ShuqCompare
Find the right sales channel for your SaaS.
A founder who wants a SaaS sold on commission is usually choosing between hiring someone, paying an agency, or putting the product where independent sellers already look. Shuq is that marketplace. You publish the offer and the commission. Sellers choose it. You pay when your customer pays.
Which option matches which situation
| Option | Fits when |
|---|---|
| Shuq | You want independent sellers to find your SaaS and sell it on a commission you set, and you want to pay only after the customer pays. |
| Hiring a salesperson | You want one person, full time, on a salary, selling only your product. |
| A sales agency | You want a team to run outreach for you, and you can pay a retainer whether or not a customer pays. |
| Affiliate software on your own site | You already have affiliates, and you want referral links on your own domain. You recruit them and you pay them. |
| A large partner marketplace | You want a formal partner program, with applications and a contract, of the kind PartnerStack or Impact are built for. |
| A commission-only sales board | You want to post an offer and have commission-only reps apply to sell it, and you will run the relationship yourself. |
How they differ
Shuq
You publish one listing. Sellers already on the marketplace choose it. On the Performance plan you pay nothing until a customer has paid you. Shuq then adds 10% on top of the seller reward. The seller keeps 100% of the reward written on the listing.
Hiring a salesperson
A hire costs a salary through the ramp, before any revenue. One person covers one network. On Shuq there is no salary, and several sellers can work the same listing at once.
A sales agency
Agencies usually bill a retainer whatever the results. On Shuq's Performance plan there is no retainer. You confirm a won deal within 14 days. If the customer never pays, nothing is owed.
Affiliate software
Tools such as Rewardful, FirstPromoter and Tapfiliate help you run a referral program you operate yourself: links, cookies and payouts you manage. Shuq does not replace that. Attribution on Shuq is a prospect the seller registers, reserved for typically 30 days, not a cookie on your website. Shuq collects the commission from the payment method on file and pays the seller.
Partner marketplaces
Networks such as PartnerStack and Impact are built for companies that want a managed partner channel. Pricing is often a quote, and a partner may have to apply. On Shuq you write a listing. It can go live once a payment method is on file and, during the pilot, once Shuq has reviewed it.
Commission-only boards
Boards such as CommissionCrowd also connect companies with people who sell on commission. On Shuq a listing is not public without a payment method, Shuq never pays a reward it has not collected, and each company's record of confirming deals is public. GARCINI MEDIA Inc. operates Shuq from Québec, Canada, and payouts go through Stripe.
When Shuq is the wrong tool
Choose affiliate software if you already have partners and you only need tracking links on your own site. Choose a hire if you need someone inside the company every day. Do not list a product whose sale requires a professional licence — insurance, investments, credit, real estate, controlled substances — unless Shuq has approved it in writing.
Questions people ask
How is Shuq different from hiring a salesperson or an agency?
A salesperson costs a salary, and an agency usually costs a retainer whatever the outcome. On Shuq you pay the commission after your customer has paid you, and you can work with several independent sellers without a long-term hire.
Is Shuq the same as an affiliate program for SaaS?
No. Affiliate software tracks links for a program you run yourself. Shuq is a marketplace: you list the SaaS, independent sellers choose to sell it, and the commission is paid through Shuq after the customer pays.
Is Shuq a partner marketplace like PartnerStack?
It is the same kind of decision, not the same product. Partner marketplaces are built for formal partner programs. Shuq is where a company publishes a sales opportunity and pays independent sellers for customers who pay.
List the product
If the fit is Shuq, write the listing before you create an account. Sellers see it after a payment method is saved and the listing is reviewed.
Other languages
Accounts, the marketplace and checkout are in English and French. The links below are the same comparison in other languages.