Referral marketing delivers 3-5x higher conversion rates than other channels. The right platform automates rewards, tracks attribution, and makes sharing easy. We tested 18 referral tools to find which actually drive growth.
| Tool | Starting Price | Best For | Reward Types | Integrations | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReferralCandy | $59/mo | E-commerce | Cash, discount | Excellent | 9.3/10 |
| Ambassador | Custom | Enterprise | All types | Excellent | 9.2/10 |
| Friendbuy | $249/mo | Growth | Flexible | Good | 9.1/10 |
| Referral Rock | $200/mo | B2B | All types | Good | 8.9/10 |
| Viral Loops | $49/mo | Viral | Points, rewards | Good | 8.8/10 |
| Extole | Enterprise | Enterprise | All types | Excellent | 9.0/10 |
| Mention Me | Custom | Retail | Cash, discount | Good | 8.7/10 |
| Prefinery | $49/mo | Launch | Priority access | Basic | 8.6/10 |
| GrowSurf | $200/mo | SaaS | All types | Good | 8.7/10 |
| InviteReferrals | $79/mo | Multi-channel | Flexible | Good | 8.4/10 |
ReferralCandy makes e-commerce referrals easy. Automated rewards, Shopify integration, and proven templates. Set up in a day, see referrals flowing quickly.
Ambassador handles enterprise referral and partner programs. Manage affiliates, partners, and customers in one platform. Deep analytics and enterprise integrations.
Friendbuy is built for growth teams. A/B test everything, optimize for mobile, and integrate with your stack. The growth-focused referral platform.
Referral Rock handles B2B referral programs well. Track complex referrals, manage multiple reward types, and integrate with CRMs. Good value for B2B.
Viral Loops specializes in viral campaign mechanics. Milestone rewards, leaderboards, and waitlist virality. Great templates based on famous launches.
Extole powers enterprise e-commerce referral and advocacy programs. Advanced attribution, omnichannel, and enterprise security. The enterprise choice.
Mention Me uses name sharing for referrals - customers share their name, not links. Works well for retail and international markets.
Prefinery excels at beta launch waitlists. Priority queue based on referrals, milestone rewards, and viral mechanics. Perfect for product launches.
GrowSurf is built for SaaS and tech companies. API-first, developer-friendly, and designed for software referrals. Integrates with your product.
InviteReferrals provides multi-channel referrals at an affordable price. Web, mobile app, and in-store. Good value for growing companies.
We evaluated referral platforms on actual referral program results.
Double-sided rewards (both referrer and referred get something) convert 2-3x better. Cash/credit works for e-commerce, extended trials for SaaS, discounts for services.
Typically 10-25% of customer acquisition cost. If CAC is $100, budget $10-25 per successful referral. The math usually works because referred customers have higher LTV.
ReferralCandy is simpler and cheaper, great for Shopify stores. Friendbuy offers more A/B testing and optimization for growth teams. Start with ReferralCandy, graduate to Friendbuy.
