Smile, Yotpo and LoyaltyLion are three loyalty platforms Shopify Plus brands often put on one shortlist. All three run points, VIP tiers and referrals, all three are in Shopify's technology partner directory, and all three name Checkout, Customer accounts, Shopify POS and Shopify Flow on their Shopify App Store listings. The real differences are Shopify's quality badge, which plan includes what, how pricing scales and what else the vendor sells.
We build Smile, so we say plainly where we think Smile fits better and where Yotpo or LoyaltyLion does. Every Yotpo and LoyaltyLion fact on this page comes from its own Shopify App Store listing, pricing page, help center or security page, or from Shopify's technology partner directory, read on October 28, 2026.
TL;DR: Smile is our pick for Shopify Plus and enterprise brands: it holds both Shopify certifications and a SOC 2 Type II audit, runs from the Shopify admin, and VIP tiers, Loyalty Hub and benchmarks come on a published plan (Growth, $199 a month for 2,500 monthly orders). Yotpo fits brands that want reviews and loyalty from one vendor or sell beyond Shopify, and LoyaltyLion fits brands that want its team to build the loyalty page and Klaviyo flows for them. More Shopify Plus brands run loyalty on Smile than on any other platform (Store Leads, October 2026).
Smile, Yotpo and LoyaltyLion at a Glance
| Smile | Yotpo Loyalty | LoyaltyLion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A loyalty platform: points, VIP tiers and referrals | Loyalty & Referrals, one of three Yotpo products with Reviews & UGC and Discover | A loyalty platform, based in London |
| Shopify App Store rating | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| Built for Shopify badge on its listing | |||
| In Shopify's technology partner directory | |||
| Shopify surfaces under "Works with" on its listing | Checkout, Customer accounts, Shopify POS, Shopify Flow, Shopify Admin | Checkout, Customer accounts, Shopify POS, Shopify Flow | Checkout, Customer accounts, Shopify POS, Shopify Flow |
| Security | SOC 2 Type II, audited May 2026 | SOC 2 Type 2 report; ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701 | SOC 2 Type I attestation |
| VIP tiers | Included from Growth | Premium plan, by quote | Listing: in Classic. Pricing page: an add-on on Classic, included from Advanced |
| Redeem points at checkout | From Growth, on Shopify Plus | From Pro | For Shopify Plus stores |
| Loyalty page | A branded landing page your team publishes in one click, on every paid plan | Rewards Page from Pro | A loyalty page LoyaltyLion's team builds for you, on Classic |
| Klaviyo | Five profile properties, eight loyalty events, eight pre-built flows | Klaviyo integration from Pro | Klaviyo Elite Master Partner; loyalty flows built for you on Classic |
| Migration | Smile Plus: a migration and launch plan run by Smile's team; points import by CSV on any plan | Its team manages the switch, per its pricing page | Help importing customer data, per its pricing page |
| Ecommerce platforms | Shopify and BigCommerce | Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, WooCommerce, custom via API | Shopify, Adobe Commerce 2, custom via API |
Ratings, badges and "Works with" from each Shopify App Store listing; plans from each listing and pricing page; security from Smile's pricing page and Yotpo's and LoyaltyLion's security pages; the directory is Shopify's technology partner directory. All read October 28, 2026.
Pricing Compared
All three price by monthly orders, but they draw the lines in different places, and only part of each price list is published.
| Smile | Yotpo Loyalty | LoyaltyLion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published paid plan | Growth: $199 a month with 2,500 monthly orders, then $20 per 100 | Pro: from $199 a month with 500 orders, then $0.20, $0.10 and $0.05 per order as volume rises | Classic: $199 a month for 500 orders, rising to $549 for 4,000 |
| VIP tiers | Included in Growth | Premium, by quote | An add-on on Classic; included on Advanced, by quote |
| Higher plans | Smile Plus: $999 a month, billed annually, with 7,500 monthly orders, then $5 per 100. Smile Enterprise: custom, for retailers over $40M in annual revenue | Premium and Enterprise, by quote | Advanced and Plus, by quote; custom above 4,000 monthly orders |
Smile from smile.io/pricing; Yotpo from yotpo.com/pricing/loyalty; LoyaltyLion from loyaltylion.com/pricing. All read October 28, 2026.
Two notes on the sources. Yotpo's App Store listing words Pro's per-order fee as $0.08 to $0.20, and LoyaltyLion's listing asks for a quote above 500 monthly orders; in both cases we use the vendor's pricing page. Yotpo also offers a free tier for stores under 100 monthly orders, and LoyaltyLion one for up to 400, with a 14-day free trial of Classic.
Per-order pricing means your busiest months cost the most, so model peak season, not an average month. To estimate Smile at your own volume, use the pricing calculator.
Where Yotpo Is Strong
Yotpo is the choice that does more than loyalty. Its strengths, from its own pages:
- Reviews and loyalty from one vendor. Loyalty connects to Yotpo Reviews & UGC, so points can reward reviews, photos and videos, and its Bundle combines the two from $199 a month for less than buying each separately.
- Reach beyond Shopify. Yotpo lists Shopify and Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and WooCommerce, plus headless storefronts through its API.
- Several stores, markets and brands. Its pricing page says it supports multi-store and multi-region brands, with cross-market management on higher tiers and a cross-brand program on Enterprise.
- Security paperwork. Beyond Technology Partner status, its security page cites a SOC 2 Type 2 report and ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701 certifications.
- Many named campaigns. Its listing offers 20+ out-of-the-box campaigns, such as goal spend and social engagement.
What to weigh: Yotpo's listing shows no Built for Shopify badge and does not name Shopify Admin under "Works with", and VIP tiers sit on the quoted Premium plan. The company has also narrowed its line: it discontinued Subscriptions on May 31, 2025 and ended Email and SMS on December 31, 2025, and now sells Reviews & UGC, Loyalty & Referrals and Discover. For the full head-to-head, see Smile vs Yotpo, and for a wider list, the best Yotpo Loyalty alternatives.
Where LoyaltyLion Is Strong
LoyaltyLion sells service as much as software. Its strengths, from its own pages:
- A program built for you. Classic includes a loyalty page its team designs (valued at $1,500 on its listing), Klaviyo loyalty flows built for you and onboarding support, and LoyaltyLion is a Klaviyo Elite Master Partner.
- Languages and wallets. Advanced translates a program into 130+ languages, and Loyalty Pass, an optional add-on, puts the program in Apple and Google Wallet.
- AI assistants on every plan. Its pricing page lists a connection to AI assistants such as Shopify Sidekick or Claude on every plan.
What to weigh: LoyaltyLion's listing shows no Built for Shopify badge and does not name Shopify Admin under "Works with". Its pricing page and help center make VIP tiers a paid add-on on Classic, Shopify POS on Classic covers a single location, and its security page describes a SOC 2 Type I attestation. More in Smile vs LoyaltyLion and the best LoyaltyLion alternatives.
Where Smile Stands Out for Shopify Plus Brands
Smile is the loyalty platform for Shopify Plus and enterprise brands, and loyalty is its entire focus. Where it pulls ahead of both:
- Both Shopify certifications, run from the Shopify admin. Smile's listing carries the Built for Shopify badge and the 2026 Build Award winner badge and names Shopify Admin under "Works with". Smile is a Shopify Certified Technology Partner with a SOC 2 Type II audit from May 2026. See Smile for enterprise brands.
- The Plus toolkit on a published plan. Growth, at $199 a month with 2,500 monthly orders, includes VIP tiers, Loyalty Hub inside Shopify customer accounts in 20+ languages, redemption at Shopify Plus checkout and loyalty benchmarks that set four program rates against stores of similar size and industry.
- Your team owns the program. A branded loyalty landing page built in a no-code editor and published in one click, Klaviyo data on every profile (five properties, eight loyalty events and eight pre-built flows), and Shopify POS on every plan with one balance online and in store.
- Headless builds and a switch run by Smile's team. Smile Plus adds a REST API and a JavaScript SDK for headless and Hydrogen storefronts, plus a migration and launch plan: members, point balances and VIP tiers come over intact, and the old program stays live until Smile is ready. See how switching to Smile works.
The proof is in two switches. Blue Banana, a Shopify Plus streetwear brand from Spain, moved from LoyaltyLion to Smile in one week across its online store and 20+ retail locations, and member LTV rose 10% within its first 30 days on Smile. ROKA left Yotpo after more than five years; its loyalty members show a 75% redemption rate and 31% higher purchase frequency than non-members. As ROKA's Director of Marketing, Anna Pappas, put it: "Our customer experience team is so thankful to have everything in Shopify, connected directly to our systems, without having to open up an alternate browser in Yotpo."
Which Should You Choose?
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want both Shopify certifications and the program in the Shopify admin | Smile | Built for Shopify and a Certified Technology Partner; its listing names Shopify Admin |
| You want VIP tiers, Loyalty Hub and benchmarks on a published plan | Smile | All three are in Growth, $199 a month with 2,500 monthly orders |
| You are leaving Yotpo or LoyaltyLion | Smile Plus | Smile's team runs the migration and launch plan, with balances and tiers intact |
| You run a headless or Hydrogen storefront | Smile Plus | REST API and JavaScript SDK; ROKA runs Smile on a headless Shopify storefront |
| You keep Yotpo Reviews but want loyalty run inside Shopify | Smile | Smile's own Yotpo integration rewards verified reviews with points (it needs a Yotpo Premium plan) |
| You want one contract for reviews and loyalty, or sell on Salesforce Commerce Cloud or WooCommerce | Yotpo | Its Bundle combines Reviews and Loyalty from $199 a month, and it lists both platforms |
| You want the vendor to build your loyalty page and Klaviyo flows | LoyaltyLion | Both are included on Classic |
If you are switching, start with our guide to switching from Yotpo to Smile or how a switch to Smile works. For a wider shortlist, see the best loyalty apps for Shopify Plus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for Shopify Plus: Smile, Yotpo or LoyaltyLion? Smile is our pick for Shopify Plus brands. As of October 28, 2026, Smile's listing shows the Built for Shopify badge and Yotpo's and LoyaltyLion's do not, Smile is a Certified Technology Partner, and Growth includes VIP tiers, Loyalty Hub and benchmarks at $199 a month. Yotpo is the stronger fit for reviews and loyalty from one vendor, and LoyaltyLion for a program its team builds for you.
What is the difference between Yotpo and LoyaltyLion? Yotpo sells loyalty as one of three products, beside Reviews & UGC and Discover, works across Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and WooCommerce, and puts VIP tiers on its quoted Premium plan. LoyaltyLion is a loyalty specialist that builds your loyalty page and Klaviyo flows on Classic and includes VIP tiers from its quoted Advanced plan. Both are in Shopify's technology partner directory, and neither listing shows the Built for Shopify badge (October 28, 2026).
How much do Smile, Yotpo and LoyaltyLion cost? As of October 28, 2026, Smile Growth is $199 a month with 2,500 monthly orders, and Smile Plus is $999 a month, billed annually, with 7,500. Yotpo Pro starts at $199 a month for 500 orders, then $0.20 falling to $0.05 per order, with Premium and Enterprise by quote. LoyaltyLion Classic runs from $199 a month for 500 orders to $549 for 4,000 on its pricing page, with Advanced and Plus by quote.
Are Yotpo and LoyaltyLion Built for Shopify? Not as of October 28, 2026: neither listing shows the Built for Shopify badge, which Shopify gives apps that meet its highest standards for performance, design and integration. Both are in Shopify's technology partner directory, as is Smile, whose listing also carries the Built for Shopify badge.
Which plan includes VIP tiers on each platform? Smile includes VIP tiers in Growth at $199 a month. Yotpo puts VIP tiers on Premium, priced by quote. LoyaltyLion's listing includes VIP tiers in Classic, while its pricing page and help center make them a paid add-on on Classic and include them from Advanced, priced by quote (October 28, 2026).
Can I move from Yotpo or LoyaltyLion to Smile without losing points? Yes. Any Smile plan can import points balances by CSV, and on Smile Plus and Smile Enterprise, Smile's team runs the migration: members, point balances and VIP tiers come over intact, and the old program stays live until Smile is ready. Blue Banana moved from LoyaltyLion in one week, online and across 20+ retail locations.
Is Yotpo discontinuing its loyalty product? Yotpo has not published an end date for Loyalty & Referrals; on October 28, 2026 it is live on the Shopify App Store and on Yotpo's pricing page. The products Yotpo ended were Subscriptions (May 31, 2025) and Email and SMS (December 31, 2025).
