Costs run from $5,000 to over $50,000 depending on requirements, customization needs, and scale ambitions. Basic cloud solutions handling essential compensation plan management start around $5,000-$15,000. Big enterprise setups with e-wallets, multiple payment gateways, native apps for iOS and Android, fancy dashboards — you're looking at $50K minimum, often more. SaaS options run cheaper month-to-month, somewhere between $100 and $500 depending on what features you unlock and how many users you've got logging in. Final price tag? Comes down to how many distributors you're managing, how many transactions you're pushing through, and whether your comp plan needs custom dev work because it doesn't fit the standard templates.
Pretty simple concept, really. Take network marketing and put it on the internet. Distributors sell stuff through their own websites, recruit other people to do the same, and earn money from both — their personal sales plus a cut from everyone they brought in. Modern MLM ecommerce software MLM platforms include shopping carts for customer purchases, payment systems handling multiple currencies, automated order handling and fulfillment coordination, and personalized distributor websites with unique tracking. Going digital lets companies reach buyers worldwide without geographic limitations, handles commission calculations automatically based on complex compensation plans, and gives distributors professional storefronts without requiring technical knowledge or hiring developers.
Yes, totally legal — but only if you're running it right. The key? Actually selling products to real people who want them. Not just signing up bodies and making money from starter kits nobody needs. The FTC watches this space like a hawk. They've shut down some big names that got too greedy with the recruitment game. Want to stay on the right side? Simple: make sure your distributors earn from retail customers, not from their own mandatory purchases. Skip the crazy upfront fees. Don't force people to stockpile inventory they'll never move.
Depends on what you're building. Got a straightforward comp plan and just need basic features? A decent SaaS platform can have you running in 2-4 weeks. Nothing fancy, but it works. Going custom with your own compensation structure, a bunch of third-party integrations, special reporting? Now you're talking 3-6 months of dev time and testing. Enterprise-level — multiple countries, different currencies, compliance headaches in every jurisdiction — that's a 6-12 month project, sometimes longer. Our advice: don't rush it. Bake in time for testing, training your team, and fixing the stuff that breaks.
