Comparison
Affiliate programme: build it, buy software or use a network?
Build your own, rent software or use a platform — we show you what actually works and what ends up costing more than it delivers.
Full comparison
Build vs. Rent vs. selecdoo — Feature by feature
20 criteria. 3 options. 1 clear winner.
| Feature | Build your ownBuild / code yourself | Rent softwaree.g. Tapfiliate, FirstPromoter | selecdoo PlattformFrom €0/month |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost & Setup | |||
Publishers & Reach | |||
Tracking & Technology | |||
Operations & Scaling | |||
Results & Performance | |||
Verdict
The Verdict
3 options. 1 clear recommendation.
| Build your own | Rent software | selecdoo Plattform | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Not recommended | Conditionally | ✓ Recommended |
| Summary | Maximum effort, unclear return | Less effort, but everything stays on you | Everything included, from day 1 |
| Time-to-Live | 6–18 months | 2–6 months setup | Live from day one |
| Staff required | 1–2 full-time employees | License costs + own team | Professional team included |
| Publisher network | None | Publisher acquisition = your job | Publishers in DACH region & EU |
| Chargeback protection | Not available | Limited automation | Full chargeback protection |
| Fixed costs | Very high | License + ongoing | €0 fixed costs on Starter |
Anyone who builds a partner programme internally quickly has more personnel costs than the saved network fee would ever be worth. selecdoo brings everything — ready processes, 19 years of experience, curated publishers, stable software and a working programme from day one.
The Truth
Why a private partner programme very rarely pays off
Practical experience from 19 years of affiliate marketing paints a clear picture.
No Publisher Network
Anyone running their own programme starts from zero. No publishers, no reach, no deals. Acquiring partners takes months — and the best publishers already work with established platforms.
Hidden Personnel Costs
A private partner programme needs at least 1–2 full-time employees for publisher support, tracking monitoring, billing and fraud prevention. These costs exceed the network fee within a few months.
No Trust Anchor for Publishers
Publishers trust platforms because they act as a neutral instance. With private programmes, there's no protection against arbitrary chargebacks or sudden changes in conditions.
Technical Maintenance = Ongoing Cost
Servers, tracking updates, browser compatibility, data privacy compliance — maintaining your own system is an ongoing cost factor that never ends.
No Protection Against Fraud & Double Tracking
Cookie dropping, fake traffic, fraudulent publisher models and double tracking cost real money. Without professional monitoring, you pay commissions for revenue that never happened — or twice for the same purchase.
No Scaling Without Infrastructure
More publishers mean more billing, more support requests, more tracking complexity. Without automated processes, effort grows linearly — eating up the profit the programme is supposed to deliver.
Conservative Cost Estimate
Monthly costs compared — conservatively calculated, without hidden expenses.
| Cost Item | Build your own | Rent software | selecdoo Plattform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel costs 1 junior employee without experience (with corresponding results) | €1,000–2,000 | €2,500–4,000 | €0 |
| Software license / platform Monthly license fee | €0 (self-built) | €59–500 | From €0 (Starter) |
| Server & hosting Tracking server, CDN, uptime monitoring | €150–400 | Included | Included |
| Tech & development Partial developer for tracking maintenance & updates | €1,500–3,000 | €0–800 | €0 |
| Accounting & billing Commission settlement, invoicing, tax | €400–800 | €300–600 | €0 |
| Fraud prevention Anti-fraud tools, manual review | €100–300 | €50–200 | €0 |
| Administration & overhead Contracts, compliance, reporting, tools | €200–500 | €200–400 | €0 |
| Total / month | €3,350–7,000 | €3,109–6,500 | From €0 * |
* Starter: €0 fixed costs, only Network Fee (30%) on actually generated commissions. From Growth: €859/mo. From Scale: €1,379/mo. All values conservatively estimated based on 2025 DACH market employer costs.
* Starter: €0 fixed costs, only Network Fee (30%). Values conservatively based on 2025 DACH market.
Ready for the easy way?
Start now with Starter — no monthly fee, no fixed costs.