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

Pick ReferralCandy if

• Fits if you want your customers to refer friends for a reward
• Works for stores running a small affiliate or ambassador program next to referrals

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if referred sales are big on Basic, as its success fee is 10.5% of each referred customer's first three orders
• Tight if you run several stores, as each extra one is $20 a month plus the fee
• Not for you if you want a yearly discount, as billing is month to month only
• Watch out: PayPal, Venmo and bank payouts carry the provider's own fees on top
• Tight if you want a long trial: it's 7 days, and the listing doesn't say whether a card is needed

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

ReferralCandy

• Each plan adds a success fee of 10.5%, 3.5%, 1.5% or 0.25% of referred new customers' first three orders, after discounts and before tax and shipping.
• Each extra store costs $20 a month plus the main store's success-fee rate.
• PayPal, Venmo and bank-transfer payouts carry the provider's own fees; Tremendous cards and store credit do not.
• Billing is month to month only; no yearly price is listed.

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.

ReferralCandy

Referrals and affiliates in one app

Run a customer referral program and an affiliate program side by side, with unlimited campaigns and custom coupon codes; a loyalty program is offered on Shopify.

Store platforms

One-click install on Shopify, plugins for BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Magento, and an email-based install for custom stores, at the same price.

Cash or store-credit rewards

Pay advocates in store credit, or in cash through PayPal, Venmo, bank transfer or Tremendous virtual debit cards, with no transaction fee added.

Fraud Center

Exact self-referrals, existing customers and already-referred friends are blocked automatically; close name matches, shared IPs and bursts of referrals are flagged for review.

Integrations and API

Connect Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend, Recharge and Tremendous, and build on full API access on every plan.

REx AI assistant

An AI helper on every plan sets up referral and affiliate programs, suggests rewards and commissions and explains results; changes apply only once you approve them.

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.

ReferralCandy

• Basic$39

  per month

  Plus a 10.5% success fee on referred new customers' first three orders. Every feature, unlimited campaigns and full API access.

• Grow$79

  per month

  Plus a 3.5% success fee. For brands growing referral and affiliate revenue; the vendor's example puts $12,000 of referred sales at $499 for the month.

• Scale$249

  per month

  Plus a 1.5% success fee, for high-volume brands where margins matter.

• Enterprise$799

  per month

  Plus a 0.25% success fee, with dedicated onboarding and an account manager.

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.