Are you looking for ways to boost sales on your Shopify store? Referral marketing is a powerful way to drive sales and increase customer loyalty. In fact, 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know, and people are 4 times more likely to buy when referred by a friend.
Shopify referral apps can help you harness the power of referral marketing to grow your business. These apps make it easy for your customers to share your store with their friends and family, earning rewards and discounts in the process.
But with so many Shopify referral apps available, it can be difficult to know which ones to choose. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the 5 best Shopify referral apps to help you boost your sales through word-of-mouth marketing.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at each of these apps, highlighting their key features, pricing, and benefits. We’ll also provide some valuable statistics to help you understand the impact that referral marketing can have on your business.
So whether you’re just getting started with referral marketing or you’re looking for ways to improve your existing program, keep reading to learn about the best Shopify referral apps available today.
What Are Shopify Referral Apps?
Shopify referral apps are third-party apps that integrate with your Shopify store to help you set up and manage a referral marketing program. These apps typically offer a range of features and tools designed to help you incentivize your customers to refer their friends and family to your store.
Some of the most common features offered by Shopify referral apps include:
- Customizable referral links and codes
- Automatic reward fulfillment
- In-app analytics and reporting
- Social media sharing
- Email and SMS marketing integration
- Automatic referral tracking and attribution
- Customer segmentation and targeting
By leveraging these features, you can create a powerful referral marketing program that encourages your existing customers to refer new customers to your store. And with the right incentives in place, you can create a virtuous cycle of growth that drives your business forward.
How Do Shopify Referral Apps Work?
To get started with a Shopify referral app, you’ll first need to select an app that fits your needs and budget. There are dozens of different referral apps available in the Shopify app store, each with its own unique features and pricing plans.
Once you’ve selected an app, you’ll need to install it on your Shopify store and configure your referral program settings. This typically involves setting up your rewards, referral links, and tracking parameters.
Once your referral program is up and running, your customers can start referring their friends and family to your store using their unique referral links or codes. When a new customer makes a purchase using a referral link or code, the referral app will automatically track the referral and attribute it to the original customer.
If the referral meets the criteria for your referral program, such as making a purchase or signing up for your email list, the original customer will receive their reward. This can be in the form of discounts, store credit, or other incentives.
Benefits of Using Shopify Referral Apps
So why should you consider using a Shopify referral app for your store? Here are just a few of the benefits:
- Boost Your Customer Acquisition: Referral marketing is one of the most effective ways to acquire new customers. By incentivizing your existing customers to refer their friends and family to your store, you can tap into a powerful source of new leads and sales.
- Increase Your Sales: Referral marketing programs can help you generate more sales by encouraging your existing customers to make repeat purchases and referring others to your store.
- Improve Your Customer Engagement: By offering rewards and incentives, you can improve your customer engagement and loyalty. Customers are more likely to shop with you again and refer others to your store if they feel appreciated and valued.
- Easy to Implement: With the right Shopify referral app, setting up a referral program can be quick and easy. You don’t need to be a marketing expert or have technical skills to get started.
- Cost-Effective: Referral marketing can be a cost-effective way to grow your business. You only need to pay rewards when a referral meets your program criteria, which means you can control your costs and maximize your ROI.
Top Shopify Referral Apps
There are many referral apps available for Shopify, but not all of them are created equal. Here are some of the top Shopify referral apps you should consider:
ReferralCandy

ReferralCandy is a powerful Shopify referral marketing app that makes it easy for businesses to set up and manage their referral programs. It integrates seamlessly with Shopify, making it easy to start offering incentives to customers who refer their friends and family. ReferralCandy, a cutting-edge platform designed to help you grow your business and increase customer loyalty through the power of referrals.
The app works by automatically sending rewards to customers who refer new customers to your store. These rewards can be in the form of discounts, cashback, or other incentives. This not only encourages your customers to refer more people but also increases customer loyalty and helps you attract new customers to your store.
Features of ReferralCandy
ReferralCandy is a feature-rich app that makes it easy to create and manage a referral program for your Shopify store. Here are some of the key features that you can expect to find in ReferralCandy:
1. Customizable referral programs
With ReferralCandy, you have complete control over the rules and rewards of your referral program. You can set the reward amount, choose whether to offer a discount or cash reward, and customize the look and feel of your referral program page.
2. Automated referral tracking
ReferralCandy automatically tracks referrals and rewards, so you don’t have to worry about manually keeping track of everything. You can easily see how many referrals you’ve received, who referred them, and what rewards they’re eligible for.
3. Multiple referral channels
ReferralCandy supports a variety of referral channels, including email, social media, and direct links. This makes it easy for your customers to refer their friends and family using the channel that’s most convenient for them.
4. Integration with Shopify
ReferralCandy seamlessly integrates with your Shopify store, so you can easily manage your referral program from within your Shopify dashboard. You can also customize the look and feel of your referral program page to match your brand.
5. Robust analytics and reporting
ReferralCandy provides detailed analytics and reporting, so you can see how your referral program is performing and identify areas for improvement. You can see how many referrals you’re getting, which referral channels are most effective, and more.
Pricing of ReferralCandy
ReferralCandy offers three different pricing plans, depending on the size of your business and the features you need. Here’s a breakdown of the pricing plans:
The Basic Plan costs $49 per month The Premium Plan costs $99 per month and The Enterprise Plan is custom-priced.
Retainful

Retainful is a must-have Shopify referral app for eCommerce businesses looking to increase their sales and drive revenue. Its user-friendly features make it easy to create and manage a referral program, while its email marketing automation and analytics tools help you optimize its performance.
With Retainful, you can customize your referral program to match your brand’s style and design and support customers in different languages. Its pricing plans are affordable and flexible, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes. If you’re looking to grow your business through referrals, Retainful is the app for you.
Why use Retainful?
There are several reasons why you should consider using Retainful for your Shopify store. First and foremost, referrals are one of the most effective ways to acquire new customers. People are much more likely to trust and buy from a business that has been recommended by someone they know and trust. By incentivizing your existing customers to refer their friends and family to your store, you can quickly and easily grow your customer base.
In addition to helping you acquire new customers, Retainful can also help you retain your existing ones. By offering rewards for referrals, you’re showing your customers that you value their loyalty and are willing to reward them for it. This can help increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and ultimately lead to higher customer lifetime value.
Features of Retainful
Retainful is a great tool to consider. By creating a referral program and offering rewards to your customers, you can quickly and easily acquire new customers and retain your existing ones. Here are some of the key features that you can expect to find in ReferralCandy:
1. Easy to set up
Retainful is easy to set up and integrate with your Shopify store. The app has a simple and user-friendly interface, and you can get started with just a few clicks.
2. Referral program
Retainful allows you to create and manage your referral program easily. You can set up incentives, such as discounts or free products, for both the referrer and the referred customer. You can also track the progress of your referral program and analyze its performance.
3. Email marketing
Retainful offers email marketing automation features to help you engage with your customers and encourage them to refer their friends. You can send personalized emails to your customers, reminding them of the rewards they can earn by referring their friends. You can also send follow-up emails to both the referrer and the referred customer, updating them on the status of their rewards.
4. Abandoned cart recovery
Retainful also comes with an abandoned cart recovery feature that enables you to recover lost sales. You can send personalized email reminders to customers who abandoned their carts and offer them discounts to encourage them to complete their purchases.
5. Multi-Language Support
Retainful supports multiple languages, allowing you to create referral programs for customers in different regions and countries. This feature is especially useful if you have an international customer base.
Pricing of Retainful
Retainful offers different pricing plans – Free, Starter, Growth, and Professional. Here’s a closer look at each plan:
Free – The Free plan offers basic referral program features, including custom referral links, email templates, and referral statistics.
The Starter plan costs $19/month and The Growth plan costs $49/month.
Referral and Affiliate Marketing by Shopjar

Referrals and Affiliates app is another powerful shopify Referral app. This amazing app allows you to create a referral program with flexible rewards, and the best part is that it’s free! With this Shopify referral app, you can reward both the referee and the referrer for each successful referral.
One of the unique features of the referral app is the Referral Landing Page, which allows you to create a landing page for your customers to easily invite their friends to join your referral program. Customers can simply type in their friend’s email addresses to send them an invitation to your store. You can also use Referral Portal to view your unique referral URL, rewards, and referral sales.
To make things easier, this referral app offers an OTP-based guest login, which means that referrers don’t need to create a Shopify account. They can simply enter their email address and receive a one-time passcode to access the Referral Portal.
Another amazing feature of this referral app is the ability to set conditional rewards. This allows you to create a tiered referral program in Shopify. For example, refer 5 friends and get $10 for each successful referral, refer 10 friends and get $20 for each successful referral, or refer 50+ friends and get $50 for each successful referral. You can also set rewards based on other conditions, such as friend email domains, total referral sales amount, and specific products purchased.
This Shopify Referral app tracks your campaign performance in real-time and provides detailed reports on sales and rewards issued for the advocates and friends. With this data, you can adjust your referral program to maximize your rewards and increase your sales.
Overall, the Referrals and Affiliates app is an easy and effective way to create a referral program for your Shopify store. So why not give it a try and see how it can benefit your business?
Features of Referrals and Affiliates
1. Easy to Use
Referrals and Affiliates program offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to quickly set up a referral campaign with just a few clicks. Our program is designed to be user-friendly, so you don’t need any coding knowledge to get started.
2. Flexible referral rewards
One of the best features of our Referrals and Affiliates program is the flexibility it offers in terms of referral rewards. You can choose from a percentage-based reward, a fixed discount, a free product, or free shipping. This ensures that you can create a reward that will be attractive to your customers and help drive more sales.
3. Landing page for Referral Program
It’s provide a landing page for your referral program, making it easy for your customers to find information about the program and sign up. Existing customers can also easily register to become referrers.
4. Popup
It’s also have a popup that showcases your referral program on the thank you page, making sure that customers are aware of the program and can easily share it with their friends.
5. Fraud prevention
Referrals and Affiliates program also includes a manual reward approval workflow for advocates/referrers, which helps prevent fraud. We provide a referral portal for referrers, allowing them to track their progress and rewards.
6. Customizable Email Templates
Customizable email templates are also available for inviting friends, successful referrals for friends and referrers. This ensures that your emails are on brand and look professional.
Pricing of Referrals and Affiliates
Referrals and Affiliates Shopify referral app offer a free plan, the starter plan of the program costs $9/month. We believe that Shopjar’s Referrals and Affiliates program is competitively priced and provides excellent value for money.
Refersion

Refersion is another popular Shopify referral app that offers a wide range of features to help you run a successful referral program. With Refersion, you can set up custom referral campaigns, track referrals and conversions in real-time, and manage payouts to your referral partners.
Refersion also offers a variety of integrations with popular e-commerce platforms and tools, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and more. This makes it easy to set up and manage your referral program across multiple platforms and channels.
Features of Refersion
Refersion is packed with features that can help you create a successful referral program for your Shopify store. Here are just a few of the most important features to consider:
1. Customizable Referral Programs
With Refersion, you can create a referral program that fits your business. You can customize the program’s structure, rules, and rewards to suit your needs.
2. Affiliate Tracking
Refersion’s advanced tracking capabilities allow you to track every step of the referral process, from clicks to conversions.
3. Automated Payouts
Refersion automates the payout process, so you don’t have to manually distribute rewards to your affiliates. This saves you time and ensures that your affiliates are paid promptly.
4. Reporting and Analytics
Refersion provides detailed reporting and analytics on your referral program’s performance. You can track clicks, conversions, and revenue, as well as monitor your top-performing affiliates.
5. Customizable Widgets
Refersion offers customizable referral widgets that you can place on your website to promote your referral program and encourage sign-ups.
6. Multi-Tier Referral Programs
Refersion allows you to create multi-tier referral programs, which means you can reward affiliates for referring other affiliates.
Pricing of Refersion
Refersion offers a range of pricing plans to fit businesses of all sizes. Here’s a breakdown of the pricing tiers:
The Starter plan costs $89 per month, the Professional plan costs $199 per month, Premium plan costs $399 per month and the Enterprise plan is custom-priced.
Smile.io

Smile.io is a loyalty and rewards platform that allows online businesses to create a referral program, loyalty program, and other promotional campaigns to retain customers, drive sales, and improve customer engagement. With its user-friendly interface, businesses can set up and customize their loyalty program without needing any coding knowledge. The platform has helped thousands of businesses increase customer loyalty and drive revenue growth.
One of the unique features of Smile.io is its ability to gamify your referral program by offering customers different levels of rewards for referring different numbers of friends. This can help to incentivize customers to refer more people and to engage with your referral program more actively.
Features of Smile.io
Smile.io offers a range of features to help businesses build and manage their loyalty and referral programs. Here are some of the standout features of the platform:
1. Referral Program
With Smile.io, businesses can create a referral program that rewards customers for referring their friends and family. The referral program encourages customers to promote the business, which helps drive more sales and improve customer loyalty.
2. Loyalty Program
Smile.io allows businesses to create a loyalty program that rewards customers for repeat purchases, social sharing, and other actions that drive customer engagement. The platform offers a range of rewards, including discounts, free products, and exclusive offers.
3. Points System
Smile.io uses a points-based system that allows businesses to award points to customers for various actions, such as making a purchase or referring a friend. Customers can redeem their points for rewards, such as discounts, free products, and exclusive offers.
4. Customizable Design
Smile.io offers a range of customizable design options that allow businesses to create a loyalty program that matches their brand. Businesses can customize their program’s colors, fonts, and logos to create a unique program that resonates with their customers.
5. Automated Emails
Smile.io sends automated emails to customers to keep them engaged with the loyalty program. The platform sends emails when customers earn or redeem points, reminding them of the rewards they can earn.
Pricing of Smile.io
Smile.io offers a range of pricing plans to suit businesses of all sizes. The Starter plan is free, The Growth plan costs $49 per month, the Pro plan costs $199 per month.
Conclusion
Referral apps on Shopify can be an incredibly effective way to increase sales and boost your customer base. By providing incentives for your existing customers to refer new ones, you can leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing and turn your loyal customers into brand ambassadors.
There are several great referral apps available on the Shopify app store, each with their own unique features and benefits. Whether you’re looking for a simple and easy-to-use app or a more robust solution with advanced customization options, there’s an app out there that can meet your needs.
Some of the top Shopify referral apps include Referral Candy, Retainful, Referral & Affiliate Marketing by Shopjar, Smile.io, and Refersion. These apps are designed to seamlessly integrate with your Shopify store and provide a streamlined referral process for your customers.
With the right referral app in place, you can incentivize your customers to refer their friends and family members, rewarding them with discounts, cash back, or other incentives. This can help you build a loyal customer base and drive more sales, ultimately leading to increased revenue and growth for your business.
Overall, if you’re looking for a powerful and effective way to boost your sales and grow your customer base, implementing a referral program using one of the top Shopify referral apps is definitely worth considering. So why not give it a try and see the results for yourself?
Referral programs work by incentivizing your customers to refer their friends and family to your store. This can be done through a variety of rewards, such as cash discounts, store credit, or free products. When a referral makes a purchase, both the referrer and the referred customer can receive rewards.
Referral programs are effective because they leverage the trust and credibility that customers have with their friends and family. When someone recommends your store to someone they know and trust, that recommendation carries more weight than traditional marketing.
To install a Shopify Referral App, you first need to find the app in the Shopify App Store. Once you’ve selected the app you want, click the “Add app” button and follow the prompts to install it on your Shopify store.
The features you should look for in a Shopify Referral App depend on your specific needs and goals. Some key features to consider include customizable referral codes, automated rewards fulfillment, tracking and reporting of referral activity, and integration with your existing marketing and loyalty programs.
The ease of use of Shopify Referral Apps varies depending on the app you choose. Some apps may have a steeper learning curve or require more setup and customization than others. However, many Shopify Referral Apps are designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, with intuitive interfaces and helpful support resources.
Yes, Shopify Referral Apps can be a powerful tool for customer acquisition and growth. By incentivizing your existing customers to refer new customers to your store, you can tap into a powerful source of word-of-mouth marketing and expand your reach to new audiences.