Why My Fake Review Detector Doesn't Use Affiliate Links
Source: Dev.to
Background
When Fakespot shut down in July 2025, it left over 10 million users looking for an alternative. I built one—Review Radar for Amazon—but when it came to monetisation I made a choice that many of my competitors didn’t: I don’t use affiliate links.
Why Not Affiliate Links?
Most “review checker” tools make money through Amazon affiliate links. When you click through to buy a product, they earn a commission.
Think about that for a second: a tool designed to help you decide whether to buy something makes money when you do buy something. That’s not a review checker; it’s a salesperson with extra steps.
Imagine you’re checking a product and the tool says “Reviews look good!” Now imagine that same tool earns 4 % if you click “Buy Now.” Would you trust that rating?
The incentives are misaligned. The tool benefits from false positives (saying suspicious products are fine) and suffers from true positives (warning you away from products you might have bought). I’m not saying affiliate‑funded tools are lying, but their business model creates pressure in one direction.
My Incentives
- I make money when you find the tool useful enough to pay for it.
- I make the same amount whether you buy the product or not.
- I have zero reason to nudge you toward a purchase.
This isn’t altruism; it’s aligned incentives. I want you to trust the results, come back tomorrow, and eventually upgrade. That only happens if the analysis is honest.
Business Model Comparison
| Model | Cost to User | Incentive Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliate | Free | Tool benefits from purchases → potential bias |
| Subscription | Free tier (150 scans/month) → Pro/Power £15‑45 / year for more | Revenue comes from user satisfaction, not purchases |
Affiliate models have one big advantage: they’re free to users—no paywall, no friction. Subscription models have friction; most users never pay. You need to deliver enough value on the free tier to build trust, then enough extra value on the paid tier to justify upgrading. It’s harder, but it’s the only way to build a review checker people can actually trust.
Conclusion
If you’re evaluating review checkers, ask one question:
How does this tool make money?
If the answer is “affiliate commissions,” you’re not the customer—you’re the product.
I built Review Radar for Amazon after Fakespot shut down. It uses AI to analyze reviews and flag suspicious patterns. No affiliate links, no conflict of interest.