If you’re a SaaS company, do not use Impact. There's a very practical reason why. Impact relies on a redirect “bounce hop" that modern browsers and iPhones often block due to privacy reasons. This leads to unattributed referrals, missing conversions, partner disputes, and ultimately an unreliable affiliate program. Dub uses first-party cookies that browsers actually allow, with no redirects, giving you accurate results and ensuring your partners get credit for the content they create.
Why trust us? We've been an affiliate partner for over 100+ companies and Impact is the platform we most consistently have issues with. All but one of our core partners have switched off of Impact to a better platform.
We believe there are better options available in this category, read below to learn what this software does well, and what they could do better. ⤵
If you're a SaaS company trying to build a high-performing partner or affiliate program, choosing the right platform matters more than ever. Most brands default to Impact because it's been around for a long time, but modern browsers, privacy rules, and the way people use the internet today have changed everything.
This is a practical, straightforward comparison of Impact vs Dub Partners, and why one works for SaaS and the other simply doesn't.
Impact was built in 2008, when third-party cookies were standard. This type of tracking: shares data across multiple brands, relies on redirect links, is classified as "ad-tech" by browsers gets blocked by iPhones, Safari, and privacy tools. To adapt to first party cookies, they implemented their Universal Tracking Tag (UTT). But their system their system still depends on a redirect “bounce hop”, a quick, invisible detour through an Impact domain before sending a visitor to your site.
Modern browsers increasingly block or skip these tracking hops, sometimes showing a warning and other times silently stripping the redirect. The user still reaches your site, but the tracking never fires. This means referrals go unattributed, users hit blocked or warning pages, creators don't get credit, your affiliate channel underperforms.
We've seen it happen dozens of times: SaaS companies move their program to Impact, and performance is mediocre. Because browsers are actively blocking the tech Impact runs on.
Dub Partners uses first-party tracking with no third party redirects or bounce hops. Dub was built after browsers banned third-party cookies, so its infrastructure is adapted to modern times. This means referrals track accurately, partners always get credit, nothing gets blocked, programs works smoothly across all devices, especially iPhones, and more importantly higher overall program performance!
This is why nearly every SaaS company that starts with Impact ends up migrating off and why partners prefer Dub.
Impact oversells its marketplace as a major advantage, but for SaaS companies it rarely delivers real value. The majority of partners inside it are coupon and deal sites...not the creators, consultants, or industry experts that actually move the needle for SaaS. Impact’s marketplace sounds compelling in theory, but in practice it isn't where the best SaaS partners are. The best SaaS partners are the ones you have a direct relationship with.
.svg)
.webp)
The referral category deserves a bit of an explanation because we continually see confusion arise when it comes to the competitors in this space. You'll often hear terms like "affiliate", "referral", "link tracking", and "partner portals" all used interchangeably.
And with that, not all referral tracking tools are created equal, nor are they focused on the same needs. They can actually be broken up more into 5 main sub-categories:
.svg)
.svg){kind=icon}
Dub is the modern link attribution platform for affiliate programs.
Dub Partners is the most modern affiliate and partnership tracking platform on the market. Unlike older affiliate tools built for eCommerce or coupon sites, Dub Partners was built directly alongside creators, influencers, and real affiliate partners. The result is a platform that shows exactly which content, pages, and channels drive revenue with accurate, first-party attribution that actually works across modern browsers (including iPhones and Safari).
An affiliate tracking tool for large B2C eCommerce businesses like GAP and Honey (not for B2B SaaS companies)
Impact was built in 2008 when third-party cookies were the norm. While they’ve tried to modernize and adapt to first party cookies with their Universal Tracking Tag (UTT) their system still depends on a redirect “bounce hop” a quick, invisible detour through an Impact domain before sending a visitor to your site. Modern browsers increasingly block or skip these tracking hops. This means tracking never fires leads to unattributed referrals, missing conversions, partner disputes, and ultimately an unreliable affiliate program.
Impact is one of the most expensive affiliate platforms in the industry. Most SaaS companies pay between $10,000–$30,000/year, despite the platform being built for enterprise eCommerce rather than SaaS. More modern, SaaS-native platforms like Dub Partners or PartnerStack often cost less and provide more accurate, dependable tracking thanks to first-party cookies.
.svg)
.jpg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
