According to 59% of American consumers, once they’re loyal to a brand, they’re loyal for life. (Acquia)

These are strong words. After all, we’re not the best “keepers” on Earth. We change partners, jobs, and even homes all the time. So how can a business be sure that customers remain loyal?

One way is to implement rewards programs. These can come in many forms – points, badges, discounts, freebies – but they all have one thing in common: they reward customers for shopping with you.

Here are the best Shopify reward apps that can make customer loyalty a reality.

Benefits of using Shopify apps to increase customer loyalty

Everyone loves getting something for free. If you own a store, Shopify loyalty program apps can be your little hidden secret to achieving that.

Why it’s worth a shot:

Drive customer retention rate

New customers are 5x more expensive to acquire than loyal ones to retain customers. Rewards apps are an easy way to keep customers coming back for more.

Streamline the process of delivering

You don’t have to manually issue loyalty rewards and referrals for each purchase. The app will automatically issue points or discounts whenever customers make a purchase.

Track customer loyalty program

The best Shopify loyalty program apps offer powerful analytics that allows you to track how successful your program is and which types of loyalty reward are the most popular.

Provide incentives

The loyalty apps Shopify can provide special incentive-based offers, such as double points for referring friends. Thus, you don’t have to worry about what to offer to your most loyal clients.

Strengthen relationships with customers

The tools just make it easier for you to reach out to your customers, including sending them personalized emails and messages.

TOP 10 Best Shopify loyalty programs: overview 2023

With hundreds of apps available for Shopify stores, knowing which loyalty program apps are the perfect fit can be a tricky task. Here are our top picks for rewarding your most treasured buyers – and making them loyal fans.

1. Smile.io

First off, we want to show you one of the most popular reward program apps for Shopify – Smile.io. It’s super easy to implement and provides all the features necessary to implement the hassle-free loyalty program – rewards, points, referrals, and reminders.

smile.io app

source: smile.io

There are great features like automated email campaigns to make customers feel the love of your brand. Also, extensive customization options available mean that you can tailor the program to meet the specific needs of your shopping base.

Key features

  • Nudges to remind customers about their points and referral links
  • Highly customization options (including rewards launcher, panel, and emails)
  • Integration options of all kinds
  • Content auto-translation for loyalty programs

For up to 200 monthly orders, Smile offers a free plan. Plans with advanced features and analytics range from $49 to $599 per month. 

2. Growave

The next Shopify loyalty app on the list – Growave – redefines what it means to reward customers.

growave app

source: growave.io

In just a few clicks, Growave can help you create a rewarding program for your e-commerce store using points-based rewards loyalty technology. Due to its excellent support and seamless integration process, it’s one of the top-rated solutions on the market.

Key features

  • Configuring VIP tiers to automatically provide specific benefits to customers who match the criteria
  • Rewardable actions and grouping them into specific categories
  • Implementing wishlists and triggering emails
  • Auto-collecting photo and product reviews (including Instagram UGC)
  • Supports Shopify Multipass integration

The prices vary depending on the number of orders. The cheapest Growave plan costs $9 per month. Then, the costs go up to $299 per month. An ecommerce store owner can also choose a tailor-made solution.

3. Joy

It’s an all-in-one automatic reward platform that extremely well connects all the loyalty features available together. Joy loyalty program is one of these tools that can really enhance the way you connect with your loyal customers – without compromising on flexibility.

joy app

source: apps.shopify.com/joyio

The best part is that you can fully customize and tailor your platform components to match your brand image with this tool. Also, it offers great analytics options that can be extremely helpful in improving your loyalty program.

Key features

  • Customer reward points management
  • Fully customizable branding
  • Automated email notification system
  • Hassle-free implementation
  • Instantly collecting feedback with powerful analytics

For up to 250 orders, the app has a free plan. For the Pro version, users have to pay $29, billed monthly.

4. Yotpo

Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals makes it easy to design and launch customer loyalty programs that stand the test of time.

yotpo. app

source: yotpo.com

With the help of this tool, you can launch campaigns quickly and start building consumer advocacy. It even gets further. You can schedule campaigns in advance and segment customers according to their point balance, last purchase date, VIP program, etc.

Key features

  • Launching and managing campaigns without any coding skills
  • Deep integration with other Shopify apps
  • Easy-to-learn and intuitive dashboard
  • Detailed program analytics

Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals is free (up to 100 monthly orders). After that, monthly prices begin at $249. Every plan comes with a demo.

5. Nector

At the click of a button, you can scale your brand loyalty. Nector makes launching campaigns incredibly straightforward – no more manually juggling point balances.

nector app

source: apps.shopify.com/nector-rewards-loyalty

Nector will take care of your whole loyalty program strategy and help you draw the right conclusions to boost customer engagement. With the integration of reviews, emails, and customer service tools, it becomes a powerful loyalty system.

Key features

  • Responsive for mobile devices
  • Tracking loyalty program performance and insights
  • 24/7 support service
  • Implementing loyalty programs easily

Nector has a free plan for a small online business with less than 300 monthly orders. After that, the app will cost no more than $299 per month for up to 20,000 orders. A free 30-day trial is available.

6. Rise.ai

In comparison to other solutions on this list, Rise.ai emphasizes gift cards and store credit the most. Offering deep customer insights and reward campaigns in a single platform, Rise.ai simplifies loyalty marketing for Shopify stores.

rise.ai app

source: rise.ai

With Rise.ai at your side, it is possible to create an automated reward program that will generate store credits based on customer behavior. This shortens your efforts to a minimum.

Key features

  • Gift cards – issuing and managing
  • Automated rules – creating Store Credit based on customer behavior
  • Intuitive and flexible
  • Offering store credit refunds

Rise.ai provides a 7-day free trial. Monthly fees range from $20 to $600 (up to 12,000 orders).

7. UpPromote

UpPromote is the best around when it comes to an affiliate program. And it’s the right loyalty app for beginners, as its team can guide you through the process effortlessly.

UpPromote app

source: uppromote.com

The software keeps track of coupon codes, gifts, and store credits – and allows you to launch a perfectly-tailored word-of-mouth marketing campaign to encourage repeat purchases.

Key features

  • Commission-rich affiliate programs
  • Bonuses, gifts, store credit, and MLM available
  • Tracking referral orders
  • Fraud protection

A monthly subscription to UpPromote begins at $22 and goes up to $140. Costs may increase for custom development requests. Plan options include a free option.

8. Rivo

Rivo is an exclusive Shopify app. This speaks for itself. Simply put, it’s designed to give Shopify users the best possible experience. With its help, you can create a dedicated Loyalty Page on your site (or in your app) in minutes.

Rivo app

source: rivo.io

It’s easy to set up, even if you’re not tech savvy — but if you need help along the way, their knowledgeable customer support team is always on hand to assist.

Key features

  • Flexible referral program solutions
  • Easy integration with other apps (such as MailChimp or Drip)
  • Offering exclusive perks to VIP customers
  • Well-designed branded elements

In terms of price-feature ratio, Rivo is one of the most affordable solutions. Monthly prices range from $39 to $299.

9. ReferralCandy

ReferralCandy helps Shopify stores helps retain existing customers with a referral program and rewards those who bring in new business.

ReferralCandy app

source: refferalcandy.com

With this Shopify loyalty program app, you can seamlessly integrate referral programs into your Shopify store and create personalized referral links without spending hours on them. Moreover, it offers purchase popups, landing pages, and referral widgets for a 360-degree approach.

Key features

  • Custom rewards (including cash rewards)
  • Post-purchase popups and emails
  • Highly customization options
  • Referral widgets to grab attention

The monthly pricing range for ReferralCandy is $59-$299 per month, plus a commission fee (1.5%-3.5% depending on the plan). The Enterprise plan is also available.

10. LoyaltyLion

LoyaltyLion offers more than just rewards and loyalty points management. Using this solution, you can create a unique loyalty program that expresses your company’s identity.

LoyaltyLion app

source: loyaltylion.com

It is easily integrated into your existing tools and technologies, so you don’t have to worry about its adaptability. However, due to the LoyaltyLion complexity and the many advanced features available, it can be quite costly.

Key features

  • Quickly launch loyalty pages
  • Points for basic on-site activities
  • Email and on-site notifications
  • Customizable points and gifts

On this list, it’s the most expensive option. Starting at $399 per month, the price can reach even $1,650.

Choose the best reward program app for your Shopify ecommerce

Shopify apps development, with its range of reward Shopify apps, has the potential to revolutionize your customer loyalty program.

Just the right combination of perks, discounts, and incentives, can be a surefire way to increase customer satisfaction while enjoying more success and profits through your store.

We feel that among these best Shopify loyalty apps is the one – which fits your online store (and its customers) perfectly. 

* https://www.acquia.com/resources/e-book/closing-cx-gap-customer-experience-trends-report