LoyaltyCompared 2026-10-14
Smile.io alternative for Shopify: Ayra vs Smile.io
Ayra is a Smile.io alternative for Shopify that covers loyalty plus wishlist, back in stock, pre-order on a single customer profile. Smile.io is a loyalty and referral program app for Shopify with points, VIP tiers and a free plan to 200 orders. This comparison was last verified on 2026-10-14.
01 At a glance
Smile.io and Ayra, side by side
Pricing basis
- Smile.io
- Up to 500 monthly orders
- Ayra
- Monthly orders
- All modules included
02 Feature table
Every capability, every row, both columns.
| Capability | Smile.io | Ayra |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalty | ||
| Points & earn rules | Yes source | Yes |
| Store credit rewards | — | Yes |
| VIP tiers | Yes source | Yes |
| Checkout redemption (no code paste) | Partial source | Yes |
| POS earn / redeem | Yes source | Yes |
| Points on reviews / referrals | Partial source | Yes |
| Referrals | ||
| Two-sided rewards | — | Yes |
| Fraud / clawback protection | — | Yes |
| WhatsApp share | — | Yes |
| Reviews | ||
| Photo / video reviews | — | Yes Beta wave 2 |
| Q&A | — | Yes |
| Delivery-timed requests | — | Yes |
| Shop channel / metaobject sync | — | Yes |
| Import from other apps | Partial source | Partial CSV from Judge.me, Loox, Yotpo; loyalty balances |
| Intent | ||
| Wishlist | — | Yes Beta wave 2 |
| Back-in-stock alerts | — | Yes Beta wave 2 |
| Price-drop alerts | — | Yes |
| Pre-order (selling-plan native) | — | Yes Beta wave 2 |
| Programs | ||
| Subscriptions | — | Partial Subscribe & save, prepaid, build-a-box basics; no advanced bundles at launch |
| Transaction fee on subscriptions | — | No 0% |
| Skip / swap / pause in account | — | Yes |
| Platform | ||
| One customer profile across all of the above | — | Yes |
| Conflict / frequency control across channels | — | Yes |
| Revenue attribution per module | Partial source | Yes |
| New customer accounts (native extensions) | Yes source | Yes |
| Theme edits required | — | No |
| Shopify Plus checkout extensions | Yes source | Yes |
| Third-party integration directory | Partial source | No Fewer than incumbents at launch |
| Full email / SMS campaign tool (ESP) | No source | Partial Retention flows only; not a full ESP at launch |
| Commercial | ||
| Pricing basis | Up to 500 monthly orders | Monthly orders. Every module is included on every plan. |
| Free plan | Yes · Up to 200 monthly orders | Yes · Up to 100 orders/mo |
| Entry paid plan | Essential · $15/mo | Growth · $79/mo |
| Migration support | Hours to move to Ayra · CSV export from Smile, import into Ayra; balances are reconciled before go-live. | Free migration during private beta |
Verified 2026-10-14 from vendor pricing pages and Shopify App Store listings. "—" means we could not verify it from a primary source. Ayra rows marked "Beta wave 2" ship after the first private beta wave.
03 Pricing
Plans, side by side.
Smile.io meters its plans differently from Ayra, which is priced on monthly orders with every module included. Compare the basis column, not just the price.
Smile.io
| Plan | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 200 monthly orders Points, rewards and referrals; works with Shopify POS |
| Essential | $15/mo | Up to 500 monthly orders Dedicated loyalty page, nudges, 1 integration |
| Standard | $79/mo | Up to 1,000 monthly orders Bonus events, loyalty segments, 2 integrations |
| Growth | $199/mo | Includes 2,500 monthly orders, then $20 per additional 100 VIP tiers, points expiry, redeem at checkout (Shopify Plus), unlimited integrations |
| Plus | $999/mo | Includes 7,500 monthly orders, then $5 per 100; annual billing Migration and launch plan, API access; shown on the vendor pricing page only |
Transaction fee: None stated; per-order overage on Growth and Plus source
Ayra
Every module included| Plan | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 100 orders/mo |
| Starter | $29/mo | Up to 1,000 orders/mo |
| Growth | $79/mo | Up to 5,000 orders/mo |
| Pro | $199/mo | Up to 20,000 orders/mo |
| Plus | $498/mo | Shopify Plus, scoped per contract |
Transaction fee: 0%. Priced on orders, not on how many modules you turn on.
04 Where they win
Where Smile.io wins
- Brand recognition: Smile.io is one of the most installed loyalty apps on Shopify, with 4,629 reviews at a 4.9 rating on the listing we checked.
- Integration count: "30+ other tools" per the listing, with unlimited integrations on Growth and above.
- VIP depth: VIP tiers, points expiry and bonus events are mature and well documented.
- A free plan that covers 200 monthly orders with points, rewards and referrals.
05 When to stay
When to stay with Smile.io
If loyalty is the only retention program you run, you are on the Free or Essential plan, and your reviews, wishlist and subscriptions apps already talk to Smile through Klaviyo, there is little to gain from moving until you want those signals on one profile.
06 What changes with Ayra
What changes when this runs on one profile
- Private betaExplore Loyalty
Loyalty & Rewards
Points, store credit and VIP tiers that know who the customer is.
- Private betaExplore Referrals
Referrals
Referral programs that reward both sides and can't be gamed.
- Private betaExplore Account Hub
Customer Account Hub
One account page for rewards, orders, wishlists, reviews and subscriptions.
One profile
Smile.io's data and every other signal land on the same customer record, so nothing is decided from a fragment.
Journey Guard
Every outbound action is checked for conflicts and frequency across modules. Doing nothing is a valid decision.
Attribution
Revenue is attributed to the action that earned it, from one source, so no module claims the same order twice.
07 Migration
Moving from Smile.io
What imports
- Points balances
- VIP tier membership
- Referral codes and pending rewards
- Customer earn history (CSV)
Effort
Hours
CSV export from Smile, import into Ayra; balances are reconciled before go-live.
Cost
Free
Migration from Smile.io is free during private beta. You can run both apps side by side while you switch.
08 FAQ
Ayra vs Smile.io questions
Is Ayra a direct replacement for Smile.io?
For points, rewards, VIP tiers and referrals, yes. Ayra also adds reviews, wishlist, back-in-stock, subscriptions and flows on the same customer profile, which Smile.io does not offer natively.
Can I import my Smile.io points balances?
Yes. Export balances and tier membership from Smile.io as CSV and import them into Ayra. Migration is free during private beta.
What does Smile.io do that Ayra does not?
Smile.io has a larger third-party integration directory and more years of loyalty-specific reporting. Ayra ships fewer integrations at launch.
How does pricing differ?
Smile.io meters by monthly orders per loyalty plan; Ayra meters by monthly orders with every module included, so you are not paying separately for reviews or subscriptions.
Can I run Smile.io and Ayra at the same time?
Yes. Run both during migration, then switch the storefront widgets once balances match.
09 Related
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Smile.io is a trademark of its owner. Ayra is not affiliated. Facts verified 2026-10-14 from public pages; tell us if something is out of date → /contact.