The 7 Best Shopify Referral Apps 2026 (Tried & Tested)
A great way to get more sales on your Shopify store is to encourage existing customers to recommend your business to friends and family and the best way to encourage them to do this is to have a referral program.
But Shopify doesn’t offer this feature as standard but fortunately, there is a great selection of referral apps you can choose from and we’ve selected what we think are the best options for your store.
Best Shopify Referral App
BON Loyalty came out on top in our testing due to it:
- Offering a good selection of features
- Having an easy-to-use dashboard
- Being reasonably priced
It feels like an app that will grow with your business as it is designed to be used with stores of all sizes and was the one that we found to be the most intuitive to use.
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| App | Pricing (Monthly) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 – $129 | 4.6 / 5 | Try App → |
 | $0 – $100 | 4.5 / 5 | Try App → |
 | $0 – $79 | 4.6 / 5 | Try App → |
 | $0 – $229 | 4.4 / 5 | Try App → |
 | $0 – $249 | 4.4 / 5 | Try App → |
 | $0 – $29 | 4.4 / 5 | Try App → |
 | $0 – $59.90 | 4.3 / 5 | Try App → |
Testing The Apps
Testing out Loyalty apps is a bit challenging as I don’t have numerous active stores running that I can use, so for my testing I looked at:
- The pricing
- The features they offer
- What they are like to use
And rated each one of these out of 5, which then gave me my overall rating for the app and allowed me to produce a list of 7 options, one of which might be perfect for your store.
1. BON Loyalty
Rating:
4.6/5
BON Loyalty – Quick Summary
BON offers a referral program alongside its loyalty program and the two work really well together.
You get a good selection of referral-focused features in a reasonably priced and very easy-to-use app, definitely worth considering.
Pricing – 4.7 / 5
| Free | Starter | Basic | Growth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $15 | $29 | $129 |
| Number of Orders | up to 150/m | up to 300/m | up to 500/m | Unlimited |
The pricing for BON Loyalty is really straightforward but you also get additional features that help take your Loyalty program to another level with the higher paid plans.
It is also worth noting that BON isn’t just a Loyalty App, it also includes a Referral program.
Features – 4.6 / 5
Even though a lot of features on BON Loyalty are geared towards their loyalty program, they do include a number of dedicated referral features, these include:
- Anti‑Cheat Referral System – blocks self‑referrals, duplicates, and fraud to ensure only legitimate referrals earn rewards
- Automated Referral Emails – sends automatic notifications to referrers and welcome emails to referred friends to drive conversions
- Referral Reminder Emails – nudges referred customers to complete their first purchase and redeem their incentive
- Referral Rewards (Discounts, Free Shipping, Free Products, Points) – lets merchants offer multiple reward types for successful referrals
- Referral Link Access in Loyalty Widget – gives customers one‑click access to their referral link inside the loyalty widget
- Referral Bubble Teaser – displays a small on‑site teaser bubble to encourage customers to share their referral link
- Referral Pop‑Up – shows a pop‑up prompting customers to share their referral code at key moments
The referral program is include as one of the core features of the app, so you can choose to just run the referral program or run it alongside the loyalty program, which is where BON is the most effective.
If you want to know more about the loyalty features, I have covered it in my best loyalty app post.
Ease of Use – 4.7 / 5
2. Appstle Loyalty Program
Rating:
4.5/5
Appstle Loyalty Program – Quick Summary
Appstle Loyalty is a really good app that offers a really good selection of features for building both a loyalty and referral program.
The app is really easy to use and well-designed and I do like the built-in tutorial section to help you get up and running with the app.
Pricing – 4.6 / 5
| Free | Starter | Business | Business Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $10 | $30 | $100 |
| Number of Orders | up to 250/m | up to 500/m | up to 2,000/m | up to 5,000/m ($0.05 per extra order) |
Really straightforward pricing for the Appstle Loyalty app, with no hidden fees.
They also offer a 14-day free trial on all of the paid plans, which is ideal if you want to try out some of the paid for features.
Features – 4.4 / 5
Appstle does offer a fully-fledged referral program alongside their loyalty one, the problem is that they don’t provide much information about features relating specifically to referrals but I was able to find:
- Referral Rewards (Points, Discounts, Store Credits) – referrals can earn multiple reward types, including points and store credits, as part of the core program
- Double-sided Program – both the referrer and the referee can earn rewards and this can be customized for each side
- Email Notifications at Referral Milestones – when customers reach certain referral milestones, they are automatically informed of this via email
- Referral Visibility in Loyalty Pages – loyalty pages included in the free plan allow customers to access referral actions and rewards
I wish they provided some more information as it offers all the features you need to set up a successful referral program.
Ease of Use – 4.6 / 5
3. Essent Loyalty Program Rewards – Best Free Plan
Rating:
4.5/5
Essent Loyalty – Quick Summary
I really liked the Essential Loyalty app, especially the features that are available on the free plan, many of which are premium options on other apps.
The app is easy to use but the lack of links to documentation or help guides was a bit of a negative.
Pricing 4.7 / 5
| Free | Starter | Essential | Growth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $10 | $24 | $79 |
| Number of Orders | 250/m | 500/m | 1,500/m | Unlimited |
Pricing wise, the Essential Loyalty app is one of the most competitive out there, with the Growth plan offering unlimited orders for $79/m, which is less than many of its competitors.
They also offer a 14-day free trial for all of the paid plans, which is ideal if you want to test out one of the paid for features.
Features – 4.5 / 5
As with many of the other apps I have listed, Essential Loyalty Program is primarily a loyalty app that also includes a built-in referral program and offers the following referral features:
- Referral Rewards – customers can earn rewards for referring friends, driving new traffic to the store
- Refer‑a‑Friend Link – customers can share a referral link to earn discounts for successful referrals
- Customizable Pop-up – customize the refer a friend pop-up so that it fits your brand’s identity
- Points for Referrals – the loyalty system supports earning points specifically for referral actions
- Built‑in Email Notifications – referral‑related notifications are included as part of the built‑in email system
These features integrate perfectly with the loyalty program and can allow you to easily set up very capable programs on your store.
Ease of Use – 4.5 / 5
4. Smile: Loyalty Program Rewards
Rating:
4.4/5
Smile: Loyalty Program – Quick Summary
The only thing keeping Smile from being further up the list is the pricing as it is one of the more expensive options, even though it offers a really good set of features and is incredibly easy to use.
Pricing – 4.1 / 5
| Free | Essential | Standard | Growth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $15 | $79 | $199 |
| Number of Orders | 200/m | 500/m | 1,000/m | 2,500/m ($20 per 100 additional orders) |
Smile.io is one the more expensive side, especially for larger stores as the price jumps between plans is quite big, especially when compared to some of the other apps on this list.
Features 4.6 / 5
Even though Smile is a loyalty and referral app, they do include a lot of information about the features that they offer specifically for their referral program and they include:
- Fully Automated Referral Flow – Smile automates the entire referral journey: sharing, friend purchase, and reward delivery
- Unique Referral Links for Every Customer – each customer receives an auto‑generated referral link they can share instantly from storefront or post‑purchase prompts
- Dual‑Sided Referral Rewards – merchants can reward both the advocate and the friend with discounts, points, or free shipping on first order conversions
- Referral Rewards via Points – referrers can earn points for every friend they refer, feeding directly back into the loyalty system
- Post‑Purchase Sharing Reminders – Smile prompts customers to share their referral link right after checkout to maximize referral activity
- Email Integration for Referral Promotion – referral links can be embedded directly into Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and other email flows customers already open
- On‑Site Referral Prompts – referral CTAs appear across storefront surfaces to keep sharing top‑of‑mind for customers
When combined with the features they offer for the loyalty program, Smile is a very capable app for creating and running a fully-featured referral program.
Ease of Use – 4.6 / 5
5. CWILL: Loyalty Program Rewards
Rating:
4.4/5
CWILL: Loyalty Program – Quick Summary
CWILL Loyalty offers a solid app that includes a loyalty and referral program.
The app is easy to use and offers a good selection of features without being too expensive and could be a great option, especially if you are already using other CWILL apps.
Pricing – 4.3 / 5
| Free | Starter | Growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $19 – $29 | $69 – $229 |
| Number of Orders | 50/m | • 200/m ($19) • 500/m ($29) | • 500/m ($69) • 1,000/m ($99) • 2,000/m ($169) • 3,000/m ($229) |
You can also purchase additional orders for $20 per 100 on the Starter Plan or $15 per 100 on the Growth Plan.
Pricing wise, CWILL isn’t too badly priced and while it might no be immediately obvious from the Shopify App Store page, the allocations are very straightforward but along with the number of orders every month, you also get additional features on the higher-priced plans.
Features – 4.4 / 5
Once again, another app that offers a referral program alongside its loyalty program but it does offer these dedicated referral features:
- Dual‑Sided Referral Rewards – both the referrer and the invitee can receive rewards to drive organic customer acquisition
- Referral Incentives via Discounts or Store Credits – you can offer exclusive discounts or store credits for each successful referral
- Pop‑ups & Email Themes – enhance referral engagement with customizable pop‑ups and email styling that can promote referral actions
Many of the features CWILL offers are geared towards the loyalty program (as is the same as many of the other apps on this list) but it does have a very capable referral program.
Ease of Use – 4.4 / 5
6. Referral Program ‑ Shopjar
Rating:
4.4/5
Shopjar – Quick Summary
Shopjar is a very reasonably priced app with some decent features and for stores on a budget, might be an option to consider.
Pricing – 4.8 / 5
| Free | Essential | Starter | Growth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $7 | $12 | $29 |
| Number of Orders | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Shopjar is one of the cheapest options available and what makes it even more suprising is that they don’t have any order quotas on any of their plans.
Features – 4.4 / 5
On all plans you get:
- Unique referral links & coupon codes – give customers personalized referral links or codes to share and drive new sales
- Safe Links referral coupons – generate secure, auto‑applied referral coupons to prevent misuse
- Floating referral widget – add an always‑visible referral widget to your storefront to increase participation
- Email notifications – automatically notify customers when referrals are tracked or rewards are earned
The paid plans include extra features, including:
- Landing pages & post‑purchase popups -promote your referral program with branded pages and popups that boost conversion.
- Self‑referral fraud protection – block customers from referring themselves to prevent reward abuse.
- Reports & analytics — Access performance insights to optimize referral activity.
- Discount & store credit rewards (Starter & Growth) – offer flexible reward types beyond standard referral incentives
- Advanced fraud protection (Growth) – strengthen safeguards against referral and affiliate abuse
- Branded emails & sending domain (Growth) – send program emails from your own domain for improved trust and branding
This is a really solid set of features for such a cheap app and you can get an affiliate program included with the Starter and Growth plans.
Ease of Use – 4.1 / 5
7. BLP Referral Program
Rating:
4.3/5
BLP Referral Program – Quick Summary
BLP offers a good app at a reasonable price but I just don’t feel it offers as much as some of the other apps on the list.
If you are just looking for a referral and affiliate app, it is definitely worth checking out.
Pricing – 4.5 / 5
| Free | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $59.90 |
| Number of Referrals | 10 | Unlimited |
You can’t get much more straightforward with the pricing and as 10 orders a month is quite small, the majority of stores will probably be looking at the Premium plan, which is pretty reasonably priced for a combined referral and affiliate program.
Features – 4.4 / 5
BLP is different to most of the other apps on this list as it offers a referral program in conjunction with an affiliate program (instead of a loyalty one) and offers the following features on the free plan:
- Multiple reward types – offer discounts, store credit, or cash rewards when referred friends make purchases
- Dedicated referral & affiliate page – provide customers and affiliates a branded page to join and participate in your program
- Fraud prevention – automatically detect and block suspicious referral activity to protect your program
- A/B testing – test variations of referral experiences to improve conversion performance
The Premium plan also includes these additional features:
- Import existing referral & affiliate data – bring in historical program data to maintain continuity when switching platforms
- Custom email sender – send referral and affiliate emails from your own domain for stronger branding and trust
BLP offers a good selection of referral-focused features alongside the affiliate ones, which might be suitable for stores that aren’t interested in having a loyalty program.
Ease of Use – 4.1 / 5
Conclusion
Choosing the right customer app for your Shopify store can be daunting as there are lots to choose from, which is why we narrowed it down to the 7 apps that we liked the most and as most offer a free plan or trial, then can easily be tried out.
For us, BON Loyalty did come out on top due to it:
- Having a good selection of features
- Having an easy-to-use dashboard
- Being reasonably priced
Choosing the right referral app can make a big difference to how successful your referral program is but we liked that most of these offer more than just a referral program, with many also offering a loyalty program to help grow a returning customer base.
Hi, I'm Paul, the Owner and Founder of EcommerceGold.
I ran my own Ecommerce Business for over 7 years and now help others start their own online retail empires!
