LoyaltyLion alternative with free VIP tiers

LoyaltyLion Loyalty Program is one of the longer-standing loyalty apps on Shopify, used by more than 10,000 stores, with 4.6 stars across 543 reviews. It covers points, loyalty analytics, and customer segments, ships in 7 pre-written languages, and integrates with Klaviyo, Gorgias, and ReCharge.

Look at what's actually included on the free plan, though, and LoyaltyLion gates its headline features behind a single $199/month Classic plan, with no tier in between. VIP tiers, Klaviyo loyalty flows, and a dedicated loyalty page design are all Classic-only. Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards includes VIP tiers, Klaviyo, and a dedicated loyalty page starting at $10/month, with Starter, Essential, and Growth tiers between free and unlimited.

If you're evaluating Shopify loyalty apps for the first time, or wondering what you'd actually get for LoyaltyLion's $199/month Classic plan, it's worth a closer look.

Essential Loyalty vs LoyaltyLion Loyalty Program

Both apps help merchants run a points-based loyalty program, reward purchases and referrals, offer VIP tiers, and sync loyalty data to Klaviyo. The difference is which of those you can access without paying $199 a month, and how much room there is between free and that top tier.

Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards offers:

• VIP tiers with 5 levels, configurable thresholds and per-tier point multipliers: included on the free plan

• Klaviyo integration, syncing points balance, tier, referral URL and birthday: included on the free plan

• A dedicated loyalty page, included from the Starter plan ($10/month)

• A store-credit reward that auto-applies at Shopify checkout on any plan, no Shopify Plus required (beta, Essential plan and above)

• 20 pre-written languages included

• 250 orders/month on the free plan, 500 orders/month at $10/month, 1,500 orders/month at $24/month

• 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans, refunded via Shopify billing on request

LoyaltyLion Loyalty Program offers:

• An established app with 543 reviews and more than 10,000 installs

• Loyalty analytics and customer segments included on the free plan

• 400 orders/month on the free plan, the highest free-plan ceiling in this comparison

• Klaviyo loyalty flows built for you as a done-for-you setup service (Classic plan)

• VIP tiers and a dedicated loyalty page design, once you reach the $199/month Classic plan

LoyaltyLion has the higher free-plan order cap and a larger review base. Essential Loyalty gives most Shopify stores more of the features merchants reach for first, VIP tiers and Klaviyo among them, without needing to jump straight to a $199/month plan.

Key Differences

VIP tiers: free vs. $199/month

LoyaltyLion's VIP tiers are real, with tier-based perks, but they only exist on the $199/month Classic plan. There's no mid-tier option; the free plan simply doesn't include them.

Essential Loyalty includes VIP tiers on the free plan: five levels (Bronze through Diamond), configurable point thresholds, and a real multiplier applied on every points-earning action.

Klaviyo integration: free vs. $199/month

LoyaltyLion's Klaviyo integration is positioned as a built-for-you service, flows set up on your behalf, but it's only available on the $199/month Classic plan.

Essential Loyalty's Klaviyo integration is on the free plan, syncing points balance, loyalty status, tier, referral URL and date of birth, enough to build segmented flows yourself without a plan upgrade.

Pricing structure: the free-to-paid cliff

LoyaltyLion's pricing has one step: free up to 400 orders, then a jump straight to $199/month for Classic, with custom pricing above 500 orders. There's nothing in between.

Essential Loyalty's tiers climb gradually: free up to 250 orders, Starter ($10) up to 500, Essential ($24) up to 1,500, Growth ($79) unlimited. A store outgrowing LoyaltyLion's free plan faces a $199/month bill immediately; the same store on Essential Loyalty pays $10 to $24 a month at that volume.

Checkout redemption without Shopify Plus

Real checkout-extension redemption, applying a reward with no code at checkout, is typically a Shopify Plus feature, and LoyaltyLion doesn't document a checkout redemption option on non-Plus stores.

Essential Loyalty's store-credit reward works differently: a customer redeems points for native Shopify store credit, which auto-applies at checkout with no code and no apply step, because store credit is a native Shopify checkout feature available on every plan. It requires the Essential plan ($24/month) and is currently in beta.

Where LoyaltyLion leads

LoyaltyLion has real advantages Essential Loyalty doesn't match today. Its free plan covers up to 400 monthly orders, well above Essential Loyalty's 250, and includes loyalty analytics and customer segments at no cost. With 543 Shopify reviews and more than 10,000 installs, it also has a longer track record.

Pricing & Plans

Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards

Usage-based pricing. Start free and scale as your loyalty program grows.

Free: up to 250 loyalty program orders/month; Points program with VIP tiers, Referral program, Product page and cart placement, Floating loyalty widget, Klaviyo/Omnisend/Judge.me integrations, Multi-language support, Customer account page.

Starter: $10/month (up to 500 orders); Everything in Free, POS support, Dedicated loyalty page, Full feature access, 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 paid plans: request a refund within your first 30 days and it's returned through Shopify billing, no questions asked.

LoyaltyLion Loyalty Program

Two plans, with a large gap between them.

Free: up to 400 monthly orders; Points & rewards program, Loyalty analytics and customer segments, Automated point emails, Percentage and currency-off discounts, 7 pre-written languages.

Classic: $199/month (up to 500 orders, custom pricing above); Everything in Free, VIP tiers, Klaviyo loyalty flows built for you, Dedicated loyalty page design, Priority support. 14-day free trial.

Key pricing difference: Essential Loyalty includes VIP tiers and Klaviyo on the free plan and climbs from $10 to $79/month as volume grows. LoyaltyLion keeps both behind a single $199/month plan, with no tier in between its free plan and Classic.

Switching from LoyaltyLion to Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards

Switching loyalty apps on Shopify takes some planning, but your customer data, purchase history, email addresses, and order records, stays in Shopify and isn't affected.

• Export your existing member data from LoyaltyLion (customer list and points balances)

• Install Essential Loyalty Program & Rewards from the Shopify App Store

• Import customer points balances using the CSV import feature in Settings

• Configure your points program, VIP tiers, and referral program

• Set up your Klaviyo integration and connect your other tools

• Enable placements (widget, product page, cart) and test on a product

• Disable LoyaltyLion on your storefront once Essential Loyalty is confirmed working

Last checked: October 1, 2026