On a headless Shopify store, the storefront is your own code, built with Hydrogen, Next.js or another framework, while Shopify runs commerce behind it. A loyalty app's theme blocks do not reach that storefront, so the program comes in through a JavaScript SDK, a storefront package or an API your developers call.
Every app below documents a headless route; they differ in toolkit, shopper identity and plan. Vendor facts come from each app's developer docs, help center, Shopify App Store listing and pricing page, read on October 28, 2026.
TL;DR: For Shopify Plus brands on Hydrogen or another headless stack, Smile is our pick: a pre-built Smile UI panel or a JavaScript SDK on the storefront, a REST API with OAuth and webhooks behind it, a Hydrogen guide, and Built for Shopify and Shopify Technology Partner status. The SDK and API come with Smile Plus. LoyaltyLion suits teams that want to build every screen on a versioned headless API, Joy and Growave put Hydrogen packages on $499 plans, and Yotpo fits brands already on Yotpo Reviews. More Shopify Plus brands run loyalty on Smile than on any other platform (Store Leads, October 2026).
What Headless Brands Need From a Loyalty App
We build loyalty software, so we judged each app on what a headless build needs:
- A storefront toolkit. An SDK or package that renders balances, rewards and tiers in your components, plus a pre-built panel for screens you do not want to build.
- API coverage behind it. A server-side API for customers, points, redemptions and custom activities, with webhooks.
- Secure customer identity. Look for a customer token signed on your backend, with secret API keys kept off the client.
- Hydrogen guidance. A vendor guide or package for loaders, Oxygen, Content Security Policy and Customer Account API login.
- Plan gating. Check which plan includes the SDK, the API and webhooks, not just the loyalty features.
- Rate limits, where documented. LoyaltyLion publishes 20 requests per second for its Admin API, Yotpo reports per-account limits in response headers, and Smile Enterprise includes custom API rate limits.
- Help for the build. ROKA, which runs Smile on a headless Shopify storefront, advises: "Plan end-to-end with a headless integration and make sure that you have help at every step along the way."
Quick Comparison Table
| App | Best for | Headless access from | Built for Shopify | Technology Partner | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smile | Shopify Plus brands on Hydrogen or a custom stack | Smile Plus, $999/mo billed annually (7,500 orders) | 4.9 | ||
| LoyaltyLion | A fully custom UI on a headless API | Classic, $199/mo (500 orders) | 4.7 | ||
| Yotpo Loyalty | Brands on Yotpo Reviews | Every plan, per its help center | 4.7 | ||
| Okendo | Reviews and loyalty from one vendor | API from $299/mo; headless support from $999/mo or as an add-on | 4.8 | ||
| Rivo | Developer-led teams on monthly billing | Plus, $499/mo (2,500 orders) | 4.7 | ||
| Joy | Hydrogen components out of the box | Ultimate, $499/mo (7,000 orders) | 4.9 | ||
| Growave | Loyalty, reviews and wishlists on one SDK | Plus, $499/mo (3,000 orders) | 4.8 |
From each app's Shopify App Store listing, pricing page and developer docs, October 28, 2026. Built for Shopify: the badge on the listing. Technology Partner: listed in Shopify's technology partner directory.
What Each App Documents for Headless
| App | Storefront toolkit | Server-side API | Hydrogen | Shopper identity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smile | Smile UI panel and launcher; JavaScript SDK | REST API with OAuth and webhooks | Hydrogen guide | JWT customer tokens signed on your backend |
| LoyaltyLion | SDK components; Headless API with a TypeScript client | Admin API with webhooks | Hydrogen guide and reference store | Customer session tokens you sign |
| Yotpo Loyalty | On-site modules with a customer identification div | Loyalty API v2 and v3 | Its Hydrogen guide covers Yotpo Reviews | Server-side GUID and API key |
| Okendo | Loyalty widget from a shop metafield; storefront loyalty API | Merchant REST API; webhooks | npm package for Hydrogen | Customer access token |
| Rivo | Rivo metafields read through Shopify's Storefront API | REST API, webhooks, JavaScript API | Hydrogen guide | Bearer token |
| Joy | Hydrogen widget and Loyalty Page; headless SDK | REST API v2, webhook API | Hydrogen and Weaverse packages | Customer Account API login |
| Growave | JavaScript SDK; Hydrogen React SDK | REST API with OAuth 2.0; webhooks | Hydrogen React SDK | Growave JWT |
From each vendor's developer docs and help center, October 28, 2026. A feature absent from one app's docs is not proof the app lacks it: ask the vendor.
The Seven Headless Loyalty Apps, Reviewed
1. Smile: Best for Shopify Plus Brands on Hydrogen or a Custom Stack
Rating: 4.9 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner · SOC 2 Type II
Smile is the loyalty platform for Shopify Plus and enterprise brands: points, VIP tiers and referrals. It runs on any headless storefront or single page application, including Shopify Hydrogen, in two ways that can run together. Smile UI adds the production rewards panel and launcher with a script tag, a customer token and one initialize call, styled from the Smile admin. The JavaScript SDK (a script tag or the @smile-io/smile-js npm package) renders points balances, rewards, VIP status, earning rules and referral links in your own components, with no iframes and no full page reloads.
Behind both sits a REST API with OAuth and webhooks; more than 25 partners have built integrations on it. JWT customer tokens generated on your backend identify the logged-in shopper, so your signing key never reaches the client, and a Hydrogen guide covers what is specific to Shopify's stack.
Best for: Shopify Plus brands that want a pre-built panel at launch and room to build custom loyalty UI.
Proof: ROKA runs Smile on a headless Shopify storefront after more than five years on Yotpo; members show a 75% redemption rate.
Plans: the JavaScript SDK and API access come with Smile Plus, $999 a month billed annually with 7,500 monthly orders. Smile Enterprise, custom-priced for retailers over $40M in annual revenue, adds custom API rate limits. See headless and Hydrogen.
2. LoyaltyLion: Best for a Fully Custom UI on a Headless API
Rating: 4.7 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
LoyaltyLion documents two routes. Its JavaScript SDK places LoyaltyLion components, from a loyalty page to tier progress, on a headless Shopify storefront. Its Headless API, versioned 2025-06, returns program configuration, enrolls customers and redeems rewards, with a TypeScript client and a Hydrogen reference store. API keys stay on the server; browsers use customer session tokens you sign.
Where LoyaltyLion is strong: a versioned headless API with a typed client, one channel setting for web, mobile and POS, and regular additions, such as guest referral links in October 2026.
Best for: teams that want to build every loyalty screen themselves, across web, app and custom POS.
Headless plan: the Headless API is included from Classic, $199 a month for 500 orders up to $549 for 4,000 on its pricing page (its listing quotes above 500), and can be added to a lower plan. See Smile vs LoyaltyLion.
3. Yotpo Loyalty: Best for Brands on Yotpo Reviews
Rating: 4.7 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Yotpo's help center lists headless setups on its Free, Pro, Premium and Enterprise plans, using Yotpo's on-site modules and a customer identification div on every page; Yotpo notes this front-end work "will require extensive dev resources." Its Loyalty API guide for custom or headless stores, updated October 2026, has your server send customers, orders and refunds while your own UI shows points and rewards.
Where Yotpo is strong: reviews and loyalty from one vendor, and an API guide for checkout redemption that deducts points only when the code is used.
Best for: brands committed to Yotpo Reviews, with developers to build the loyalty front end.
Headless plan: every plan, per its help center. Pro is $199 a month for 500 orders, then a per-order rate; Premium and Enterprise are by quote. See Smile vs Yotpo and Yotpo Loyalty alternatives.
4. Okendo: Best for Reviews and Loyalty From One Vendor
Rating: 4.8 on the Shopify App Store (Reviews and Loyalty) · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Okendo's headless guide loads Okendo Loyalty from a shop metafield, with a customer access token for signed-in shoppers. For Hydrogen 2 and 1, Okendo ships an npm package, and developers also get a storefront loyalty API and a merchant REST API with loyalty endpoints such as points adjustments and minimum VIP tiers.
Where Okendo is strong: reviews, loyalty, quizzes and surveys from one vendor, each with a headless install guide.
Best for: brands that want reviews and loyalty in one contract on a headless storefront.
Headless plan: Okendo Loyalty runs $99 to $999 a month by order volume, up to 10,000 orders. API access is included from $299 (up to 1,500 orders); headless support and webhooks are included at $999 and on Enterprise, and are add-ons below that.
5. Rivo: Best for Developer-Led Teams on Monthly Billing
Rating: 4.7 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Rivo's Developer Toolkit combines a REST API, webhooks, a JavaScript API and Shopify metafields, with a shared Slack channel for developers. Its Hydrogen guide (July 30, 2026) has the storefront read Rivo's configuration from metafields through Shopify's Storefront API, then call Rivo's REST API with a bearer token for points, tiers and rewards. Its pricing page says Rivo is SOC 2 Type II compliant.
Where Rivo is strong: a broad REST API, from points events and redemptions to VIP tiers and memberships, on monthly billing.
Best for: Shopify brands with in-house developers.
Headless plan: Plus, $499 a month for up to 2,500 orders, includes the Developer Toolkit, and Rivo's Hydrogen guide says headless support begins there. See Smile vs Rivo.
6. Joy: Best for Hydrogen Components Out of the Box
Rating: 4.9 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Joy puts headless storefronts on its Ultimate plan. On Hydrogen, its @joy-loyalty/hydrogen package renders Joy's loyalty widget and Loyalty Page with server rendering and signed-in customer data, and @joy-loyalty/sdk is a framework-agnostic client for fully custom UI.
Where Joy is strong: packaged Hydrogen components, including one for Weaverse storefronts, so the widget and loyalty page render without being built.
Best for: Hydrogen brands that want Joy's widget and loyalty page rendered natively.
Headless plan: Joy Ultimate, $499 a month with 7,000 orders, then $5 per 100, which also adds checkout UI extensions and the REST API. See Smile vs Joy.
7. Growave: Best for Loyalty, Reviews and Wishlists on One SDK
Rating: 4.8 on the Shopify App Store · Built for Shopify · Technology Partner
Growave's developer toolkit lists a REST API, a JavaScript SDK, a Hydrogen React SDK and webhooks across loyalty, referrals, reviews and wishlists. Its custom storefront guide covers Hydrogen, Next.js and mobile WebViews, signing customers in with a Growave JWT.
Where Growave is strong: one SDK for loyalty, reviews and wishlists, with a Hydrogen React SDK.
Best for: Shopify brands that run wishlists and reviews beside loyalty.
Headless plan: Plus, $499 a month with 3,000 orders, then $10 per 100; its pricing page lists "Shopify Hydrogen, headless commerce, API and SDK" there.
How to Choose a Headless Loyalty App
| If you need | Look at |
|---|---|
| A drop-in panel now and custom components later, for Shopify Plus | Smile |
| Built for Shopify and a Shopify Technology Partner, SOC 2 Type II audited | Smile |
| A migration and launch plan run by the vendor's team for a headless build | Smile (Smile Plus) |
| A versioned headless API with a typed client, for web, mobile and custom POS | LoyaltyLion |
| Reviews and loyalty from Yotpo, with developers to build the front end | Yotpo Loyalty |
| Reviews and loyalty from one vendor, with a Hydrogen package | Okendo |
| A REST API on monthly billing | Rivo |
| Joy's widget and loyalty page as Hydrogen components | Joy |
| Loyalty, reviews and wishlists on one SDK | Growave |
| Loyalty across commerce platforms beyond Shopify | An API-first engine from our loyalty software list |
Before you sign, test one flow on a staging storefront: sign in, show a balance, redeem into the cart and check that the order earns points. Our guide to launching a Shopify Plus loyalty program covers the headless rollout, and the best loyalty apps for Shopify Plus and enterprise loyalty platforms cover the wider field. To estimate Smile's cost at your order volume, use the pricing calculator.
Where Smile Stands Out for Shopify Plus Brands
All seven apps document a headless route as of October 2026. Where Smile stands out:
- Two front-end routes on one platform. Smile UI for the production panel and launcher, the JavaScript SDK for your own components, or both, on any headless storefront including Hydrogen (headless and Hydrogen).
- The same program across Shopify. Redemption at Shopify Plus checkout, Loyalty Hub in Shopify customer accounts in 20+ languages, and Shopify POS on every plan with one balance online and in store.
- Loyalty data in your marketing. Five Smile properties and eight loyalty events matched to Klaviyo profiles by email.
- Checked by Shopify, with a team for the build. Built for Shopify, a Certified Technology Partner and SOC 2 Type II audited (May 2026). Smile Plus adds a migration and launch plan run by Smile's team, quarterly program monitoring and priority support (Smile for enterprise, switch to Smile).
Customer proof: ROKA, a performance eyewear and apparel brand on a headless Shopify storefront, moved its program from Yotpo to Smile after more than five years; members show a 75% redemption rate and 31% higher purchase frequency than non-members. Burbank Sportscards, a Shopify Plus collectibles retailer, built its own mobile app on the Smile API and SDK and runs a 70% redemption rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best loyalty app for a headless Shopify store? For Shopify Plus brands, Smile is our pick as of October 2026. It runs on any headless storefront, including Hydrogen, with a pre-built Smile UI panel or a JavaScript SDK, backed by a REST API with OAuth and webhooks, and it is Built for Shopify and a Shopify Technology Partner. The SDK and API come with Smile Plus.
Which loyalty apps work with Shopify Hydrogen? As of October 28, 2026, Smile, LoyaltyLion, Okendo, Rivo, Joy and Growave publish Hydrogen guides or packages, and BON's listing names Hydrogen among the tools it works with. Yotpo documents headless setups for Yotpo Loyalty; its Hydrogen guide covers Yotpo Reviews.
How does a headless loyalty program work? The loyalty app keeps the rules, balances and rewards; your storefront displays them. Your server calls the vendor's API with a secret key, and the browser gets a customer token signed on your backend. On Smile, JWT customer tokens identify the shopper for the JavaScript SDK and Smile UI.
Do Shopify loyalty apps have an API for headless stores? Yes, usually on a higher plan. As of October 2026, Smile's REST API and JavaScript SDK come with Smile Plus, LoyaltyLion's Headless API with Classic, and Rivo's, Joy's and Growave's headless tools with their $499 plans. Yotpo lists headless setups on every plan.
Does Smile work with Shopify Hydrogen? Yes. Every Hydrogen store is headless, and Smile works on Hydrogen and on other headless storefronts. Smile's Hydrogen guide covers the customer token from your root loader, Content Security Policy and client-side navigation.
Which Smile plans include the API and JavaScript SDK? Smile Plus and Smile Enterprise. Smile Plus is $999 a month, billed annually, with 7,500 monthly orders; Smile Enterprise is custom-priced and adds custom API rate limits. To estimate cost at your order volume, use Smile's pricing calculator.
Should we build a custom loyalty UI or use a pre-built panel? A pre-built panel launches with less code and updates from the vendor's admin; a custom UI on an SDK or headless API matches your design system, and your developers maintain it. On Smile you can run both: Smile UI for the rewards panel and the JavaScript SDK for custom components.
