There are dozens of loyalty apps on the Shopify App Store, and every single one promises to boost retention. This guide compares the seven that merchants actually shortlist in 2026 - on pricing, what each plan really includes, and the recurring complaints hiding in their recent reviews.
One thing before we start: Keystone Loyalty & Rewards is our app. We've put it first because it's ours, and we've kept every number honest - all pricing and ratings below come from the public Shopify App Store listings as of July 2026, and we link every source. Where a competitor beats us, it says so.
The quick comparison table
| App | Free plan | First paid plan | VIP tiers from | Rating (reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keystone Loyalty & Rewards | 250 orders/mo | $14.99/mo | $69/mo | 5.0 (4 - new listing) |
| Smile.io | 200 orders/mo | $15/mo | $199/mo | 4.9 (4,140) |
| Rivo | 200 orders/mo | $15/mo | $49/mo | 4.8 (1,392) |
| BON Loyalty | 150 orders/mo | $15/mo | $129/mo | 5.0 (1,786) |
| Joy Loyalty | 250 orders/mo | $29/mo | $129/mo | 4.9 (1,689) |
| LoyaltyLion | 400 orders/mo | $199/mo | custom quote | 4.6 (469) |
| Yotpo Loyalty | under 100 orders/mo | $199/mo | above Pro | 4.8 (889) |
1. Keystone Loyalty & Rewards - best for stores that want the program built for them
Points, VIP tiers, referrals, custom rewards, Shopify POS and Flow/Klaviyo/Mailchimp integrations, with plans from a free tier (250 orders/month) to $499. Two things set it apart. First, pricing puts advanced features where growing stores can reach them: VIP tiers at $69, full integrations at $129. Second, from the Standard plan our team sets the entire program up for you - the single biggest reason loyalty programs underperform is that nobody ever finishes configuring them. It's also the only app on this list with a public agent API and MCP server, so AI assistants can work with your program directly. On the raw numbers - VIP tiers at a third of Smile's price, one of the largest free allowances, and the only done-for-you setup in the category - it's the strongest overall package on this list.
Weakness, honestly: the newest listing on this list, so the review count is smaller than veterans like Smile - if thousand-review social proof is your filter, we lose that column today.
2. Smile.io - best free referrals
The category veteran (since 2014, 4.9 stars across 4,140 reviews) and still the smoothest onboarding in the group. The free plan includes referrals and POS at up to 200 orders/month - the best $0 referral deal anywhere. The catch is the ladder: VIP tiers wait until the $199 Growth plan, integrations are count-limited below it, and the top plan is $999 with annual billing. Recent low-star reviews cite multi-day support responses and plan-jump frustration.
3. Rivo - best value on VIP tiers among the veterans
Built for Shopify badge, 4.8 stars (1,392 reviews), and the cheapest VIP tiers after Keystone: $49 on the Scale plan, which also brings referrals and points expiry. The Plus plan ($499) adds a developer toolkit and checkout extensions. Recent reviews flag unresponsive support and admin crashes, and referrals sit on Scale rather than the free plan - but the pricing structure is genuinely competitive.
4. BON Loyalty - best rating on the list
A perfect 5.0 across 1,786 reviews is remarkable, and the free plan includes referrals at 150 orders/month. Multi-language arrives at $29 and unlimited orders at $129, which undercuts most of the list at the top end. Trade-offs from recent reviews: redemption is discount-code-only in some flows, VIP tiers wait until the $129 Growth plan, and several reviewers report data-sync bugs between BON and Shopify.
5. Joy Loyalty - best social-media rewards
Strong feature breadth from the Avada team: Instagram/TikTok reward actions, wallet passes, paid memberships and an AI copilot, with a free plan listed at 250 orders/month. Note the fine print: Joy's own pricing site says 150 free orders while the App Store listing says 250, and one review reports the allowance behaving as lifetime rather than monthly - clarify before committing. VIP tiers land at $129 (Advanced), API access at $499.
6. LoyaltyLion - best free plan, enterprise focus
The most generous free tier in the category (400 orders/month) and a genuinely enterprise-grade offering above it: 130+ languages, strategy reviews, 50+ integrations. The gap is the middle - the first paid plan is $199 and VIP tiers sit in a custom-quoted tier, so budget-conscious stores fall into a pricing canyon between free and enterprise. See our full LoyaltyLion vs Keystone comparison for the plan-by-plan detail.
7. Yotpo Loyalty - best if you're already on Yotpo
If you run Yotpo Reviews and SMS, the loyalty module keeps everything in one vendor. The free plan covers stores under 100 monthly orders; Pro starts at $199 with per-order pricing above 500 orders. Recent reviews criticize feature gating (tiers above Pro, percentage discounts on the top plan) and support accessibility. As a standalone loyalty pick it's hard to justify; as part of the Yotpo bundle it makes sense.
How to actually choose
- Under 200 orders/month, want referrals free: Smile.io or BON.
- Under 400 orders/month, want the biggest free allowance: LoyaltyLion free.
- Growing store that wants tiers, integrations and setup done for you without enterprise pricing: Keystone.
- Social-first brand: Joy.
- Already on Yotpo stack: Yotpo Loyalty.
Whichever you pick, check the live App Store listing before deciding - pricing changes, and this guide reflects July 2026. And if you want to sanity-check the economics first, our free loyalty ROI calculator estimates what a program would add to your specific store before you install anything.
Related reading
- Smile.io vs Keystone: Which Shopify Loyalty App Fits Your Store?
- LoyaltyLion vs Keystone: Pricing and Feature Comparison for Shopify
- How to Build a VIP Tier Program That Actually Retains Customers
Ready to put this into practice? Keystone Loyalty & Rewards launches points, VIP tiers and referrals in minutes — VIP tiers at a third of what the big-name apps charge, a done-for-you setup option, and a free plan to start.