Best Passive Income Model? SaaS Affiliate Comparison Sites Reviewed.

SaaS Comparison & Affiliate Business in the U.S.A

Low-Cost, High-Margin Model for Analytical Content Creators

About the writer

Dickson Wasake has more than 20 years of experience, including with global accounting firms PwC, Baker Tilly, and Deloitte, and various roles such as a fractional CFO and advisor for clients. He is an ex-audit partner (Baker Tilly CI). Dickson is a UK CPA (FCCA)and a US CPA (IL), with experience working with clients of various sizes, ranging from start-ups to a $1.3 trillion listed company. He has travelled to 30+ countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa, the Bahamas, the UK, and Canada. He lives in IL, USA. Connect with him on LinkedIn or view his detailed resume/CV.

🔍 Introduction: Helping People Choose—and Getting Paid For It

I loved researching this sector because it plays into one of my areas of passion: Digital Marketing. A few years ago, I took an online course on digital marketing strategies and you wouldn’t believe it, I was ranked as one of the 10% globally!  I have over the years learnt marketing from experts like Chris Cardell and Andy Bounds and this has supplemented the courses I have done, such from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. This helped me in writing this article.

So what’s the deal with this sector? Is it worth even assessing? Yes! You would be surprised at how lucrative this sector is, despite the plethora of SAAS comparison sites.

Imagine this. Someone searches “Best accounting software for freelancers.” They land on your blog, compare QuickBooks vs. FreshBooks, and click your affiliate link. You earn $100 when they sign up.

Now imagine 10,000 people do this each month.

This is the business of SaaS affiliate reviews—high-trust content meets passive income.

• The global SaaS market is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2032 (Precedence Research)

• Affiliate commissions range from $50 to $300 per sale (ConvertKit, Thinkific, FreshBooks)

• Best-performing niches include finance, marketing, productivity, and small business tools

💡 What We Think About This Business

This is a lean, content-driven business ideal for SEO-savvy researchers and reviewers. High upside with the right traffic and authority.

⚖ SWOT Analysis (Big Issues to look out for in the SAAS comparison model)

Category	What It Means	Examples
Strengths	Scalable, passive, global reach	Evergreen content
Weaknesses	SEO-dependent, long ramp-up	Algorithm risk
Opportunities	Expanding SaaS categories	Niche verticals: coaches, solopreneurs
Threats	Platform commission cuts	Google updates, AI competition

🧠 Key Things to Know Before You Start

✅ Requirements:

• Content writing or YouTube scripting skills. I hope you love writing and testing sites, coz you will need loads of both!

• Understanding of SEO (search engine optimization). This sector is digital marketing heavy, so it's important you either know this or have a core member of your team (could be fractional) who can manage this right from the start.

• Access to affiliate programs (Gumroad, ConvertKit, Shopify, etc.)

• Domain + publishing platform (e.g., Ghost, Webflow, Medium). I especially love Medium for the ease of getting started.

⚠ Risks to Manage (Risk Management in the SAAS Comparison sector):

Risk	Risk Management Tool
Google algorithm change	Diversify traffic (YouTube, newsletter)
Affiliate program ends	Multi-program offers + own product backup
Content theft	Date-stamped SEO tools + watermark content
Payment issues	Use affiliate networks with escrowed payouts

🔐 Internal Controls (systems to put in place)

Risk	Control
Wrong info or pricing	Set update schedule + use official partner docs
Link errors	Use Pretty Links or Thirsty Affiliates plugin
Traffic dips	Build email list + explore YouTube channel
Missed commissions	Track link attribution tools

Typical Founder Concern: “What if I put in months of work and still get no traffic or sales?”

This fear stems from the lag between publishing content and seeing results—especially since SEO and authority take time to build. Many worry their articles won’t rank, their affiliate links won’t convert, or program terms will change unexpectedly.

The key is to treat each comparison article as a long-term digital asset, focus on high-intent keywords, use supporting channels like Pinterest or Quora to get early traction, and start building an email list to compound value over time.

🔍 How Does Organic Traffic Actually Work?

Following on from the founder concern above and owing to the importance of SEO for this sector, otherwise you risk spending a lot on Google or YouTube advertising, I feel it critical to give you this insight, as this is a significant risk you need to manage if you are to be successful in this sector.

So, most visitors will find you through Google by searching things like “Best email tool for creators” or “ConvertKit vs Mailchimp.” If your article is optimized with the right keywords, headlines, and real insight, it can show up on the first page—often for months or years.

You also amplify your reach by turning each article into a Pinterest post, a YouTube review, and even answering questions on Reddit or Quora. This is how affiliate creators build 2,000+ monthly visitors without paying for every click. Add an email opt-in and you now have long-term value, not just one-time traffic.

To succeed, your Organic Traffic Growth Path will likely be as follows:

Source	Effort	Traffic Volume	Conversion Potential	Notes
SEO (Google)	High	High	High	Best long-term asset
YouTube	Medium	Medium–High	Very High	Works well paired with written reviews
Pinterest	Low–Medium	Medium	Medium	Good for B2B SaaS with visual features
Quora/Reddit	Low	Low–Medium	Medium	Best for early traction and niche engagement
Email List	Medium	Compounds	Very High	Improves monetization of all traffic sources

If you master SEO for this sector, come and thank me later, and send me some $$$ as a thank you gift :). Now that you understand this critical aspect, let’s continue.

🛠 What the First Few Months Look Like

Month 1–3:

• Research top 3–5 software categories

• Set up affiliate links and join partner programs

• Publish 10–20 keyword-optimized comparison articles

• Promote via Pinterest, Reddit, YouTube, or Quora answers

Typical Week:

• Write or edit 1–2 comparison articles

• Monitor Google Search Console + affiliate dashboard

• Update old posts with new pricing/features

• Test and create screenshots, demo videos

📈 Future Outlook (What’s ahead in the SAAS comparison sector)

• Affiliate review sites with AI comparison tools are trending

• Buyers demand transparency—authentic use tests win over generic reviews

• Niche software categories (AI tools, legal tech, CRM for therapists) are exploding

🧠 Inachee Advanced Thinking (Tips to separate you from the crowd)

Insights from Thought Leaders:

• Harvard Business Review: Brands that simplify the decision process are 86% more likely to be purchased and 115% more likely to be recommended. Tools like comparison tables help reduce decision fatigue and increase trust.

• McKinsey: B2B buyers increasingly want transparent, hands-on evaluations—not hype. Allowing users to experience the product through trials or freemium access builds trust and accelerates sales.

• Forbes: Companies using SEO-driven content strategies have conversion rates up to six times higher than those that don’t. Targeted content based on clear user intent consistently outperforms generic blog posts.

  
  
  
  

Strategic Moves:

• Build a SaaS comparison tool (e.g., “Compare 5 tools for X”)

• Create bundled PDF downloads with reviews

• Offer bonus templates or discounts through affiliate links

Bonus Insight: Buying Instead of Building

If buying, check MRR trends, churn rates, codebase quality, and how involved the founder is. Red flags: no user engagement data, messy backend, or no support docs. To find the right business to buy, try sites like Acquire. Ensure you do the following as part of your due diligence evaluation: model audits, SaaS KPIs analysis, and a founder replacement readiness checklist.

Business model and Revenue Streams

💰 Start-Up Cost Breakdown (Detailed)

Item	Est. Cost	Notes	Source
Domain + hosting	$200	Webflow, Ghost, WordPress	Namecheap, Ghost.org
Content tools	$300	Grammarly, SurferSEO	Grammarly, SurferSEO
Affiliate software tools	$200	Pretty Links, Ahrefs trial	WordPress plugins
Branding + setup	$200	Logo, website template	Canva, Webflow
LLC set up	$450	Company set up	Legal Zoom
Miscellaneous	$135	Contingency (10%)

Startup Estimate: ~$1,485

💸 Operating Costs & ROI (Annual Estimate)

Assumptions:

• Revenue: 250 affiliate conversions/year × $100 average = $25,000.  This is based on:

  • ~21 affiliate sales per month. Based on about 2,000 visitors per month or about 25,000 annual visitors and a 1% conversion rate.

  • Each sale earns $100 on average, which is realistic for SaaS like ConvertKit, Podia, or Teachable.

• Annual costs = ~$4,400 (see below).

Expense Breakdown (Annual):

Item	Cost	Notes
SEO tools + hosting	$1,500	Ahrefs, Ghost, Cloudflare
Writing or VA help	$1,000	Freelancers
Marketing	$1,000	Pinterest ads, Reddit promos. Assumed SEO will bring in 80% organic traffic (discussed earlier).
Admin + software	$500	Tools and security
Miscellaneous	$400	Various

Net Profit = ~$20,600/year

ROI = $20,600 (Net profit) ÷ $1,485 (Start up cost) = ~1,387% ROI

The ROI means that for every $1 you invest in Year 1, you get $1,387 back! This is extremely profitable.

📊 3-Year View (High level)

In year 2, you will ramp up your SEO as well as developing a solid content base and in year 3 you will build your email list and your SAAS comparison tool.and develop a solid content base, and in year 3,

🧰 Recommended Software Stack

• Webflow or Ghost (site builder)

• SurferSEO, Ahrefs (SEO + keyword research)

• Grammarly, Jasper (content tools)

• Gumroad, ConvertKit, FreshBooks (affiliate programs)

🌍 Global Outlook: SaaS Affiliate Businesses Beyond the U.S.

The SaaS affiliate model is expanding globally, driven by increasing software adoption and the rise of content creators in emerging and mature markets alike. In regions like India, Nigeria, and Brazil, creators are launching comparison blogs and YouTube channels to promote both international SaaS brands (like ConvertKit and FreshBooks) and local tools (like Zoho or ContaAzul).

In Europe, compliance-conscious SaaS buyers prefer transparent comparison sites, and multilingual content is gaining traction—especially in countries like Germany and Spain. Meanwhile, Africa’s digital entrepreneurs are working around monetization barriers by promoting affiliate offers through WhatsApp groups, TikTok, and Telegram, often targeting U.S.-based programs for better payouts.

Globally, the trend is clear: creators who combine niche SEO, product credibility, and authentic testing are outperforming generic review content. The market remains highly accessible, scalable, and low-cost, with increasing relevance across regions. Smart creators are localizing content, joining global affiliate platforms with multi-currency payouts (like PartnerStack or Impact.com), and bundling comparison insights with downloadable tools to build mailing lists and monetize long term.

Conclusion: So, should you also jump into the SAAS comparison fray?

🔚 Inachee Index Score: 86/100 – Tier A (Excellent)

The SaaS Comparison & Affiliate Business model offers one of the best ROI profiles for content-driven entrepreneurs. Its startup cost is minimal, compliance is light, and the ability to scale across categories and platforms is strong. However, like farming or real estate, it’s not overnight work. It requires sustained SEO effort, a trust-based audience, and optimization over time.

This business is best suited to creators who are:

• Methodical with content and research

• Patient enough to let SEO mature

• Able to explain complex tools simply

• Comfortable promoting transparently

Once built, it becomes a digital asset that pays monthly—without new hires, inventory, or recurring overhead.

While the sector might seem overcrowded, I feel that SAAS especially with the AI play to it now , there is continued room to jump into this sector especially towards niche or localized offerings as the global trend shows. There will always be need for authentic testing and so why not, jump in!

What Is the Inachee Index?

The Inachee Index scores sectors using 8 weighted dimensions: ROI potential, startup accessibility, ease of entry, scalability, compliance, market resilience, future relevance, and execution simplicity. Each sector receives a score out of 100 and is assigned a tier (A–D).

How does this sector rank against all others in the US? Check out the US ranking list. 

Want a more detailed financial model or forecast for this sector? Ask us about financial modelling.

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Disclaimer: While we have taken steps to research this information as well as based on our experience, you should not solely rely on the information given here to base your investment decisions. You should seek business advice from a professional knowledgeable of your specific circumstances. (e.g of your specific location and capital structure). The author (or Inachee) shall therefore not be held responsible for any loss you may incur when acting on this information.