Best Loyalty Apps for Shopify: Unlock the Power of Loyal Customers

Imagine you have a Shopify store, and you want to build a loyalty program to boost sales. But you don’t know where to start.

And you ask yourself, does Shopify have a loyalty program?

The answer is no.

No, Shopify itself doesn’t offer a built-in loyalty program. However, Shopify’s strength lies in its vast app store where you can find many third-party loyalty program apps to integrate with your store.

So which are the best loyalty apps for Shopify? Let this article answer you!

Contents

1. What are Shopify loyalty apps?
2. Top Shopify loyalty apps
- 2.1. Overview of the best loyalty points app for Shopify
- 2.2. A detailed review of the best loyalty program apps for Shopify
3. Conclusion
4. FAQs

1. What are Shopify loyalty apps?

Shopify loyalty apps are software tools that enable businesses to create and manage loyalty programs for their eCommerce stores. These programs typically reward customers for making purchases, referring friends, and engaging with the brand.

Here’s how a Shopify loyalty app typically works, broken down into steps:

Step 1: The app integrates with your Shopify existing system, allowing it to access customer data and transactions.
Step 2: Customers can earn points or rewards through various activities set by the store owner (i.e.: making purchases, leaving reviews for products, etc.)
Step 3: The app clearly communicates to customers how many points they have and how they can redeem them based on the program design (i.e.: Discounts on their next purchase, free shipping on orders, etc.)
Step 4: The app continuously tracks points and rewards, and you can manage the program through a dashboard.

Loyalty apps can be a powerful tool to turn one-time buyers into loyal fans who drive sales and growth for your store.

To be more specific, there are several reasons why you should consider using the best loyalty app for Shopify:

Boost customer retention: Loyalty programs incentivize repeat business. Customers are rewarded for sticking with you, making them more likely to return.
Increase sales: Rewards encourage customers to spend more to earn points or reach redemption goals.
Build stronger relationships: Loyalty programs show customers you appreciate their business, fostering a sense of value and connection.
Gain valuable data: The app tracks customer activity, revealing buying habits and preferences. This data helps you tailor marketing and promotions.

2. Top Shopify loyalty apps

2.1. Overview of the best loyalty points app for Shopify

No.	App	Review	Pricing	Link
1	BLOOP: Referrals & Loyalty	5 ⭐ (90+ reviews)	– Free plan – Basic: $20/month	View app
2	Gameball: Loyalty & Rewards	4.7 ⭐ (200+ reviews)	– Free plan – Starter: $34/month – Pro: $159/month	View app
3	Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards	4.7 ⭐ (2500+ reviews)	– Free plan – Gold: $199/month	View app
4	Loloyal: Loyalty and Referral	4.9 ⭐ (900+ reviews)	– Free plan – Starter: $29/month – Growth: $69/month – Plus: $299/month	View app
5	BON: Loyalty Rewards Referrals	4.9 ⭐ (1300+ reviews)	– Free plan – Basic: $25/month – Growth: $99/month – Professional: $349/month	View app
6	Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist +	4.8 ⭐ (2000+ reviews)	– Free plan – Medium: $49/month – Growth: $149/month – Premium: $349/month	View app
7	Smile: Loyalty & Rewards	4.8 ⭐ (5800+ reviews)	– Free plan – Starter: $49/month – Growth: $199/month – Plus: $999/month	View app

2.2. A detailed review of the best loyalty program apps for Shopify

2.2.1. BLOOP: Referrals & Loyalty

As one of the best free Shopify apps, BLOOP: Referrals & Loyalty is a comprehensive app designed to help Shopify businesses create and manage effective loyalty programs and referral campaigns.

⭐ Shopify rating: 5 ⭐ (90+ reviews)

🔷 Pricing tier plan:

Free plan
Basic: $20/month

🔶 Key features:

Referral programs:

Create multiple referral rules
Set up referral flow
Choose discount amount/requirements for referrers and referees
Track referral revenue, total referrers, and successful referrals
Brand the referral program with in-app themes, social sharing options, and custom logo/image
Generate shareable links for 3 platforms with customizable text
Set up default email notifications for sharing referrals, and successful referrals, and include customizable content

Loyalty programs:

Set up ways to earn points (e.g., placing an order, signing up)
Set up ways to redeem points (fixed-amount discounts)

⚡ Pros & cons:

Pros

Streamlined marketing: Manage both referral and loyalty programs in one place
Easy to use: Great for businesses of all technical backgrounds
Strong referral features: Encourage customer acquisition through social sharing and rewards
Basic loyalty program: A simple points system motivates repeat business
Highly rated: Earns a perfect 5-star rating on Shopify
Affordable paid plan: The paid plan at $20/month makes it accessible to a wider range of businesses

Cons

Limited functionality: Focuses on core features
Basic data analytics: May not offer the most in-depth customer insights for some businesses

Overall, it is a strong option for Shopify stores looking for a user-friendly solution to build both referral programs and loyalty programs on one dashboard. With its high rating from users and affordable pricing (especially if you’re on a budget), BLOOP is definitely worth considering for your Shopify store.

2.2.2. Gameball: Loyalty & Rewards

Gameball app offers a suite of features designed to incentivize repeat purchases, attract new customers, and keep them coming back for more.

⭐ Shopify rating: 4.7 ⭐ (200+ reviews)

🔷 Pricing tier plan:

Free: Up to 100 customers (limited features)
Starter: $34/month (includes 300 customers)
Pro: $159/month (includes 1000 customers)

🔶 Key features:

Create gamified loyalty programs with points, badges, levels, and discounts
Allow customers to redeem points for discounts while placing orders
Send interactive, event-triggered messages (push notifications included)
Build referral programs to reward customers for referrals easily
Send automated emails celebrating customer achievements
Track customer interaction and engagement through basic player analytics
Integrate Gameball with a wide range of supporting apps

⚡ Pros & cons:

Pros

Engaging gamification: Keeps customers excited with points, badges, levels, and challenges
Flexible rewards & redemption: Offers a variety of rewards (points, cashback, coupons) and redemption options
Seamless integrations: Connects with various Shopify apps to enhance your marketing ecosystem.
Popup management: Create targeted pop-ups for announcements, discounts, and rewards

Cons

Limited free plan: Only includes 100 customers, with additional customers incurring a per-user cost
Basic analytics: Might not be sufficient for businesses needing in-depth customer insights
Poor customer support: Some reviews on Shopify mentioned that the support system was inefficient due to delayed responses

If you are looking for a comprehensive loyalty and engagement solution, Gameball can help you acquire new customers and boost customer retention.

2.2.3. Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards

As a top-notch Shopify loyalty rewards app, Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals empowers you to build a customizable loyalty program that fosters lasting customer relationships and drives retention.

⭐ Shopify rating: 4.7 ⭐ (2500+ reviews)

🔷 Pricing tier plan:

Free plan: Available for stores with fewer than 100 monthly orders
Gold plan: $199/month + $0.20 per order after 500 total orders per month

🔶 Key features:

Design custom loyalty programs
Reward loyal customers with membership benefits and perks
Utilize premade campaigns or create custom campaigns
Schedule campaigns to keep your loyalty program exciting
Motivate customers with a variety of rewards beyond points
Create different tiers with increasing benefits to encourage customer progression
Target specific customer groups with personalized rewards and campaigns
Maximize customer acquisition with a referral program

⚡ Pros & cons:

Pros

User-friendly & agile: No coding required, allowing for quick launch and easy program iteration.Highly advanced autofocus
Data-driven insights: Provides detailed program analytics to understand customer behavior and optimize program effectiveness.
Unified loyalty experience: Integrates with marketing tools like Klaviyo and ReCharge for a cohesive customer experience.
Excellent customer support: Help users get started quickly by answering questions and guiding through the setup process

Cons

Per-order cost for larger stores: The paid plan has an additional $0.02 cost per order exceeding 500 in a month, which can become expensive for high-volume stores
Scalability limitations: As your store grows and exceeds 100 monthly orders, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to maintain your loyalty program

In general, it can be said that Yotpo is a good fit for stores with less than 500 monthly orders looking for a user-friendly and agile loyalty program solution.

2.2.4. Loloyal: Loyalty and Referral

Loloyal offers a comprehensive loyalty and rewards system designed to help you skyrocket customer retention rates and increase sales.

⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (900+ reviews)

🔷 Pricing tier plan:

Free: Up to 80 orders
Starter: $29/month (Up to 1,000 orders)
Growth: $69/month (Up to 2,000 orders)
Plus: $299/month (Unlimited orders)

🔶 Key features:

Reward points for actions like purchases, reviews, and social shares
Offer a variety of rewards to incentivize customers
Tailor the look and feel of your reward program
Create tiered memberships with increasing benefits
Easily transfer customer data from other loyalty program apps (Smile.io, LoyaltyLion, etc.).
Connect your online and offline store data for a unified customer view.
Offer your program in multiple languages.

⚡ Pros & cons:

Pros

User-friendly platform: Easily create and manage your program without any coding knowledge.
Advanced features: Access features like discount management, customizable loyalty program rules, and customer segmentation for targeted communication.
Data import/export: Easily transfer customer data from other loyalty program apps (Smile.io, LoyaltyLion, etc.).
Highly rated by merchants: Loloyal boasts a 4.9-star rating on Shopify App Store.

Cons

Limited free plan: The free plan has limitations (50 orders, basic features) but can be unlocked for free up to 80 orders.
Limited automation: There aren’t a lot of automated features (automated triggered emails or reward redemption processes)

If you need a unified customer view across online and offline channels, this app can be a good choice. Loloyal’s scalable plans and user-friendly interface cater well to growing businesses.

2.2.5. BON: Loyalty Rewards Referrals

With its powerful features, flexible plans, and commitment to customer feedback, as one of the best Shopify loyalty apps, BON can help you transform your customer relationships and drive long-term growth.

⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (1300+ reviews)

🔷 Pricing tier plan:

Free plan
Basic: $25/month
Growth: $99/month
Professional: $349/month

🔶 Key features:

Create an unlimited number of reward tiers and structures
Create exclusive membership tiers with unique benefits
Offer a variety of rewards beyond just points
Allow customers to easily redeem their points
Set expiry dates for points or rewards
Let customers combine points with other discounts
Create and manage popups for announcements, discounts, and rewards

⚡ Pros & cons:

Pros

Free plan with core features: Test-drive BON’s loyalty and referral program for free, perfect for getting started.
Advanced features at competitive prices: Upgrade to access features like a dedicated loyalty page, point expiry, VIP tiers, and more, all at affordable rates.
Fast & seamless performance: Experience a loyalty program that integrates seamlessly with Shopify and guarantees a fast page speed.
24/7 support: Get assistance with any questions or issues you encounter.

Cons

Short free trial: BON only offers a 3-day free trial to experience the full potential of the app.
Difficulties with specific login setups: A user encountered issues integrating BON with a custom login page managed by another app (Recharge).

If you value a user-friendly interface for setting up and managing your program without coding knowledge, BON is a strong contender.

2..2.6. Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist +

Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist is a powerful all-in-one marketing tool with a free Shopify loyalty program, designed specifically for Shopify stores. It equips you with the tools to nurture customer relationships, incentivize repeat purchases, and ultimately drive sales growth.

⭐ Shopify rating: 4.8 ⭐ (2000+ reviews)

🔷 Pricing tier plan:

Free plan: Order limit of 100 orders/month (500 total orders)
Medium: $49/month (Order limit: 500 monthly orders)
Growth: $149/month (Order limit: 1000 monthly orders)
Premium: $349/month (Order limit: 3000 monthly orders)

🔶 Key features:

Design a loyalty program with points, discounts, VIP tiers, and more
Allow customers to create wishlists and trigger automated emails
Acquire new customers organically through a built-in referral program
Collect valuable customer reviews
Offer gift cards as an additional purchase incentive

⚡ Pros & cons:

Pros

Easy management: Manage everything from a single dashboard (no coding needed)
Reviews & user-generated content (UGC): Collect valuable customer reviews and encourage social media sharing of purchases, building trust and social proof.
Scalable pricing: Paid plans cater to businesses of various sizes, with features unlocking as your business grows.

Cons

Customer service issues: Some users reviewed that their concerns weren’t fully addressed or resolutions took a long time (e.g., 3 weeks for a coupon issue).
Loss of features in the free plan: The free plan has limited functionality compared to paid plans.

If you want to consolidate loyalty programs, wish lists, reviews, and referrals under one roof, Growave replaces several standalone apps with a single solution, potentially saving you money and simplifying your marketing workflow.

2.2.7. Smile: Loyalty & Rewards

Listed as the best loyalty app for Shopify free, Smile: Loyalty & Rewards could be a valuable tool for your business. Its focus on flexibility, ease of use, and customization allows you to design a program that perfectly aligns with your brand and customer needs.

⭐ Shopify rating: 4.8 ⭐ (5800+ reviews)

🔷 Pricing tier plan:

Free plan (Order limit: Up to 200 monthly orders)
Starter: $49/month (Order limit: Up to 500 monthly orders)
Growth: $199/month (Order limit: Up to 2,500 monthly orders with an additional $20 per 100 orders exceeding the limit)
Plus: $999/month (Order limit: Up to 7,500 monthly orders with an additional $5 per 100 orders exceeding the limit)

🔶 Key features:

Create a custom loyalty program
Increase engagement with nudges (pop-up offers)
Tailor the program’s look and feel (launcher, panel, emails)
Design email notifications about points and rewards
Allow customers to redeem points directly at checkout (for Shopify Plus stores only)
Integrate seamlessly with your favorite marketing and customer service tools
Auto-translate your program into 6 languages

⚡ Pros & cons:

✔️ Pros

❌ Cons

Easy to use & low maintenance: Even with minimal setup and attention, Smile.io can function well and deliver value
Various customization options: Tailor the program’s look and feel to perfectly match your brand with various customization options (Starter and above plans).
Great customer support: The Smile.io customer support team is responsive and helpful, even resolving user-caused issues promptly

Price increase between tiers: Some users find the jump in price between free plan and paid plans significant
Technical issues: Some users reported encountering bugs (e.g., program not saving changes, customer generating their own discounts), glitches (app constantly refreshing), and overall lack of functionality

If you have specific needs, like advanced automation or in-depth analytics, Smile.io is a well-regarded app to consider.

>> Check out more exceptional apps in this list of the best Shopify apps with us!

3. Conclusion

In summary, we hope that this article helps you get a comprehensive overview of the key features, budget considerations, and valuable insights into the best loyalty apps for Shopify.

And don’t forget to follow eComStart to get more helpful information about the top-notch Shopify apps and this eCommerce world as well!

4. FAQs

How do I set up a loyalty program on Shopify?

Here’s a general outline of how to set up a loyalty program on Shopify:
Step 1: Choose a loyalty app
Step 2: Install your chosen app and connect it if needed (e.g., to your store data).
Step 3: Set your program’s details: rewards, how to earn them, branding, and notifications
Step 4: Launch your program live on your Shopify store.
Step 5: Monitor performance and adjust your program based on data and customer feedback.

How to choose the best loyalty apps for your Shopify store?

Choosing a loyalty app for Shopify involves matching your needs with the app’s features and budget.
You should consider these factors:
– Budget: Free plans exist, but advanced features often cost.
– Features: Points, tiers, gamification – what rewards do you prioritize?
– Order volume: Can the app handle your monthly order count?
– Ease of use: How comfortable are you with setup and management?
– Integrations: Does it connect with your existing tools?
You can read reviews, try free trials, and prioritize apps that boost customer engagement to find the best loyalty apps for Shopify.

Can I run multiple loyalty programs simultaneously with one app?

No, running multiple loyalty programs with one app on Shopify isn’t possible. It would be confusing for customers and the app wouldn’t be designed for it.
Here’s what you can do instead:
– Tiers within a program: Use VIP tiers in your program to reward high-value customers without needing separate programs.
– Segmentation: Segment your customer base within a single program to offer targeted rewards based on their preferences.
One well-managed program with segmentation is often better than juggling multiple programs.

Can I customize my loyalty program with Shopify Loyalty Apps?

Yes! You can customize your loyalty program with Shopify apps, but the extent depends on the app and plan.
– Free/Starter Plans: Typically limited to basic stuff like program name, currency, and maybe reward structures.
– Paid Plans: Unlock more options like branding (colors, logos), diverse rewards (free products), and personalized notifications.
You can check the detailed review of the best loyalty apps for Shopify above to get more informative insights.

Can I track the performance of my loyalty program with Shopify Loyalty Apps?

You can definitely track your program’s performance with Shopify loyalty apps.
– Basic stuff: member count, points awarded, etc.
– In-depth analytics: engagement tracking, customer acquisition analysis, revenue impact reports, and even customer segmentation for targeted improvements.