BLOY vs Smile.io: A Detailed Comparison of Two Shopify Loyalty Apps (2026)

Choosing a loyalty app for Shopify?

A loyalty program is one of the most effective ways to increase repeat purchases and customer lifetime value for a Shopify store. Among the dozens of loyalty apps on the market, Smile.io is the most familiar and established name, while BLOY is a fast-rising newcomer that many merchants are considering thanks to its friendly pricing. If you’re weighing these two apps, this article compares them fairly across features, pricing, ease of use, and which app fits which type of store.

The short answer: Smile.io is the familiar, established option with a broad integration ecosystem, so it fits larger brands or stores that need many partners. BLOY is newer but noticeably cheaper, and it unlocks premium features (VIP tiers, unlimited integrations, 24/7 support) at lower price points, so it fits stores that want to save money and scale lean.

Disclosure: We are the team behind BLOY. This article aims to keep the numbers objective and to point out where Smile.io is the better choice, so you can make your own informed decision.

Quick comparison table

If you only have 30 seconds, here are the biggest differences between the two apps:

Overall, the two apps are on par for core features, but BLOY tends to be cheaper and more generous with order limits at the same price tier. The sections below dig into each area.

Detailed feature comparison

Earning points. Both apps let customers earn points for purchases, account signup, birthdays, writing reviews, and social follows. This is the industry-standard layer, with virtually no meaningful difference. Either app gives you all the most common earning methods.

Redeeming points. Customers can redeem points for discount codes, free shipping, or free products in both apps. For stores on Shopify Plus, both also support redeeming points right at checkout. BLOY unlocks this from the $129 plan, while Smile does so from the $199 plan.

VIP tiers, the biggest difference. VIP tiers let you split customers into levels (e.g., Silver, Gold, Diamond) with escalating perks to encourage more spending. Notably, BLOY unlocks VIP tiers from the $49 plan, whereas Smile.io requires the $199 Growth plan. If VIP tiers matter to you, that’s a significant cost gap worth considering.

Referrals. Both offer referral programs: existing customers invite new shoppers, and both sides earn a reward in points or a discount. The functionality is nearly equivalent, with unique referral links and performance tracking on both.

POS & omnichannel. Both connect to Shopify POS (point of sale), so customers can earn and redeem points whether they buy in person or online, all within one program. BLOY includes POS + Shopify Flow from the $10 plan.

Setup & ease of use. Smile.io is well known for quick setup and a clean dashboard with plenty of guides. BLOY goes a step further with AI-assisted onboarding. It suggests how to set up points, VIP, referrals, and styling based on your store, which helps non-technical users.

Integrations. Smile.io is strong on breadth with 20+ partners such as Klaviyo, Gorgias, Recharge, and Judge.me, but it caps the number by plan: 1 integration on lower tiers, scaling up to unlimited at $199. BLOY allows all integrations from the $10 plan, a clear advantage if you rely on many marketing tools.

Analytics & reporting. Smile.io offers a rich set of pre-built reports (25+ on the Growth plan) plus metrics like ROI and CLV. BLOY provides analytics from the $49 plan. If you need reporting depth and benchmarks, Smile currently has the edge here.

Customer support. BLOY offers 24/7 human support starting from the free plan. Smile.io is rated as responsive, but 24/7 support is only available on the $999 Plus plan. For smaller stores, this is a practical point in BLOY’s favor.

Pricing & real-world cost

Pricing is where the difference shows most clearly. For a similar level of needs, BLOY is usually cheaper and allows more orders. Here are three common scale scenarios:

• ~500 orders/month: BLOY $10 (already includes all integrations, POS, and 24/7 support) vs. Smile $15 (limited to 1 integration).
• ~1,500 orders/month: BLOY $49 already includes full VIP tiers; at this range Smile is the $79 plan (1,000 orders) and still has no VIP tiers.
• ~3,000 orders/month: BLOY $129 (with API, headless, SLA); Smile $199 for 2,500 orders, then charges an extra $20 per additional 100 orders.

To be fair: Smile.io also has a $999 Plus plan serving very large (enterprise) stores, a segment BLOY positions a bit differently. If you’re at a very large scale, compare the two directly against your specific needs.

Trust & real-world ratings

On the Shopify App Store, both apps hold a 5.0-star rating. Smile.io has depth with roughly 1,812 reviews, which makes sense since it is one of the oldest loyalty apps around. BLOY is newer but also holds 5.0 stars with about 793 reviews, indicating consistent quality. In other words, Smile wins on “depth” of reputation, while BLOY has proven strong user satisfaction despite a shorter track record. For many merchants, a fast-growing 5.0-star app with 24/7 support is a perfectly trustworthy choice.

So which one should you choose?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on your scale and priorities:

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Is BLOY free? BLOY has a free plan (up to 200 orders/month) with core loyalty features and 24/7 support. Paid plans start at $10/month.

Will I lose points data when switching from Smile to BLOY? BLOY supports migration from other apps and platforms. It’s best to talk with the support team first to ensure your customers’ point balances carry over correctly.

Which app is easier to set up for non-technical users? Both are designed to be user-friendly. BLOY adds AI-assisted onboarding for faster setup; Smile.io offers a simple dashboard and plenty of guides.

What’s the biggest difference between the two apps? The cost to unlock premium features: BLOY offers VIP tiers, unlimited integrations, and 24/7 support at much lower price points than Smile.io.

Try BLOY

If you want a fully featured loyalty program without spending much, install BLOY for free and try it directly on your own store: