Looking for an honest review of Commission Hero vs Wealthy Affiliate? Learn which affiliate program delivers long-term results and which one might burn through your ad budget in 2025.
Can paid Facebook ads really help you quit your job? That’s the kind of bold promise you see often in the affiliate marketing world. Robby Blanchard’s Commission Hero is one program that claims to show you exactly how to do it, using Facebook ads and ClickBank offers. On the other side, Wealthy Affiliate teaches you how to build an affiliate site from scratch, focusing on content, SEO, and creating something that truly grows over time. I’ve put both through their paces and dug into the details behind the sales pitches.
If you’re trying to decide between Commission Hero and Wealthy Affiliate, you’re likely looking for a real, sustainable way to earn money on the internet. I’ve compared both side by side, breaking down their business models, what you actually get inside, costs, the learning curve, and what happens after you finish. If you’re searching for answers like, “Is Commission Hero legit?” or “Which is better for long term success?” this review covers what you need to know.
What is Commission Hero by Robby Blanchard
Commission Hero is an affiliate marketing course from Robby Blanchard, first launched in 2019. Robby came onto the scene as a CrossFit gym owner turned ClickBank’s top affiliate, claiming to make thousands per day with paid traffic. The course is built around a system where you run paid Facebook ads to a landing page, collect leads, and send people to affiliate offers, mainly products sold on ClickBank, which is one of the oldest and most popular affiliate networks around.
The big draw is speed and simplicity: you don’t need to build an authority website or even spend much time on writing content. Instead, you buy ads, send people to your offer, and (in theory) collect commissions very quickly. Those promises naturally appeal to people who want income without spending months learning SEO or building an audience.
The program itself is far from cheap. The main Commission Hero course is priced at $997 as a one time payment, but that’s just your starting point. There are upgrades, one on one coaching packages, additional software recommendations, and you’ll also need capital for ad spend before you see any return.
Who is Commission Hero for?
- People with a decent budget for buying Facebook ads
- Those who want step by step training for using ClickBank
- Marketers interested in fast paced campaigns over long term audience building
- Someone comfortable with a trial and error approach and the risks of paid traffic
Commission Hero Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Step by step Facebook ad training aimed at beginners
- Emphasizes direct response, potentially faster commissions
- Access to a private Facebook group and weekly Q&A sessions
Cons:
- High upfront cost and ongoing ad spend required
- Reliant on Facebook as one main traffic source
- Most income tied to promoting ClickBank offers, which can be hit or miss
- Big losses possible for those with no background in ads
What’s Inside Commission Hero?
When I got into Commission Hero, the course guided me through the basics of affiliate marketing with paid traffic. Most of the training is laid out in a series of video modules, and the layout pushes you quickly from account setup to launching ads.
- Facebook Ads: Core modules cover audience research, building creative (images and copy), and step by step screen shares for setting up campaigns in Facebook Ads Manager.
- Landing Page Setup: You get training on building landing pages. These are usually simple opt in pages. The recommended tool is ClickFunnels. If you don’t already have a ClickFunnels account, expect to pay $97/month or more for this part.
- Offer Selection: Commission Hero heavily recommends ClickBank’s top offers, with a module dedicated to spotting winners and the types of products that fit the Facebook ad funnel model.
- Scaling and Tracking: There’s a crash course in tracking results, scaling ad spend, and understanding how to optimize your campaigns when things don’t work the first time around.
- Support and Community: I joined a private Facebook group with other students. It has weekly Q&As with Robby and his team. Most answers focus on troubleshooting rejected ads, scaling campaigns, or picking new ClickBank offers.
One thing that caught me off guard was how many tools you need to buy or subscribe to get rolling. The actual costs build up:
- ClickFunnels: About $97/month
- Email Autoresponder: Platforms like Aweber or GetResponse start around $20/month
- Ad Spend: Robby suggests new students should have at least $500, but realistically, testing can easily run $2,000 or more before you see a profit
There are upsells after you enroll. These include coaching packages, advanced training, and done for you templates.
Common Criticisms of Commission Hero
The biggest issue I ran into and see a lot in online discussions is the real cost. The $997 gets you access, but it’s just the opening round. The spending doesn’t stop. Every campaign you try is an investment, and losses stack up quickly if you aren’t already comfortable with Facebook’s constantly changing rules and ad account bans.
- High Upfront and Ongoing Expenses: Most students spend much more than the entry price in the first two months, between software and ad testing.
- Beginner Friendliness: There’s training but also a steep curve for people who’ve never run ads. Losing hundreds or thousands before finding a winning campaign is common.
- Facebook Dependency: If your account gets banned (which is not rare, especially when pushing aggressive ClickBank offers), your business is on pause. There’s limited focus on other traffic channels.
- Skills Don’t Always Transfer: The heavy focus on Facebook ads and ClickBank can leave you with limited skills if you want to try something different later.
Plenty of members report some early wins, but the long term success rate depends on always having a fresh angle, changing landing pages, and keeping up with Facebook’s changes. If you aren’t a fan of constant paid testing or watching your budget drop quickly, Commission Hero feels stressful fast.
What is Wealthy Affiliate?
Wealthy Affiliate is a membership platform and training program that’s been around since 2005. The platform’s core focus is helping people build an affiliate marketing business by creating websites, writing valuable content, and getting organic search traffic (SEO). Wealthy Affiliate has put a lot into their training over the years, with updated lessons, live weekly webinars, and an all in one dashboard for managing your websites.
Their message is basically the opposite of Commission Hero: Build your own website as a real asset, create helpful content, rank in Google, and earn affiliate commissions from traffic that comes to you. There’s no paid ad requirement, and the startup cost is low. You can start for free, and premium membership is $49/month or $497/year, with no hidden upsells or extra purchases.
Who is Wealthy Affiliate for?
- People who prefer to build something long term and stable
- Those interested in learning SEO, keyword research, and content marketing
- Marketers who want to work across any niche, not just ClickBank
- Budget conscious beginners who want to avoid spending a lot on ads
Wealthy Affiliate Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Free starter account to try things out before upgrading
- All in one hosting, keyword research, and website building tools included
- Focuses on website ownership, brand building, and long term SEO skills
- Strong community support, live chat, and weekly webinars
Cons:
- Requires patience, results often take months, not days
- Content writing and SEO can feel slow compared to paid ads
- Can be overwhelming if you don’t follow the training as laid out. (Don’t Jump around and think you know). The Core Training and community support are your lifeline.
What’s Inside Wealthy Affiliate?
I started with their free training and website builder, which got me publishing a basic affiliate blog within the first day. The premium upgrade unlocked deeper lessons and more support. Here’s what’s included for paying members:
- Core Affiliate Training: A step by step course on picking a niche, researching keywords, writing reviews, and optimizing content for Google
- Website Hosting and Domains: Up to 10 fully hosted WordPress sites included
- Keyword Tool: Jaaxy (built in), helping you find low competition SEO topics
- Live Webinars: Weekly live streams cover new SEO tactics, monetization, and Q&A
- Community Support: Live chat, forums, and direct messaging to more experienced members
One thing I like about Wealthy Affiliate is the lack of required upsells. You don’t have to buy more tools or courses. Your hosting, SSL certificates, and even access to premium WordPress plugins are covered in the monthly cost.
I’ve bee using Wealthy Affiliate since 2014 and it’s still My #1 Recommendation. Trust me I’ve been through it all, you can read about me and my journey and find out why Wealthy affiliate is my go to training to conquer any niche of my choosing.
Commission Hero vs Wealthy Affiliate: Quick Comparison
- Traffic Strategy: Commission Hero uses paid Facebook ads, while Wealthy Affiliate teaches organic SEO and blogging.
- Cost to Start: Commission Hero is $997 for the course, with required ad spend (at least $500, often more). Wealthy Affiliate lets you start for free, with premium at $49/month, covering hosting and tools.
- Skill Development: Commission Hero trains you mainly on Facebook ads and funnel setup. Wealthy Affiliate develops skills in keyword research, SEO, blogging, and email marketing, all of which transfer to other businesses or jobs.
- Ownership: With Commission Hero, most of what you build belongs to ClickBank or Facebook. Wealthy Affiliate helps you build your own website, email list, and brand.
Who Might Like Commission Hero?
- People with several hundred or thousands to invest in ads and software
- Marketers excited by high risk, immediate result models
- Anyone who already has experience running ads and wants to focus only on paid traffic, not content
- Someone looking for a more “done for you” approach to affiliate marketing campaigns
What to Watch Out For
- Potential for heavy ad losses if you’re not careful or get your Facebook account banned
- Limited skill building for longer term or more diverse online businesses
- Ongoing need to pay for tools like ClickFunnels and autoresponders even after the course
Why Wealthy Affiliate is More Stable for Most People
- Startup cost is low and stays predictable
- No paid ads required, so less risk of financial loss while learning
- Encourages building evergreen content, meaning traffic keeps coming, even months or years after you publish
- Skills in SEO, content, and email marketing are useful across many businesses and industries
- Community support is ongoing, not tied to your ad budget
I’ve found that while you might not make money as quickly with Wealthy Affiliate, what you learn and build keeps working even without constant reinvestment. For instance, an affiliate site I built years ago still brings in commissions regularly, all because the articles continue to show up in searches. This sort of passive income gives you much more breathing room compared to always having to run new Facebook ad campaigns or changing your offers.
FAQs
- Is Commission Hero a scam?
Commission Hero is not a scam. The training is real and Robby is a recognized ClickBank affiliate. But the results highlighted are not typical, and many people may struggle to achieve similar success, especially as Facebook ad costs and compliance hurdles rise. Success depends on your budget, persistence, and ability to adapt to ad platform changes. - Can beginners really succeed with paid traffic?
It’s possible, but unlikely for most true beginners without previous ad experience or budget flexibility. Many new affiliates lose money in their first campaigns. Learning Facebook ads is doable, but the risk of burning through your ad budget is something to think about. Consider whether you’re comfortable learning by losing money upfront, or if you would rather start slow and steady with free methods. - Is SEO still worth learning in 2025?
SEO is still one of the most effective ways to build a stream of traffic that doesn’t depend on ongoing ad payments. Google’s algorithms change, but the overall strategy—publish helpful content, optimize for search, and build authority—keeps working. Wealthy Affiliate’s model is still very much alive in 2025 and beyond, especially for those willing to put in consistent effort.
Which is Better for Long Term Success?
After working with both models, I see Commission Hero as a good fit for people with money to burn, nerves of steel, and a real interest in mastering Facebook ads. I also know several people who’ve had a solid “run and gun” style of affiliate income using exactly Robby’s tactics, but they had to constantly watch for changes, refresh campaigns, and always be ready to fix issues with Facebook.
Wealthy Affiliate, on the other hand, is something I’ve been able to stick with for years, without draining my savings or worrying about daily ad costs. It’s for those who don’t mind putting in the work upfront writing blog posts, making videos, or building email lists. In exchange, you gain a brand and skills employers and clients are always searching for.
For most people (especially total beginners), Wealthy Affiliate offers a much friendlier starting point. You can try it free, spend more time learning, and only pay when you want to unlock the full features. There’s no risk of blowing hundreds on a failed ad campaign in your first month. Plus, the skills you pick up help with building any online business, not just affiliate sites.
My recommendation: Try Wealthy Affiliate free and see if the content driven approach fits you. If you want something faster, know what you’re getting into with Commission Hero and plan your budget for both the course and plenty of ad testing. For sustainable, skill based income, I keep coming back to Wealthy Affiliate as the smarter, more stable choice.
To expand a bit, even experienced affiliates can appreciate the foundation Wealthy Affiliate provides. You’re not boxed into one affiliate network or limited to a single source of traffic. If you like the creative side of building helpful resources, experimenting with new content styles, or tapping into social and email marketing, the flexibility pays off. For some, the support and forums alone are worth the monthly price, since you can network, swap ideas, and find answers when you hit a wall. If you do ever want to add paid traffic strategies later, the base you build with Wealthy Affiliate transitions well, giving you a steady fallback as you test new channels.
Want to give Wealthy Affiliate a shot? Try Wealthy Affiliate free and start building your own online business today.
Our website contains affiliate links. This means if you click and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. Don’t worry, there’s no extra cost to you. It’s a simple way you can support our mission to bring you quality content.