Friendbuy vs ReferralHero (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Friendbuy if

• Fits if you're a consumer brand running referrals, loyalty and creators together
• Works for larger Shopify Plus brands with several stores, languages or currencies

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to see a price before booking a demo
• Not for you if you want to sign up and start on your own today, as there's no trial or self-serve sign-up
• Skip it if you're on Adobe Commerce or commercetools and want an app to install, as they connect by script or API
• Watch out: the pricing address on record leads to the homepage, not a price page
• Not for you if you want a phone or desktop app, as it's web only

Pick ReferralHero if

• Fits if you run a waitlist or launch campaign and want it built from templates
• Works for a local service business that wants a hosted referral program

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you are small: Basic is $249 a month for 1,000 subscribers and one campaign
• Tight if you want free: there is no free plan and the trial lasts 7 days
• Watch out: emails past 25,000 a month are $1.50 per 1,000, and reward payouts carry fees from 2.5% + $0.50
• Not for you if you need the API or unlimited campaigns without paying $399 a month
• Watch out: mobile SDK access and mobile attribution need an annual plan

Friendbuy

• No prices are published: the pricing address leads to the homepage, and Friendbuy asks buyers to book a demo or meeting.
• No free trial or self-serve signup is offered on the website.
• Adobe Commerce and commercetools stores connect through JavaScript, a tag manager or the API, not an installed app.

ReferralHero

• Subscriber count is capped at 1,000 on Basic, which also allows only one self-serve campaign.
• Emails over 25,000 a month cost $1.50 per 1,000; SMS is pay-as-you-go by country.
• Reward payouts carry processing fees from 2.5% + $0.50 per payout.
• Mobile SDK access and 10,000 mobile attribution subscribers require an annual plan.

Friendbuy

Referral programs

Customers share links to refer friends, and rewards are released only after validation such as a new-customer check, the attribution window or a return period.

Loyalty programs

Rewards for repeat purchases and other actions, VIP and membership tiers, receipt scanning, and wallet passes with notifications.

Influencer and affiliate

Invite and onboard creators with application forms and social checks, track their links and codes, and pay flat, fixed or performance commissions automatically.

Store and subscription integrations

One-click Shopify install with checkout and POS support, plus Adobe Commerce, commercetools and Salesforce Commerce Cloud; Recharge rewards apply to the next renewal.

Messaging and data sync

Referral, loyalty and reward events flow into Klaviyo, Attentive, Braze and Segment for flows and segments.

Analytics and AI

Benchmarks drawn from thousands of programs, incentive testing, AI recommendations, and an MCP server for querying program data with AI tools.

ReferralHero

Campaign builder

A drag-and-drop widget builder with embeddable widgets, a hosted landing page and campaign templates.

Referral, waitlist and contest templates

Templates for referral programs, waitlists and contests, with a smart leaderboard.

Rewards

Payouts by gift card, Visa or Mastercard, ACH, bank transfer or charity donation.

Automation

25,000 automation emails a month on both plans, plus SMS automation and OTP verification.

Anti-fraud

An anti-fraud algorithm on every plan.

Developer access

JavaScript and REST API on Pro, and mobile SDKs with an annual plan.

Friendbuy

Pricing could not be confirmed. See friendbuy.com.

ReferralHero

• Basic$249

  per month for up to 1,000 subscribers

  1 self-serve campaign, 25,000 automation emails a month, anti-fraud algorithm and email support.

• Pro$399

  per month

  Unlimited subscribers and campaigns, 500+ integrations, your branding, multiple admins, JavaScript and REST API, and chat support.

• Pro + Done For YouCustom

  Pro plus strategy, design, setup and ongoing optimization by the vendor's team.