# Best Hosting Affiliate & Reseller Programs for Agencies and Creators in 2026

> Earn from hosting in 2026 with the xCloud affiliate program (up to 20% commission) or resell white-label hosting under your own brand. Compare both.

Every website needs hosting, and somebody recommends it. Often that's you: the agency that builds the site, the freelancer who launches it, or the YouTuber whose tutorial a beginner follows step by step.

Most people make those recommendations for free. They send a client to a host, answer the support questions anyway, and never see a cent of the recurring bill. xCloud gives you two ways to turn that into income: an **affiliate program** for people with an audience, and a **white-label reseller program** for people with clients. If you're still setting up hosting for your own client work, start with our **[best WordPress hosting for agencies](/best-wordpress-hosting-for-agencies/)** guide.

This post explains how each program works, what it pays, what it costs, and how to pick the right one.

## TL;DR

- xCloud has two programs: the **xCloud Affiliate Program** and **xCloud White Label** (reseller hosting).
- **Affiliates** earn up to 20% per sale on a referred customer's payments through the end of their first year. Payouts start at $50.
- **Resellers** sell hosting under their own brand, set their own prices, and keep the margin. Plans start at $25/month for up to 25 servers.
- Choose **affiliate** if you have readers or viewers. Choose **reseller** if you have clients.
- Joining the affiliate program is free. White Label has a monthly fee and a 14-day money-back guarantee.

## Affiliate vs reseller: which model fits you

| | **xCloud Affiliate Program** | **xCloud White Label** |
|---|---|---|
| **How you earn** | Commission on referred sales | You set the price and keep the difference |
| **Who owns the customer** | xCloud | You |
| **Brand the customer sees** | xCloud | Yours |
| **Support** | xCloud handles it | You handle first-line support |
| **Cost to join** | Free | From $25/month |
| **Income type** | Commission on the customer's first year | Recurring revenue you control |
| **Best for** | Bloggers, YouTubers, newsletters, communities | Agencies, freelancers, web designers |

Rule of thumb: if the people you talk to are readers, use the affiliate program. If they are paying clients, resell.

## The xCloud Affiliate Program

The **[xCloud Affiliate Program](/affiliates/)** pays you for sending new customers to xCloud. It suits anyone who writes or talks about WordPress, servers, migrations or hosting, especially for developers and agency owners who are outgrowing shared hosting or cPanel.

### What you earn

- **Up to 20% commission** per sale
- Commission on the customer's payments **through the end of their first year**, not just the first invoice
- **All xCloud plans qualify**
- xCloud says some single referrals have paid as much as **$719.80**

### Payouts and tracking

- **$50 minimum payout**
- Paid monthly to the payment method you set in your affiliate dashboard
- **Real-time tracking** of clicks and sales
- A **dedicated affiliate manager** to help with campaigns and questions

### How to join

1. Apply for free through the **[xCloud affiliate portal](https://affiliate.xcloud.host/)**
2. Once approved, copy your referral links from the dashboard
3. Add them where your audience already makes hosting decisions: migration tutorials, server setup guides, hosting comparisons and "tools I use" pages
4. Track clicks and conversions in real time

### Where affiliate links work best

From what we see, the referrals that convert well come from content that solves a real problem first:

- Step-by-step tutorials (moving off shared hosting, setting up a VPS, deploying Laravel or Node.js)
- Honest reviews based on your own use
- Resource pages listing the tools you actually work with
- Videos where viewers watch you set up a server or site live

### Pros and cons

| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Free to join | ❌ Commission covers the first year, not the customer's lifetime |
| ✅ Earn on a full year of payments, not one invoice | ❌ Cookie duration isn't published on the program page |
| ✅ Low $50 payout threshold | ❌ Works best with technical audiences rather than total beginners |
| ✅ Dedicated affiliate manager and live tracking | |

**Best for:** WordPress and developer content creators, newsletter writers and community owners.

## xCloud White Label (reseller hosting)

**[xCloud White Label](/reseller-hosting/)** lets you sell hosting as your own product. Clients log in to a portal with your brand, your logo and your domain. They never see xCloud. Read the **[White Label launch announcement](/introducing-xcloud-white-label-program/)** for the story behind it.

You can resell **xCloud Managed Servers**, where xCloud runs the infrastructure, or **bring your own provider** and manage your own servers through xCloud. See **[Managed Hosting](/managed-hosting/)** and **[Self-Managed Hosting](/self-managed-hosting/)** for the difference.

### What's included

- **Full white-labeling:** custom brand, logo, domain and client portal
- **Custom packages and pricing:** you decide what each plan includes and costs
- **Automated billing** through Stripe Connect, with recurring invoices and payment tracking
- **A built-in ticket system** for client support
- **Custom SMTP** for emails sent under your brand
- **Unlimited sites and databases** on every plan
- **Branded client reports.** See **[client reports](/features/client-reports/)** and our **[agency guide to website maintenance reports](/the-agency-guide-to-website-maintenance-reports/)**

### Pricing

**Managed Server plans** (monthly):

| Plan | Server limit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 25 | $25/mo |
| Advanced | 60 | $50/mo |
| Corporate | 150 | $100/mo |
| Visionary | 400 | $250/mo |

**Self-Managed Provider plans** use the same tiers and prices, plus a per-sale platform fee that gets smaller as you move up: 25% or $3 on Startup, down to 10% or $3 on Visionary.

Once you sell more than 400 servers, xCloud says the control panel is free. Every plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee, and you can cancel any time. Check the **[reseller pricing page](/reseller-hosting/)** for current numbers before you plan your margins.

### How the margin works

You set your client price. On Managed Server plans, you pay xCloud's server fees and keep the difference. On Self-Managed plans, you pay your own server provider plus the per-sale platform fee.

Here's a simple illustration (the numbers are examples, not quotes). Say you host 20 client sites on Managed Server plans, charge each client $30/month, and your server cost averages $15/month per client. That's $300/month in margin, minus your $25 Startup plan, before you've counted the time you already spend supporting those sites.

### How to get started

1. Sign up for xCloud and choose a White Label plan
2. Add your brand name, logo and custom domain
3. Connect your Stripe account
4. Create your hosting packages and set prices
5. Invite your first client to your branded portal

👉 Follow the full walkthrough: **[How to set up a reseller account with xCloud White Label](/docs/setup-reseller-account-with-xcloud-white-label/)**

### Pros and cons

| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ You keep the full margin on your pricing | ❌ You handle first-line support for your clients |
| ✅ Clients see your brand only | ❌ A Stripe account is required |
| ✅ Recurring revenue you control | ❌ Monthly fee starts before your first sale |
| ✅ Choose managed servers or your own provider | ❌ More setup than sharing a referral link |

**Best for:** agencies and freelancers who already host or maintain client sites. More on agency workflows at **[xCloud for agencies](/agency/)**.

## Which xCloud program should you choose?

### Choose the Affiliate Program if…

- ✅ You publish tutorials, reviews, videos or newsletters about WordPress and hosting
- ✅ You don't want to handle hosting support for anyone
- ✅ You want to start today at no cost
- ✅ Your audience makes its own buying decisions

### Choose White Label if…

- ✅ You build or maintain websites for paying clients
- ✅ You already answer your clients' hosting questions
- ✅ You want hosting to show up on your invoices under your brand
- ✅ You'd rather earn recurring revenue than a one-year commission

### Can you do both?

Yes. Plenty of agencies resell hosting to their clients and also publish tutorials. Use White Label for clients you support directly, and affiliate links in public content where readers sign up on their own.

## Common mistakes to avoid

- **Sending clients an affiliate link when you'll support them anyway.** If you're answering their hosting tickets, reselling usually pays more.
- **Underpricing white-label plans.** Price in your support time, not only the server cost.
- **Dropping links into thin content.** Referrals come from posts and videos that solve a real problem.
- **Skipping disclosure.** US FTC guidelines and most affiliate terms require a clear affiliate disclosure.
- **Forgetting reporting.** Branded monthly reports make it easy for clients to see why they're paying you for hosting.

## Start earning from hosting this week

If you talk to an audience, **[apply to the xCloud Affiliate Program](/affiliates/)** and add your link to the two or three tutorials that already get the most traffic. If you talk to clients, list what each one pays for hosting today, then compare that with what you could charge under your own brand on **[xCloud White Label](/reseller-hosting/)**.

If you have found this blog helpful, feel free to [**subscribe to our blogs**](/blog/) for valuable tutorials, guides, knowledge, and tips on web hosting and server management. You can also join our [**Facebook community**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/xcloud.community) to share insights and engage in discussions.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does the xCloud Affiliate Program pay?

Up to 20% per sale, on the referred customer's payments through the end of their first year. The minimum payout is $50, and payouts are typically processed monthly.

### Is the xCloud Affiliate Program free to join?

Yes. You apply through the **[xCloud affiliate portal](https://affiliate.xcloud.host/)**, and there's no fee.

### What's the difference between the affiliate program and White Label?

With the affiliate program, you refer customers to xCloud and earn a commission, and xCloud owns the customer relationship. With White Label, you sell hosting under your own brand, set the price, bill clients yourself and handle their first-line support.

### How much does xCloud White Label cost?

Plans start at $25/month for up to 25 servers and go up to $250/month for 400 servers. Self-Managed Provider plans also carry a per-sale platform fee. There's a 14-day money-back guarantee.

### Can I use my own server provider with White Label?

Yes. You can resell xCloud Managed Servers, or bring your own provider and manage those servers through xCloud on a Self-Managed plan.

### Do my clients know the hosting runs on xCloud?

No. White Label uses your brand, logo, domain and client portal, so clients only see your business.

### Is reseller hosting worth it for a small agency?

Usually, if you already manage client sites. Instead of passing hosting costs through at no profit, you charge a monthly fee and keep the difference. The Startup plan covers up to 25 servers, which suits most small agencies.