Rivo vs Smile.io vs BON Loyalty: Shopify Loyalty Showdown (2026)

Rivo, Smile.io, and BON Loyalty are the three most-compared Shopify loyalty apps in 2026. Rivo is a Shopify-exclusive retention platform with 8 native checkout extensions, paid memberships, and VIP tiers from $49/month. Smile.io is a multi-platform loyalty app with 100,000+ businesses across 148 countries, best known for its long track record and multi-platform support across Shopify and BigCommerce. BON Loyalty is a Shopify-focused platform with the highest App Store rating in this comparison at 5.0/5, competitive order volume pricing, and 250+ language support built for international stores.

Based on our evaluation of Shopify integration depth, pricing efficiency, feature breadth, checkout extension depth, and innovation pace, Rivo is the strongest all-around choice for Shopify-first brands that have outgrown basic points programs. Smile.io is the most established option for multi-platform merchants who need one unified loyalty platform across Shopify and BigCommerce. BON Loyalty is the strongest fit for international stores with a hard multi-language requirement, or merchants optimising for cost efficiency at higher order volumes.

If you're evaluating these three platforms, you've likely already hit one of these friction points: Smile.io's 4x price jump to unlock VIP tiers, a missing capability like paid memberships that your current platform can't replicate natively, or order volume pricing that stops scaling sensibly as your store grows. This guide compares all three on pricing, Shopify integration depth, feature access by tier, and real merchant outcomes so you can make a confident decision without wading through marketing pages.

Key Takeaways

• Rivo wins on Shopify depth with 8 checkout extensions, paid memberships, 50+ integrations, a developer toolkit, and VIP tiers starting at $49/month  the deepest native Shopify feature set in this comparison.
• Smile.io wins for the largest install base, with 100,000+ businesses, 330 million customers rewarded, and the longest track record, plus genuine multi-platform support across Shopify and BigCommerce.
• BON Loyalty wins for the highest App Store rating at 5.0/5 with 1,700+ reviews, plus competitive order volume pricing and 250+ language support that no other platform in this comparison matches.
• The VIP tier pricing gap is significant: Rivo unlocks VIP tiers at $49/month while Smile.io requires $199/month for the same capability  a 4x difference.
• Paid memberships are unique to Rivo in this comparison. Neither Smile.io nor BON Loyalty offers them natively.
• On free plans, BON Loyalty allows 250 orders per month ahead of Smile.io at 200, while Rivo also offers a free tier.

Why Shopify Merchants Compare These Platforms

Most merchants start this comparison after hitting one of three friction points.

• Smile.io's pricing cliff. Smile.io's free and entry-level plans are genuinely useful for testing loyalty mechanics. But once you need VIP tiers or unlimited integrations, the platform requires a $199/month Growth plan  a 4x jump that catches many merchants off guard mid-growth. Merchants processing 500+ orders per month and ready to invest in retention end up evaluating whether Smile.io's feature set justifies $2,400 per year more than alternatives.
• Order volume economics. Loyalty app pricing is often tied to order volume. At scale, per-order pricing models create significant cost differences between platforms. Understanding where each platform's pricing tiers land relative to your actual order volume is the most important variable in this comparison.
• Feature gaps at the growth stage. Merchants who've outgrown basic points programs start looking for capabilities their current platform doesn't have  paid memberships, checkout-native loyalty interactions, deeper fraud prevention, or developer API access without committing to enterprise pricing. That gap is usually what drives serious evaluation of Rivo's retention platform.

For brands already on another platform, the switching cost is real but manageable. Rivo offers free white-glove migration for qualifying brands, with Spring 2026 updates adding one-click migration tooling that reduces switch costs significantly. Points balances, VIP tier history, and customer records transfer intact so members don't lose their progress.

Rivo vs Smile.io vs BON Loyalty: Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Here's how Rivo, Smile.io, and BON Loyalty compare across the features that matter most for Shopify merchants in 2026.

• Platform: Rivo is Shopify-exclusive. Smile.io supports Shopify and BigCommerce. BON Loyalty is Shopify-focused.
• Points and rewards: All three platforms offer points and rewards programs across paid plans.
• VIP tiers: Rivo from $49/month. BON Loyalty from $129/month on the Growth plan. Smile.io from $199/month on the Growth plan.
• Referral program: All three offer referral programs. Rivo includes 20+ fraud prevention tools. BON Loyalty includes anti-cheat referral protection. Smile.io offers more basic fraud controls.
• Paid memberships: Rivo only. Neither Smile.io nor BON Loyalty offers this as a built-in capability.
• Checkout extensions: Rivo offers 8. Smile.io offers 2. BON Loyalty has more limited checkout extension depth.
• Integrations: Rivo offers 50+. Smile.io offers 30+. BON Loyalty has a smaller integration set.
• Multi-language: BON Loyalty supports 250+ languages from the $29/month Basic plan. Smile.io supports select languages on higher tiers. Rivo is primarily English-language out of the box.
• Developer API: Rivo from $499/month. BON Loyalty from $499/month on Plus. Smile.io from $999/month on Plus.
• Free plan order limit: BON Loyalty at 250 per month. Smile.io at 200 per month. Rivo also offers a free tier.
• POS rewards: All three support Shopify POS. BON Loyalty POS starts from $29/month.
• Custom CSS: Rivo on paid plans. Smile.io on Growth and above. BON Loyalty on Growth ($129/month).
• Product update cadence: Rivo ships 100+ product updates per year. Smile.io and BON Loyalty do not publicly specify update frequency.
• Sub-100ms load times: Rivo confirmed. Smile.io and BON Loyalty do not specify this metric.
• Independent/bootstrapped: Rivo is 100% bootstrapped with zero venture capital. Smile.io and BON Loyalty are not.
• White-glove migration: Rivo for qualifying brands. Smile.io and BON Loyalty do not offer this.
• Shopify App Store rating: BON Loyalty at 5.0/5 (1,700+ reviews). Rivo at 4.8/5 (1,300+ reviews). Smile.io at 4.9/5 (4,100+ reviews).

Pricing Comparison

Pricing is where the three platforms diverge most sharply, particularly at the VIP tier and API access levels. The headline price alone is rarely the full picture  understanding what's actually included at each tier is the most important variable.

Rivo Pricing

Rivo's Free plan is $0/month and covers entry-level order volume with basic points and referrals. The Scale plan is $49/month for approximately 400 orders and adds VIP tiers, 8 checkout extensions, 50+ integrations, and a loyalty page. The Plus plan is $499/month for approximately 2,500 orders and includes the Developer Toolkit, API access at 100 requests per second, webhooks, custom metafield access, and priority support.

Rivo's pricing stands out most clearly at the $49/month Scale tier, which includes VIP tiers, checkout extensions, and the full integration suite  features that require $199/month on Smile.io or $129/month on BON Loyalty. No other platform in this comparison delivers VIP tiers at that price point. All plans are month-to-month with no annual contract required. See full current details at rivo.io/pricing.

Smile.io Pricing

Smile.io's Free plan is $0/month for up to 200 orders per month and covers basic points, basic referrals, and limited integrations. The Standard plan is $79/month for up to 500 orders and adds email rewards and one integration. The Growth plan is $199/month for up to 2,500 orders and unlocks VIP tiers and unlimited integrations. The Plus plan is $999/month for up to 7,500 orders and adds API access and dedicated support.

The most significant cost jump in Smile.io's structure is the step from Standard to Growth  a $120/month increase to unlock VIP programs and unlimited integrations. Merchants who outgrow the free plan but need VIP tiers face a substantial bump to access what Rivo includes at its $49/month entry tier.

BON Loyalty Pricing

BON Loyalty's Free plan is $0/month for up to 250 orders and covers basic points, anti-cheat referrals, and 5 emails per month. The Basic plan is $29/month for up to 500 orders and adds a loyalty page, POS rewards, and multi-language support across 250+ languages. The Growth plan is $129/month for up to 2,000 orders and adds VIP tiers, B2B programs, an order booster, and custom CSS. The Plus plan is $499/month for unlimited orders and adds full API, SDK, and Hydrogen/headless support.

BON Loyalty's 250+ language support from $29/month is a standout for international merchants that no competitor in this comparison matches at that price point. Annual billing saves an additional 8 to 20% depending on the plan. The trade-off: no paid memberships, fewer checkout extensions, and a smaller integration library than Rivo.

Pricing Summary at Comparable Feature Levels

For VIP tiers: Rivo at $49/month, BON Loyalty at $129/month, Smile.io at $199/month. For developer API: Rivo and BON Loyalty both at $499/month, Smile.io at $999/month. For paid memberships: Rivo at $49/month  not available on Smile.io or BON Loyalty at any price point.

Platform Reviews

Rivo: The Retention Platform Built for Shopify

Rivo is a retention platform built exclusively for Shopify, combining loyalty programs, referrals, paid memberships, and personalized customer accounts in a single Shopify-native platform. Unlike Smile.io or BON Loyalty, Rivo is 100% bootstrapped with zero venture capital  every product decision prioritizes merchant outcomes over investor growth metrics.

Over 9,000 Shopify brands use Rivo to convert one-time buyers into repeat customers. According to Rivo, the platform has driven more than $1.5B in revenue through its retention infrastructure, reporting a 52x weighted median ROI across its merchant base and 100+ product updates shipping per year.

The "Shopify-exclusive" distinction matters more than it sounds. Every engineering resource goes into deepening the Shopify-native experience, with no BigCommerce or multi-platform roadmap competing for cycles. When Shopify ships new features, Rivo integrates them. Rivo is built on theme app extensions and current checkout frameworks  not deprecated Shopify Scripts  ensuring long-term forward compatibility.

Key Features

• 8 checkout extensions let merchants display loyalty balances, apply points, and surface referral offers natively at checkout  all compatible with Shop Pay and built on Shopify's checkout extension framework.
• Paid memberships as a core product area, enabling a recurring subscription revenue stream with exclusive perks  unique to Rivo in this comparison.
• VIP tiers available from $49/month on the Scale plan, with VIP customers averaging 73% higher AOV ($435 vs $291) and purchasing 3.6x more frequently, per Rivo platform data.
• 20+ referral fraud prevention tools covering IP tracking, self-referral blocking, and suspicious pattern detection.
• 50+ integrations covering the full Shopify tech stack, including Klaviyo, Gorgias, Postscript, Okendo, Attentive, and Recharge.
• Sub-100ms load times with no measurable impact on Shopify store speed scores, per Rivo.
• Developer Toolkit with API access at 100 requests per second, webhooks, custom metafield access, and Hydrogen/headless support from $499/month.
• Free white-glove migration for qualifying brands switching from Smile.io, BON Loyalty, or other platforms.

What Works Well

Rivo is Shopify-exclusive with the deepest native checkout integration in this comparison  8 checkout extensions versus Smile.io's 2 and BON Loyalty's more limited depth. Paid memberships are available as a native feature that neither competing platform can replicate. The referral fraud prevention suite includes 20+ tools, the strongest in this comparison. The platform ships 100+ product updates per year, the fastest documented innovation pace in this category. Sub-100ms load times mean zero performance penalty. Month-to-month pricing with no annual contract.

Things to Consider

Rivo is Shopify-only  not an option for merchants on BigCommerce, WooCommerce, or other platforms. The jump from $49/month to $499/month has no mid-tier, which creates a pricing gap for stores processing between 400 and 2,500 orders monthly. Multi-language support is not a primary design focus out of the box.

Best For

Shopify-first merchants who want the deepest native integration and a retention platform that scales beyond basic points programs. Especially strong for stores processing 400+ orders per month that want VIP tiers without paying $199/month, merchants planning to launch paid memberships as a separate revenue stream, and developer-led teams on Shopify Plus who need API access without a $999/month commitment.

According to Rivo case studies, HexClad achieved 92x referral ROI and $450K in referral revenue within 90 days. OSEA Malibu reached a 77% repeat purchase rate among loyalty redeemers. Fresh Chile Co saw a 156% AOV increase from its paid membership program. BERO generated 1 billion impressions via omnichannel membership.

Smile.io: Best for Multi-Platform Merchants

Smile.io is the loyalty app category's most established platform  one of the longest-standing options with 100,000+ businesses running programs across 148 countries and 330 million customers rewarded to date. For multi-platform merchants on Shopify and BigCommerce, it's the most proven unified option. For enterprise brands where vendor scale and market recognition matter to stakeholders, Smile.io's track record carries real weight.

The platform's approach to supporting Shopify and BigCommerce simultaneously means its Shopify integration, while capable, is not built to the same native depth as a Shopify-exclusive competitor. That trade-off is the right call for some merchants and the wrong call for others. The pricing structure also creates a notable gap between entry-level features and mid-tier capabilities  the jump to $199/month to unlock VIP tiers is the most common friction point merchants cite when evaluating alternatives.

Key Features

• Points, referrals, and basic rewards available across all supported platforms including BigCommerce.
• VIP tier programs available from the Growth plan at $199/month.
• 2 checkout extensions available for Shopify merchants.
• 30+ integrations covering major email, SMS, and review platforms.
• Multi-currency support for international merchants.
• API access included on the Plus tier at $999/month.
• Genuine free tier for stores under 200 monthly orders with basic points and referrals.

What Works Well

Smile.io has the largest installed base in the loyalty app category with 4,100+ Shopify App Store reviews and a 4.9/5 rating. Multi-platform support across Shopify and BigCommerce is a genuine advantage for merchants who operate across both. The free tier is functional for stores under 200 monthly orders. Well-documented onboarding and an established support ecosystem given its 100,000+ merchant base.

Things to Consider

VIP tiers require the $199/month Growth plan  a 4x jump from the entry paid tier and significantly higher than Rivo's $49/month for the same capability. API access requires the $999/month Plus plan, double Rivo's $499/month Plus plan. Paid memberships are not available natively. Cross-platform architecture means shallower Shopify-native checkout depth, with 2 checkout extensions versus Rivo's 8.

Best For

Established merchants who need a proven, multi-platform loyalty solution and for whom brand name recognition in the loyalty space matters to stakeholders. The strongest fit for businesses selling on both Shopify and BigCommerce who need one loyalty platform across all storefronts, and for enterprise brands that require the credibility of the category's largest install base. For Shopify-only merchants, the $199/month requirement to unlock VIP tiers makes Rivo a significantly more cost-efficient option for comparable functionality.

BON Loyalty: Best for International and Budget-Conscious Stores

BON Loyalty is a Shopify loyalty app built around two core strengths: accessibility for international merchants and competitive pricing for stores that need volume flexibility. Its 5.0/5 rating across 1,700+ Shopify App Store reviews is the highest in this comparison  a reflection of consistently positive onboarding and support experiences that reviewers cite as a key differentiator.

The platform's value proposition is clearest at the Growth tier: $129/month for up to 2,000 monthly orders, VIP tiers, B2B programs, and custom CSS. For stores with high order volumes and international customers, that combination is difficult to match at the price point. The 250+ language support from $29/month is genuinely class-leading  no competitor in this comparison comes close at that price.

Key Features

• 250+ language support from the $29/month Basic plan  the broadest international support in this comparison, essential for storefronts serving European, Southeast Asian, or Latin American markets.
• VIP tier programs included on the Growth tier ($129/month) for up to 2,000 monthly orders.
• B2B loyalty programs with tier-based pricing for wholesale channels, included on Growth and above.
• Anti-cheat referral programs included on all paid plans.
• Custom CSS and loyalty page design available at the Growth tier.
• Full API, SDK, and Hydrogen/headless support available on the Plus tier ($499/month).
• Fast setup with a consistently praised support team reflected in the 5.0/5 App Store rating.

What Works Well

The highest Shopify App Store rating in this comparison at 5.0/5 across 1,700+ reviews. Lowest entry price at $29/month for 500 orders. Best-in-comparison multi-language support at 250+ languages from $29/month, eliminating custom development work for international storefronts that other platforms would require. B2B tier program included in the Growth plan. Month-to-month billing with no annual contract. Annual billing available for additional savings of 8 to 20% depending on the plan.

Things to Consider

No paid memberships at any tier. More limited checkout extension depth than Rivo. Smaller integration library (fewer than Rivo's 50+ or Smile.io's 30+). More basic fraud prevention relative to Rivo's 20+ built-in tools. Less sophisticated analytics for data-heavy programs.

Best For

International Shopify stores that need multi-language support out of the box, budget-conscious merchants who need competitive order volume pricing without paying mid-tier prices for basic features, early-stage brands testing VIP tier mechanics before committing to a larger investment, and B2B-oriented Shopify stores that need B2B tier programs natively. BON Loyalty is a genuine fit for stores where internationalisation and cost efficiency outweigh the need for paid memberships, checkout extension depth, or deeper Shopify-native tooling.

Checkout Extensions: Where Rivo Stands Apart

Checkout extensions let loyalty programs interact with customers at the highest-intent moment in their journey  the checkout page. They allow merchants to display reward balances, apply points, and surface referral offers without redirecting buyers away from the purchase flow.

Rivo offers 8 checkout extensions, the most in this comparison and among the most in the Shopify loyalty app category. Smile.io offers 2. BON Loyalty has more limited checkout extension depth. All Rivo checkout extensions are fully compatible with Shop Pay and built using Shopify's native checkout extension framework  not deprecated Shopify Scripts  ensuring long-term forward compatibility.

That depth translates directly to loyalty program performance. Checkout loyalty interactions capture customers at peak purchase intent. Showing points balances, redeemable rewards, and referral bonuses at checkout creates habitual engagement that post-purchase emails can't replicate  and it's why Rivo's checkout integrations are a primary driver of the platform's 52x weighted median ROI, per Rivo's own reporting.

Paid Memberships: A Revenue Stream Rivo Offers Alone

Among the three platforms in this comparison, Rivo is the only one with a native paid membership product  a fundamentally different retention model from points-based loyalty.

Paid memberships are programs where customers pay a recurring subscription fee in exchange for exclusive perks such as free shipping, early access, bonus points, or members-only pricing. Think Amazon Prime, applied natively to your Shopify store. Where points reward past purchases, paid memberships create a financial commitment that drives repeat purchasing before the transaction happens.

According to Rivo case studies, the business impact is significant. Fresh Chile Co achieved a 156% increase in average order value from paid memberships alone. BERO generated 1 billion impressions using Rivo's omnichannel membership capabilities. VIP tier customers across the Rivo platform show 73% higher AOV and make 3.6x more purchases than standard buyers, per Rivo platform data.

Neither Smile.io nor BON Loyalty offers paid memberships as a built-in capability. For merchants who want to move beyond points accumulation into recurring revenue models, Rivo is the only platform in this comparison that makes it possible without a separate subscription tool and custom integration.

International Support: Where BON Loyalty Wins

BON Loyalty's support for 250+ languages from $29/month is the clearest category win in this comparison  and one that genuinely differentiates it from both Rivo and Smile.io.

For brands selling to international audiences  European markets, Southeast Asia, or Latin America  BON Loyalty's multi-language capability at the Basic plan price point is a meaningful advantage. Setting up a fully translated loyalty experience without custom development saves real time and cost that other platforms in this comparison would require.

Smile.io supports select languages on higher tiers but is not built around internationalisation as a core feature. Rivo is primarily English-language in its out-of-the-box configuration, with international capabilities available but not a primary design focus. For stores where multi-language is a hard requirement, BON Loyalty delivers it earlier and cheaper than any competitor in this comparison.

Final Verdict

There's no single best loyalty app for every Shopify store. Here's how to decide.

For Shopify-first brands wanting retention depth  paid memberships, 8 checkout extensions, VIP tiers at $49/month, and 50+ integrations  Rivo is the strongest all-around choice in this comparison.

For multi-platform merchants on Shopify and BigCommerce who need one unified loyalty platform, Smile.io is the most established option with the largest install base and the longest track record.

For international stores with a hard multi-language requirement, or merchants optimising for cost efficiency at higher order volumes, BON Loyalty is worth a serious look  particularly the $129/month Growth plan for up to 2,000 orders.

For most Shopify merchants who've outgrown basic points programs, Rivo is the strongest all-around choice. Its combination of paid memberships, 8 checkout-native loyalty extensions, VIP tiers from $49/month, and 50+ integrations creates a feature depth that neither Smile.io nor BON Loyalty matches on Shopify. The 52x weighted median ROI and results from HexClad, OSEA, Fresh Chile Co, and BERO  all per Rivo's own case study data  reflect what's possible when a platform is built exclusively for Shopify.

If your store runs on Shopify and retention is a strategic priority rather than a checkbox, Rivo is worth evaluating against your current stack.

Request a demo to see how Rivo's paid memberships, checkout extensions, and loyalty tools can drive real repeat purchase revenue for your brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rivo better than Smile.io for Shopify merchants?

For Shopify-exclusive brands, Rivo offers deeper native integration than Smile.io, which supports multiple platforms. Specific differences include 8 checkout extensions versus Smile.io's 2, VIP tiers at $49/month versus $199/month, and paid memberships that Smile.io doesn't offer. Smile.io's advantage is its 100,000+ merchant install base and multi-platform support for stores on BigCommerce. For Shopify-only brands, Rivo's feature depth and pricing are stronger at comparable tiers.

Does BON Loyalty have VIP tiers?

Yes. BON Loyalty's VIP tiers are available on the Growth plan at $129/month, which also includes up to 2,000 monthly orders, B2B programs, and custom CSS. The Free and Basic ($29/month) plans do not include VIP tiers. Unlimited monthly orders are available starting on the Plus plan at $499/month.

Does Rivo offer paid memberships?

Yes. Rivo is the only platform in this comparison with a native paid membership product  programs where customers pay a recurring subscription fee for exclusive perks such as free shipping, bonus points, or members-only pricing. Neither Smile.io nor BON Loyalty offers this capability out of the box. According to Rivo case study data, Fresh Chile Co achieved a 156% AOV increase and BERO generated 1 billion brand impressions using Rivo's paid membership product.

Which Shopify loyalty app has the best free plan?

BON Loyalty's free plan supports up to 250 monthly orders, ahead of Smile.io's 200-order free plan limit. Rivo also offers a free tier. The more important variable is which paid plan makes sense once you outgrow the free limit  Smile.io's entry paid tier limits integrations significantly, while Rivo's $49/month Scale plan includes VIP tiers, 50+ integrations, and referrals from the first paid step.

How do I choose between Rivo and BON Loyalty?

Choose Rivo if you want paid memberships, 8 checkout extensions, or the deepest Shopify-native feature set and are processing 400+ orders per month. Choose BON Loyalty if multi-language support across 250+ languages is a hard requirement, or if you're optimising for cost efficiency at higher order volumes and don't need memberships or advanced checkout extensions. Both platforms offer VIP tiers and referral programs. The key differentiator is membership programs (Rivo only) versus internationalisation depth (BON Loyalty leading).