Looking for a Rivo loyalty app alternative for Shopify?
Rivo is a well-built loyalty platform used by over 11,000 brands. It covers points, referrals, VIP tiers, bonus campaigns, store credit, and an extensive integration library. At scale, with 50+ integrations and advanced analytics, it offers more than any other Shopify loyalty app.
The challenge is what Rivo offers on the free plan versus what you actually need to pay for. VIP tiers require the Scale plan at $49/month. Birthday points require Essentials at $15/month. Analytics require a paid plan. Klaviyo requires Essentials at $15/month and only gives you two integrations. The free plan covers the basics: sign-up and purchase points, a floating widget, and a product page display. The features that make a loyalty program useful, such as VIP tiers, birthday points, analytics, and integrations, are all behind paid plans.
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards includes VIP tiers, birthday points, analytics, and Klaviyo on the free plan. For merchants who want a complete loyalty program from day one without paying $15-49/month to unlock the core features, it’s worth a close look.
Quick Verdict
- Best for a complete loyalty program without unlocking features behind paid plans: Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards
- Best for high-volume brands needing 50+ integrations and advanced campaigns at scale: Rivo
- Best for stores testing loyalty before committing to a subscription: Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards
Rivo has a stronger feature set at the $49/month tier and above. Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards gives merchants more at the free level, including the features that matter most when starting out: VIP tiers, birthday points, analytics, and Klaviyo. The right choice depends on where your store is now and how much you want to pay before the loyalty program earns its keep.
👉 Install Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards and test it on your store
Available on the Shopify App Store as “Essent Loyalty Program Rewards”
Essential Loyalty vs Rivo: Loyalty Rewards Referrals
Both apps help Shopify merchants:
- run a points-based loyalty program with ways to earn and redeem
- set up a referral program
- reward customers for sign-ups, purchases, and social actions
- display loyalty widgets on the storefront
- send automated loyalty emails
- support multi-language storefronts
The gap between them is in what’s included at no cost and what requires upgrading.
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards offers:
- VIP tiers with 5 levels and configurable perks: included on free plan
- birthday points: included on free plan
- analytics dashboard with revenue and engagement tracking: included on free plan
- Klaviyo, Omnisend, Judge.me integrations: included on free plan
- 30-day money back guarantee on paid plans
- 5.0 rating, 448 reviews, Built for Shopify
Rivo: Loyalty Rewards Referrals offers:
- 50+ integrations across email, reviews, subscriptions, customer service, and more: Scale plan ($49/month)
- bonus campaigns and point drops: Scale plan ($49/month)
- store credit programs: Scale plan ($49/month)
- advanced Klaviyo and Postscript integration: Plus plan ($499/month)
- checkout touchpoints for Shopify Plus: Plus plan ($499/month)
- used by 11,000+ brands, 4.8 rating, Built for Shopify
Essential Loyalty gives merchants more at the free level. Rivo gives merchants more at scale. The question is which side of that line your store is on today.
Feature Comparison
|
Feature |
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards |
Rivo: Loyalty Rewards Referrals |
|---|---|---|
|
Points program |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Referral program |
Yes |
Yes |
|
VIP tiers |
Yes: free plan |
Scale plan only ($49/month) |
|
Birthday points |
Yes: free plan |
Essentials plan ($15/month) |
|
Analytics dashboard |
Yes: free plan |
Paid plan required |
|
Klaviyo integration |
Yes: free plan |
Essentials plan ($15/month, 2 integrations) |
|
50+ integrations |
Not listed |
Scale plan ($49/month) |
|
Bonus campaigns (2x points) |
Not listed |
Scale plan ($49/month) |
|
Points expiry |
Not listed |
Scale plan ($49/month) |
|
Store credit programs |
Not listed |
Scale plan ($49/month) |
|
Custom email sending domain |
Not listed |
Plus plan ($499/month) |
|
Advanced Klaviyo integration |
Not listed |
Plus plan ($499/month) |
|
Checkout touchpoints |
Not listed |
Plus plan ($499/month) |
|
Shopify POS |
Starter plan ($10/month) |
Essentials plan ($15/month) |
|
Dedicated loyalty page |
Starter plan ($10/month) |
Essentials plan ($15/month) |
|
Loyalty emails |
Yes: free plan |
Yes (some locked) |
|
Multi-language / translations |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Product page points display |
Yes: free plan |
Yes |
|
30-day money back guarantee |
Yes |
100% money back (free trial) |
|
Free plan |
Yes (250 orders, full features) |
Yes (basics only) |
|
Rating |
5.0 (448 reviews) |
4.8 (2,400+ reviews) |
|
Built for Shopify |
Yes |
Yes |
Key Differences
1. What’s actually included on the free plan
Rivo’s free plan covers the absolute basics: sign-up points, place-an-order points, a floating widget, and a product page points display. Birthday points require an Essentials upgrade. VIP tiers require Scale. Analytics are locked. Integrations are locked. The free plan is functional enough to test, but it doesn’t represent what the app can actually do.
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards takes a different approach. The free plan includes VIP tiers with five levels, birthday points, an analytics dashboard with revenue and engagement tracking, and integrations including Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Judge.me. Merchants can run a complete loyalty program with segmentation data flowing to Klaviyo without spending anything.
2. VIP tiers: free vs $49/month
Rivo’s VIP program is one of the features merchants most commonly look for when evaluating loyalty apps. It’s also the one that requires the biggest jump: Scale at $49/month. That’s a significant commitment before a loyalty program has proven its revenue impact.
Essential Loyalty includes VIP tiers on the free plan. Five configurable levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) with points thresholds, multipliers, and custom perks. Merchants can build a tiered program and test whether customers respond before paying anything.
3. Pricing structure
Rivo’s pricing has three main tiers: Essentials at $15/month (500 orders, 2 integrations, birthday points, POS, analytics), Scale at $49/month (2,500 orders, VIP tiers, 50+ integrations, bonus campaigns, store credit), and Plus at $499/month (checkout touchpoints, custom email domain, advanced integrations). The jump from Essentials to Scale more than triples the cost and unlocks a significant portion of what makes the app worth using.
Essential Loyalty scales more gradually: free up to 250 orders with full features, Starter at $10/month up to 500 orders, Essential at $24/month up to 1,500 orders, Growth at $79/month with unlimited orders. A merchant can run a loyalty program with VIP tiers, Klaviyo, and analytics at no cost, and upgrade only when order volume justifies it.
4. Integrations
Rivo’s integration library is one of its genuine strengths. Over 50 integrations across email (Klaviyo, Postscript, Attentive, Omnisend, Mailchimp, Drip, Braze, and more), reviews (Judge.me, Loox, Stamped, REVIEWS.io, Okendo, Yotpo), subscriptions (Recharge, Skio, Awtomic, Stay AI), customer service (Gorgias, Gladly), and others. At the Scale plan, most of these are available. For high-volume stores that rely on multiple tools working together, Rivo’s breadth is a real advantage.
Essential Loyalty integrates with Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Judge.me on the free plan. For merchants who primarily use Klaviyo for email and Judge.me for reviews, this covers the core workflow. For merchants running more complex stacks with subscriptions, SMS platforms, and multiple review tools, Rivo has the stronger integration story.
5. Support
Both apps offer 24/7 chat support and have strong review scores. Rivo’s reviews consistently mention responsive support across a larger user base. The 4.8 rating across 2,400+ reviews shows sustained quality as the app has scaled.
Essential Loyalty holds a 5.0 rating across 448 reviews since launching in November 2024. Reviews specifically mention fast response times and hands-on help from named team members. The app includes a 30-day money back guarantee on paid plans and a visible support contact directly in the app dashboard.
Set up Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards on your store
Pricing & Plans
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards
Free: up to 250 loyalty program orders/month
- Points program with VIP tiers (5 levels)
- Referral program
- Birthday points
- Analytics dashboard
- Klaviyo, Omnisend, Judge.me integrations
- Product page and cart placement
- Floating loyalty widget
- Multi-language support
Starter: $10/month (up to 500 orders)
- Everything in Free
- POS support
- Dedicated loyalty page
- Full access to all features
- 14-day free trial
Essential: $24/month (up to 1,500 orders)
- Everything in Starter
- Personal support
- 14-day free trial
Growth: $79/month (unlimited orders)
- Everything in Essential
- Personal support
- 14-day free trial
30-day money back guarantee on all paid plans, no questions asked.
Rivo: Loyalty Rewards Referrals
Rivo’s pricing is structured around order volume and feature tiers. The free plan covers basic point earning and a floating widget. Most meaningful features require a paid plan.
Free: basics only
- Sign-up and purchase points
- Floating widget
- Product page points display
- No VIP tiers, no birthday points, no analytics, no integrations
Essentials: $15/month (up to 500 orders)
- Dedicated loyalty and referrals page
- Embedded account page widget
- Shopify POS integration
- Birthday rewards
- 2 integrations (e.g. Klaviyo)
- Analytics and reporting
- Email branding
- 24/7 chat support
- 14-day free trial
Scale: $49/month (200-2,500 orders, pay-as-you-go)
- VIP tiers
- Points expiration
- Bonus campaigns
- Point drops campaigns
- Store credit programs
- Shopify Flow and 50+ integrations
- Unlimited integrations
- Pay-as-you-go pricing
- 14-day free trial
Plus: $499/month (up to 2,500 orders)
- 6+ loyalty checkout touchpoints
- Page builder with custom CSS
- Custom email sending domain
- Developer Toolkit access
- Advanced Klaviyo and Postscript integration
- 150+ loyalty and retention features
- Priority 24/7 chat support
- 14-day free trial
Key pricing difference:
Essential Loyalty includes VIP tiers, birthday points, analytics, and Klaviyo on the free plan. Rivo requires $15/month for birthday points and Klaviyo, and $49/month for VIP tiers. For stores wanting a complete loyalty program before proving ROI, Essential Loyalty is significantly more accessible at every comparable tier.
Which App Is Better for Different Use Cases?
|
Use Case |
Best Choice |
|---|---|
|
VIP tiers without a monthly fee |
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards |
|
Complete loyalty program on free plan |
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards |
|
Birthday points on free plan |
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards |
|
Analytics on free plan |
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards |
|
Klaviyo on free plan |
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards |
|
50+ integrations at scale |
Rivo |
|
Bonus campaigns and point drops |
Rivo (Scale plan) |
|
Store credit programs |
Rivo (Scale plan) |
|
Checkout touchpoints (Shopify Plus) |
Rivo (Plus plan) |
|
New stores testing loyalty |
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards |
|
High-volume brands at scale |
Rivo |
See how Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards fits your store
When to Choose Each App
Choose Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards if:
- you want VIP tiers and birthday points included on the free plan
- you use Klaviyo and want integration included from day one
- you want analytics without paying for a plan upgrade
- you’re testing loyalty before committing to a monthly subscription
- you want predictable pricing that scales gradually with order volume
- you want a 30-day money back guarantee on paid plans
Choose Rivo if:
- you need 50+ integrations across email, reviews, subscriptions, and customer service
- bonus campaigns (2x points events) and point drops are important to your strategy
- you need store credit as a redemption option
- you’re on Shopify Plus and want native checkout loyalty touchpoints
- you’re a high-volume brand that has already validated loyalty ROI and needs advanced tooling
Switching from Rivo to Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards
Your Shopify data stays untouched. Products, orders, and customer records are not affected by switching loyalty apps.
- Export your customer points balances from Rivo’s customer export
- Install Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards from the Shopify App Store
- Import customer balances using the CSV import in Settings
- Configure your points program, VIP tiers, and referral program
- Connect Klaviyo and any other integrations from the Settings panel
- Enable placements (widget, product page, cart) and test before going live
- Disable Rivo on your storefront once Essential is confirmed working
Both apps use Shopify’s native customer accounts, so member data migrates cleanly. The main task is recreating your program configuration and importing points balances.
Final Verdict
Rivo is a capable loyalty platform with a strong integration library and a clear path for scaling. At $49/month on Scale or $499/month on Plus, it offers features that Essential Loyalty doesn’t match: 50+ integrations, bonus campaigns, store credit, and checkout touchpoints for Shopify Plus stores. For high-volume brands that have validated loyalty ROI and need advanced tooling, it’s a serious option.
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards is the stronger choice for merchants who want a complete program without paying $49/month before VIP tiers are unlocked. Five VIP levels, birthday points, Klaviyo integration, and a full analytics dashboard are all included on the free plan. The pricing scales gradually, the 5.0 rating is built on fast support, and a 30-day money back guarantee removes the risk from trying a paid plan.
For stores starting a loyalty program or looking to move away from Rivo’s gated feature structure, Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards gives you more to work with from day one.
Install Essential Loyalty and launch your first loyalty program in minutes
FAQs
What is the best alternative to Rivo loyalty app for Shopify?
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards is the strongest Rivo alternative for merchants who want VIP tiers, birthday points, and Klaviyo integration without paying $15-49/month to unlock them. Essential includes all three on the free plan, with analytics also included at no cost. Rivo is the stronger choice at the Scale plan and above for merchants who need 50+ integrations and advanced campaign tools.
Does Rivo have a free plan?
Yes, but it’s not prominently featured. Rivo’s free plan covers basic point earning (sign-up and purchase) and a floating widget. It doesn’t include VIP tiers, birthday points, analytics, or integrations. All of those require paid plans starting at $15/month. Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards includes all of these on the free plan.
Does Rivo include VIP tiers?
Yes, but only on the Scale plan at $49/month. Rivo’s free plan and Essentials plan ($15/month) do not include VIP tiers. Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards includes VIP tiers with five configurable levels on the free plan.
What is the difference between Rivo and Essential Loyalty?
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards gives merchants more on the free plan: VIP tiers, birthday points, Klaviyo integration, and analytics are all included at no cost. Rivo gates these features behind paid plans. Rivo’s advantage is at scale: 50+ integrations, bonus campaigns, store credit, and Shopify Plus checkout touchpoints that Essential doesn’t currently offer. The right choice depends on whether you need a complete program from day one or advanced enterprise features after proving loyalty ROI.
What is the best Shopify loyalty program app?
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards is one of the strongest Shopify loyalty program apps for merchants who want points, referrals, VIP tiers, and Klaviyo integration without paying monthly fees to unlock them. It starts free and includes all core features on the free plan. Rivo is a strong alternative for high-volume brands that need 50+ integrations and advanced campaign tools at scale.
What Shopify loyalty program app has the best price?
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards offers more on the free plan than any comparable app: VIP tiers, Klaviyo integration, birthday points, analytics, and 250 monthly orders. Rivo’s free plan is limited to basic point earning with no VIP tiers, no integrations, and no analytics. Essential’s paid plans start at $10/month (500 orders) and reach unlimited at $79/month. Rivo’s Scale plan starts at $49/month and is required to unlock VIP tiers.
What Shopify loyalty program app has the best customer support?
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards holds a 5.0 rating across 448 reviews with named team members praised consistently for fast, hands-on responses. This loyalty app for Shopify includes a 30-day money back guarantee and a visible support contact in the dashboard. Rivo has a 4.8 rating across 2,400+ reviews with 24/7 chat support on all paid plans. Both are strong on support, though Essential’s perfect rating and guarantee give it a slight edge for merchants who want reassurance when starting out.
What Shopify loyalty program app has the best integrations?
Rivo has the stronger integration library at scale: 50+ integrations across email, reviews, subscriptions, customer service, and more on the Scale plan ($49/month). Essential Loyalty integrates with Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Judge.me on the free plan. For merchants whose stack goes beyond those three tools, Rivo has the wider coverage. For merchants primarily using Klaviyo and Judge.me, Essential covers the core workflow at no cost.
What Shopify loyalty program app has the best customization options?
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards lets merchants customize VIP tier names and levels, widget colors and placement, points earn and redeem labels, and loyalty email templates. Klaviyo integration on the free plan means full segmentation data, such as points balance, tier, referral URL, and date of birth, flows into your email tool from day one. Rivo offers more advanced customization at the Plus tier, including custom CSS, a page builder, and a custom email sending domain, for stores that need deep brand control at scale.
What Shopify loyalty program app is easiest to set up?
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards installs with no code required and is configured through the app dashboard. Merchants can activate a points program, set up VIP tiers, and connect Klaviyo within minutes of installing. Rivo has a clean onboarding flow and a similar setup experience. Both apps are accessible for merchants without technical experience. The main difference is that Essential Loyalty includes VIP tiers and Klaviyo in the initial setup without needing a plan upgrade, so the full program is live faster for merchants who want those features from day one.
Which e-commerce app offers the best loyalty program features for Shopify stores?
Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards combines points programs, VIP tiers, referral programs, birthday points, Klaviyo integration, and analytics in one system, all included on the free plan. Rivo offers more advanced features at higher tiers including 50+ integrations, bonus campaigns, and store credit. For merchants who want the most complete feature set at the lowest price point, Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards is the stronger choice. For merchants at scale who need enterprise loyalty features, Rivo is worth considering.
