11 Best Shopify Referrals Apps To Drive Customers [2023]

Based on precedence and reviews from various businesses, it is evident that referral marketing is one of the most successful ways of driving traffic. Building a referral program for your Shopify store guarantees you a significant boost in terms of sales and conversions. According to referral marketing statistics, approximately 92% of consumers will visit a store because they trust referrals from their friends or family.

These days before going on an online shopping spree, most people seek recommendations from people they know. This is because they believe that if it works for their known ones, it will also work for them. 

In addition, it is estimated that 18% of consumers who other people have referred will stay loyal. So, how do you build a referral program? You’ll need a Shopify referral app for that. We have done extensive research and curated a list of the 11 best Shopify referral apps. Let’s get right into it.

Why Do You Need A Referral App for Shopify?

A Shopify referral app helps you set up a referral program where existing customers can gain rewards by recommending people to your store. In turn, you also get to benefit from the massive traffic to your store thus boosting sales and conversion rates. Why do you need a referral app for Shopify? Here are some more reasons:

• As we mentioned before, it is because 92% of customers trust and rely on product recommendations from family and friends.  These people trust referrals more than any other marketing strategy on the market.
• Approximately 83% of consumers are more likely to refer people they know to your store if the shopping experience is exceptional.
• According to statistics, referred customers increase your revenue by up to 25%.
• Referrals greatly reduce the cost of customer acquisition.
• Rewards earned by customers through referrals boost the retention rate of existing customers.

What Things You Should look for while Selecting a Shopify Referral App

Before you settle on a particular Shopify referral app, there are some factors you should consider. They include:

• Is the app easy to use - The app should not have a complex navigation pane; it should feature a user-friendly and simple UI for easy and efficient navigation.
• Branding is a crucial factor for e-commerce entrepreneurship. Select an app that allows you to market your referral program through popups and widgets within your Shopify store.
• The app should also feature a variety of rewards. The whole basis of a referral program is incentives. Look for an app that lets you offer multiple discounts or rewards to customers.
• Ensure that the app has real-time analytics and insights. This enables you to track the performance and progress of your referral program.
• Email notifications allow you to constantly engage customers. Choose a referral app that lets you send referral email notifications to customers.
• It is also important to look at the pricing plans of the referral app. If you are a small business you’d definitely need a pocket-friendly referral app. Go for an app that offers premium features at affordable rates.

Let's Review the 11 Best Referral Apps For Shopify

1. Growave 

by Growave

Growave is one of the best referral apps to run referral programs, loyalty programs, quick social login, and promoting selling through Instagram. The app helps you with automating the photo review collection process with their review requests. Integrate with Google shopping, and display rich snippets on Google. Reward shoppers with discounts, points, cash, and free products, and let them be your marketer.

Allow customers to save their favorite products on their wishlists with ease. Reduce cart abandonment, order recovery, and targeted emails on special scenarios.

Key Features

• Easy to use.
• Grow your customer base by rewarding them for referrals.
• Sell more with your Instagram feed.
• Reduce abandonment rates.
• Gift cards.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Price: Plans start from $19/month, going all the way up to $99/month.

Shopify app link

2. UpPromote: Affiliate & Referral

by Secomapp

Affiliate Marketing by Secomapp is known as an exemplary model for dropshipping businesses to advertise their products and grow revenue without charging you any upfront cost. UpPromote: Affiliate & Referral is the No #1 Shopify affiliate marketing app which acts as an all-in-one affiliate/influencer marketing solution to support you to build, track and flourish with your marketing campaign.

With UpPromote, you don't need any technical expertise. Build professional affiliate campaigns by creating unlimited commission programs with ease. Also, you can instantly create and assign referral/coupon links for affiliates/influencers. For effective tracking of your campaigns, UpPromote lets you track every click, and order from affiliates with multiple tracking methods and reliable processes.

Additionally, approaching potential affiliates with Uppromote is easy. The best part of this app is the UpPromote Marketplace,  where you can effortlessly find the affiliate's profiles and freely list your offers.

Highlight Features

• With the Customer referral feature, your customers can promote your products without the requirement of joining any affiliate program. You can boost your sales with positive word-of-mouth as well as connect with your loyal customers.
• Increase your affiliate team by free listing on UpPromote Marketplace; or with a Multi-level Marketing feature.‍
• Easy to set up: The swift onboarding process and guideline systems will assist you in understanding how things function.
• Referral links and coupons can be auto-generated.
• In-app analytics help you manage your affiliate performance and display details like affiliate clicks, sales, etc.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Pricing: Paid plans are as follows: Grow plan ($29.99/month), Professional plan ($89.99/month), and Enterprise plan ($199.99/month). A free plan is available for unlimited affiliates. 14-day free trial for all paid plans.

Shopify app link

3. Referral Candy

by ReferralCandy

Whether you are a Shopify merchant or a Shopify Plus merchant, Referral Candy exists to help you scale your brand awareness. With this app, you can build customer loyalty and generate high sales by creating a successful referral program.

The app boasts success across top Shopify industries including baby products, electronics, fashion, nutrition, and much more! And when you encounter a setback during installation or optimization, there is a reliable customer support team ready to assist. If this isn’t enough to convince you, check out the app’s reviews on Shopify.

Key Features 

• The app offers you a 30-day risk-free trial to get a first-hand test experience before choosing to use it long-term.
• You can create post-purchase emails and popups to woo existing customers.
• Customers who make successful referrals receive rewards automatically.
• Unlimited number of customers enrolled in the referral program and referral sales.
• You can fully customize the referral program to match your brand.

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Pricing: Pricing plans are as follows: PREMIUM PLAN ($49/month) and PLUS ($299/month). A 30-day free trial is also available.

Shopify app link

4. BON - Rewards, Loyalty Program 

by Smartify Apps

Are you looking for a seamless and effective referral program app? Well, look no further because BON has got your needs covered! The best thing about BON is that you get to enjoy advanced features for free. In addition, your referral gets updated frequently depending on the feedback you leave.

BON also features a dedicated support team that is always ready to help you sort out any setbacks you encounter. What’s more, the app sets up a referral program that rewards both the existing customer and the referred customer. The rewards come in terms of coupons or loyalty points. 

Key Features

• You get to enjoy premium features at no cost.
• Point expiration system that motivates customers to keep shopping in order to redeem their points.
• VIP tier system that rewards the most loyal customers.
• Shopify POS integration which makes it easy for customers to utilize discount codes.
• Real-time insights and statistics to help you track the progress of your referral program.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Pricing: Free Forever (Free), LITE ($15/month), STARTER ($34/month), and PROFESSIONAL ($349/month). A 3-day free trial is also available.

Shopify app link

5. Referral & Affiliate Marketing

by Automizely & AfterShip

Automizely might just be the missing link in your quest to make your Shopify store one of the biggest e-commerce stores. As an online store owner, having a referral program that rewards your customers while also turning them into brand ambassadors is a blessing.

While customers are referring their families or friends to purchase from your store, your brand also gets promoted. In the end, the customers get rewarded for successful referrals while you also gain more traffic to your Shopify store. What’s more, this app lets you customize the rewards to match your brand. 

Key Features 

• The app features stunning popups that motivate customers to refer their friends.
• You can create unique referral links with customized rewards.
• You can set expiration dates to create a sense of urgency among customers.
• Allows you to set up scalable affiliate campaigns to maximize brand awareness.
• You can track the progress of your referral program using Automizely referral campaign analytics.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Pricing: Free

Shopify app link

6. Conjured Referrals

by Shop Circle

If you are looking for a referral app that offers you full customization as well as high performance, Conjured Referrals is the answer. In this era of e-commerce entrepreneurship, online store owners need to maximize marketing in order to grow their customer base.

Conjured Referrals offers you advanced and powerful tools to woo customers with enticing reward programs. With this app, you also get to choose where you want to display your referral offers. Furthermore, in case you encounter challenges with customization or installation, the app has a dedicated support team to assist.

Key Features 

• The app features customizable appearance settings which allow you to personalize the rewards.
• The app automatically creates gift cards and discount cards.
• It also allows you to set automated emails.
• The app features an analytics dashboard to track your progress.
• You also get to enjoy sophisticated fraud prevention features.
• The app features a storetasker form which allows merchants to request more advanced customizations.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Pricing: Pricing plans are as follows: DEVELOPER (Free), INTRO ($29/month), SMALL BUSINESS ($99/month), and PLUS ($299/month). A 14-day free trial is also available.

Shopify app link

7. Rivo: Rewards, Loyalty Program

by Rivo

There are numerous Shopify referral apps, so, why should you choose Rivo? Well, the app boasts a dedicated 24/7 live chat support team that is always ready and willing to assist with installation and customization. In addition, Rivo has no shortcomings since it is exclusively built for Shopify. You won’t have to deal with unreliable workarounds.

You also get to enjoy advanced features at affordable prices, unlike other referral apps. Rivo is popular among many Shopify stores with proven results. With this app, you can set up a referral program that encourages customers to shop recurrently. 

Key Features

• Quick and simple installation & customization thus you don’t need coding skills or developers.
• Fully dedicated development and support team to ensure an outstanding user experience.
• Unlike other referral apps, Rivo is not built for multiple platforms; it is Shopify-exclusive. 
• The app offers both referral and affiliate marketing to boost your revenue.
• The app allows you to customize everything to reflect your brand.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Pricing: Pricing plans are as follows: 100% FREE FOREVER, STARTER ($34/month), GROWTH ($129/month), PREMIUM ($429/month). A 7-day free trial is also available.

Shopify app link

8. Smile: Loyalty & Rewards

by Smile.io

Are you a Shopify or a Shopify Plus brand looking to scale your customer loyalty and traffic? Smile lets you create a successful referral program that helps you maximize sales using the existing customer base. Sometimes all it takes to reach new customers is through your existing loyal clients.

With Smile, you can set up a referral program where customers are appreciated with rewards and points when they make successful referrals. On top of that, the referred clients can also earn coupons or points when they make successful purchases. In the long run, you get to acquire new customers while also bolstering customer loyalty and engagement. 

Key Features

• Seamlessly integrates with other Shopify apps thus less likely to face compatibility downtime.
• VIP tiers to reward the most loyal clients.
• Customizable rewards to match your brand.
• You don’t need coding skills to customize referral programs.
• You also enjoy reliable 24/7 customer support to handle your technical queries.

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Pricing: Pricing plans are as follows: FREE, STARTER ($49/month), GROWTH ($199/month), and PRO ($599/month).

Shopify app link

9. Gift Cards & Loyalty Program

by Rise.ai

Have you been struggling to drive traffic to your Shopify store? Rise.ai lets you utilize gift cards to motivate customers and boost your revenue. With this app, you get to create an outstanding referral program on any Shopify plan you use.

In addition, the digital gift cards shared by customers can be fully customized to match your brand. And the best thing about these gift cards is that they can be used across multiple stores. You can also migrate the gift cards from one store to another for free!

Key Features

• The app works seamlessly with external subscription and checkout apps.
• You can send bulk discount campaigns and bulk gift cards thus expanding your marketing abilities.
• You get to generate revenue from both referral and affiliate marketing.
• No costs incurred during gift card migration.
• The app also allows you to issue gift card refunds.

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Pricing: Pricing plans are as follows: STARTER ($19.99/month), SMALL-BUSINESS ($59.99/month), PRO ($199.99/month), and PREMIUM ($599.99/month). A 7-day free trial is also available.

Shopify app link

10. Loyalty, rewards & referrals

by LoyaltyLion

One important factor when setting up a referral program is customer relationships. LoyaltyLion relies on accurate data to help you scale up your brand awareness and boost sales. With this app, you can set up a Shopify referral program that goes beyond the traditional loyalty rewards and points.

You also get to acquire new customers in the process of scaling up your brand identity. This app guarantees you a massive boost in the customer's lifetime value. You get to reward customers with loyalty points through interactions such as birthdays, purchases, site visits, sign-ups, social follows, and much more!

Key Features

• You can set up loyalty program tiers to reward the most loyal clients.
• Real-time data and insights that help you monitor the progress and also identify setbacks.
• You can integrate Flow, POS, and Scripts into your Shopify Plus store.
• Customizable referable program that works on POS, desktops, and mobile devices.
• The app lets you request individual enhancements.

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Pricing: Pricing plans are as follows: FREE PLAN, SMALL BUSINESS ($159/month), CLASSIC ($399/month), and ADVANCED ($699/month).

Shopify app link

11. Stamped Loyalty & Referrals

by Stamped.io

Stamped.io is a referral app that lets you maximize customer engagement and loyalty through referral rewards. This app is outstanding because you can customize the referral program to match your store.

In addition, the app is popular among top Shopify brands which have successfully utilized its advanced features to increase their customer retention. What’s more, the app allows you to create a rewards page exclusively for the referral program. 

Key Features

• If you choose to, you can manually adjust each customer’s loyalty rewards and points.
• You can set up smart reminders about rewards and point expiration.
• The app also lets you customize the rewards based on customers’ attributes such as age, fit, and much more.
• You can set app VIP rewards program for the most loyal customers.
• You can make your referral program brand-fit through customizations.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Pricing: Pricing plans are as follows: LITE (Free), PREMIUM ($59/month), BUSINESS ($179/month), and PROFESSIONAL ($479/month).

Shopify app link

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is there a built-in Shopify Referral Program?

Unfortunately, Shopify does not have an in-built referral program. Instead, it has an affiliate program. But that should not be a big deal since you can just install referral apps from Shopify and set up a referral program.

To make your referral program successful, you not only need to tackle various customer issues like customer suspicious behavior but also need the best tools and strategies to be used. A successful program will not only result in much higher growth in organic traffic but will also get you, high-value customers. This in turn improves your social trust and loyalty at the same time.

Wrapping Up

The biggest flex about referral programs is that you get to retain existing customers, acquire new customers through existing customers, and build your brand awareness. Referral programs are like a 3-in-1 strategy that has been proven to be effective in driving traffic and boosting sales.

We have outlined some of the best apps you can use to build a successful Shopify referral program. In case you have any comments or suggestions feel free to reach out to us via marketing@logbase.io. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for more Shopify guides!

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