Is affiliate marketing the same as referral marketing, or are there key differences?

No, they are not the same. Referral marketing usually means you recommend to your friends/family and get rewards. Affiliate marketing is more formal and uses tracking systems to reach strangers online.

Referral marketing often focuses on one company (like Uber’s referral bonus). Affiliate marketing is broad — you can promote multiple companies in different niches. The main similarity is both are about recommending.