ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty Links: the link-manager grudge match

ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty Links: the link-manager grudge match

The two default WordPress affiliate-link managers. I ran both on a 600-link site.

ThirstyAffiliates
Pros:
— Link categories + auto-keyword linking are genuinely good for content teams
— Pro tier adds geolocation and link health scanning
Cons:
— Heavy: stores every link as a custom post type, bloats the DB on big sites
— Reporting is weak without add-ons

Pretty Links
Pros:
— Lighter, snappier redirect engine
— Better click analytics in the free tier
Cons:
— Auto-linking and advanced rules are locked behind Pro
— Bulk editing 300 links is clunkier

Gotcha nobody mentions: both default to 307 redirects, not 301. Fine for cloaking, but if you ever change a slug, link equity handling differs. Check your redirect type before you assume.

My pick: ThirstyAffiliates for content-heavy blogs that auto-link brand mentions. Pretty Links for lean sites that mostly want clean tracking.

Bottom line: ThirsyAffiliates is a librarian; Pretty Links is a turnstile. Pick the job you actually have.