Last reviewed: 28 July 2025
Quick answer: ReferralCandy is the clear winner for Shopify merchants, it's Built for Shopify certified, starts at $29/month with transparent pricing, and holds a 4.9★ rating across 1,400+ reviews. Friendbuy? No Shopify certifications, and just 3 reviews.
Table of Contents
- Why Shopify Merchants Need a Native Referral App
- Pricing Comparison: Transparency vs Hidden Costs
- Ease of Setup and Shopify Integration
- Referral Features and Automation
- Affiliate Tools and Scalability
- Reporting, Fraud Protection, and Support
- Launch Checklist
- FAQ
- Takeaways
Why Shopify Merchants Need a Native Referral App
If you're a Shopify brand, your referral software needs to feel native. ReferralCandy is Built for Shopify and Shopify Plus Certified, meaning it meets strict performance, UX, and security standards. It also has 4.9 stars from over 1,469 reviews on the Shopify App Store.
Friendbuy? Not Built for Shopify. Not Shopify Plus Certified. And just 3 reviews at 3.9 stars. If you're optimizing your tech stack for Shopify, that alone should raise eyebrows.
Pricing Comparison: Transparency vs Hidden Costs
- ReferralCandy starts at $29/month, offers a 7-day free trial, and lets you upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime. Every plan is publicly listed on their site.
- Friendbuy hides all pricing behind a “Request a Demo” wall. No public pricing means you can’t evaluate it until after a sales call.
TL;DR: If you like predictable pricing and fast decision-making, ReferralCandy wins.
Ease of Setup and Shopify Integration
- ReferralCandy installs directly via the Shopify App Store. Setup takes under 30 minutes, and you can launch your program without writing a line of code.
- It’s optimized for post-purchase referral activation, embedded signup forms, and even lets you add a referral widget on your thank-you page in one click.
- Friendbuy, while flexible, requires manual integration via custom scripts or API if you want Shopify functionality. That may be fine for dev-heavy teams, but a no-go for lean DTC brands who want to launch quickly.
Referral Features and Automation
ReferralCandy
- Run both referral and affiliate programs in one place.
- Offers cash, coupon, store credit, or custom rewards.
- Includes post-purchase popups, widgets, and onboarding flows to increase share rate.
- Auto-applies referral codes at checkout to reduce friction.
Friendbuy
- Also supports multi-reward setups and automated referral logic.
- Strong UI, but lacks many of ReferralCandy’s Shopify-specific features like embedded forms and seamless post-purchase activation.
If you want a “set-and-forget” flow where your customers turn into advocates automatically, ReferralCandy does more out of the box.
Affiliate Tools and Scalability
ReferralCandy includes Affiliate Plus, designed for creators and influencers:
- Custom signup pages and branded portals.
- Individual performance dashboards.
- Auto-generated links and codes.
- Multi-currency payouts and new-customer-only commission logic.
Friendbuy supports affiliate tracking, but it's often positioned as an enterprise tool, most of its advanced features come with custom onboarding and pricing. No self-serve option limits its appeal to smaller or mid-size brands.
Reporting, Fraud Protection, and Support
- ReferralCandy offers real-time analytics, A/B testing, and built-in fraud detection to flag suspicious referrals, leaked codes, or self-referrals.
- You also get 24/7 live chat support, which is rare in this category.
Friendbuy does offer solid analytics but no public documentation on fraud filtering or built-in anti-abuse systems. Support experience is also behind a sales wall, there’s no way to evaluate it before becoming a customer.
Launch Checklist
- Add app via Shopify App Store
- Set commission & reward
- Add referral widget post-purchase
- Embed signup form (optional)
- Test referral tracking
- Send welcome email to customers
- Monitor dashboard weekly
FAQ
Is ReferralCandy better for small Shopify brands?
Yes, its transparent pricing, one-click install, and ease of use make it ideal for fast-growing DTC brands.
Is Friendbuy good for enterprise?
Potentially. But it’s better suited for dev-heavy teams with complex requirements and bigger budgets.
Can both apps run affiliate programs?
Yes. But ReferralCandy combines referrals + affiliates in one platform, ideal for brands that want both without doubling their tech stack.
Does ReferralCandy support Shopify Plus features?
Yes. It’s Shopify Plus Certified and supports advanced use cases via script editor and APIs.
Takeaways
- ReferralCandy is Shopify-native, fast to launch, and loved by 1,000s of brands.
- Friendbuy might work for enterprise, but lacks transparency and deep Shopify support.
- For Shopify stores, ReferralCandy is the clear choice, built for speed, scale, and ROI.
Need more? Read our guide to the best Shopify referral apps.
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