Does free affiliate tracking software sound too good to be true? Actually, it's a good idea to be cautious of any so-called "free" software, but if you do your home work there are several options if you are looking for free affiliate program software.

As can be expected, the completely free, open source affiliate software scripts are pretty basic and offer no support. I would not recommend most of the free affiliate software unless (A) you know quite a bit about programming and are willing to spend a few days/weeks tinkering and (B) you are absolutely and completely broke with no credit available.

If you are both A & B, find out more about the 100% free affiliate software options.

If you are not both A & B, you will have much more fun and much more success with one of the amazing options for conditionally-free or almost free affiliate software, that are full of great features and supported by a community of users.

Probably the best option for free affiliate software is JROX's Affiliate Manager, known as JAM. JAM is a very popular, cutting-edge, feature rich affiliate software – which offers a fully functional free version. What's the catch – well, there is always a catch with anything free (if it's worth having). There are three conditions attached to using the free version of JAM:

Support is via the community forum. There is no direct support for free users.

• You cannot remove the link to JAM's website from the footer of your affiliate panel.
• You can have a maximum of 50 affiliates.

The first two conditions are not a big deal. That's what I would expect from any free software. The third condition is only a problem depending on the way you look at it. If you are a planning a small-scale private affiliate program, with just a few dozen hand-picked affiliates, then JAM is tailor-made for you. You can get this world-class affiliate tracking script absolutely free!

If you are planning a full-scale affiliate program with hundreds, or thousands, of affiliates, then you will have to buy JAM at some point down the line. But take comfort in the knowledge that by the time you pay for it, your 50 existing affiliates should be bringing in more than enough extra sales to cover the cost of the purchasing the license. If you are not sure if you're program is going to be success, JAM lets you run your program on a generous trial basis without the risk of putting any money on the table.

(Note: If you run a non-profit organization, you may be eligible for this free affiliate tracking software offer . This is a genuine offer for quality software and is highly recommended!)

A Word of Caution

In the world of online marketing, offering something "free" is often nothing more than a way to lure traffic to your site. Sometimes when you look closely at the fine print, you find that they are offering you only a substandard or severely limited product.

You will could end up paying a lot in terms of your valuable time spent setting up a software that is not viable, even in the short term.

Rather than being lured to sign up for any affiliate tracking software by the promise of something free, make a well-considered choice based on our Affiliate Software Comparison Chart. Several of the options listed there offer free versions and trials.