LoyaltyHead to head · Compared 2026-10-14
Smile.io vs LoyaltyLion (vs Ayra): which Shopify loyalty app in 2026?
Smile.io is a widely installed loyalty app with a free plan to 200 orders and paid plans metered by monthly orders. LoyaltyLion is a loyalty app aimed at larger stores, with a free tier, a $199 Classic plan and custom-quoted Advanced and Plus plans with services included. Ayra replaces both and adds referrals with fraud checks, reviews, wishlist, back-in-stock, subscriptions and flows on one customer profile, priced on orders with every module included.
01 Feature table
Smile.io, LoyaltyLion and Ayra, row by row.
| Capability | Smile.io | LoyaltyLion | Ayra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyalty | |||
| Points & earn rules | Yes source | Yes source | Yes |
| Store credit rewards | — | Yes source | Yes |
| VIP tiers | Yes source | Yes source | Yes |
| Checkout redemption (no code paste) | Partial source | Partial source | Yes |
| POS earn / redeem | Yes source | Yes source | Yes |
| Points on reviews / referrals | Partial source | Yes 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 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 | Partial source | Yes |
| New customer accounts (native extensions) | Yes source | Yes source | Yes |
| Theme edits required | — | — | No |
| Shopify Plus checkout extensions | Yes source | Yes source | Yes |
| Third-party integration directory | Partial source | Yes source | No Fewer than incumbents at launch |
| Full email / SMS campaign tool (ESP) | No source | No source | Partial Retention flows only; not a full ESP at launch |
| Commercial | |||
| Pricing basis | Up to 500 monthly orders | Includes 500 orders per month | Monthly orders. Every module is included on every plan. |
| Free plan | Yes · Up to 200 monthly orders | Yes · Recommended for stores with up to 400 monthly orders | Yes · Up to 100 orders/mo |
| Entry paid plan | Essential · $15/mo | Classic · $199/mo | Growth · $79/mo |
| Migration support | Hours to move to Ayra · CSV export from Smile, import into Ayra; balances are reconciled before go-live. | Days to move to Ayra · Larger programs are migrated in a staged cut-over with balances verified per segment. | 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.
02 Pricing
Three price lists, one basis column.
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
LoyaltyLion
| Plan | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Recommended for stores with up to 400 monthly orders Points for on-site activities, discount rewards, loyalty analytics |
| Classic | $199/mo | Includes 500 orders per month VIP tiers, single POS location, unlimited integrations, loyalty attributed revenue reporting |
| Advanced | Custom | Monthly orders, custom quote Multi-location POS, loyalty challenges, scheduled bonus campaigns |
| Plus | Custom | Monthly orders, custom quote AI recommended rewards, advanced Klaviyo events, quarterly reviews |
Transaction fee: None stated; priced on monthly order volume with a 25% overage review policy 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.
03 Which to pick
Pick by what you need, not by the longest feature list.
Pick Smile.io if
- You want the most-installed option with a free plan and a large integration list.
- Loyalty is your only program and you send email through Klaviyo already.
- You run under 1,000 orders a month and want a published price.
Pick LoyaltyLion if
- You want services with the software: a designed loyalty page, built-for-you Klaviyo flows and reviews.
- You run multi-location POS loyalty and need loyalty-attributed revenue reporting from day one.
- You are comfortable with a custom quote above 500 orders a month.
Pick Ayra if
- You want loyalty, referrals, reviews and the rest on one profile with one bill.
- You want Journey Guard deciding between loyalty, review and referral messages.
- You want revenue attributed per module from one source.
04 FAQ
Smile.io vs LoyaltyLion questions
Which is cheaper, Smile.io or LoyaltyLion?
Both have free tiers. Smile.io publishes paid plans from $15/mo; LoyaltyLion starts at $199/mo for Classic and quotes above that. Check the basis column: both meter by monthly orders.
Does either charge a transaction fee?
Neither states a transaction fee; both charge per-order overage or review usage above the plan limit.
Which has better reporting?
LoyaltyLion includes loyalty-attributed revenue reporting on Classic; Smile.io adds ROI and CLV insights on Standard and above. Ayra attributes revenue per module across loyalty, referrals and reviews.
Can Ayra import from both?
Yes. Points balances and tiers import by CSV from either app, free during private beta.
05 Related
Go deeper
- Loyalty
Ayra vs Smile.io
a loyalty and referral program app for Shopify with points, VIP tiers and a free plan to 200 orders.
Compared 2026-10-14
- Loyalty
Ayra vs LoyaltyLion
a loyalty program app for Shopify aimed at larger stores, with a free tier and custom enterprise plans.
Compared 2026-10-14
- Private betaExplore Loyalty
Loyalty & Rewards
Points, store credit and VIP tiers that know who the customer is.
Smile.io and LoyaltyLion are trademarks of their owners. Ayra is not affiliated. Facts verified 2026-10-14 from public pages; tell us if something is out of date → /contact.