Hey what's up and welcome to my Wealthy Affiliate Program review,
My name is Josh owner and creator of Build a Laptop Lifestyle.
Ready to take charge of your online journey and carve a path to success?
If so, you've likely crossed paths with Wealthy Affiliate, as affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money online.
Having explored various avenues in my quest to make money online, I stumbled across Wealthy Affiliate, and after 5 years in the game, it's time to share my experience with you.
Join me as I share both the highs and lows of my Wealthy Affiliate experience, offering an unbiased perspective on its
My goal is to share with you both my positive and negative experiences with Wealthy Affiliate. In order to do this, I have ranked the training program on both the quality of the training as well as the tools that are included with membership.
So, let's dive in and see if Wealthy Affiliate is right for you!
I'd love to hear from you so be sure to post your questions, and comments below and I'll respond as soon as possible.
Wealthy Affiliate Program Review - Summary

Product Name:
Wealthy Affiliate
Pricing: Free - $99/mo (or save with annual plans)
Best for? Aspiring affiliate marketers, and entrepreneurs looking to start making money online.
Summary:
For over half a decade, I've been a member of Wealthy Affiliate. While my journey has yielded some financial gains, I haven't made enough to earn a full-time income.
In my perspective, the true benefit of Wealthy Affiliate goes beyond its step-by-step training occasionally perceived as outdated (which I challenge here).
Instead, I consider the hosting, website builder, keyword research tool, and more as the genuine advantage of being a member of WA, with the training being an added bonus.
Overall Rating:
What is Wealthy Affiliate and who is it for?
Wealthy Affiliate is a business building platform that focuses on teaching you how to make money through affiliate marketing.
Wealthy Affiliate is an all-in-one platform that focuses on teaching you how to make money through affiliate marketing.
Whether you're just starting out or already have some experience, Wealthy Affiliate provides the necessary tools and resources to help you get your business of the ground.
It offers training and support, covering a variety of aspects of affiliate marketing. However, before I get into it's benefits and flaws let's take a look at the owners.
Who started WA?
Founded in 2005 by Kyle Loudon and Carson Lim, Wealthy Affiliate has come a long way from its origins as a simple keyword membership list.
Undergoing significant transformations, it has transformed into a thriving community of affiliate marketers, setting it apart in the online business landscape.
Beyond its evolution, what truly sets Wealthy Affiliate apart is its commitment to education.
With a staggering 2.6 million students choosing this platform to kickstart their online ventures, it's not just a course; it's a movement. What makes it even more exceptional is the ongoing involvement of one of the co-founders Kyle.
As an industry veteran Kyle actively engages with students in real-time through the live chat feature, answering questions, and providing invaluable guidance.
Sure, that's impressive, but let's get down to the nitty-gritty – the question becomes what is included in the curriculum?
What does Wealthy Affiliate teach?
The 4-step strategy that Wealthy Affiliate teaches focuses on Choosing an Interest, Creating a Website, Attracting Visitors, and, course, generating revenue.
Let's take a look at how I've personally implemented this 4-step strategy.
Step 1: Choosing an Interest
At the core of Wealthy Affiliate's teachings is the fundamental concept of selecting a niche that aligns with your interests and passions. By helping you identify a niche you're genuinely enthusiastic about, you'll be more engaged with your business and thus be more likely to succeed.
Drawing from my own personal experience, the very first website I started after joining Wealthy Affiliate was one where my wife and I leveraged our love and expertise in raising two Doodles (a Goldendoodle and Sheepadoodle).
We transformed our insights into a dedicated website, monetizing our expertise by sharing valuable information with fellow Doodle enthusiasts through insightful articles.
Step 2: Creating a Website
While there are various avenues to establish an online presence, such as social media platforms, YouTube, etc.
Wealthy Affiliate takes the path of teaching you to create a dedicated website as the foundation for your business. One of their claims is that you can create a profit-ready website in 30 seconds.
In reality, I discovered that the websites generated within this timeframe are rudimentary at best, lacking the essential elements for true functionality.
What you end up with is essentially a bare-bones website, demanding substantial customization in terms of logo, images, and content to align with your unique vision.
Achieving the desired website design may necessitate additional investment in separate software or plugins. Take this website, for instance, which utilizes the ThriveThemes Suite at an annual cost of $228—a worthwhile expense for my specific goals!
While it's true the foundation of your website can be created in 30 seconds, let's be real - turning that foundation into something uniquely yours requires a bit more than a few clicks of a button.
Step 3: Attracting Visitors to Your Website
Drawing visitors to your website is a critical step in the online success journey. Wealthy Affiliate delves into the importance of content creation, SEO (Search Engine Optimization, and proven strategies for boosting website traffic.
Hitting the sweet spot of content ranking success demands relentless consistency and some serious dedication to cranking out articles.
In reality, the SEO and keyword ranking game is like a slow climb up a mountain. It's easy to feel a dip in motivation when faced with slow progress.
The issue I have is that content ranking success requires unwavering consistency and hard work.
However, SEO and keyword ranking is a slow process, and in my case it's easy to lose the motivation to create content.
Given this, it would be prudent, in my view, for Wealthy Affiliate to broaden the training beyond a singular focus on SEO.
A more comprehensive approach in my opinion would involve incorporating alternative traffic sources, such as paid advertising, social media, and effective email list building techniques.
Step 4: Generating Revenue
In my journey, I've found that numerous websites offer an affiliate program.
You have the flexibility to hop on board multiple affiliate programs, so you're not confined to just one.
My wife and I harnessed the power of the Amazon affiliate program by writing honest reviews on products we had bought, and then put our affiliate links where appropriate.
This way, your site isn't just a helpful resource for people - it's a one-stop-shop, delivering precisely what people need.

Wealthy Affiliate Premium Membership Cost
There are 4 options for Wealthy Affiliate Membership. You can choose between Starter Membership, Premium Membership, Premium Plus Membership, and Premium Plus with Dedicated Server.
* Starter Membership – Free with No Credit Card Required
* Starter Membership – Free with No Credit Card Required
* Starter Membership – Free with No Credit Card Required
Starter Membership – Free with No Credit Card Required
Premium Membership – $49/monthly or $497/Annually
Premium Plus Membership – $99/monthly or $697/Annually
Premium Plus Membership w/ Dedicated Server – $399/monthly or $3,990/Annually
There are 3 options for Wealthy Affiliate Membership:
* Starter Membership – Free with No Credit Card Required
* Premium Membership –
$49/month or $497/Yearly
* Premium Plus Membership – $99/month or $697/ Yearly
* Premium Plus Membership w/ Dedicated Server – $399/month or $3,990/ Yearly
Starter Membership – Free with No Credit Card Required
Premium Membership – $49/monthly or $495/Year
Premium Plus Membership – $99/monthly or $995/Year
Starter Membership - Free
Here's the deal: consider the starter membership as your trial pass into Wealthy Affiliate.
Create a free account and take the platform for a spin! (No Credit Card is required)
To be completely honest though, this membership has its limits - you'll only have access to Level 1 certification in their training programs, including the Core Training and Affiliate Bootcamp.
If you're serious about diving into the world of building an online business with Wealthy Affiliate, the premium membership will become a necessity.
>> START YOUR WEALTH BUILDING JOURNEY NOW <<
Premium Membership - $49/mo (annually $497)
For those eyeing the premium experience, you can get started for just $19 for 1-month.
Then moving forward, it will either be $49 per month or $497 for the whole year.
Premium membership will provide you with around 120 lessons, and a community of like-minded individuals.
And here's the sweet part—all those tools you'd typically have to buy separately? They're bundled in, no extra charges. That could translate to some serious savings, potentially keeping a hefty chunk of change in your pocket.
Premium Plus Membership - $99/mo (annually $697)
In my view, especially for those just embarking on their online journey, the training and website resources included will be robust enough to get your business moving forward.
Sure, the Plus Membership throws in some really good additional LIVE training and a handful of extra perks, but the hefty increase in cost might not be the best bang for your buck.
Premium Plus with Dedicated Server - $399/mo (annually $3,990)
Premium Plus Membership with Dedicated Server is geared towards power users, but truth be told, for 99% of people it's overkill.
However, for those who crave the ultimate digital command center, this option bundles everything from Premium Plus and more.
In simple terms, it includes the ability to host more websites, have more visitors to your website each month, have ample website storage, and have 125 email accounts.
Wealthy Affiliate Tools - Included with Premium
Let's talk really quick about the Wealthy Affiliate Tools.
Website Builder and Hosting: Members can build and host up to 10 websites on the Wealthy Affiliate platform. The website builder makes it simple to create and customize professional-looking sites.
Jaaxy Keyword Research Tool: Because SEO matters. Wealthy Affiliate throws in a Keyword Research Tool to help you find those golden, high-ranking keywords that make your content pop. Think of it as your SEO secret weapon.
Content Creation Platform: Need to whip up compelling content? Enter the SiteContent Creation Platform. It's not just an editor; it's your space to organize, optimize, and bring your articles to life.
And here's a sneak peek of the ongoing updates - AI-assisted writing built into SiteContent is on the horizon!
Community and Live Chat: It's your go-to place to mingle, learn from others, and get real-time support from other members.
Here's a word of caution... Don't get too caught up in the social media aspect.
Many users squander valuable time chasing a ranking system within Wealthy Affiliate, and frankly, it does no good for your business or website growth.
SiteDomains: Serves as a centralized hub to purchase and manage your domains without leaving the platform.
SiteComments: Lets you give and receive comments on your website, helping to increase engagement and boosting your SEO game.
SiteFeedback: Need a second opinion on your website? Utilize the feedback feature to gain valuable insights and tips for improvement.
Affiliate Program Search Tool: This tool helps streamline the process of finding cash-flowing programs within your selected niche.
SSL Certificates: Included for no extra cost, enjoy security and trust for your hosted websites ensuring a safeguarded online presence.
Like I said in the summary section, the true value comes in the tools that are bundled with any premium membership option.
Now, let's shift gears and take a look at the training.
Wealthy Affiliate Complaints - The Truth
Let's tackle head-on some of the common complaints I've come across regarding Wealthy Affiliate and set the record straight.
Complaint #1 - Outdated Training
Naysayers argue that Wealthy Affiliate falls short in guiding users on how to start an affiliate marketing business in today's day and age.
As I've proceeded through the training modules, both the core and affiliate bootcamp have signs of being outdated.
Furthermore, the training displays organizational shortcomings, occasionally presenting duplicated information across different lessons.
It's worth noting that on December 5th, 2023 there will be a substantial overhaul of both the core and affiliate bootcamp training modules.
Plus, an important aspect to consider is the weekly inclusion of live training sessions.
These sessions include the most current and effective affiliate marketing methods, providing members with up-to-date insights and strategies.
Is live not the most up to date training there is?
Here's an example of a recent live training on the use of AI for your business.
Complaint #2 - Members are Instructed to become Affiliates of Wealthy Affiliate
Let's address the concern that members are encouraged to become affiliates of Wealthy Affiliate. Here's my take on this:
Why limit promotion? From my experience it's quite logical for a company, such as Wealthy Affiliate, to encourage its users to promote them, especially when the product is of high quality.
This isn't uncommon in the web design and affiliate marketing industry in general. This is common especially in web hosting, where it's standard practice to leverage satisfied customer as brand advocates.
Niche Versatility: While there's encouragement to promote Wealthy Affiliate, it's important to note that this isn't a requirement.
Wealthy Affiliate can be effectively used in various niches, as demonstrated by my personal success in stock trading and alert service reviews (post linked is #1 on Google), requiring minimal time investment.
Not an MLM: I encounter this quite frequently, and I must admit it irks me a bit. Many other reviews exploit this strategy to push their own recommendations, whether overtly through lines like 'Check out my #1 way to make money online' or by showcasing a 'best of' list where the majority of top-ranked products not only cost more than Wealthy Affiliate but also yield a much higher commission for the reviewers.
It's crucial to emphasize that Wealthy Affiliate's encouragement to promote itself doesn't align with the structure or principles of multi-level marketing (MLM). Wealthy Affiliate focuses on education and tools, and the option to become an affiliate is just an additional opportunity, not a mandatory recruitment scheme.
Complaint #3 - Disorganized Training
I have to agree wholeheartedly - the organization of much of the Core Training and Affiliate Bootcamp leaves a lot to be desired.
Typos I've found are scattered like breadcrumbs throughout, and the redundancy in some lessons, albeit touching on slightly different aspects, could have been consolidated for a more streamlined experience.
To add to the frustration, there's unnecessary filler content suggesting breaks within the training, which feels counterproductive.
Yet, despite these flaws, the training, when adhered to, does get the job done. While achieving a page 1 ranking for every article may be unrealistic.
A quick Google search for "Kyle Henris Review" and "ThetaTraderz Review" proves the training's practicality and effectiveness.
Wealthy Affiliate Program Review: Final Thoughts
One thing to keep in mind is that there is no sure-fire way to guarantee success, Wealthy Affiliate is not an exception, pretty much any review you read on any program will be biased (even if it says unbiased) and push you to try "their #1 make money online program" or to check out their "best of" list.
For those who aspire to generate income with affiliate marketing and see the benefit of having the training, tools, and resources all in one place. Then Wealthy Affiliate is an excellent opportunity.
As you've noticed from this review, I don't believe WA is the end all be all of affiliate marketing, and there are plenty of amazing learning resources available. Plus, there are definitely some things Wealthy Affiliate could do to improve.
However, WA is the only one I've found that provides comprehensive training along with secure and fast website hosting, expert-led webinars, and cutting-edge tools for no additional charge.
The only "additional" purchase I've had to make is the domain name, which can be acquired for only $15 per year.
It is possible to learn affiliate marketing on your own, Wealthy Affiliate simplifies the process by consolidating all the necessary resources in one platform, providing you with the convenience of having everything you need at your fingertips!