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

best-shopify-loyalty-apps

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!

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. 

best-shopify-loyalty-apps

 

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.

why-best-shopify-loyalty-apps

 

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
2
Gameball: Loyalty & Rewards
4.7 ⭐ (200+ reviews)
– Free plan
– Starter: $34/month
– Pro: $159/month
3
Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards
4.7 ⭐ (2500+ reviews)
– Free plan
– Gold: $199/month
4
Loloyal: Loyalty and Referral
4.9 ⭐ (900+ reviews)
– Free plan
– Starter: $29/month
– Growth: $69/month
– Plus: $299/month
5
BON: Loyalty Rewards Referrals
4.9 ⭐ (1300+ reviews)
– Free plan
– Basic: $25/month
– Growth: $99/month
– Professional: $349/month
6
Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist +
4.8 ⭐ (2000+ reviews)
– Free plan
– Medium: $49/month
– Growth: $149/month
– Premium: $349/month
7
Smile: Loyalty & Rewards
4.8 ⭐ (5800+ reviews)
– Free plan
– Starter: $49/month
– Growth: $199/month
– Plus: $999/month

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

2.2.1. BLOOP: Referrals & Loyalty 

bloop-loyalty-shopify-app

 

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
pricing-plan-bloop

 

🔶 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)
bloop-loyalty-features

 

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

 

bloop-website-loyalty-program

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-best-loyalty-shopify-apps

 

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)
gameball-pricing

 

🔶 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
gameball-loyalty-campaigns

 

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

 

Gameball-website-example

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

yotpo-shopify-loyalty-reward-app

 

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
pricing-plan-yotpo

 

🔶 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
loyalty-programs-yotpo

 

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

 

yotpo-demo-store

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-shopify-referral-apps

 

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)
pricing-plan-loyalty-apps

 

🔶 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.
key-features-of-loyalty

 

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)

 

loloyal-demo-website-example

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

bon-loyalty-shopify-app-free

 

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
pricing-of-bon

 

🔶 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
bon-rewards-features

 

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).

 

website-using-bon-loyalty

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-app-for-shopify

 

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)
pricing-plan-growave

 

🔶 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
loyalty-program-growave

 

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.

 

growave-reward-programs

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

shopify-loyalty-app-smile

 

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)
smile-pricing

 

🔶 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
shopify-smile-loyalty-features

 

Pros & cons:

Pros
  • 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
Cons
  • 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

 

smile-demo-shopify-store

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.

Additional documents you may need:

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

Author:
Kathy Ella is an eCommerce expert with nearly 5 years of experience helping businesses start and grow online stores. She gives simple advice to make launching and managing an online store easier for everyone. See her LinkedIn profile here

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