Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points
Grow repeat purchases with a loyalty rewards program: points, store credit cashback, VIP tiers, POS
| Essent Loyalty Program Rewards | Friendly Referrals | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | ||
| Description | ||
| Screenshots | images | images |
| Languages | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Developer | ||
| Listed |
A refer-a-friend system, for organic growth and a strong customer base
| Metric | Essent Loyalty Program Rewards | Friendly Referrals |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5.0 ★ | 5.0 ★ |
| Total reviews | ★ 476 | 1 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free plan available | Free plan available |
| Built for Shopify | ★ Yes | — |
| Pricing tiers | 4 tiers | 4 tiers |
| Listed features | ★ 5 | 3 |
| Languages | 20 supported | 1 supported |
| Listed since | Nov 2024 | Apr 2025 |
Essent Loyalty Program Rewards and Friendly Referrals are evenly matched on rating (5.0★ vs 5.0★) — the differentiator comes down to pricing fit, feature breadth, and which app's interaction pattern suits your team's workflow.
Pricing entry tiers: Essent Loyalty Program Rewards at Free plan available, Friendly Referrals at Free plan available. Check each app's tier structure for the capacity limits you actually need before deciding — the headline number is the same shape, but the gating shape per tier (seats, usage volume, integrations) varies.
Essent Loyalty Program Rewards has the larger user base (476 reviews vs 1), which usually maps to broader integration coverage, faster bug-fix cadence, and a deeper bench of community workflow patterns. Friendly Referrals's smaller cohort can be an advantage for niche workflows where the bigger app has accumulated bloat.
Recommended evaluation path: install both apps' free tiers (where available) and run them in parallel on a small cohort for 7-14 days before committing. The data tables below show the per-feature breakdown — for most merchants the deciding factor will be a single integration or workflow detail that's hard to compare from listing pages alone.
This verdict is generated from the live marketplace data on this page — rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position all refresh from the canonical Shopify App Store listing every 24 hours. AppRanks does not accept payment to influence comparison outcomes; the methodology is documented on the About page and applies identically to every pair on the site.
Read each app's audit: Essent Loyalty Program Rewards audit • Friendly Referrals audit
| Last updated | — | — |
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| Keyword | Essent Loyalty Program Rewards | Friendly Referrals |
|---|---|---|
| loyalty rewards program | #2 | Not ranked |
| loyalty rewards | #3 | Not ranked |
| loyalty and rewards | #6 | Not ranked |
No tracked changes.
Both Essent Loyalty Program Rewards and Friendly Referrals offer paid plans only. Essent Loyalty Program Rewards starts at Free plan available; Friendly Referrals starts at Free plan available. Compare the per-tier features in the Pricing section above before committing.
Essent Loyalty Program Rewards (5.0★, 476 reviews) and Friendly Referrals (5.0★, 1 reviews) are essentially tied on rating. Look at review velocity and individual reviewer quotes — both visible on each app's detail page — to differentiate.
AppRanks cannot separate these two on rating — both sit at 5.0★. Essent Loyalty Program Rewards does carry the larger published review base (476 vs 1). Read both apps' detail pages for the feature breakdown and recent listing changes.
Both apps are one-click installs from the Shopify App Store. Essent Loyalty Program Rewards has the deeper published review base (476 vs 1), which often — though not always — accompanies better-tested setup docs. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly: read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for user-reported install experience.
Essent Loyalty Program Rewards typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (476 reviews). Friendly Referrals typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (1 reviews). A larger review base generally means the app has been exercised at scale — relevant if you are processing high volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.
Migration support varies by app and category. Essent Loyalty Program Rewards and Friendly Referrals both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from Friendly Referrals" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.
