How to choose an affiliate tracker

A tracker is the hub of your stack: source → landing/offer → postback → reports. Below are decision criteria without vanity rankings — only what affects daily media buying work.

1. Self-hosted vs cloud

Self-hosted (ATracker, Keitaro, Binom) keeps data and limits on your server. Cloud (Voluum, RedTrack, BeMob) starts fast but often bills by event volume. Read self-hosted vs cloud.

2. Pricing model at your volume

Compare license + VPS vs subscription + events using your projected clicks — not stale competitor landing prices. Comparison pages: /compare.

3. Postback and Cost Import

Without reliable inbound network postbacks and outbound ad postbacks, ROI stays blind. Check network templates, Logs, and Cost Import for your ad accounts. See Affiliate Networks, Cost Import, and the daily Cost Import routine.

4. Migration

From Keitaro or Binom, campaign import matters. In ATracker: Tracker Import. Self-hosted comparison: Binom vs Keitaro.

5. Infrastructure for GEO

Exit Nodes, external JS Tracking, cloaking — depends on vertical. Validate DIRECT vs EDGE limits before spending. Guides: Exit Node, JS Bot Detection, Facebook and pixels, Fraud Score.

Pre-decision checklist

  1. Trial: domain → campaign → test click in Logs (guide).
  2. Test network postback and verify Conversions.
  3. One day of Cost Import reconciled with Reports.
  4. 3–6 month TCO at projected volume.

ATracker is self-hosted with a 14-day trial. Register at client.atracker.io/register.