Top 10 Shopify Loyalty Program Apps [ September, 2023 ]
| Last updated September 13, 2023Customers who have an emotional connection to your brand offer 300% higher lifetime value. 300%! Cultivate connection and loyalty, and you’re golden.
In addition to increasing your store’s value in the eyes of customers, the best loyalty programs also increase your customers’ value to you!
Everybody knows that it’s cheaper to drive existing customers to purchase again than it is to find a new prospect. Wise business owners invest in cracking the code of customer retention, as well as the science of increasing customer lifetime value and average order value.
So how does one go about nurturing that customer relationship to prime its 300% potential?
One key component is an impressive loyalty program. A customer rewards program makes your brand more attractive (and re-engagement worthy) by its very existence.
The better it is, the better your market’s reaction will be. The long and short of it is that smart Shopify store owners are selecting and optimizing loyalty apps. But search the Shopify App Store for “customer loyalty” and you can peruse 690 results.
How do you choose the best Shopify loyalty program?
We took a look at some of the top contenders and wrote up our findings, so you can be more informed when choosing which loyalty program should have your loyalty.
Quick comparison of the best Shopify loyalty apps
| # | App Name | Developer Name | Pricing | Rating | Free Trial | Image | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Referral Candy & Affiliate | ReferralCandy | $59/month | 4.8/5 ⭐️ | yes |  | Get app |
| 2 | Loyalty, Memberships, Cashback | Toki | $29/month | 5/5 ⭐️ | yes |  | Get app |
| 3 | Smile: Loyalty & Rewards | Smile.io | $49/month | 4.8/5 ⭐️ | no |  | Get app |
| 4 | Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals | Rivo | $49/month | 4.9/5 ⭐️ | yes |  | Get app |
| 5 | BON Loyalty Rewards Referrals | Smartify Apps | $15/month | 4.9/5 ⭐️ | yes |  | Get app |
| 6 | Joy: Loyalty & Rewards Program | Joy Loyalty | $29/month | 4.9/5 ⭐️ | no |  | Get app |
| 7 | Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty | Rise.ai | $59.99/month | 4.8/5 ⭐️ | yes |  | Get app |
| 8 | Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist | Growave | $9/month | 4.8/5 ⭐️ | yes |  | Get app |
| 9 | Marsello: Loyalty, Email & SMS | Marsello | $100/month | 4.5/5 ⭐️ | yes |  | Get app |
| 10 | Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards | Yotpo - L&R | $199/month | 4.7/5 ⭐️ | no |  | Get app |
What are the best loyalty programs for Shopify?
Table of contents:
Referral Candy & Affiliate
Referral Candy is one of the more popular Shopify Loyalty Apps for e-commerce stores. Their app includes automation of your referral programs, results tracking, and fraud prevention, and seamless integration to popular e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento.
A custom API and advanced integrations are also available such as AdRoll, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, ReCharge, Fomo, and many others. Their customer service team are online 24/7 to help you set up and grow referral sales.
- Dedicated referrals management app for businesses looking to track referrals and sales, and reward referrers without added loyalty features.
- 14 day free trial.
- Dedicated accounts manager and quarterly reviews with the plus package.
- Proactive customer support, quick to respond live chat support available on their premium package.
- Built in automatic fraud protection.
- Fully customizable branding options for emails. Offer cash, coupons, or special gift rewards for referrers.
- All-in-one dashboard allows tracking of key metrics such as referral results, revenue and number of social media shares.
- Little administration required once up and running. Used by some very large brands.
- No stage-based referral incentives (where frequent referrers who send many people can aim for greater rewards).
- There are cheaper alternatives and pricing increases significantly for enterprises.
- Limited multi-language support.
Loyalty, Memberships, Cashback
Brands can enter the future of commerce by offering a new and simple, gamified and highly activated rewards program. Toki makes consumers feel like they are building a brand’s business with them by receiving branded tokens for feedback, engagement and spreading the word, which in turn creates stronger customer loyalty, higher LTV, increased conversions, and beyond. In a quick four-step process, brands can add Toki to their site and enter the ever growing web3 world.
- Free package with tiered rewards program available.
- Free 14 day free trial available.
- Activities and rewards tied to participation in community / brand initiatives.
- User friendly and intuitive interface.
- Universal log in via existing email profiles.
- Reward with store credit or cash back.
- Exciting activations: reward for onsite quizzes, polls, surveys, UGC + more.
- Outstanding analytics + Integrations, including, Apple Wallet Integration: Send push notifications to loyalty members without app.
- Relatively new platform with fewer users compared to some of the others on the list.
Smile: Loyalty & Rewards
Smile.io offers just what it says: a rewards program without many bells, whistles or extras. A point-based reward program and a referral program are available on all plans, and a VIP program is available on the paid plans. Smile.io is unusual among the Shopify Loyalty Apps we surveyed in that pricing is based purely on features, and not on your number of customers, orders or rewards. Ostensibly you could have 100K customers making 50K orders and earning 70K rewards and as long as you’re satisfied with the basic features, the plan would remain free. (We didn’t test out that theory, though, so don’t quote us on it.) Smile.io’s free plan includes point-based and referral programs, along with limited reward emails. The $49/month plan gets you a few more features and the $199/month plan gets you all the integral features you’d be looking for in a robust rewards program.
- Free to install with basic features.
- Customizable rewards launcher, panel, and emails to match your brand aesthetic.
- Allows guest shoppers to earn and redeem points to encourage repeat purchases.
- Seamless Integration with apps for email, reviews, and customer service.
- Reminds customers of their points & referral link with Nudges to boost engagement.
- Can auto-translate the entire smile loyalty program to one of 6 preset languages.
- Shopify reviews indicate that customer support is quick and responsive.
- No free trial available.
- A bit on the pricey side if more than 2 integrations required.
Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals
Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals is a user loyalty program app that can help you boost sales, conversions, and client retention. it’s a great way for vendors and customers to connect by incentivizing people to return to your Shopify store. The Rivo app provides rewards points, cashback, coupons, and other incentives to attract your customers.
- Free to install to test with limited functionality.
- The app helps you to unload stock in the form of loyalty incentives.
- Ability to prompt customers to use/spend rewards via integrated email marketing system.
- Rivo offers 24/7 customer support service and is specifically designed for Shopify.
- Fast and simple set-up process under 3 minutes.
- Significant increase in ROI using the app.
- The app has high-quality features with the cheapest rates.
- The Rivo increases referrals and affiliate marketing.
- The Rivo app lacks a gift card feature which makes the process lengthy for customers;
- The reward points need to be removed manually in case of refund transactions.
BON Loyalty Rewards Referrals
An innovative loyalty program creator crafted specifically for merchants experiencing rapid growth. BON empowers you to effortlessly cultivate customer loyalty and stimulate recurring transactions. This application presents an extensive array of options aimed at delighting customers and boosting sales. Included are a referral initiative, a VIP system, and adaptable incentives. Every facet can be personalized to mirror your brand identity, spanning from the loyalty widget to communications and materials. Moreover, BON guarantees swift and attentive round-the-clock customer support, ensuring that you always have the necessary guidance at your fingertips.
- Free trial available.
- Motivate repeat purchases by rewarding points to online & POS customers.
- Fully-customized rewards with expiry dates, available to combine discounts.
- Showcase 250+ languages simultaneously for loyalty widget and automated emails.
- Advanced features with affordable prices (loyalty page, point expiry, VIP Tiers).
- Fast & responsive 24/7 customer support.
- Free package offers no integration.
- Only 3 days available on their free trial.
Joy: Loyalty & Rewards Program
Joy: Rewards, Loyalty Program is designed to efficiently cultivate customer loyalty by utilizing a points-based rewards system. They boast a diverse range of capabilities, granting store administrators the flexibility to configure the accumulation and utilization of loyalty points. It gets better. They also streamlines customer management and automates the delivery of reward notifications through email automation. The app also empowers stores to personalize the aesthetics of their loyalty campaigns and provides comprehensive analytics for performance monitoring. All of these functionalities are seamlessly integrated into a user-friendly, no-code-required platform, complemented by round-the-clock customer support services.
- Free version available.
- Gives store administrators the capability to establish specific rules that govern how customers accumulate loyalty points, encompassing actions like registration, order placement, reviews, and referrals.
- Included is a feature that empowers merchants to set criteria for customers to utilize their loyalty points, be it as a discount in terms of a fixed amount or percentage, applicable to online store purchases or at the point of sale.
- The app offers a streamlined system for managing customers, facilitating tasks such as importing, exporting, and efficiently overseeing customer point accrual.
- Through Joy, stores can personalize the branding of their loyalty initiatives and provide multilingual options to cater to a diverse clientele.
- Stores have the ability to automate email notifications, ensuring customers are promptly informed about their earned rewards and how they can spend them.
- Loyalty emails are dispatched to customers with the intent of motivating and sustaining their involvement in the loyalty program.
- The app seamlessly integrates a referral program, aiding stores in acquiring referrals and minimizing expenses related to paid advertising.
- Customers can access discounts by utilizing codes within the Rewards, Loyalty Program app.
- Stores can easily configure a commission program within the app to acknowledge and reward customers for successful referrals.
- Very basic functionality unless you're paying for the pro package.
- No free trial.
Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty
Rise.ai aims to bring simplicity to the world of Shopify Loyalty Apps. Instead of complicated point-based systems that can present confusion, Rise.ai enables you to offer rewards in the currency customers appreciate: your store currency. Any customer participating in the program receives a stored-value digital loyalty card, which can be topped up and used by the customer to purchase, as well as used by your store to reward through automated rules and workflows. You can set up rules based on order value, customer lifetime value and other segmentations, special occasions (like birthdays and holidays), VIP status and more. While discounts and coupon codes can sometimes cheapen your store’s or products’ image, the Rise.ai rewards are store credit, perceived as free money, delivered in real time, via their preferred device. Rise.ai started its path as the GiftWizard app, and so as a (very large) added bonus, Rise.ai provides a top-notch gift card program with original features like the ability to run email re-engagement campaigns using bulk-created, low-value gift cards.
- 7 day free trial available.
- Rise.ai offers a one-stop solution for managing various brand-related activities, including re-engagement efforts, gift cards, loyalty cards, rewards, referrals, and refunds.
- The platform allows customers to send branded gift cards directly to recipients, enhancing the gifting experience. The gift card gallery and customization options add a personalized touch to these gifts.
- Automation of rules for rewards and loyalty programs. This automation simplifies the process of using store credit to engage with customers, saving time and effort.
- The platform's intuitive store credit system simplifies handling returns and refunds into a streamlined solution.
- No Free Version like some of the other platforms on the list.
- Implementing and fully utilizing some of the features may require some time and effort to understand and integrate into your existing systems.
Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist
Growave is an all-in-one Shopify Loyalty App for small and medium-sized businesses that helps them reach, engage, and convert their customers. The app offers a variety of tools, such as reviews, Wishlists, Q&A, Loyalty and Referral, Social login, Instagram galleries, and more. Growave will easily replace 4-6 different apps on your store and save a ton of money for you.
Growave’s Starter plan offers a Loyalty and Rewards feature with a points-based program with an ability to customize the way how your customers can earn points. The Growth plan features an extensive point, VIP tiers, and referral programs to match your business niche. If you would like to scale-up your loyal customer base, then Growave might be exactly what you are looking for.
Growave seamlessly integrates with top Shopify apps such as Omnisemd, Klaviyo, FirePush, PageFly, Gorgias and many more. Also, it is integrated with most Shopify themes.
- Free 14 day trial available
- Helps you to retarget customers with personalized wishlist emails and discount codes. Automatically sends targeted email
- Provides a comprehensive suite of marketing tools tailored for small and medium-sized businesses
- More cost-effective than some of the alternatives in the market, because of the cheaper entry price
- The Starter plan offers great customization options for the Loyalty and Rewards feature
- The Growth plan provides additional features like extensive points systems, VIP tiers, and referral programs. This scalability enables businesses to align loyalty programs with their niche and growth goals
- Passionate and proactive back-end customer service for their new and existing users alike
- Analytics – you can see engagement metrics, the most wanted items, customers’ wishlists, and export data in a CSV file format
- Some integrations with Shopify 2.0 require customization
- Some language or grammar in their default replies might not be perfect English but are easily customized
- No free plan
Marsello: Loyalty, Email & SMS
Marsello is a dynamic and innovative marketing platform designed to empower businesses in the realm of customer engagement and retention. With a mission to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the competitive landscape of modern commerce, Marsello provides a robust suite of tools and features that enable brands to forge deeper connections with their customers. Whether you’re a small boutique or a thriving e-commerce enterprise, they offer a versatile range of solutions to enhance your customer relationships, drive sales, and foster brand loyalty.
- 14 day free trial.
- Customize and launch an omnichannel loyalty program with ease. No code required.
- Drive repeat sales with email marketing, rewards, SMS and campaign automations.
- Create a seamless loyalty experience by integrating your POS and eCommerce sites.
- Get a single view of your customers with detailed loyalty reports and analytics.
- Connect Marsello with cutting-edge tools, like Klaviyo, LightSpeed, Cin7 & more.
- Only one payment plan which on the more expensive side compared to some of the others on the list.
- No free version.
Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards
Looking for something to take customer loyalty and brand engagement to the next step? Yotpo’s Loyalty & Referrals platform delivers on all fronts. As a business, creating a foundation for great connections between you and the customer has always been a priority, especially since in the digital world, interactions are rarely face to face. By integrating rewards and referral incentives into one unique package, Yotpo is looking to be are the forefront of nurturing customer relationships and brand growth.
Yotpo is a Shopify Plus technology partner and fully approved by Google.
Its free status is part of the reason why it’s received over 2000 positive reviews but this is also due to the fact that it works really well.
It’s no surprise that Yotpo is the leading app for gathering reviews on Shopify Plus stores.
- Entry level package is free
- Plenty of analytics including being able to monitor and evaluate your loyalty strategies and referral program's ROI, AOV, LTV, and more
- Customize, launch, and manage your loyalty and rewards program with no code
- Motivate repeat purchases and engagement with diverse rewards and VIP tiers
- Deploy a tiered program based on points, spend, purchases, or referrals
- Yotpo's products work together to create a loyalty experience, not just a program
- Helps you generate and collect customer reviews for social proof, which helps to increase sales
- Sends emailed review forms to make it easy to increase your review numbers
- Showcases reviews in widgets and store tabs, email campaigns, digital ads, and social media channels
- Can repurpose reviews, feedback, and social posts into ads (in the paid version)
- Builds more trust, drives more traffic, and boosts conversions
- Leading insights tool helps identify opportunities to improve customer experience, analyze customer sentiment, forecast trends and benchmark against competitors
- Allows you to easily moderate the reviews you receive
- No free trial available
- Price of the Gold version maybe not suitable for smaller start ups that are on a tighter budget
Conclusion of the best Shopify Loyalty Program Apps
Ultimately, every Shopify store owner needs to do his or her homework to arrive at the perfect Shopify loyalty program for their store. One critical component to take into account is the perspectives and needs of your customers. Are they adventurous types who enjoy trying new things?
Make sure your loyalty program enables you to offer store credit specifically for brand new products as rewards, so you can treat them to experiences and products they wouldn’t have discovered. Or, is your customer base full of steadfast purchasers of the tried-and-true? They won’t appreciate a new and exciting free product.
For them, provide rewards that will enable them to save on (or buy more of) their favorite products. Consider the impression made by the type of rewards you offer. Sometimes “discounts,” whether they be a fixed amount or percentage-off, can cheapen a product or brand. In contrast, “store credit” – even though, practically, it gives the same benefit – can feel more valuable and luxurious to a customer.
If you’re a higher-end brand, that’s worth taking into account. Regardless of which app you select, the crucial piece here is that you deploy a loyalty program in your Shopify store. Rewarding your customers, increasing engagement and building loyalty have proven themselves as the most effective tactics for increasing revenue.
Go forth and deploy!
Hi, I’m Giles Thomas.Founder of AcquireConvert, the place where ecommerce entrepreneurs & marketers go to learn growth. I’m also the founder of Shopify agency Whole Design Studios.