Directories and blogs often use “network” for everything that is not a brand name. That hides a real split. One object is the deal. One object is a marketplace of deals. One object is a brand that skipped the marketplace and runs the deal itself.
The three things
Plain picture
Programme
One shop’s deal
“Promote this brand, get this payout.” That is what a publisher actually applies to.
Network
A mall of shops
Join once. Apply to many brands inside. The mall tracks sales, pays you, and takes a cut from the shops.
Direct
The shop’s own till
The brand runs the programme itself. You apply on their page. They pay you. There is no shared catalogue.
SaaS brands do this a lot because billing tools make in-house programmes cheap. Ecommerce and performance brands do it too. Direct means “apply to this brand,” not a special niche.
Who you join
The only fork that matters
Via a network
- Join the network once
- Apply to brands listed there
- Get paid by the network
One login. Many programmes.
Via Direct
- Open that brand’s affiliate page
- Apply on their portal
- Get paid by that brand
No shared catalogue. One brand at a time.
What Direct means
Direct programmes skip the mall’s cut, so the payout can look higher. The trade-off sits on you: a new login per brand, and payouts that depend on that brand’s bank, not a network’s batch payment.
The brand may use its own tools to track clicks. That tooling is not a marketplace and is not listed as a network here. The publisher action is still the brand’s apply URL.
Where this sits on PayoutDeals
The directory is built for publishers first.
- Programmes — the deals. Filter by network, including Direct.
- Networks — marketplaces you can join once.
How Awin, Impact, and CJ actually differ
Once you know a network is a mall, the longer comparison is about cookies, geos, and payouts.