4.7/5 on Trustpilot, 80 reviews

What Skimlinks is

Skimlinks is a link monetization service for people who already publish content, such as blogs, news sites and forums. You add one line of code to your site. When a reader clicks an ordinary link to a shop, Skimlinks turns it into an affiliate link on the way.

You do not join each shop's affiliate program yourself. Skimlinks holds the programs, 48,500 merchants by its own count, collects the commission and pays you your part. It is free to join. It typically keeps 30% of each commission, by its own help page.

It works on links in content you have already written, so it builds no site, adds no products and writes nothing. Skimlinks is part of Taboola.

Four steps

How Skimlinks works

  1. 1

    You apply with a live site

    Skimlinks reviews every site by hand. It asks for at least ten original articles and an audience. It turns down sites that copy or collect content from other places.

  2. 2

    You add one line of code

    The script goes in the head of your pages. It looks for links to shops on its list.

  3. 3

    A reader clicks a shop link

    The click passes through a Skimlinks address that adds the tracking. A link to a shop it has no program for is left as it is.

  4. 4

    Skimlinks pays you your part

    The shop pays Skimlinks. Skimlinks pays you at the end of a month, at least 75 days after the sale, once you pass its minimum.

On the buyer's questions

Side by side

Row FreshStore Ours Skimlinks
Price From $10 a month per siteStarter, three sites, every feature; less per site on bigger plans Free to joinTypically keeps 30% of each commission, by its own help page
What it is An affiliate site builderThe site is built, filled and kept current A link monetization scriptFor content you already publish
Builds the site Yes, filledProducts, categories and guides NoYou bring a live site with articles
Content Built in, no AI account NoneIt asks for articles written by you
SEO and traffic Built for searchStructured data, sitemaps, every page sent to Google and Bing Your own site'sIt asks for an audience before it approves you
You keep All the commissionYour own affiliate IDs; each program pays you directly The rest after its shareTypically 30% kept, by its own help page
Amazon Built inOn your own Associates ID, with no API keys to apply for Not since 2020Its help center says it no longer works with Amazon
Merchants Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, AliExpressPlus network feeds 48,500, by its own countThrough 50+ networks, with no program to join yourself
Approval None from usEach affiliate program approves you itself Each site, by handTen original articles and an audience first; new sites usually wait
Payout From each program, directly Through SkimlinksMonth end, at least 75 days after the sale; $65 minimum
Several sites One login, plans by site count Many sites, one accountEach site reviewed on its own

Rival prices as published on the Skimlinks help center, read 5 Nov 2026.

Every FreshStore plan, and what ten sites cost, is on the pricing page.

When Skimlinks is the better pick

  • You run a blog, news site or forum with steady readers and shop links already in it.
  • You link to many small shops you would never join one by one.
  • You do not want a product site.

When FreshStore fits

  1. 01

    You do not have the site yet, or it is too new for Skimlinks to approve.

  2. 02

    You want pages of products with prices kept current. A link script adds none.

  3. 03

    You want the whole commission, on your own affiliate IDs.

You can use both. Paste a Skimlinks link as a product's link, or add the Skimlinks script under Custom Scripts in your site settings. The script only acts on shop links you type into articles. The Buy buttons already carry your own affiliate IDs. Skimlinks approves each site itself, by its own rules.

What members built, with their numbers, is on the stories page.

Before you start

The questions members ask about this

What is Skimlinks?
A script that turns ordinary shop links in your content into affiliate links. Skimlinks holds the affiliate programs and pays you part of each commission.
Is FreshStore a Skimlinks alternative?
Only if you want an affiliate site. FreshStore builds the site and fills it with products. For affiliate links in content you already have, Skimlinks and Sovrn Commerce do that job.
Can I use Skimlinks on a FreshStore site?
Yes. Paste a Skimlinks link as a product's link, or add its script under Custom Scripts. Skimlinks approves each site itself.
Does Skimlinks work with Amazon?
No. Its help center says it stopped working with Amazon as a merchant in March 2020. On FreshStore, Amazon products are built in, on your own Associates ID.

Rated 4.7 on Trustpilot

“I’ve been involved in affiliate marketing for over twenty years and have tried many affiliate store apps. FreshStore is the best affiliate store app that I have used. The app is intuitive and easy to use by anyone, regardless of their level of experience. And if help is needed, customer service is always available. But best of all, the store layout is beautiful and easy for customers to navigate. FreshStore provides everything needed for a successful store.”
Ray S
🇺🇸 USA · 2026
“I've been building stores with FreshStore for nearly a year. They are simple to create (even for a senior) and powerful. Many features are available and the company keeps updating the back end based on users' votes. How cool is that?”
Laura Childs
🇺🇸 USA · 2025

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