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20+ years designing compensation plans

Compensation plans that ignite your network.

A professional comp plan keeps the company profitable and distributors motivated at the same time. We design for both.

Live network · balanced legspaying out
L R YOU
Left volumeRight volume
The risk

A bad comp plan kills your network

Many new direct-selling companies fail within their first two years — and the usual culprit is a weak compensation plan.

Network churn

When distributor income falls below their costs, the network melts away like snow.

Company insolvency

Overpaying upline ranks drains the company's funds dry.

Legal exposure

Pyramid-shaped plans put you at risk of legal prosecution.

Distributor apathy

If reaching a top rank looks impossible, no one bothers to try.

Income imbalance

When only the top 1% earn, the other 99% lose trust fast.

Unhealthy rivalry

A bad structure breeds downline poaching and internal warfare.

Get a free evaluation of your plan
Plan structures

Every income plan, visualized

Each structure has its own strengths and trade-offs. Explore them side by side.

Unilevel plan

Unilevel

Every distributor can place unlimited direct recruits side by side; commissions usually pay down a fixed number of levels (e.g. 5–10). It's the simplest, most transparent network structure.

Pros
Simple and easy for everyone to understand
Unlimited width drives recruiting
Easy to manage and implement
Cons
Limited depth means limited commission
Less incentive to train your team deep
Best for: new companiesConsumable productsSimple networks
Consult on this plan
YOU Unlimited width · limited depth
YouNetwork member

Binary plan

Binary

Each distributor has just two direct legs (left and right). Bonuses are usually calculated on the balance of sales volume between the two legs — one of the most popular structures worldwide.

Pros
Fast network growth via spillover
Strong incentive for team-building
Unlimited depth
Cons
Requires balance between the two legs
More complex calculations
Risk of imbalance losing volume
Best for: fast growthDiverse productsVolume-driven
Consult on this plan
L R YOU 1 → 2 → 4 → 8 · unlimited depth
YouNetwork member

Matrix plan

Matrix

A matrix fixes both width and depth (e.g. 3×9 or 5×7). When a level fills, new members spill into the next level. This creates more fairness across the team.

Pros
More fairness between members
Forced spillover helps the downline
Better cost control
Cons
Width limit caps overall growth
Less incentive for active recruiting
Best for: fairness-firstSmaller networksCost control
Consult on this plan
YOU 3 × 3 · fixed width & depth
YouNetwork member

Breakaway plan

Breakaway

When a distributor reaches a set rank, they "break away" from their upline and form their own independent team. The former upline earns an override bonus on the whole separated group's sales.

Pros
Very high leadership rewards
Strong incentive to grow leaders
Long-term network stability
Cons
Complex for newcomers
Lower early-stage income
Best for: large companiesLong-termLeader-building
Consult on this plan
BREAK YOU Rank-based split · override bonus
YouNetwork member

Hybrid plan

Hybrid

A hybrid combines two or more structures — say binary + unilevel, or matrix + breakaway. It blends the strengths of several plans while softening each one's weaknesses.

Pros
Maximum flexibility
Tuned to your specific needs
Balances growth and stability
Cons
Needs professional design
Harder to explain to members
Best for: large companiesSpecial needsCompetitive markets
Consult on this plan
L R YOU Binary + Unilevel Combined structures · best of both
YouNetwork member

Custom plan

Custom

If none of the standard structures fit, we design a fully bespoke plan from scratch — built precisely around your product, target market and growth strategy.

Pros
Tailored exactly to your needs
A unique competitive advantage
Maximum profitability tuning
Cons
Longer design time
Needs more testing and simulation
Best for: startupsNovel modelsNiche markets
Consult on this plan
??? ? Your structure, designed from scratch
YouNetwork member
Side by side

Compare every plan at a glance

Each plan has its own strengths. Weigh them and make the right choice.

Criterion Unilevel Binary Matrix Breakaway Hybrid
Design complexity★★★★★★★★★★★★
Growth speed★★★★★★★★★★★★
Stability★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Flexibility★★★★★★★★★★★
Scalability★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Transparency★★★★★★★★★★★★
Team-building incentive★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Free help choosing your plan
What's inside

What makes up a professional comp plan?

We design every one of these components — professionally and fully documented.

Network tree structure

Geometry and topology of the network.

Ranking system

Ranks and their qualification rules.

Commission table

Percentages and payout rules per level.

Special bonuses

Fast-start, leadership, travel, car.

Rank advancement rules

The path and conditions to move up.

Recognition program

A recognition system to drive motivation.

Payout caps

Cost control and financial stability.

Activity requirements

Minimum purchase, monthly activity.

BV / PV calculation

Converting sales volume into points.

Financial modeling

Simulating profitability and payouts.

Legal compliance

Legal review and risk removal.

Full documentation

A professional, presentable deliverable.

The difference

Amateur plan vs. professional plan

The kind of outcome a well-designed compensation plan changes.

Before — amateur plan
~60% of members churn in the first 6 months
Average active income barely covers costs
Company runs out of cash by month 8
~75% payout rate — unsustainable
After — professional plan
~85% of members retained after 6 months
Active distributors earn a meaningful income
Company profitable from month 4
~42% payout rate — stable and balanced
Compliance

The part most people forget

A compensation plan without legal review is a ticking time bomb.

Many companies design a comp plan thinking only about how attractive the structure is, and forget legal compliance. That mistake can lead to heavy fines, a halt in operations, and even prosecution.

Clear separation from pyramid structures
Guaranteed real product sales to end consumers
Full transparency in the payout structure
Compliance with e-commerce regulations
Protection of distributor rights
Documentation ready for regulators
Get a legal review of your plan

An important warning

Designing a comp plan without legal counsel can lead to heavy fines, a shutdown of the company, and prosecution of its directors. Working with specialist legal advisors, our team guarantees your plan fully complies with the law.

How we work

The comp-plan design process

Seven transparent steps from first consultation to final delivery.

1

Discovery: needs & goals session

A free 60-minute session reviewing your products, target market, growth goals and budget.

2

Market & competitor analysis

Studying competitors' plans and spotting opportunities to differentiate.

3

Initial network structure design

Choosing the structure type (binary, unilevel, hybrid…) and designing the network geometry.

4

Ranks & commission system

Designing ranks, advancement conditions, the commission table and all incentive bonuses.

5

Financial modeling & simulation

Mathematically simulating payouts to ensure the company stays profitable and the plan stays attractive.

6

Legal review & compliance

Review by a legal team to ensure full compliance with laws and regulations.

7

Final deliverable + 3 months free support

Delivery of the complete plan document, plus 3 months of free support for adjustments and tuning.

FAQ

Comp-plan questions, answered

The questions most clients ask before starting.

Depending on complexity, the design process takes 2 to 6 weeks. Simpler plans (like unilevel) are faster; hybrid or custom plans need more time. You're kept in the loop at every stage.

It depends on the structure's complexity, the number of ranks and bonuses, and whether financial modeling is needed. Fill out the free consultation form for a tailored quote.

Yes — we both design new plans and review and optimize existing ones. Many of our clients already had a plan that wasn't getting the results they wanted.

An off-the-shelf plan is like off-the-rack clothing — it may not fit. A custom plan is designed precisely around your product, target market, budget and growth strategy. The difference in results is worth many times the extra cost.

Yes — our deliverable is written so any technical team can implement it. Of course, with MLM Designer's own software, implementation is far faster and error-free.

Yes — the initial 30-minute consultation is completely free, with no obligation. We review your needs and offer an initial recommendation.

Our guarantee is built on mathematical modeling — before final delivery, every payout scenario is simulated and verified. We also include 3 months of free support for adjustments and tuning.

Start with a free consultation

Tell us about your business and we'll map a compensation plan that fits — no obligation.

Book a demo