ClickBank and ClickFunnels are two names you will often see in the affiliate marketing sphere. However, they could not be more different from each other.
Despite the similar-sounding names, ClickBank and ClickFunnels serve two very different purposes. You can use both of them together to make money as an affiliate, or you can use only one.
The two platforms do complement each other. However, since they serve separate functions, you don’t need to have both to succeed with affiliate marketing.
If you have been wondering about the difference between ClickBank and ClickFunnels, you have come to the right place. Today, I will be comparing the two platforms, showing you what each one is for, and helping you decide which one is right for you — or whether you should use both.
Let’s get into it!
ClickBank vs ClickFunnels: Two Very Different Purposes
We need to first understand the basics — what is the main difference between ClickBank and ClickFunnels, and what purpose does each one serve? Is ClickBank or ClickFunnels right for your needs?
ClickBank
ClickBank is an affiliate marketplace. It’s actually one of the oldest affiliate marketplaces out there.
ClickBank was founded way back in 1998. In those days, affiliate marketing looked very different than the way it looks now.
In many ways, affiliate marketing was a lot easier back in those times. It was much easier to rank a webpage, for example.
First, there was a lot less competition, so even smaller sites without a lot of content were able to rank. In addition, black hat SEO methods such as keyword stuffing and link farm building actually worked, as those days came before Google algorithm updates like Penguin and Panda.
So, what is an affiliate marketplace anyway? An affiliate marketplace is a platform where you can find affiliate products to promote.
If you are a vendor, you can use ClickBank or other affiliate marketplaces to offer your product to affiliates. You will provide affiliates with a unique affiliate link (generated by the affiliate marketplace) and offer attractive commissions as an incentive for affiliates to promote your product.
Here is how ClickBank works:
- Sign up as an affiliate
- Browse the marketplace for products to promote
- Use the filters to find products that fit your needs
- Get your unique affiliate link
- Promote that link on your website or in your emails
- Earn money and collect payments
ClickBank, unlike Amazon Associates, focuses mostly on digital products. Examples of digital products include:
- Ebooks
- Training video courses
- Software tools
Because digital products often come with less overhead costs, commissions on ClickBank tend to be higher than commissions for physical products on sites such as Amazon Associates.
While promoting Amazon Associates’ products might earn you 4-10 percent commissions, many products on ClickBank offer attractive commissions of 30-50 percent.
While that might sound high at first, both the affiliate and the vendor wins. The vendor gets more sales and earns what is almost pure profit — after all, it’s not like they actually have to ship out a physical copy of their ebook.
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels, on the other hand, is a funnel-building tool popular not only with affiliate marketers but with digital marketers from all backgrounds. A funnel helps increase the chances of a conversion by retaining a lead’s information and by giving them more exposure to whatever you are selling.
Upselling and downselling are also two marketing techniques made possible with funnels, and they can also be essential for your bottom line.
For example, you might build a funnel with ClickFunnels that looks something like this:
- Landing page where you capture their email address in exchange for a free ebook or a discount code
- Once they sign up, you take them to the download page for the ebook that also has a CTA that leads to a sales page
- Alternatively, you take them straight to the sales page and only send them a download link to your ebook via email
- If they decline to purchase the main product you are selling, take them to a downsell page. This could feature a different product that costs less or the original product at a discounted price
- If they did purchase the product on the first sales page, take them to an upsell page where you promote an upgrade to the original product. If they decline, take them to a downsell page
- If they decline to buy on the downsell page, take them to another page where you offer them a free trial on a membership program you offer
- If they decline, take them to a page with links to your social media profiles
That’s a pretty elaborate funnel. Your funnel could be a lot simpler. For example, it could have three pages:
- Landing page with an email subscription form
- Sales page
- Download page for the ebook (take them to this page if they decline to buy on the sales page, and also send a link to this page via email)
Why does this work? The reason is simple.
If you take leads straight to your sales page, you will lose them forever once they click the exit button. Only a small percentage of leads will make a purchase the first time around.
If you get their email address first, however, you get a chance to continue promoting your products to them, even if they do not buy right away. It usually takes a few exposures until a lead buys something online.
Also, upsells and downsells can increase conversions. You might only earn back your advertising investment with your main product sales, in which case your upsells will help you earn a profit.
Downsells help increase conversions by offering hesitant buyers the same product or a similar product at a lower price. You can even present the downsell as a “limited time offer,” which can increase conversions by conveying scarcity and creating FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
ClickFunnels vs ClickBank: Education
Let’s examine the educational resources each of these two platforms provides.
ClickBank
ClickBank used to have something called ClickBank University. Of course, it was not a real university; however, it did have a lot of helpful information and training videos on how to make money with affiliate marketing.
However, ClickBank University has since disappeared. Nobody knows exactly what happened to it, but it seems like ClickBank rebranded its learning platform as ClickBank Spark, which contains a lot of free content, instead of continuing with the paid course that was ClickBank University.
One possible reason for that was that ClickBank University had a lot of upsells and complicated sales funnels, making it seem a bit spammy to many online reviewers. Perhaps they thought that shifting towards a more open learning platform would be better for their reputation.
ClickBank Spark has a lot of great resources, but it is not as comprehensive as ClickBank University was in taking you by the hand and teaching you how to start an affiliate marketing business as a beginner.
While ClickBank Spark focuses on promoting products from ClickBank, the skills you learn from ClickBank Spark can be applied to any affiliate product, whether you find it on another affiliate marketplace or join a product’s private affiliate program.
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels has several educational resources, such as Mastery. Mastery is a 30-day challenge/learning program that shows you exactly how to set up your first funnel and start earning money.
You will also get live coaching.
If you are not sure if the 30-day challenge is worth it, you can join the free five-day challenge, where you can follow along with Russel Branson, founder of ClickFunnels, as he shows you how to build a funnel.
Russel also has other programs, such as the Affiliate Bootcamp Summit, which is a 100-day course to help you become a “super affiliate” using ClickFunnels. The term super affiliate is used to refer to affiliates who make thousands of dollars a month with affiliate marketing.
If you feel like those two programs are overpriced, consider checking out the free content on the ClickFunnels blog or the Help Center, where you can find documentation on using the software.
Check Out: Divi vs Clickfunnels
ClickBank vs ClickFunnels: User Experience & Ease Of Use
Let’s talk about the user design and UX of each platform, as well as which one is easier to get started with.
ClickBank
ClickBank has a slightly outdated design. While the external website (the part you see before signing up) was given a redesign a few years ago and now looks very modern, the actual affiliate marketplace hasn’t changed much since its early days, and it still looks very outdated.
That doesn’t mean it is hard to use, however. It’s still incredibly easy to use the filters and find the affiliate products you are looking for.
Even beginners can get started with ClickBank.
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels has a more modern look, but it involves slightly more of a learning curve than ClickBank. Of course, you need a way to promote products you find on ClickBank, but using the actual website isn’t that hard.
Nevertheless, ClickFunnels is still a good option for beginners who want to set up funnels.
Explore: Clickfunnels vs Instapage
ClickFunnels vs ClickBank: Is It Worth It?
Is it worth using ClickFunnels or ClickBank? Are they legit?
ClickBank
While ClickBank is one of the largest digital retailers in the US, and it is still one of the largest affiliate marketplaces, many believe that its heyday is in the past. There are many other affiliate marketplaces that are better than ClickBank.
The problem with ClickBank is that a lot of the products on ClickBank are spammy or extremely low early. In that sense, it hasn’t improved since the early days of affiliate marketing back in the early 2000s.
In those days, you could sell a thin ebook on a spammy sales page with bold claims of showing people how to make quick money and then spamming the buyer with endless upsells.
You could do the same with some cheap software tool that was hastily put together and promise the buyer that it would generate tons of free traffic and money.
Those products are still around on ClickBank. While there are some excellent, high-quality products such as Salehoo, it is hard to find them, and you really need to sift through the site to find them.
It’s almost like finding a needle in a haystack.
Many affiliates have since moved to other marketplaces, like JVZoo.
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels, on the other hand, is still very popular. While Russel Branson uses spammy methods when promoting his upsells and training courses, the actual product works well and does what it is meant to do.
Check Out: SamCart vs Clickfunnels
ClickFunnels vs ClickBank: Setting Up An Affiliate Program
What if you are a vendor? Can you use ClickFunnels to set up an affiliate program?
ClickBank
ClickBank offers vendors a wide range of solutions and options and provides them with a built-in network of affiliates eager to promote products.
ClickFunnels
If you are selling a product on ClickFunnels, you can set up an affiliate program, manage affiliates, and pay out commissions. However, you will have to work on attracting all those affiliates yourself.
ClickFunnels vs ClickBank: Using Them Together
The good news is that you can use ClickFunnels and ClickBank together to earn money as an affiliate.
For example, if you are promoting affiliate products from ClickBank, you can set up a funnel where you first capture your leads’ email addresses, so you can promote a variety of affiliate products to them.
And, you can set up upsells and downsells. It doesn’t matter that it is not your product you are promoting — the process is similar; just send users from the funnel pages to the sales pages of the affiliate products.
Some affiliate vendors will even give you a direct affiliate link to the checkout page. That allows you to skip the sales page of the product and let your leads check out directly; since that involves fewer steps, it can lead to more conversions.
Pricing
Is ClickFunnels or ClickBank free?
ClickBank
ClickBank is entirely free to use as an affiliate. You can sign up as an affiliate for free and start earning money.
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels, on the other hand, is expensive, with pricing starting at $97/month. Check the pricing page for updated information or to start a 14-day free trial.
Also Read: Clickfunnels vs Shopify
Similarities And Differences
| ClickBank | ClickFunnels | |
| Affiliate Marketplace | ✓ | ✘ |
| Funnel Builder | ✘ | ✓ |
| Learning Resources | ✓ | ✓ |
| Good For Beginners | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free To Use | ✓ | ✘ |
| Set Up Affiliate Program As A Vendor | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tap Into A Built In Network Of Affiliates | ✓ | ✘ |
Conclusion
Both ClickBank and ClickFunnels can be important tools in your affiliate marketing business, but they are very different things. While ClickBank is an affiliate marketplace where you can find products to promote, ClickFunnels is a drag and drop funnel builder.
If you are a vendor, I’d recommend sticking with ClickBank due to its built-in network of affiliates. With ClickFunnels, you would have to run marketing campaigns to attract affiliates yourself.
