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Loyalty platforms

Loyalty platforms versus Shopify on its own

For a store deciding whether it needs a points program at all, and if it does, whether LoyaltyLion, Smile or Yotpo Loyalty fits. Ten needs scored against Shopify's own segments, discounts and store credit, with the plan gates that change the answer.

At a glance

Overall loyalty fit

A higher score means a closer fit. These are our assessments, not measured benchmarks or averages.

  1. LoyaltyLion

    Tiers, expiry, POS and broad migration imports. Advanced and Plus pricing is by quote.

    3.75 / 5
  2. Smile

    A quick launch without code and published pricing. Tiers and expiry require Growth.

    3.5 / 5
  3. Yotpo Loyalty

    Loyalty connected to Attentive and Klaviyo. Tiers require Premium.

    3.5 / 5
  4. Shopify native tools

    Spend based segments, discounts and store credit, without a points program.

    2.25 / 5

Ten needs, four options

Scores by loyalty need

Swipe to compare. The first column stays visible.

Loyalty platform comparison: buyer needs by option, shown as a score out of five with short notes. The fourth column scores Shopify's native features without a loyalty app.
Buyer needLoyaltyLionSmileYotpo LoyaltyShopify native tools
Eligibility and purchase history
3 / 5
  • Tracks orders from launch
  • Points, tier placement and tier progress can be imported by CSV
3 / 5
  • Past orders do not automatically earn points; points and current VIP tiers can be imported
  • Historical activity does not transfer with the balances
2.5 / 5
  • Points seeded by CSV for existing customers
  • Tiers based on points earned go through support
4.5 / 5
  • Segments on lifetime spend, order count and RFM group apply to existing history with no launch date
Points
4.5 / 5
  • Rules with approval periods, many reward types and four expiry models on all paid plans
  • Checkout redemption needs Shopify Plus
3.5 / 5
  • Points per dollar and social rules, store credit rewards, inactivity expiry
  • Expiry and earning limits need Growth
4 / 5
  • Wide earning rules including receipts and memberships, first in first out expiry
  • Expiry and variable rewards need Pro
1 / 5
  • No native points program
  • Store credit and discounts can support simpler rewards
VIP tiers
4.5 / 5
  • Up to 7 boundary tiers and 12 in total, rolling, calendar or lifetime terms, per tier earning
  • Extra cost on Classic
3 / 5
  • Lifetime or calendar year tiers with no rolling window; names change only while deactivated
  • Growth and above
3.5 / 5
  • Rebuilt Loyalty Tiers on spend, purchases, points or tags, with multipliers
  • Premium and Enterprise only
1.5 / 5
  • Segments, tags and Flow can approximate tiers
  • Recalculation and downgrades must be built
Referrals
4 / 5
  • Referral links with pending approval, minimum spend, IP blocking and monthly caps
4 / 5
  • Single use friend codes and automatic fraud flags with manual review
  • No configurable thresholds
4 / 5
  • Referrer and friend rewards with blocked domains and email verification
  • Verification and login rules need Pro
1 / 5
  • Collabs supports creator affiliate partnerships
  • A customer referral program needs an app or custom work
POS
4 / 5
  • Earn and redeem in store with a staff view of points, tier and progress
  • One location on Classic
3.5 / 5
  • POS tile for points and discounts on POS Lite and Pro
  • Check which tier details staff can see
3 / 5
  • POS extension with fixed amount rewards only
  • Free product and birthday rewards unsupported
3.5 / 5
  • Store credit, discounts and customer profiles work in POS
  • Loyalty status lives in metafields
Email and SMS
4 / 5
  • Loyalty emails and Klaviyo integration from Classic
  • Advanced Klaviyo events and Attentive need Plus
3.5 / 5
  • Loyalty emails, Klaviyo, Omnisend and Mailchimp
  • Integration limits vary by plan; confirm an Attentive connection separately
4.5 / 5
  • Attentive integration on all plans and Klaviyo on Pro for loyalty events and customer data
2 / 5
  • Shopify Messaging with 10,000 free emails a month and Flow
  • No SMS marketing in Australia
Migration
4 / 5
  • Imports points, birthdays, tiers, progression and activities
  • Typically three weeks
3.5 / 5
  • Points, birthdays and current VIP tiers can be imported by CSV
  • Tier imports only move existing customers up; past activity and unused codes do not transfer
3 / 5
  • Points by CSV up to 500,000 customers
  • Tier imports and extra attributes go through support
2.5 / 5
  • Customer records stay in Shopify
  • Existing balances and store credit need a deliberate migration plan
Reporting
4 / 5
  • Performance, orders, referral and notification analytics with member exports
  • Repeat purchase rates on Plus
3.5 / 5
  • Daily reports with benchmarks against similar merchants
  • None on Free, benchmarks on Growth
3.5 / 5
  • Seven CSV reports on all plans plus tier and points liability dashboards
  • ROI dashboard only on the old referral program
2 / 5
  • RFM and predicted spend segments
  • No points liability or program report
Operational complexity
3.5 / 5
  • Auto installed SDK and a theme editor, onboarding manager from Classic
  • Theme editor for existing accounts needs Advanced
4 / 5
  • No code Loyalty Hub in customer accounts and a hosted landing page
  • Hub needs Growth; API needs Plus
3.5 / 5
  • Guided setup with a launch checklist
  • The program starts paused; two tier generations to understand
2 / 5
  • A program built from Flow, metafields, segments and store credit
  • Arrange setup and support for the custom reward rules
Plan limits and pricing
2.5 / 5
  • Free to 400 orders; Classic from USD 199 a month, Advanced and Plus by quote
  • Tiers are an add on on Classic; confirm included order volume
4 / 5
  • Free to 200 orders; paid plans from USD 15 a month
  • Plus is USD 999 a month billed annually; Growth and Plus have order overages
3 / 5
  • Free, Pro from USD 199 a month with order overages
  • Premium and Enterprise by quote
3.5 / 5
  • No app fee
  • Shopify plan, Flow tier and store credit fee rules apply, with AUD pricing published
Overall loyalty fit
3.75 / 5
3.5 / 5
3.5 / 5
2.25 / 5

Sources and pricing

Assessed from vendor documentation and published plans, with particular attention to purchase history, migration, POS and Australian messaging.

Pricing: Prices shown are USD per month unless a cell says AUD or quote. Smile Plus's USD 999 monthly equivalent is billed annually.

Customer records in practice

Loyalty runs on records that have to agree

A loyalty setup depends on reliable orders, returns and customer records. These projects show the integration work behind those records.

Work directly with Chris

Points program, or a better use of Shopify?

Tell us the store, the marketing tools and whether you sell in person. Chris will reply with a view on whether you need a points program and, if you do, which one.

Discuss your project