Savage Affiliates VS Wealthy Affiliate

Affiliate marketing has made it possible for regular people to create extra income streams online. If you’ve looked into affiliate training programs, you’ve probably found Franklin Hatchett’s Savage Affiliates and the well-established Wealthy Affiliate platform. Both attract a lot of attention but with two different teaching styles and setups, it can get confusing knowing which one fits your needs or budget.

I’ve spent time inside both platforms, so I can share my experience on what each offers, how they approach affiliate marketing, and which type of user will get the most value. I’ll break down what Savage Affiliates actually teaches, what Wealthy Affiliate gives you out of the box, how costs compare, and where each one delivers, or falls short.

About Franklin Hatchett – The Face Behind Savage Affiliates

Franklin Hatchett is an online marketer from New Zealand who built a reputation through his Shopify eCommerce and dropshipping advice on YouTube. He’s known for no-nonsense tutorials, clear explanations, and for showing what works with real examples. His strategies have helped thousands launch their first online income sites, and that experience led him to create Savage Affiliates.

Franklin’s approach is very practical. He teaches affiliate marketing using his personal case studies, focusing on both free traffic (like blogging and SEO) and paid ad funnels. He updates his material often, and his YouTube presence means I can see how he applies his own lessons in real time. That personal touch makes his teaching style really easy to understand, especially for people who like learning by example.

What Is Savage Affiliates?

Savage Affiliates first launched in 2018 and now offers three versions (v1, v2, and v3), with each new version adding more modern strategies and updates for the latest marketing trends. The course promises to show students how to build a passive income stream using affiliate websites, YouTube, paid ads, and sales funnels. The training is mostly video based and lets me go through it at my own speed.

The curriculum includes modules covering SEO for organic traffic, email marketing automation, online sales funnels, paid traffic using Facebook and YouTube ads, and step by step guides for promoting Amazon and ClickBank products. I found each module easy to follow, even for difficult topics, but the amount of content can feel a bit overwhelming on the first pass.

Core Modules inside Savage Affiliates

• SEO (how to get websites ranking in Google for free traffic)
• Email marketing (building subscriber lists and automating promotions)
• Funnel building (using Clickfunnels for lead generation and sales)
• Paid traffic (Facebook Ads, YouTube Ads, and retargeting)
• Amazon Associates & ClickBank training (product selection, promotions)
• Niche selection, keyword research, and website setup basics

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Pricing: What Does Savage Affiliates Really Cost?

Savage Affiliates is a one time payment (not monthly). At the time of writing, you can expect two purchase options:

• Standard: About $197 for full core training
• Super Affiliate Edition: About $297 for extra advanced strategies and bonuses (such as higher level funnels or paid ad tactics)

There’s no free trial, and buying the course gets you lifetime access to that specific version. However, unlike Wealthy Affiliate, Savage Affiliates doesn’t come with website hosting, a website builder, or extra tools built in. I needed to budget for those additions myself.

No Community Platform with Savage Affiliates

Savage Affiliates doesn’t have an internal discussion forum or live chat. There is a private Facebook group where Franklin and members answer some questions, but compared to platforms with built in mentoring and live training, it feels light on support, especially for new marketers who need more frequent feedback.

Savage Affiliates Training Modules – What You Get

• Module 1: Affiliate Marketing Basics. Introduction to affiliate business, terms, and picking your platform.
• Module 2: Niche & Keyword Research. How to select a profitable topic and figure out what people are searching for.
• Module 3: Website Setup. How to build your own WordPress blog from scratch, find hosting, and get started quickly.
• Module 4: Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Website optimization, link building, and ranking strategies for free Google traffic.
• Module 5: Email Marketing & Automation. Capturing email leads, setting up email sequences, and building relationships for recurring sales.
• Module 6: Amazon & ClickBank Promotions. Training on both networks, choosing offers, and promoting ethically.
• Module 7: Paid Ads (YouTube, Facebook). Setting up ad accounts, targeting, budgeting, and testing campaigns safely.
• Module 8: Funnel Building (ClickFunnels). Complete breakdown of lead magnets, bridge pages, and proven funnel templates.

While the step by step structure is helpful, I found that the course expects some comfort with tech tools and doesn’t offer walkthroughs for every single third party platform. The further you go, the more you are encouraged to try advanced strategies like paid ads, which might not suit everyone’s style or budget.

Tools, Hosting, and Support: Where Savage Affiliates Stops

Savage Affiliates works as a training only product. Besides the core videos and PDFs, it doesn’t provide website hosting, a keyword research tool, or a website builder. I had to sign up for outside tools, such as:

• Domain name registrar and web hosting for my sites
• ClickFunnels (recommended in several modules, at a separate cost)
• Email autoresponder for email marketing (like ConvertKit, GetResponse, or AWeber)

Franklin’s Facebook group is active but doesn’t offer the same level of live support or mentorship you’ll find in bigger communities. If you’re someone who likes to ask questions and get feedback quickly, that’s worth thinking about before you join.

Savage Affiliates Pros and Cons

Pros:

• One time payment gives full access, so there’s no ongoing monthly fee pressure
• Up to date training that balances both free (SEO/blogging) and paid (ads/funnels) strategies
• Uses straightforward, real life examples that I could follow without guessing
• Covers a wide range of topics, so it’s easier to find the area that matches my goals (blog, YouTube, funnels, or ads)

Cons:

• No included web hosting, keyword tool, or builder, so my startup costs were higher
• Extra encouragement to buy outside tools like ClickFunnels or spend money on paid ads
• Not as focused on deep, long term organic SEO as other training platforms
• Lacks a tightknit, always available community or regular live support sessions
• If you’re brand new, the range of topics and quick jumps into paid traffic might feel tough to keep up with

Comparing Savage Affiliates & Wealthy Affiliate. Major Differences

• Savage Affiliates:
• • One time cost (lifetime access), no recurring billing
  • Only training, no extra tools, hosting, or keyword research platform included
  • Focuses on building with paid ads, sales funnels, YouTube, and less on pure content/SEO
  • Relies on third party tools (ClickFunnels, paid ad platforms, email automation), which can add up in costs
  • Support is limited to the Facebook group, not 24/7 or live chat
  • No free or trial version
• Wealthy Affiliate:
• • Free Starter Plan for beginners to test drive training and tools with no risk
  • Monthly or yearly membership includes training, website hosting for up to 10 sites, security, and management in one place
  • Built in Jaaxy keyword tool for research
  • Weekly live training classes plus 24/7 member chat for ongoing help
  • Focuses heavily on blogging, SEO, and long term organic traffic over paid traffic or fancy funnels
  • Community of experienced members always available for feedback

Who Each Platform Works Best For

Savage Affiliates: I think this platform is best for people who already understand the basics of affiliate marketing and want to scale up using paid traffic, build sales funnels, or take advantage of more advanced digital marketing tools. If you have a bit of budget and want to work with Clickfunnels, Facebook Ads, or video, Savage Affiliates goes deep enough to give you new opportunities. But if you prefer to start lean or don’t want to buy extra software, it can get expensive fast.

Wealthy Affiliate: For most beginners, and especially those who want to stick with organic traffic, blogging, and content creation, Wealthy Affiliate is more forgiving. The platform bundles most tools you need (including hosting), doesn’t push extra upsells, and has hands on community support if you run into trouble. Wealthy Affiliate also puts a lot of emphasis on building a real long term business, which works out well if you want something sustainable.

Student Feedback. What Users Say About Savage Affiliates

• Franklin’s step by step videos and transparent approach get a lot of praise, especially from intermediate level students. Many people enjoy his approach to showing both wins and mistakes.
• Some users get frustrated by upsells and the expectation to purchase outside tools, especially ClickFunnels or email automation platforms.
• Newcomers can get overwhelmed if they jump into the advanced paid ads content before fully understanding all the basics.
• The Facebook group is helpful, but isn’t as active as Wealthy Affiliate’s live chat and 24/7 responses.
• Reviews on Reddit and YouTube tend to rate the course well for actionable info but point out that it’s not as allinone as it might seem at first glance.

2025 Verdict: Savage Affiliates or Wealthy Affiliate?

• For long term business building using websites, content, and SEO: Wealthy Affiliate
• If you want the lowest cost to start (including hosting, support, and keyword tools): Wealthy Affiliate
• If you’re excited about running paid ads, funnels, and landing pages: Savage Affiliates (if you’re comfortable grabbing the extra tools too)
• If you’re looking for a package deal (training + support + website hosting): Wealthy Affiliate wins for value

Ready to Get Started?

I always recommend starting with a low risk or free plan if you’re just exploring. Wealthy Affiliate’s free plan lets me build my first site, test the training, and access the community without paying upfront. It removes the pressure and gives a clearer idea if affiliate marketing is really something worth pursuing for me.

👉 Try the free Wealthy Affiliate Starter Plan here and start your affiliate adventure with the basics covered.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need ClickFunnels to use Savage Affiliates?
ClickFunnels is featured heavily in certain modules, and using it makes some of Franklin’s funnel training easier to follow. However, you can pick other funnel tools or build pages with WordPress plugins if you prefer. ClickFunnels comes with its own cost, so I recommend factoring that in if you want the full funnel building experience.

Can I use both programs together?
Absolutely. Some users start with Wealthy Affiliate to learn SEO and building sites, then add Savage Affiliates for insight on scaling with paid ads and funnels once they’re comfortable. Combining both gives me as many strategies as possible, but it comes with some extra costs.

Is SEO or paid traffic better in 2025?
SEO typically offers the most stable long term returns, but it takes time and patience. Paid ads can deliver faster results, but only if you’re comfortable with testing and possibly losing money to learn what works. I think a mix of both (organic traffic plus email or funnel building) will give the best shot at steady affiliate income in 2025.

I have personally been with Wealthy Affiliate since 2014, and to this day it’s still My #1 Recommendation! I get everything I need to conquer any niche that I choose.

I think what I like most, is that you get to join free and they give you access the the lessons you need to build the foundation of your online business with the free membership. I’ve always been a huge fan of the try before you buy concept.

Also, if you do decide the training is a good fit for you and want to go premium, it won’t break the bank. Premium membership starts at only $49 a month.