Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment gives a vendor more visibility, higher up on the review pages; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in loyalty program software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 13 tools, reviewed
#1 LoyaltyLion
Ecommerce loyalty for growing online stores · United Kingdom · loyaltylion.com
Order-based pricing Free under 400 orders London, UK
LoyaltyLion sits first because it is the clearest bridge between a free tool and a serious program. A store under 400 orders a month can start on the free plan, move to the $199 Classic plan as volume rises, and later reach VIP tiers, challenges and points on product pages on the Advanced plan.
- Pricing: Per order volume / month. Classic costs $199 a month for 500 orders; Advanced and Plus are quoted. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Growing ecommerce brands needing integrations
- Strengths: Branded loyalty page; Custom earning rules and rewards; VIP tiers (Advanced).
Where it falls short
The $199 entry price is above Joy and Smile.io for the same order volume, and Advanced and Plus have no published numbers, so the cost of VIP tiers is only known after a sales conversation.
Wrong for
A store with under 200 orders a month that just wants a cheap points widget.
Visit LoyaltyLion →
#2 Joy
Low-cost Shopify points, tiers and memberships · Vietnam · joy.so
Free plan Order-based Hanoi, Vietnam
Joy earns second place on price clarity. The free Starter plan allows 250 orders a month with basic points and up to 30 referrals, and the next step is just $29 for 500 orders, so a store that outgrows free does not meet a big jump.
- Pricing: Per order volume / month. Free Starter at 250 orders a month. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Small Shopify stores wanting low entry cost
- Strengths: Points program; Dedicated loyalty page; VIP tiers (Advanced).
Where it falls short
Support on lower plans is a knowledge base only, with dedicated account managers reserved for Ultimate. The company is smaller and newer than Smile.io or Yotpo, and its public pages state no certifications.
Wrong for
A brand running stores, an app and a point of sale on one points currency, or a buyer who needs a named security certification.
Visit Joy →
#3 Marsello
Loyalty for shops with tills and web stores · New Zealand · marsello.com
Per-site pricing POS and ecommerce Auckland, New Zealand
Marsello takes third because it treats the shop floor and the web store as one customer base without asking for a developer. The Launch plan includes RFM segmentation, a customer portal and Apple and Google Wallet passes, and the Accelerate plan adds VIP tiers, custom segmentation and API access.
- Pricing: Per site / month. Loyalty Launch from $100 NZD (about $60 USD) per site per month, Loyalty Accelerate from $200 NZD (about $120 USD). Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Retailers selling online and in-store
- Strengths: Branded loyalty program; Referral basics; RFM segmentation.
Where it falls short
Each extra site costs the same as the first, so a retailer with several locations pays per outlet.
Wrong for
A purely online brand whose entire stack is a storefront app; Joy or LoyaltyLion costs less per order.
Visit Marsello →
#4 Smile.io
Order-priced points and referrals for Shopify · Canada · smile.io
Free plan Published tiers Ontario, Canada
Smile.io is the best-known loyalty app for Shopify and its plan ladder is easy to read: from free at 200 orders a month up to Plus at 7,500, with every plan including points, referrals and a branded program. Full branding and multi-language support come on the free plan, which many rivals reserve for paid tiers.
- Pricing: Per order volume / month. Free (200 orders), Essential $15, Standard $79, Growth $199, Plus $999 on annual billing, and a custom Enterprise plan for retailers above $40M annual revenue. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Shopify stores wanting a standard program
- Strengths: Points program; Referral program; Multiple redemption options.
Where it falls short
Per-order overage fees add up, and VIP programs and better analytics need the more expensive tiers.
Wrong for
A retailer with physical stores, a mobile app or multi-brand points needs a different class of product.
Visit Smile.io →
#5 Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals
Loyalty module inside a retention suite · Israel · yotpo.com
Free plan Suite bundle Israel
Yotpo makes sense when loyalty is not bought alone. The pricing page states that combining Reviews & UGC with Loyalty & Referrals in a bundle costs less than buying each separately, and a store already collecting reviews gets a shared customer record.
- Pricing: Tiered / month. Free plan to start. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Brands already using Yotpo reviews or SMS
- Strengths: Points-based rewards; Referral programs; Custom program branding.
Where it falls short
Beyond the $199 entry point the pages give no numbers, so cost at scale is a sales conversation.
Wrong for
A small merchant that only needs points and nothing else; a dedicated loyalty app is cheaper.
Visit Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals →
#6 Square Loyalty
Loyalty built into the Square till · United States · squareup.com
Square-only 30-day trial Oakland, CA
Square Loyalty is the easiest program to start for a business that already takes payments through Square, because enrollment is a field at checkout and no data has to be synchronized between systems. Earning can be by visit, spend, item or category, and tiers multiply points for Bronze, Silver and Gold members.
- Pricing: Add-on to POS subscription. Add-on to Square with a 30-day free trial. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Cafes, salons and shops already on Square
- Strengths: Points by visit, spend or item; Enrollment at POS, web or invoice; Apple Wallet loyalty passes.
Where it falls short
It cannot be used without Square's payments and POS, so the program leaves with Square if you switch processors.
Wrong for
A business using another payment processor or running a Shopify store with its own loyalty app, or any brand needing a custom API.
Visit Square Loyalty →
#7 Rivo
Shopify loyalty with cashback and accounts products · United States · rivo.io
Shopify-focused Published tiers SOC 2 Type II
Rivo is a good fit for a Shopify brand that has outgrown a starter app but not yet reached an enterprise engine. Scale costs $49 a month for up to 2,500 orders and 250,000 loyalty participants, a larger allowance than most competitors give at that price. Plus at $499 removes the order cap.
- Pricing: Per order volume / month. Scale from $49 a month (7-day trial, up to 2,500 orders), Plus $499 a month for unlimited orders, custom plans for large brands. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Shopify and Shopify Plus brands
- Strengths: 150+ features; 50+ integrations; Unlimited orders on Plus.
Where it falls short
It is built around Shopify, so a platform change means a new loyalty vendor. Cashback and Accounts are separate paid products, from $199 and $499 monthly. The Scale plan has only a seven-day trial, and Plus has none.
Wrong for
Stores on non-Shopify platforms, or physical retailers needing till integration; Marsello or Square Loyalty serve those better.
Visit Rivo →
#8 Antavo
Enterprise loyalty cloud for multi-channel brands · Hungary · antavo.com
Quote only Enterprise Hungary
Antavo is where a retailer goes when loyalty has become a program with its own team. It covers tiers, a points economy, gamification, receipt scanning and a digital wallet, and connects to Shopify, Klaviyo, Bloomreach and Braze.
- Pricing: Quote only. No public pricing; sold through demos and agency, consultancy and integrator partners. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Mid-market and enterprise retail and F&B
- Strengths: Points and tier management; Digital wallet; Gamification.
Where it falls short
Nothing about price is public, and the contact page shows no street address for offices. A rollout needs partner support or a developer, so total cost includes services.
Wrong for
A store with a few hundred orders a month.
Visit Antavo →
#9 Voucherify
API-first coupons, loyalty and referrals engine · Poland · voucherify.io
API-first Published pricing Katowice, Poland
Voucherify is the one product here that lists real prices for an API-first engine, which makes it easier to evaluate than most of its category. Loyalty, coupons, referrals and gift cards share one rules engine, so a promotion like double points on a coupon-qualified cart can be expressed in a single place.
- Pricing: Per API calls / month. Business EUR 600 or $650 a month (25,000 API calls, 3 projects). Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Product teams building custom promotions
- Strengths: Coupons and promotions; Loyalty programs and tiers; Referral programs.
Where it falls short
The cheapest plan is EUR 600 a month, too much for a store that only wants points. A developer must build storefront widgets, because it is a backend.
Wrong for
A merchant without developers who wants a branded rewards page this week; choose Smile.io, Joy or LoyaltyLion, which ship the storefront side ready-made.
Visit Voucherify →
#10 Open Loyalty
API-first loyalty engine priced on active members · Poland · openloyalty.io
Per active member API-first Wroclaw, Poland
Open Loyalty prices on active members, not orders or API calls, which suits a program with many registered members of whom only some are active. Its pricing page says customers get full API access and an admin UI with no feature limits, so a small program is not locked out of features by plan.
- Pricing: Per active member. Priced on active members, meaning registered members with at least one loyalty event in a calendar month; no figures published; demo required. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Retail groups needing a bespoke program
- Strengths: Campaign builder; Points, tiers and badges; Challenges and leaderboards.
Where it falls short
There is no public price and no free plan, and the definition of an active member is settled in the agreement, so the effective rate can differ from a quote you compare.
Wrong for
Any store wanting a ready-to-install app with a rewards page; it is a platform for a technical team.
Visit Open Loyalty →
#11 Talkable
Referral marketing platform with fraud controls · United States · talkable.com
Referral-first Quote only San Francisco, US
Talkable is a different shape of product that happens to share this category. Where the others reward repeat purchases, it focuses on turning customers into an acquisition channel, with campaigns, A/B tests and segmentation.
- Pricing: Quote only. No published pricing; sales conversation required, and no free plan is offered. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Consumer brands focused on referrals
- Strengths: Referral campaign management; A/B testing; Detailed analytics.
Where it falls short
It does not run a points, tier or cashback program in the way loyalty tools do, so you may need a second product. Pricing is hidden behind a sales form, and no free plan exists.
Wrong for
A store that wants a points and tier system; Smile.io, LoyaltyLion or Joy cover that and include basic referrals.
Visit Talkable →
#12 Talon.One
Promotion and loyalty engine for enterprise teams · Germany · talon.one
Volume-based API-first Berlin, Germany
Talon.One treats loyalty as one use of a promotion rules engine, which is the right architecture for a company whose offers depend on cart contents, customer segments and campaign calendars. The Starter plan already includes a staging environment and audit logs, features that matter once several people edit live promotions. Professional adds a dedicated customer success manager and database server.
- Pricing: Quote only. Volume-based and individually quoted across Starter, Professional and Enterprise; Starter requires at least 500k coupons; no free plan. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Engineering-led enterprise commerce teams
- Strengths: Promotion rules engine; Coupons; Loyalty programs.
Where it falls short
All pricing is individual, and the Starter minimum of 500k coupons shows it is aimed at large volumes. Nothing is ready-made for a storefront, so developers build the customer-facing layer.
Wrong for
A small or mid-sized merchant with a simple points program.
Visit Talon.One →
#13 Annex Cloud
Enterprise loyalty experience platform · United States · annexcloud.com
Quote only Enterprise Denver, US
Annex Cloud is built for programs that are already large. Its site cites 115 million member profiles, 500 million transactions a year and clients such as Harley-Davidson, Harrods and Henkel, which indicates the scale it expects. The platform splits into modules for engagement, personalization, retention, referral advocacy and AI journey orchestration, so a brand can buy parts of it.
- Pricing: Quote only. No public pricing and no free plan; contact required for a quote. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Large brands with global programs
- Strengths: Engage; Personalize; Retain.
Where it falls short
Pricing is closed and the hosting model is not specified on its pages beyond SaaS. The privacy policy refers to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework instead of dedicated EU hosting, which European buyers will want to examine.
Wrong for
Small and mid-sized online stores, which are well served by cheaper tools such as Joy or LoyaltyLion, and any European buyer that requires data to stay in the EU.
Visit Annex Cloud →
Questions and answers
What is the best loyalty program software in 2026?
LoyaltyLion ranks first of 13, best for growing ecommerce brands needing integrations. Joy is second (small Shopify stores wanting low entry cost) and Marsello third (retailers selling online and in-store). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
How much does loyalty program software cost for a small store?
For a small online store the realistic range is $0 to about $200 a month. Joy and Smile.io both have free plans at 250 and 200 orders a month, Smile's Essential plan costs $15 and Joy's Essential costs $29.
Do I need a free plan, or is a trial enough?
A free plan suits a store that wants to test whether customers care at all, and Joy, Smile.io, Yotpo and LoyaltyLion offer one.
Is a points program better than a stamp card or cashback?
Points suit stores with varied basket sizes, because a large order earns more and rewards can be priced against margin. A stamp or visit card suits a business with one repeated purchase, such as a cafe.
Which loyalty tools work with Shopify, and which don't?
Smile.io, Joy, LoyaltyLion, Rivo, Yotpo and Marsello all list Shopify integrations, and Rivo is built specifically for Shopify brands. Square Loyalty works through Square's own online store and point of sale rather than as a Shopify add-on.
When should I move from an app to an API-first platform?
Move when the program has to live somewhere an app cannot reach: a native mobile app, a franchise point of sale, several brands sharing one points currency, or promotions that depend on cart contents.
How do I stop a loyalty program from eating my margin?
Set the point value deliberately: decide what a point is worth in currency, what share of revenue the whole program may return, and set earning and redemption rates to match.
Can I keep my customers' points if I switch vendors?
Often you can, if you plan it. Request an export of balances, tier status and referral codes, load them into the new tool, and tell members before the cutover.
Are these tools compliant with European data rules?
Compliance depends on the contracting entity and the hosting region, so ask for both in writing.
What is the difference between loyalty software and referral software?
Loyalty software rewards behavior from existing customers over time, usually with points or tiers, while referral software rewards a customer for bringing a new one. Many loyalty tools bundle both: Smile, LoyaltyLion, Joy and Marsello include a referral feature.
Which vendors on this list can a store with no developer realistically run?
Joy, Smile.io, LoyaltyLion, Rivo, Marsello and Square Loyalty are designed to be set up by a merchant from an admin screen. Yotpo needs more configuration, particularly for the paid tiers.
