The Verticals That Powered the Most Revenue in 2025
These verticals match how people behave online — which is why affiliates return to them again and again.
Some verticals stay profitable year after year because they mirror real online behavior. People shop, people subscribe, people stream. Affiliates who build around these patterns get predictable conversion cycles and enough flexibility to run for six months or more without needing to reinvent their funnels.
Below are the three verticals that continue to anchor the most stable performance inside Rize Ads.
1. E‑commerce
E‑commerce dominates simply due to volume. Global online shopping keeps growing, and the pattern is steady: big seasonal events, payday peaks, regional holiday cycles, festival sales, and constant product discovery. Every market has its own momentum — and e‑commerce platforms already know how to capture it.
Affiliates lean into this category because it supports quick testing and wide audience coverage. If one product slows, you switch categories. If a geo shifts, you adjust your targeting. The foundation stays the same.
- Performs well with: mobile reviews, promo drops, short-form recommendations
- Supports: region-specific offers, multi-vertical promos (tech, fashion, home)
- Scales with: holiday peaks, daily flash sales, influencer-driven traffic
Strong fits on Rize Ads: Shopee, AliExpress
Shopee and AliExpress stand out thanks to deep inventories, frequent discounts, and solid localization. They handle the heavy lifting on checkout and UX, so affiliates can focus on angles, not logistics.
2. Software
Software thrives on intent. People search for tools when they’re ready to solve a problem — better privacy, smoother workflow, launching a course, automating a task. When the value is clear, conversions hold steady without aggressive persuasion.
Another advantage: predictable retention. Subscriptions, upgrades, and renewals give affiliates long-term earnings from a single user. This makes software one of the most stable verticals for long-running campaigns.
- Performs well with: tutorials, “best tool” lists, long-form explanations
- Supports: high-LTV audiences, multi-tier payouts, recurring commissions
- Scales with: evergreen content, SEO-driven funnels, niche communities
Strong fits on Rize Ads: NordVPN, Teachable
NordVPN plugs naturally into tech and productivity traffic. Teachable aligns with creators and small businesses expanding their digital products. Both offers convert because the audience arrives with a problem and finds a direct solution.
3. Entertainment
Entertainment wins through timing. A new release, a popular series finale, a trending artist, a fresh tool for musicians — these moments create immediate demand. The audience is already curious, already engaged, already scrolling.
This vertical works especially well for affiliates who publish frequently or move fast with trends. Low friction + clear value (“watch now,” “create now,” “start now”) keeps conversion steps minimal.
- Performs well with: content roundups, creator channels, playlist-style posts
- Supports: impulse clicks, seasonal spikes, fan-driven traffic
- Scales with: time-sensitive promotions, mobile-heavy formats, creator campaigns
Strong fits on Rize Ads: HBO Max, LANDR
HBO Max benefits from recognizable titles and weekly momentum. LANDR fits naturally in music-focused spaces where creators look for tools to expand their sound. Both respond well to fast, content-driven funnels.
E‑commerce brings scale, software delivers steady retention, and entertainment taps into cultural momentum. These verticals match how people behave online — which is why affiliates return to them again and again. They stay flexible, hold performance across formats, and support long-running strategies without exhausting the audience.
Each one is already available through Rize Ads — ready to test, scale, and build into your next campaign cycle.
