Updated September 29, 2026 · AffCue Editorial Team
InstaForex vs Smartbroker
Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Where InstaForex and Smartbroker differ
| Compare |  InstaForex |  Smartbroker |
|---|---|---|
| Commission terms | Up to $20 per market lot | 60 EUR per depot opening |
| Recurring commission | YesHas it | No |
| Payout per sale or signup | $2,000 | €60 |
| Verticals | Investing | Investing, CryptoCovers more |
| Cookie window | Not confirmed | 60 days |
| Networks | Not confirmed | ADCELL, FinanceAds |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Recurring commission: only InstaForex.
- Pricing model: only InstaForex offers CPL, Revshare.
- Features: only Smartbroker offers Referral.
- Region: only InstaForex offers Global.
- Region: only Smartbroker offers Single country.
- Verticals: only Smartbroker offers Crypto.
Our verdict on each
InstaForex
InstaForex pays on trading volume rather than sign-ups alone, which suits publishers whose readers already follow forex and trading markets. You earn Up to $20 per market lot, and the programme runs cost per action, cost per lead and revenue share models, with recurring commission as well.
Smartbroker
Smartbroker pays 60 EUR per depot opening on a cookie window of 60 days, which suits finance publishers running comparison and brokerage content in a single market. The trade-off is what follows the opening: recurring commission is off, so every payout depends on a fresh account rather than an account that stays funded.
Availability and regulation
| Country | InstaForex | Smartbroker |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Global | Single country |
What we checked
InstaForex
- instaforex.com: 7 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Smartbroker
- smartbrokerplus.de: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- adcell.de: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | InstaForex | Smartbroker |
|---|---|---|
| Finance affiliate programs | 2 of 425 | 20 of 425 |
| Investing and trading programs | 1 of 87 | 10 of 87 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | InstaForex | Smartbroker |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | CPA, CPL, RevshareCovers more | CPA |
| Features | Direct | Direct, ReferralCovers more |
| Region | Global | Single country |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | Smartbroker AG |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Germany |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Phone, Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | InstaForex | Smartbroker | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cookie window | Not confirmed | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 days |
Median across 146 listed affiliate programs.
Pros and cons
InstaForex
Pros
- Several payout models run side by side, including cost per action, cost per lead and revenue share (cpa, cpl and revshare).
- Recurring commission is part of the deal, so a referred trader can keep paying after the first deposits.
- Volume pay of Up to $20 per market lot rewards readers who trade rather than merely register.
Cons
- The headline Up to $20 per market lot scales with trading volume, so readers who register without trading bring you little.
- Coverage sits in the investing vertical (investing), so it fits trading content rather than wider finance topics.
Smartbroker
Pros
- A cookie window of 60 days beats the 45 median for investing and trading programmes.
- Payout follows 60 EUR per depot opening on a cpa model, which is easy to plan for per account opening.
- Reach comes through ADCELL and financeAds, so partners are not tied to a single submission route.
Cons
- Recurring commission is off, and in the investing and trading group 30.3% of programmes do pay recurring, so this is the commoner setup in the category.
- Coverage is a single market, single country, so traffic from other markets cannot be sent to the same offer.
- Commission is tied to account openings alone, 60 EUR per depot opening, and recurring commission is off, so trading volume on an opened account adds nothing.
Who each suits
InstaForex
Who it suits
- You write about forex, trading platforms and investing, where readers already understand lots and trading volume.
- You want more than a sign-up bounty, because revenue share and recurring commission keep paying after the first activity.
- You promote a single brand directly (direct) and prefer a straight relationship to a network.
Who should look elsewhere
- Mintos, if you would rather promote Hybrid lead and CPA commission in a lending marketplace than a trading brand.
- Qonto, if your readers are business owners and CPA per registration plus KYB bonus fits that audience better.
- Admitad, if you want a network paying 5% per sale across many offer types at once.
Smartbroker
Who it suits
- Publishers whose audience sits in the single market this programme serves, listed as single country.
- Sites that review brokers and want a predictable conversion fee: 60 EUR per depot opening on a cpa model.
- Partners promoting on the listed networks, ADCELL and financeAds, who already have tracking in place.
Who should look elsewhere
- Publishers wanting revenue share: Admitad pays 5% per sale, where Smartbroker pays on account openings alone, 60 EUR per depot opening.
- Publishers after a bonus on top of a signup fee: Qonto's CPA per registration plus KYB bonus adds one, while Smartbroker's terms are 60 EUR per depot opening.
- Publishers who want a lead deal as well as a conversion fee: Mintos pays Hybrid lead and CPA commission.
Country by country
| Country | InstaForex | Smartbroker |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | No | Yes |
Questions about each
InstaForex
How much does InstaForex pay per referral?+
The headline rate is Up to $20 per market lot, calculated on trading volume rather than on the sign-up itself. The programme also sets a cost per action payout of $2,000, and the published model list covers cost per action, cost per lead and revenue share (cpa, cpl and revshare), so you can pick the structure that suits your traffic.
Does the programme pay recurring commission?+
Yes, recurring commission is part of the offer, which is not the norm across the trading programmes in this group. Alongside revenue share in cpa, cpl and revshare, it means a referred trader who keeps trading keeps producing commission for you instead of stopping at the first payment.
Smartbroker
What does Smartbroker pay for a referral?+
The fee is 60 EUR per depot opening and the model is cpa. Payment is tied to the account being opened, not to trading volume afterwards, so a publisher is paid per completed opening. Recurring commission is off, which means no further share from that same account.
How long is the cookie window?+
The window is 60 days. That is longer than the 45 median in the investing and trading group and above the 30 median for finance overall, so a reader can read a comparison and still be credited. It ranks 23 among the 129 brands listed.