11 Best Shopify Referral Apps In 2023

Are you looking for ways to increase your Shopify store’s customer base and revenue? Referral marketing is a powerful strategy that can help you achieve both goals. In fact, according to a survey by ReferralCandy, 82% of customers are more likely to trust a company that their friends or family recommend.

Fortunately, there are many Shopify referral apps available that can help you implement a successful referral program. To help you choose the best one for your business, we’ve compiled a list of the top 11 Shopify referral apps for 2023.

But first, let’s take a look at some statistics that demonstrate the power of referral marketing. According to a study by Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know. Additionally, referred customers have a 37% higher retention rate than non-referred customers, and they also tend to spend more.

By incorporating a Shopify referral app into your marketing strategy, you can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing and turn your happy customers into brand advocates. So, without further ado, let’s dive into our list of the best Shopify referral apps for 2023 and start growing your customer base and revenue today.

Why do you need a Shopify referral app?

Running a successful ecommerce business requires more than just having a great product or service to sell. You also need a solid marketing strategy to drive traffic to your site and encourage customers to make purchases. One effective way to do this is by using a shopify referral program, which rewards existing customers for referring new ones.

However, managing a referral program manually can be time-consuming and prone to errors. That’s where a Shopify referral app comes in. By using an app specifically designed for eCommerce software, you can automate the referral process and track the results in real-time. This can help you maximize the benefits of your referral program while minimizing the time and effort required to manage it.

Here are a few key benefits of using a Shopify referral app:

1. Increased sales: Referral programs are a proven way to increase sales and revenue. By incentivizing existing customers to refer new ones, you can tap into a powerful marketing channel that can bring in new customers at a lower cost than traditional advertising methods.
2. Better customer engagement: Referral programs can also help you build stronger relationships with your existing customers. By offering rewards for referrals, you show your customers that you value their business and appreciate their support. This can help increase customer loyalty and retention.
3. Automated tracking: With a Shopify referral app, you can automate the entire referral process, from tracking referrals to issuing rewards. This can save you time and reduce the risk of errors or fraud.
4. Real-time analytics: Many Shopify referral apps also offer real-time analytics, so you can track the performance of your referral program and make adjustments as needed. This can help you optimize your program for maximum results.

A Shopify referral app can be a valuable tool for any ecommerce business looking to increase sales and customer engagement. By automating the referral process and tracking results in real time, you can maximize the benefits of your program and grow your business more effectively.

How can a Shopify referral app benefit your business?

Shopify referral apps are software tools that allow you to create and manage a referral program for your Shopify store. These apps make it easy for you to incentivize your customers to refer their friends and family to your store, which can lead to increased sales and customer loyalty.

Here are some of the benefits of using a Shopify referral app for your business:

Increase your customer base

One of the biggest advantages of using a Shopify referral app is that it can help you increase your customer base. By incentivizing your existing customers to refer their friends and family to your store, you can tap into a new audience that you may not have been able to reach otherwise. This can help you grow your business and increase sales in a cost-effective way.

Boost customer loyalty

In addition to helping you attract new customers, a referral program can also help boost customer loyalty. When your existing customers refer new customers to your store, they are essentially vouching for your brand and products. This can help strengthen the relationship between your business and your customers, and encourage them to continue shopping with you in the future.

Improve your marketing efforts

Using a Shopify referral app can also help you improve your marketing efforts. Referral programs can generate a lot of buzz and excitement around your brand, which can lead to increased social media engagement and word-of-mouth marketing. This can help you reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness without spending a lot of money on traditional marketing channels.

Easy to set up and manage

Setting up and managing a referral program can be a daunting task, especially if you are not familiar with the process. However, using a Shopify referral app can make it much easier. These apps are designed to be user-friendly and easy to set up, even if you have no prior experience with referral marketing. Plus, many Shopify referral apps come with built-in tracking and reporting tools, so you can easily monitor the performance of your program.

Increase sales and revenue

Finally, using a Shopify referral app can help you increase sales and revenue. By incentivizing your customers to refer new customers to your store, you can generate more sales without having to spend a lot of money on advertising. Plus, because referrals are coming from trusted sources (i.e., your existing customers), they are more likely to convert into paying customers.

A Shopify referral app can be a game-changer for your business. By increasing your customer base, boosting customer loyalty, improving your marketing efforts, and increasing sales and revenue, a referral program can help take your business to the next level. And with so many user-friendly Shopify referral apps available, it’s easier than ever to get started. So why not give it a try and see how it can benefit your business?

What to look for when choosing a Shopify referral app for your store?

Choosing a referral app for your Shopify store is an important decision that can significantly impact your business. Referral programs are a great way to grow your customer base, increase sales, and improve customer loyalty. However, with so many different referral apps available, knowing which one to choose can be difficult. We will look at some of the key factors to consider when selecting a referral app for your Shopify store.

Ease of use and setup

One of the most important factors to consider when selecting a referral app for your Shopify store is how easy it is to use and set up. Look for a referral app that is easy to install and configure, with clear instructions and user-friendly interface. The app should integrate seamlessly with your Shopify store, so you don’t have to worry about technical issues or compatibility problems.

Features and Functionality

Another important factor to consider is the features and functionality of the referral app. Look for an app that offers a range of features, such as customizable referral codes, automated reward tracking and distribution, and integration with popular social media platforms. Make sure the app has all the features you need to run a successful referral program, and that they are easy to use and customize to your specific needs.

Pricing and affordability

When selecting a referral app, it’s also important to consider the cost and affordability of the app. Look for an app that offers transparent pricing with no hidden fees or extra charges. Consider the cost of the app against the potential benefits and ROI of running a referral program. Choose an app that fits within your budget and provides good value for money.

Customer support and assistance

Finally, consider the level of customer support and assistance offered by the referral app provider. Look for an app that provides good documentation and support resources and responsive and helpful customer support. The app provider should be available to answer any questions or concerns you have, and provide assistance with any technical issues or challenges you may face.

Selecting the right referral app for your Shopify store is an important decision that requires careful consideration. Look for an app that is easy to use and set up, offers a range of features and functionality, is affordable and provides good value for money, and has responsive and helpful customer support. By choosing the right referral app, you can grow your customer base, increase sales, and improve customer loyalty, all while providing a positive customer experience that drives conversions and repeat business.

What are the best Shopify Referral Apps?

If you’re interested in setting up a referral program for your Shopify store, several apps available on the Shopify App Store can help. Here are some of the best Shopify referral program apps:

1. Referral Candy

ReferralCandy is a popular Shopify referral app that allows online businesses to set up and run their own referral programs. It helps businesses create referral campaigns that incentivize existing customers to refer new customers to the store, increasing customer acquisition and sales.

Some of the key features of ReferralCandy include customizable referral programs, real-time analytics, automatic reward distribution, and integrations with popular email marketing tools. The app also provides businesses with various referral marketing templates and designs to choose from, ensuring that their referral campaigns align with their branding and marketing goals.

In terms of performance, Referral Candy has an impressive track record. According to their website, Referral Candy customers have generated over $100 million in referral sales, and the app has been used by over 30,000 businesses worldwide. These statistics speak to the effectiveness of Referral Candy as a referral program app for Shopify.

One of the standout features of Referral Candy is its user-friendly interface. The app is designed to be easy to use and navigate, even for those who are new to referral marketing. This makes it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.

Referral Candy is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a powerful and user-friendly referral program app for Shopify. With its seamless integration, customization options, and impressive performance, it’s easy to see why Referral Candy is one of the best Shopify referral apps on the market today

Features

• Integrate with your favorite ESPs in a few clicks
• It is more flexible as it has JS and API integration options.
• Third-party apps like ReCharge, ChargeBee, and PayWhirl can be connected
• Connect with other marketing apps effortlessly
• You can automate your referral program
• Customize your landing pages, emails, etc.
• Automatically detect successful referrals.
• Use the theme editor – no coding knowledge is required
• Get notified when referral codes are released on coupon sites
• Fraudulent activities will be automatically banned.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Premium Pricing

A 30-day free trial is available. Premium plans of ReferralCandy start at $39/per month.

2. Retainful

Retainful is one of the best Shopify referral apps to help you turn your existing customers into brand advocates & acquire new customers. What makes Retainful unique is its discovery features. The Retainful refer-a-friend program offers an elegant chat-like widget so customers can easily discover your referral program and start referring their friends immediately. This Shopify referral app helps you reward Referred Person and Referee (referring person) with a percentage discount, fixed discount, or free shipping discount.

Retainful offers more than what a standard Shopify referral app does. It also comes with email marketing automation features. So you can automatically send the unique referral link to a customer when they make a purchase. You can even send automatic email reminders with a referral link after purchase.

Retainful comes with multiple branding options. This Shopify referral program app includes widgets and Thank You page popups to help promote your referral program to your customers.

This is how Retainful’s referral program works,

• The customer gets a unique referral link when they make a purchase or sign up for an account.

• The customer shares the referral link with their friends.

• When the friend visits your store using the referral link, they will be asked to enter their email address to check if they are a new customer. Once the email address is entered and verified, they will be given the “friend reward.”

• When the friend makes the first purchase successfully, the referee (the referring person/advocate) is given the reward.

• The friend is rewarded for the first purchase and not for subsequent purchases. And the advocate (the referring person) only gets the reward after a successful referral – one reward per successful referral.

• You can offer a percentage discount, fixed discount & free shipping discount as referral rewards.

Key Features

• Launch a referral program quickly
• Chat like the Launcher widget for easy discovery of referral programs and rewards
• Unique referral link for each customer
• Fully customizable & branding features
• Rewards can be a percentage discount, flat discount, or free shipping
• Track the referral revenue, activity, and rewards in the dashboard
• User-friendly interface
• Social media share options for customers to share their referral link
• Email notifications when a friend earns a reward, when advocates earn a reward
• Automatically notify customers with their referral link when they make a purchase.
• Pre-built referral email templates are available.
• Drag and drop email editor to customize your emails
• Personalize referral emails using shortcodes

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Pricing

Retainful pricing starts at $19/month.

3. Referrals and Affiliates – Shopjar

The Referrals and Affiliates app allows you to create a Referral Program with flexible rewards. And it’s free. You can reward both the referee and the referrer with this app. The referring person can earn a reward for each successful referral.

One of the unique features of this app is the Referral Landing page. You can create a landing page for customers to join the referral program and invite their friends easily. Customers must type in their friend’s email addresses to invite them to your store. The app also provides a Referral Portal where the referring persons can view their unique referral URL, rewards, and referral sales.

Another important feature is the OTP-based guest login. It is not necessary for the referrers to create a Shopify account. They can enter their email address and receive a one-time passcode to access the Referral Portal

Another key feature of this referral app for Shopify is its conditional rewards. This allows you to create a tiered referral program in Shopify. Example:

• Refer 5 friends, and get $10 for each successful referral
• Refer 10 friends, and get $20 for each successful referral
• Refer 50+ friends, and get $50 for each successful referral

Also, you can create rewards based on several conditions

• Friend Email domain – The new customer(referral) will earn only when they sign up using a particular email domain.

• Total referral sales amount – If you set the sales amount to $500. The Advocate is only rewarded when his referrals generate $500 in sales for your store.

• Friend order contains – Products – You can reward the friend only if they purchase the specified product.

This Shopify referral app tracks your campaign performance in real-time and displays detailed reports – Sales and rewards issued for the advocates and friends.

Features

• Quick referral campaign setup, easy-to-use interface
• Flexible referral rewards – Percentage, Fixed discount, Free Product, Free Shipping
• Landing page for the Referral Program
• Easy registration for referrers / existing customers
• Friends can claim the reward for their first purchase itself
• Popup to showcase referral program on thank you page
• Fraud prevention – Manual reward approval workflow for advocates/referrers
• Referral Portal for Referrers
• Reports – Sales, Rewards, Members, and more
• Unlimited members
• Customizable Email Templates – Invite friends, successful referrals for friends and referrers
• No coding knowledge required

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Pricing

Referrals and Affiliates provide the referral feature as free. Get started today

4. UpPromote: Affiliate Marketing

UpPromote: Affiliate Marketing is the top recommended affiliate marketing and referral app on Shopify App Store. It’s an excellent choice for all-size businesses with outstanding features that fill the needs of recruiting, managing, and paying affiliate marketers with a personalized dashboard.

With this all-in-one solution, you can build and manage your professional marketing campaign with minimum effort. Beginners and experienced users can create complete affiliate programs with varied commission programs with a few clicks. Also, it provides detailed reports for merchants to keep track of affiliates’ performance through clicks, orders, sales, etc.

It is one must-have Shopify affiliate marketing/referral app that offers all the basic to excellent advanced features. Furthermore, UpPromote implements customization upon request for Enterprise customers.

Features

• Easy-to-use: Quick setting up process with detailed instructions. Automated processes with automated functions can help to save time, such as Auto-generated affiliate links, coupons, and auto-approval affiliates/referrals.
• Build your affiliate team: Customizable affiliate registration form. Besides, you can create unlimited affiliate programs with different commission offers.
• Manage your affiliate campaign: Track all referral orders and manage your affiliate performance through a reliable real-time tracking process.
• Fraud protection: Reduce the risks of affiliate fraud and referral scams that may cause loss to your business
• Integrating with PayPal allows you to automatically perform payment processes for your affiliates within a few clicks.
• Grow with affiliates/ambassadors team: Support to recruit affiliates by free listing on UpPromote Marketplace; or with a Multi-level Marketing feature.
• The customer referral feature allows customers to refer your products to their friends and family and earn a small commission.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Premium Pricing

UpPromote has a 14-Day free trial, and the ENTERPRISE plan starts at $139.99/month.

5. Smile.io

Smile io is one of the best Shopify referral apps because of its user-friend interface, clean design, and unique popup module that can help store owners track and reward referrals. With this referral program app for Shopify, you can create a custom message with appealing illustrations and send it to your customers so that they can share them and invite their friends to your store.

Smile io offers two-way incentives; existing customers can earn points for referring friends. The referral can also earn a reward after making their first purchase using their friend’s referral link. This will develop better engagement with your customers, who will be willing to participate in your store’s activities.

You can offer a percentage, fixed amount discount, free shipping, and free products as Referral rewards using this Shopify referral app.

Smile is one of the best Shopify referral program apps that will provide you with complete control over how your existing customers want to share their referral links.

Feature

• Achieve WOM sales effortlessly.
• Urgencies for bonus points can be created.
• Set expiry dates for rewards
• Each customer gets a personalized referral link.
• Send links through emails and pop-ups.
• Referral traffic can be easily monitored.
• Referrals are linked with a VIP program.
• Options to claim incentives directly from your website.
• Send emails and expiry notifications
• Easy customization and no coding are required.
• 24/7 customer support for paid users.

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Premium Pricing

The starter plan of Smile io starts at $49/month.

6. Conjured Referrals

Why don’t you let your customers do the marketing for you? A recent study suggests that people are more likely to purchase a product that was referred to by their friends. Create a dynamic platform for your customers to refer their friends using Conjured Referrals.

Conjured Referral is similar to the Shopify referrals apps discussed above, where you can turn existing customers into advocates and ask them to refer their friends. When their friend completes a purchase, the referrer will be rewarded.

With Conjured Referrals, you can manage your referral campaign from the dashboard without leaving the Shopify store. Review your performance statistics and view your referral program’s success from the dashboard. The conjured referral is entirely automated so you can send coupon codes or gift cards without manual effort.

A vital aspect of this Shopify referral app is its fraud management. If you find out that the referral link given to your customers is being used again & again, you can manually disable it. The conjured referral is built-in with a special feature that forbids shoppers from referring themselves, and you can also ban specific users by their IP and email address.

Features

• You can prevent self-referrals and frauds.
• Easily integrate with Recharge and Bold subscription.
• You can send any number of reminder emails.
• Options for blocking referrals sent to existing customers.
• Every customer gets a unique referral link.
• You can limit referrals to one-time redeemable.
• Integrates with any currency.
• Say no to transaction fees.
• Say no to ‘Powered by branding.

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Premium Pricing

A 14-Day free trial is available. The Pro version starts at $29/per month.

7. Gratisfaction

Unlike the Shopify referral apps discussed above, Gratisfaction is an all-in-one loyalty, referral, instant win, birthdays, anniversaries, promotions sweepstakes, and giveaways platform. And yes, gratisffaction also incentivizes your customers to refer your store to their friends.

Using this referral program app for Shopify, you can make your sweepstakes and contests go viral by making your customers invite their friends through social media to earn additional entries and unlock exclusive rewards. Customers can also collect these points as loyalty points for reward redemption.

Users can share their referral links, customized text, and images on social media to invite new leads. You can view all details about the referrals, the name of the referral, who they were referred by, etc., in your dashboard.

Features

• You can activate a double or single-sided referral program.
• You can run multiple sweepstakes and giveaways.
• You can reward customers instantly when they make a specific reaction.
• Reward customers on their special occasions.
• Run exciting quizzes and surveys for customers to earn points.
• Reward customers for subscribing to your newsletter.
• Rewards customers when they share socially.

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Pricing

Gratisfaction pricing plans start at $19.95 per month

8. Gather

Customers usually listen to other customers’ recommendations rather than advertisements, so spending money on ads is unnecessary. Gather can manage an automatic referral program for you, rewarding existing customers when their friend makes a purchase.

Gather is capable of offering you 2 types of referral campaigns,

• A referral program solely focused on sales growth.
• Referral program focussed on expanding your customer base.

It is one of the best Shopify referral apps with more targeting options for customers to invite their friends to your store. With Gather, you can easily track your customer’s referral data, and the app seamlessly syncs with other marketing apps for better targeting.

Gather is simple to integrate and can be easily set up in under a minute, and no coding is required.

Features

• Each customer gets a unique discount code.
• Provide newsletter referral campaigns.
• Referrals through Facebook messenger are supported.
• Easy sync with marketing apps.
• Provide exit intent, site session timer, and page timer.
• You can send referral emails on behalf of customers.
• You can manage your referral easily.
• Prevent fraudulent activities like self-referrals.
• Effortlessly track customer data.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Premium Pricing

Gather has a 14-Day free trial, and the Pro version is priced at $350/month.

9. Social Boost

Social Boost is one of the Shopify referral apps that allows you to run social media-based viral offers, giveaways, contests, referral marketing & sweepstakes on your website, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. It is a dynamic incentivization platform that enables you to grow email lists, referrals, followers, etc. With the social boost, you can enrich your customer engagement and boost your sales exponentially.

With this best Shopify referral app, you can quickly turn your store visitors into customers by paying them to share your personalized messages on social media. Social boost increases connections on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter by showcasing your business to new customers.

Social Boost is one of the best Shopify referral program apps for increasing social media traffic. The setup is very simple, and also It is easy to integrate. Once you’ve set it up, you can start creating various referral campaigns effortlessly.

Features

• Create unlimited campaigns
• Single Social media sign-in
• Coupons will be automatically created for winners.
• You can set multiple restrictions like age, country, and zip.
• It has an in-built anti-cheat algorithm.
• You can embed it anywhere.
• Email deliverability is high.
• Campaign templates are built-in.
• You can launch a campaign within minutes.
• You can translate it into any language.

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Pricing

Premium pricing plans start at $9.95 per month

10. Coopt

Coopt enables your customers to showcase the product they purchased in return for a little discount. You can offer immediate cashback to customers for sharing their purchases on Facebook.

Nowadays, paid advertisements have little impact on customers as they prefer social proof before making a purchase decision. Coopt benefits customers and store owners as they reach a larger audience through social media promotions.

Features

• Partial refund for every successful referral.
• Integrates with Facebook.
• Rewards will be offered instantly.
• Quick check-out time.

Rating: 4.6/5.0

Premium Pricing

Coopt has a 14-Day free trial, and the Pro version starts at $19/per month

11. BLoop Referrals & Rewards

BLoop Referrals and Rewards is an excellent Shopify referral app for small businesses that want to run a dynamic referral program to increase sales and engagement. This Shopify referral app is considered one of the emerging referral apps offered for Free.

Referral links will be automatically generated and can be shared with customers via widgets and popups. You can create customized referral messages via BLoop and share them with your friends.

Percentage and Fixed amount discounts are the available referral rewards that can be offered to your advocate and the referral after a successful purchase.

You can customize the popups and widgets to suit your branding. Email notifications can also be customized using a simple email editor and sent to both the advocate and the friend.

Features

• You can set a minimum order limit.
• Set expiry dates to coupons to induce FOMO
• Scam detection
• You can check your referral program metrics on the referral dashboard
• Send customized emails to engage with customers

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Pricing

BLOOP Rewards & Referrals has a free plan, and their basic plan starts at $20.

Conclusion:

Shopify referral apps are an effective way to increase traffic and sales for your online store. By leveraging the power of word-of-mouth marketing, you can turn your satisfied customers into brand ambassadors and drive new business.

After researching and testing various options, we recommend ReferralCandy as the best Shopify referral app. Its easy-to-use interface, customizable rewards, and automated referral tracking make it a top choice for both small and large businesses.

Another great option is Retainful, which offers automated email marketing in addition to referral marketing. This can help you build long-term relationships with customers and encourage repeat purchases.

Ultimately, the best referral app for your Shopify store will depend on your specific needs and budget. However, investing in a referral program can be a game-changer for your business, so it’s worth considering.

If you’re ready to take your Shopify store to the next level, try implementing a referral program with one of the recommended apps. With a little effort and the right tools, you can turn your customers into your best marketing asset and grow your business exponentially.

Get to know more about creating the best referral programs for Shopify using Retainful. So, what do you think of the best Shopify referral apps listed in this article? Do you think we left out something? Share your thoughts.