6 Best Shopify Loyalty Apps to Boost Customer Retention

Attracting new customers to your business is important, but equally crucial is retaining your existing customer base. 

Thankfully, with the rise of Shopify loyalty apps, enhancing customer retention has never been easier.

In this blog post, we will explore the 6 best Shopify loyalty apps poised to foster customer loyalty in 2023, and also, share with you several considerations and tips to develop a rewarding and engaging Shopify loyalty program.

About Shopify’s Loyalty Program

A loyalty program is a structured marketing strategy designed to encourage customer loyalty with your brand by incentivizing them for their purchases, referrals, and engagement. This can be achieved by various strategies, including offering customers rewards, exclusive incentives, targeted promotions, and personalized experiences.

Learn more: Referral Marketing: A Ultimate Guide to Drive Sales and Traffic

To optimize your Shopify loyalty program, leveraging Shopify loyalty apps is key. 

Shopify provides a diverse selection of loyalty and rewards apps on its App Store to help merchants boost customer retention and engagement.

A loyalty app can do wonders for your loyalty program by:

• automating the process of tracking and awarding loyalty points and rewards to customers;
• providing comprehensive reports and analytics on your loyalty program's performance;
• allowing you to customize your loyalty program and create targeted campaigns;
• and enhancing your customer experience.

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Considerations for Selecting the Best Shopify Loyalty Apps

Below are several key considerations when hunting for the best loyalty apps on Shopify:

• Pricing: Carefully evaluate the pricing structure of each loyalty app to ensure it fits within your budget and aligns with the value the app provides.
• Reviews and Ratings: Research customer reviews and ratings for the loyalty app, as these can unfold the app’s reliability, performance, and overall customer satisfaction.
• Features: Prioritize the loyalty app offering features and functionality that effectively support your loyalty programs, such as points and rewards systems, tiered loyalty programs, customizable branding, and reporting and analytics. Loyalty apps with added features like wishlists, referrals or visual UGC are also worth a try.
• Ease of Use: Look for a loyalty app that allows you to use, configure, and manage without extensive technical knowledge.
• Customer Support: Check the level of customer support and the availability of documentation or knowledge bases that assist you in setting up and using the loyalty app effectively.
• Integrations: Make sure the loyalty app you choose is compatible with Shopify and integrates seamlessly with your store setup and other apps or tools you may be using.

6 Best Shopify Loyalty Apps

Smile: Loyalty & Rewards

Smile: Loyalty & Rewards is dubbed the most well-known loyalty app on Shopify.

Hailed as the world’s most trusted loyalty app on Shopify, Smile: Loyalty & Rewards aims to make customers smile with impressive loyalty programs!

With Smile, you can create three types of loyalty programs, including point-based, referrals and VIP rewards programs, to engage customers, reward their loyalty, and turn them into brand advocates. Besides, Smile features a user-friendly editor that lets you customize your program to fit your branding.

Learn more: 10 Best Shopify Referral Apps and Tips for Successful Referral Programs

Ratings and reviews: 4.8/5 (5,083 reviews)

Pricing:

• Free plan: Free to create referral programs only.
• Starter plan: US$49/month
• Growth plan: US$199/month
• Plus plan: US$999/month

Key Features:

• Easy-to-style panel, allowing you to tailor the app to your brand;
• ‘Nudges’ feature to remind customers of their loyalty points and referral links;
• Extensive customization options for the rewards launcher, panel, and emails;
• Tailored experiences for all devices;
• Integrations with Shopify POS, Judge.me, Klaviyo, Gorgias, Mailchimp, and Okendo.

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Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards

Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards aims to simplify customer retention with six marketing solutions in one app.

The next one making it to our list of best loyalty apps on Shopify is Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards, a comprehensive solution helping you unlock the full potential of your loyalty initiatives.

With Yotpo, you can build customized loyalty and rewards programs based on points, spending, purchases, or referrals, letting customers earn rewards for a variety of actions.

Yotpo simplifies customer loyalty and retention by incorporating six marketing solutions in one app: reviews, loyalty and referrals, email, SMS, subscription, and visual UGC (User-Generated Content). With these products working together, you create not just a loyalty program but a loyalty experience.

Ratings and reviews: 4.7/5 (2,466 reviews)

Pricing:

• Free plan: Free to install.
• Gold plan: US$199/month

Key Features:

• Intuitive retention dashboard with an analysis of your performance and smart recommendations;
• Modular deployment to customize, launch and manage your program without code;
• Checkout redemption options to help customers quickly redeem points for awesome store products or discounts;
• 20+ ready-made out-of-the box campaigns;
• Integrations with Shopify POS, Yotpo, Klaviyo, ReCharge, Gorgias, and SMSbump.

Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist

Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist offers an all-in-one marketing solution for online stores at affordable prices.

This app goes beyond a Shopify loyalty app; it is an all-in-one marketing platform that enables you to foster customer retention and drive conversion for your online store.

Learn more: 10 Best Shopify Apps for Conversions in 2023

Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist removes the busywork of dealing with multiple marketing apps by bundling all powerful tools for referrals, rewards, reviews, wishlists, loyalty programs, gift cards, and UGC in one solid app. 

Offering the most affordable plans on the list, Growave ensures you can implement effective loyalty programs on Shopify at a price that won’t break the bank.

Ratings and reviews: 4.8/5 (1,925 reviews)

Pricing:

• 30-day free trial
• Basic plan: US$9/month
• Starter plan: US$19/month
• Medium plan: US$49/month
• Growth plan: US$99/month
• Enterprise plan: US$299/month

Key Features:

• Mobile optimization;
• Rich functionality in one app;
• Unlimited VIP tiers for your loyalty program;
• One-click social login feature that simplifies the account registration process;
• Industry-leading customer support;
• Management of multiple apps under a single dashboard;
• Advanced built-in analytics with comprehensive data to measure success;
• Full customization from the app’s dashboard;
• Seamless theme integration and compatibility with Shopify Online Store 2.0;
• Integrations with Shopify POS, Pagefly, LayoutHub, GemPages, Shopney, Klaviyo, Omnisend, Gorgias, Avada, PushOwl, Ampify, Postscript, and Recharge.

Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals

Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals is the only loyalty app that lets your developers build on top of their code.

Built exclusively for Shopify with endless integrations, Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals is an open and fully-customizable loyalty platform that turns one-time shoppers into lifetime customers.

With Rivo, you can build a robust loyalty program through points and rewards, referrals, and VIP tiers to keep your customers shopping, redeeming, and sharing. Moreover, Rivo boasts the only loyalty platform that lets you create your own features and customizations on top of the platform.

One selling point of this app is its entirely free plan that allows for 150 monthly orders and unlimited loyalty program members, making it an excellent choice for those with a small budget.

Ratings and reviews: 4.9/5 (1,677 reviews)

Pricing:

• 3-day free trial
• Free plan: 100% free forever
• Starter plan: US$49/month
• Growth plan: US$189/month
• Premium plan: US$349/month
• Enterprise plan: Custom pricing

Key Features:

• Powerful backend system that gives you full control of your program and data;
• Fully customizable frontend with Rivo Developer Toolkit;
• 24/7 world-class live chat support;
• Integrations with Klaviyo, Judgeme, Gorgias, Mailchimp, Stamped, Loox, Okenndo, Reviews.io, Recharge, Postscript, and Drip.

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Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty

Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty allows you to create loyalty programs based on store credit, launch cash incentive campaigns, and sell stunning gift cards.

If you are seeking a groundbreaking solution to skyrocket your retention rate, give Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty a try.

As the first automated store credit solution for online stores, Rise provides a unique approach that goes beyond traditional points-based systems. With Rise, you can create intuitive loyalty programs centered around store credits, offering a tangible value that customers can use towards future purchases.

Rise also sets it apart with the ability to deliver store credit or real money incentives directly to customers' inboxes or accounts, ensuring customers have immediate access to their rewards. Another standout feature of Rise is its stunning gift-giving experience, allowing customers to easily purchase and send personalized gift cards directly to recipients. 

With all these cutting-edge features, Rise makes sure you are always on the customer's top of wallet.

Ratings and reviews: 4.9/5 (1,016 reviews)

Pricing:

• 7-day free trial
• Starter plan: US$19.99/month
• Small-business plan: US$59.99/month
• Pro plan: US$199.99/month
• Premium plan: US$599.99/month
• Enterprise plan: Custom pricing

Key Features:

• Automated store credit rewards;
• Store credit refunds;
• Branded gifting experience with advanced sending features;
• Completely customized reward options based on customer behavior;
• Multi-channel capability to reward your customers wherever they shop;
• Integrations with Shopify POS, Klaviyo, Ali Reviews, Recharge, Okendo, CartHook, Loop Returns, Yotpo, and Loox.

BON Loyalty Rewards & Referrals

With BON Loyalty app, you can build rewarding point-based loyalty programs offering various options to earn and redeem points.

Despite being operational for nearly two years, BON Loyalty earns it a spot on our list for its powerful features that help you win your customer’s trust and retention. 

With BON Loyalty, you are equipped with everything you need to set up captivating point-based loyalty programs that give your customers 18 different ways to earn points and 6 different ways to redeem them. 

In addition to the loyalty programs, BON Loyalty enables you to set up referral and VIP tier-based programs to please your customers and keep them coming back for more.

BON Loyalty also has a free plan that allows up to 250 monthly orders and gives access to basic features.

Ratings and reviews: 5.0/5 (1,060 reviews)

Pricing:

• 3-day free trial
• Free plan: Free forever
• Lite plan: US$15/month
• Growth plan: US$99/month
• Professional plan: US$349/month

Key Features:

• Easy to use on multiple devices;
• Various points earning and redeeming options;
• Data migration from other apps;
• Fast & responsive 24/7 customer support;
• Fully customization options for loyalty widget, page, email, content, etc.;
• 250+ languages displayed simultaneously for loyalty widget and automated emails;
• Integration with Shopify POS, Judge.me, and Fera Product Reviews.

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Tips and Tricks for A Successful Loyalty Program on Shopify

A Shopify loyalty app is undoubtedly a powerful tool to enhance your loyalty program, but it is not enough to guarantee its success.

Consider the following tips and tricks to ensure you make the most of your loyalty program and maximize its effectiveness:

• Clearly define your program objectives before launching it;
• Research your customer base to tailor your loyalty program to their needs and create relevant rewards and benefits;
• Offer meaningful and enticing rewards to encourage customer participation, such as exclusive discounts, free shipping, early access to sales, or personalized offers;
• Keep the enrollment process simple and rewarding;
• Gamify the experience by adding such features as point-based systems, progress bars, or levels/tiers;
• Optimize your program for mobile devices;
• Leverage automation features to streamline program management and communication;
• Regularly track and analyze the performance of your program;
• Continuously innovate and introduce new features or rewards to your loyalty program;
• Actively promote your program through various marketing channels.

Sephora’s Beauty Insider loyalty program is among the most widely-known and successful loyalty programs.

Pick The Right Shopify Loyalty App to Keep Customers Returning!

By leveraging the power of the 6 best Shopify loyalty apps and following the tips and tricks outlined in this article, you'll be well on your way to building a loyal customer base that supports your business for years to come.

However, it is crucial to remember that a well-executed loyalty program is just one piece of the puzzle for sustainable business growth. For your business to truly thrive in this competitive eCommerce world, it is best to embrace a well-rounded approach that combines various effective factors, including a powerful page builder like GemPages.

By combining the best Shopify loyalty program and the best Shopify powerful page builder like GemPages, you create a comprehensive ecosystem that sets a solid foundation for the success of your business.

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FAQs about Best Shopify Loyalty Apps

What is the best loyalty app on Shopify?

The best Shopify loyalty app can vary depending on your specific business needs, preferences, and budget. Here is our curated list of 6 highly-rated and widely-used Shopify loyalty apps:

1. Smile: Loyalty & Rewards
2. Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards
3. Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist
4. Rivo: Loyalty & Referrals
5. Rise.ai: Gift Cards & Loyalty
6. BON Loyalty Rewards & Referrals

How to set up a loyalty program on Shopify?

Here is our general guide to help you set up a successful loyalty program on Shopify:

1. Define your program objectives;
2. Research your target customers;
3. Install and set up a reliable Shopify loyalty app;
4. Decide on the mechanics of your loyalty program;
5. Customize program communication;
6. Promote your loyalty program;
7. Monitor and optimize your program.

What are the differences between reward, loyalty and referral programs for Shopify?

Reward programs, loyalty programs, and referral programs are all different types of customer incentive programs. Here is the key difference between these programs:

1. Reward programs aim to encourage repeat purchases and customer engagement by offering rewards or incentives based on specific actions or spending thresholds.
2. Loyalty programs focus on creating a loyal customer base by offering exclusive benefits for loyal customers.
3. Referral programs leverage existing customers to acquire new ones by incentivizing them to refer their friends, family, or colleagues to the store.