7 Best Shopify Referral Apps For Your Store In 2024

This article will explore the benefits of referral apps on e-commerce websites and discuss how they work specifically for Shopify stores. To supercharge your sales, keep reading to discover the seven best Shopify referral apps.

What Are Shopify Referrals?

Shopify Referrals is a program enabling Shopify merchants to motivate customers to refer new shoppers to their stores.

Customers receive a unique referral link to share, and if a purchase is made through this link, they earn rewards. This program is effective for attracting new customers, boosting sales, building brand awareness, and enhancing customer loyalty and retention.

Why Should You Use Shopify Referral Apps?

Shopify referral apps are designed to integrate with Shopify stores, simplifying the creation and management of referral programs. They enable merchants to automate the referral process, track activities, and tailor the program to their specific requirements. Overall, these tools assist in efficiently running and managing referral campaigns on the Shopify platform.

Using Shopify referral apps offers several benefits for e-commerce businesses:

• Enhanced Customer Acquisition: These apps help attract new customers through word-of-mouth, often more effective and trustworthy than traditional advertising.
• Increased Sales: Referral programs can increase sales as new customers brought in by referrals often make purchases.
• Improved Customer Loyalty: Offering referral rewards can enhance customer loyalty, as customers feel valued for contributing to the store’s growth.
• Automated Process: The apps automate the referral process, from tracking referrals to distributing rewards, saving time and resources.
• Data Tracking and Insights: Shopify referral apps provide valuable data on the referral program’s performance, helping to refine marketing strategies.
• Customization Options: Merchants can customize various aspects of their referral programs, aligning them with their brand and business goals.
• Saving Cost: Compared to other marketing strategies, referral programs can be more cost-effective, leveraging existing customers to attract new ones.

Read more: How to Sell Affiliate Products on Shopify in 2024

7 Best Referral Apps For Your Shopify Store

If you’re looking to establish a referral program in your Shopify store, we’ve listed some top-rated Shopify referral program apps to assist you.

UpPromote Affiliate & Referral

Introduction

UpPromote Affiliate & Referral is an all-in-one marketing tool that provides a straightforward and ease-of-use onboarding process to help Shopify merchants build, manage, and succeed in affiliate programs. 

Pricing

14-day free trial

Starting from $0 to $199.99 per month

Rating

Overall rating: 4.9/5 

Users appreciate its ease of use, robust tracking capabilities, and positive impact on their sales and customer acquisition.

Features

• Create unlimited affiliate programs with various commission offers
• A reliable real-time tracking process
• Motivate affiliates with bonuses, gifts, MLM, etc.
• Reduce the risks of affiliate fraud and referral scams
• Integrating Paypal to automate the payment process with Schedule auto-payment

Who should use it?

• Online Service Providers
• Influencers and Content Creators
• Startups and Small Businesses

Automizely Referral&Affiliate

Introduction

Automizely Referral&Affiliate is a comprehensive app designed to help businesses harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing. With Automizely, you can turn your customers into brand advocates. Collaborating with influencers is one of the keys to driving sales.  

Pricing

Free to use

Rating

Overall rating: 4.9/5

Users appreciate the free plan, the intuitive interface, the main dashboard, and the app’s efficiency in driving referrals, tracking conversions, and providing valuable analytics. With its high ratings, Automizely is trusted by businesses.

Features

• One-click setup with unique referral links and reward coupons
• Automated reward emails to advocates with easy-to-redeem coupon codes
• Track referral performance through a user-friendly dashboard
• Bulk email invites and free gifts to influencers
• Easy widget text, color, and layout customization

Who should use it?

• Fitness Studios and Gyms
• Salons and Spas

Loloyal: Loyalty & Referrals

Introduction

Loloyal: Loyalty & Referrals is a comprehensive loyalty and referral app designed to build a referral marketing program that turns loyal customers into brand advocates, lets customers refer a friend, and saves on advertising spending.

Pricing

7-day free trial

Starting from $0 to $29 per month

Rating

Overall rating: 4.9/5

Loloyal has received positive user ratings and reviews. Customers appreciate the app’s effectiveness in building customer loyalty and driving referrals.

Features

• Customizable loyalty widget to fit your brand
• Seamless Shopify POS integration
• Incentivize repeat purchases with diverse point redemption options such as coupons, discounts, etc.
• Unlock free features by hunting for Easter eggs
• 24/7 customer support

Who should use it?

• Retailers With Brick-and-Mortar Stores
• Service Providers
• Restaurants and Cafes

Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals

Introduction

Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals is among the best Shopify apps that helps maximize the customer lifetime value of your business by cultivating loyalty. With Rivo, businesses can create and manage customized loyalty programs and referral campaigns and then customize them to fit the brand’s needs.

Pricing

3-day free trial

Starting from $0 to $349 per month

Rating

Overall rating: 4.9/5

The intuitive interface, robust features, and responsive customer support have contributed to Rivo’s high ratings. Businesses trust Rivo to optimize their loyalty and referral strategies.

Features

• 24/7 world-class live chat support
• Built exclusively for Shopify
• Instantly integrates with your stack. Klaviyo, Gorgias, Postscript, etc.
• Leverage proven results from the Rivo Proven Results program
• Increase customer loyalty, AOV, and LTV with the right rewards program.
• Enable customers to redeem exclusive offers

Who should use it?

• SMEs 
• Service providers
• Influencers

Referral Candy & Affiliate

Introduction

Referral Candy & Affiliate is a powerful app designed to help businesses leverage the potential of referral marketing and affiliate programs. Businesses can attract customers, increase sales, and reward customers when they refer their friends.

Pricing

14-day free trial

Starting from $59 to $299 per month

Rating

Overall rating: 4.9/5

Customers praise the app for its ease of use, effectiveness in driving referrals, and excellent customer support. The app has helped businesses of all sizes increase customer engagement, generate word-of-mouth referrals, and boost sales.

Features

• Create affiliate programs and get the first sales within 30 minutes
• Enable post-purchase popups, emails, and pages to enroll customers in the program
• Automate customer rewards with cash and coupons
• Integrate with Klaviyo, ReCharge, Skio, Awtomic, Bold, Loop, Appstle, Stay, and Seal

Who should use it?

• Subscription-based Services
• Medium Businesses

Loyalty, Rewards & Referrals

Introduction

The Loyalty, Rewards & Referrals app brings a feature-rich rewards program to create deeper connections with your customers. Businesses can offer rewards, personalized bonuses, and points-based campaigns to drive sales.

Pricing

14-day free trial

Starting from $0 to $199.99 per month

Rating

Overall rating: 4.6/5

Customers have praised the app’s user-friendly interface and effectiveness in increasing customer engagement and loyalty. However, some of them are unsatisfied with support services and updated software.

Features

• Offer “Pay with Points,” “Free Shipping,” or percentage and fixed amount rewards
• Personalized bonuses, points-based campaigns, etc.
• Check customer history
• Automated checking for expiration dates
• Multi-language support

Who should use it?

• Small Online Boutique
• Large-scale e-commerce enterprise and retail Stores
• Travel agencies
• Businesses looking to implement loyalty programs

LoyaltyLion Rewards & Referral

Introduction

LoyaltyLion Rewards & Referral is an app that enables businesses to create and manage loyalty programs, providing customers with rewards and incentives for their continued support. By implementing a loyalty program, businesses can foster stronger relationships with customers.

Pricing

14-day free trial

Starting from $0 to $729 per month

Rating

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Customers appreciate the app’s comprehensive features, ease of use, and effectiveness in boosting customer loyalty and engagement. Many users didn’t have a good experience, especially with customer support.

Features

• Create a unique loyalty program that reflects your brand identity
• Deliver points and rewards through email and on-site notifications
• Integrate with ESPs, subscription partners, review platforms, and helpdesks
• Offer loyalty points and rewards
• Reduce acquisition costs with advocacy-based actions

Who should use it?

• Brick-and-Mortar Retailers
• B2B Businesses
• Tech startups

Benefits of using referral apps in e-commerce websites

• Increase Customer Acquisition: Referral programs encourage your existing customers to refer their friends to your store. People are more likely to trust recommendations from someone they know, making referral marketing an effective way to expand your customer base.
• Cost-Effective Marketing: By generating new leads and sales without spending money on conventional marketing channels like advertising, referral programs are cost-effective for boosting sales.
• Enhance Customer Trust and Loyalty: By rewarding customers for referring others to your store, referral programs strengthen their loyalty and increase their engagement with your brand. Providing incentives, such as discounts or exclusive offers, motivates customers to spread the word about your business.
• Higher Conversion Rates: Potential customers are more likely to purchase on the recommendation of someone they trust. ​​Referral apps capitalize on this trust factor, leading to higher conversion rates.
• Improved Customer Lifetime Value: Referral programs create a sense of excitement and involvement among customers who actively promote the brand and refer others. This increased engagement leads to a stronger connection with the brand, making customers more likely to make repeat purchases and become long-term advocates.
• Scalable Growth: Referral programs have the potential to go viral, especially in the age of social media. When customers share their positive experiences and referral links with their networks, it can create a chain reaction of referrals, significantly amplifying your reach and driving exponential growth.

How do referral apps work for Shopify Stores?

Referral apps for Shopify stores work by providing a seamless and automated process for customers to refer others to the store. Here are some fundamental works:

• Customization: The store owner customizes the referral program settings within the app, including defining the incentives for both the referrer and the referred customer, which can be discounts, store credits, etc.
• Generation of Unique Referral Links: The app generates unique referral links for each existing customer who wants to participate in the referral program. 
• Sharing Referral Links: The existing customer can share their referral link with others through various channels like email, social media, or messaging apps. 
• Tracking Referrals: The referral app tracks the referrals made by existing customers through their unique referral links. It monitors when someone clicks on the link and enters the store.
• Attribution of Referrals: If the referred person makes a purchase or completes a specific action, the referral app attributes the referral to the referrer who shared the link.
• Reward Distribution: Once a referral is successful, the referrer becomes eligible for a reward. This could be applying a discount code, issuing store credits, or providing other incentives.
• Performance Tracking: The referral app provides analytics and reporting features to monitor the referral program’s performance. 
• Program Promotion: The store owner can promote the referral program by using banners, pop-ups, or email marketing to encourage more customers to participate and refer others.

How to Choose the Best Shopify Referral App for Your Store?

Choosing the best Shopify referral app for your store involves several key considerations:

• Understand Your Needs: Identify the specific goals and requirements of your referral program. Consider factors like the size of your customer base, the nature of your products, and the type of rewards you want to offer.
• Evaluate Features: Look for apps that offer essential features such as customizable referral links, easy tracking of referrals and rewards, and seamless integration with your Shopify store.
• Check Customization Options: Ensure the app allows you to tailor the referral program to match your brand’s aesthetic and messaging.
• Review User Feedback: Read reviews and ratings from other Shopify store owners to gauge the app’s effectiveness, ease of use, and reliability.
• Consider Pricing: Compare the cost of different apps and assess their value based on their features and support. Determine if the pricing aligns with your budget.
• Test with Free Trials: If available, use free trials to test the app’s functionality and user experience. This will help you understand how the app fits your store’s operations.
• Assess Customer Support: Good customer support is crucial. Look for apps that offer responsive and helpful support to address any issues you might encounter.

Summary

• UpPromote Affiliate & Referral: Best for online service providers
• Automizely Referral&Affiliate: Best for beauty and fitness stores
• Loloyal: Loyalty & Referrals: Best for service providers
• Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals: Best for influencers
• Referral Candy & Affiliate: Best for medium businesses
• Loyalty, Rewards & Referrals: Best for travel agencies
• LoyaltyLion Rewards & Referral: Best for tech startups

Best Referral Shopify Apps: FAQs

Final Words

By implementing these referral apps, Shopify store owners can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing, incentivize customers to refer their friends, and drive organic growth. 

Each app offers unique features and benefits tailored specifically for Shopify users. So when choosing the proper referral app for your Shopify store, consider the one that best suits your business’s needs.