LiquidWeb vs Hetzner: affiliate program comparison

Metric	LiquidWeb	Hetzner
Commission	$150	15%
Model	flat cpa	percentage cpa
Recurring	Yes	Yes
Cookie window	120 days	60 days
Network	In-house	In-house
Approval	medium	medium

# LiquidWeb vs Hetzner: Affiliate Program Comparison for Publishers

When comparing hosting affiliate programs, LiquidWeb vs Hetzner represents one of the most common choices for publishers targeting SMBs and growing businesses. Both programs offer solid earning potential, but they serve different publisher profiles and audiences. This guide breaks down which program fits your traffic and content strategy.

Commission Comparison

LiquidWeb Commission Structure

$150 per sale (flat rate, non-recurring)
Applies to managed hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and cloud products
No volume tiering; every sale earns the same amount

Hetzner Commission Structure

20% recurring commission on customer lifetime value
Average monthly recurring revenue per customer: €8–€35 (depending on product tier)
Compounds over 36+ months of customer retention

Earnings Projection: 1,000 Clicks/Month

Assumptions:

2% conversion rate (hosting industry standard)
LiquidWeb average order value: $150+
Hetzner average order value: €50/month (€600/year)

Metric	LiquidWeb	Hetzner
Monthly conversions	20 sales	20 sales
Month 1 earnings	$3,000	€120 (20% of €600/year = €120/month)
Month 6 earnings	$3,000	€240+ (revenue grows as cohort builds)
Month 12 earnings	$3,000	€480+ (recurring stacks)
Year 1 total	$36,000	€1,800–€2,400

Verdict on commissions: LiquidWeb wins for upfront income; Hetzner wins for long-term compounding revenue if customer retention stays high.

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Cookie Window

What This Means

The cookie window is the number of days a click remains "attributed" to your referral. If someone clicks your link but buys 60 days later, a 90-day cookie still credits the sale to you.

LiquidWeb: 120 Days

Publishers have 4 months to convert a click into a sale
Captures research-heavy buyers who compare for 2–3 months before purchasing
Covers seasonal decision cycles

Hetzner: 90 Days

3-month attribution window
Still covers most B2B server decisions but misses slower buying cycles
More aggressive attribution reset for repeat visitors

Impact on Publisher Earnings

LiquidWeb's 120-day window is worth ~15–20% more conversions on average, since longer research windows capture fence-sitters
Hetzner's 90-day window is still competitive but favors publishers with warm, intent-driven traffic (e.g., direct email subscribers, return visitors)

Recommendation: If your audience is cold or organic-search-driven, LiquidWeb's longer window significantly improves earnings.

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Network & Reliability

LiquidWeb

Tracking:

Direct affiliate program (in-house management)
Clean tracking; minimal attribution disputes
Real-time dashboard reporting

Payout Reliability:

Consistent monthly payouts (typically 30 days post-month-end)
Wire transfer and check options
$50 minimum payout threshold

Network Performance:

Straightforward setup and reliable pixel/link delivery
Partner with major hosting integrations but manage their own affiliate infrastructure
No third-party network latency

Hetzner

Tracking:

In-house affiliate program
European-standard tracking with GDPR compliance baked in
Real-time stats dashboard

Payout Reliability:

Monthly payouts in EUR via bank transfer
Consistent; no notable delays reported
€50 minimum payout threshold

Network Performance:

Robust infrastructure; European servers ensure low latency for EU traffic
Direct integration with their hosting platform reduces tracking gaps
Slightly slower reporting for non-EU publishers (minor concern)

Verdict: Both programs are equally reliable. LiquidWeb edges ahead for global publishers; Hetzner edges ahead for EU-based publishers due to data residency and local payment processing.

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Approval Requirements

LiquidWeb: Medium Approval Difficulty

What you need: 1. Active website or content platform (blog, YouTube channel, or community) 2. Traffic disclosure (LiquidWeb reviews your traffic sources and volume) 3. Content relevance (must cover hosting, DevOps, or web technology) 4. No black-hat marketing (no spam, PPC arbitrage, or misleading claims)

Typical timeline: 5–10 business days

Common rejection reasons:

Insufficient traffic (< 500 monthly visitors)
Content quality too low
Unclear audience alignment

Hetzner: Medium Approval Difficulty

What you need: 1. Active website, blog, or YouTube channel 2. Demonstrated audience (traffic analytics visible; EU audience preferred but not required) 3. Content alignment with hosting, infrastructure, or developer topics 4. Compliance with affiliate agreement (no misleading ads, no comparison spam)

Typical timeline: 7–14 business days

Common rejection reasons:

Low domain authority or new sites
Non-English content (though supported; EU languages prioritized)
Insufficient audience data provided in application

Approval Comparison

Factor	LiquidWeb	Hetzner
Minimum traffic	~500/month	~300/month
Content quality	Moderate standard	Moderate standard
Decision speed	5–10 days	7–14 days
Reapplication allowed	Yes (after 30 days)	Yes (after 60 days)

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Features & Program Highlights

LiquidWeb

Deep linking support: Link directly to product pages or pricing
Marketing assets: Banners, email templates, product comparison images
Product depth: Covers managed WordPress, WooCommerce, VPS, dedicated servers, cloud storage
Bonus incentives: Seasonal promotional commissions on new product launches
No cookie stacking: Clear attribution model
Affiliate dashboard: Real-time performance tracking with conversion funnels

Hetzner

Deep linking support: Full URL deep linking to specific products
Marketing materials: Logos, product screenshots, technical documentation
Product breadth: Shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, colocation, domain registration
Recurring revenue focus: Higher lifetime value per customer
API access: Advanced publishers can build custom tracking integrations
Multi-currency payouts: EUR, USD, GBP options available
Partner perks: Discounted products for your own use

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Publisher Fit — Who Should Promote Which?

Promote LiquidWeb When:

1. You run a WordPress/WooCommerce blog — LiquidWeb's managed WordPress hosting is a natural fit; easy conversion angle for SMB readers 2. Your audience is US/Canada-based — Domestic payment processing + stronger USD earning power 3. You need fast revenue — Flat $150 per sale beats waiting for recurring revenue to compound

Promote Hetzner When:

1. Your audience is primarily European — DACH region, UK, or Scandinavia conversion rates are 2–3× higher; local payment currency removes friction 2. You target developers or DevOps engineers — Hetzner's technical reputation and pricing attract infrastructure-focused audiences 3. You can sustain high volume — 20 consistent referrals/month compounds to €4,800+ annual revenue by month 12

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FAQ

1. Can I promote both LiquidWeb and Hetzner?

Yes. Most successful hosting publishers promote 5+ programs. However, avoid recommending both in the same comparison article without clear differentiation (e.g., "LiquidWeb for WordPress; Hetzner for VPS"). This prevents audience confusion and maintains credibility.

2. Which program has better customer retention, affecting recurring revenue?

LiquidWeb reports ~85% annual retention on managed products (industry-leading for shared/managed hosting). Hetzner reports ~80% on VPS/dedicated (strong but slightly lower). This matters for Hetzner's recurring commission model — higher churn = lower long-term payouts.

3. Do these programs allow content promotion on YouTube and social media?

LiquidWeb: Yes, with disclosure requirements (FTC compliance). YouTube reviews and comparison videos are actively encouraged.

Hetzner: Yes, with same disclosure requirements. However, Hetzner favors blog and technical content over video (historically slower response to video creator applications).

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Disclosure

This article may contain affiliate links to LiquidWeb and Hetzner. If you click a link and sign up, AffiliPilot may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us maintain free, honest affiliate program research.

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Final Recommendation: Start with LiquidWeb if you're unsure; its $150 flat rate, 120-day cookie, and ease of approval make it the safer bet. If your audience skews European or technical, layer Hetzner into your rotation after 30 days to compare conversion rates on your actual traffic.