Their server, or yours.
Reward Loyalty
vs Smile.io.
$349 once for every store vs $49-999/month per store.
Smile needs Shopify. We work with anything, on your own server.
Run 10 stores for 2 years.
Smile.io needs a separate subscription per store. Reward Loyalty bills once for one install that covers all your stores.
Reward Loyalty
$349 license + hosting. One install covers all 10.
Works with any platform.
Smile.io Starter
$49/month per store × 10 stores × 24 months
Each store capped at 200 monthly orders.
Smile.io Growth
$199/month per store × 10 stores × 24 months
Each store still needs its own Shopify subscription.
For a single store, a monthly plan can cost less over two years than a one-time license. Reward Loyalty wins once you run several stores, where Smile.io bills each one and one license still covers them all.
Feature by feature.
| Feature | Reward Loyalty | Smile.io |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-time $349 | $49-999/month per store |
| Requires e-commerce platform | ✗ Works anywhere | ✓ Shopify/BigCommerce/Wix |
| Points program | ✓ | ✓ |
| Digital stamp cards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vouchers | ✓ | ✓ VIP perks |
| Membership tiers | ✓ | ✓ (Growth plan) |
| Referral program | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-hosted | ✓ | ✗ (SaaS) |
| Source code access | ✓ Full | ✗ |
| White-label | ✓ Complete | ✗ (Smile branding on Free/Starter) |
| Multi-tenant | ✓ Unlimited client businesses, one license | ✗ Per-store subscription |
| QR code scanning | ✓ | ✗ (online checkout only) |
| Offline capable | ✓ (PWA) | ✗ |
| Data ownership | Your server | Smile.io servers |
| Order limits | Unlimited | 200-7,500/mo depending on plan |
Where Smile.io wins.
Deep Shopify integration
Smile.io hooks into Shopify checkout. Customers earn points the moment they buy, with no manual step. For a Shopify store that needs only checkout-based loyalty, this fits.
100,000+ merchants
Smile.io has wide market presence. More than 100,000 stores run the platform. That adoption gives new merchants confidence. Reward Loyalty is a newer and smaller product.
Zero maintenance
SaaS means nothing to install, update, or host. Open a browser and it works. Reward Loyalty asks for a server and technical setup.
Where Reward Loyalty wins.
Works without Shopify
Smile.io needs Shopify, BigCommerce, or Wix. A restaurant, salon, café, gym, or any physical business without Shopify cannot use it. Reward Loyalty works with a QR code, on any platform or none at all.
One license per store, not per month
Smile.io bills a separate subscription for each store. Reward Loyalty bills $349 once for an install that holds every store you run. Ten stores on Growth over two years run $47,760, against $589 for Reward Loyalty. Smile.io also charges more when a store passes its order limit.
Digital stamp cards
Smile.io does points and referrals. It does not do stamp cards. If your model is "buy 10, get 1 free", the most popular loyalty mechanic for cafés and restaurants, Smile.io cannot run it.
Physical location loyalty
Smile.io works at online checkout. Reward Loyalty uses QR code scanning at the counter. Print a QR code, set it by the register, and every customer can join.
The verdict.
Choose Smile.io if you run a single Shopify store and want checkout integration with no setup effort. Their Shopify integration runs deep, and 100,000+ merchants show it works.
Choose Reward Loyalty if you skip Shopify, need stamp cards, serve physical locations, or run several stores and refuse a per-store monthly bill. One license at $349 covers every store on one install, and you own it.
No Shopify required.
Works with any business. Any website. Or no website at all.
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