Pick a referral tool by how it tracks and rewards the people who share, and by how it plugs into your checkout or sign-up. Online stores need ecommerce links, launches need waitlists and giveaways, and larger brands need referral and loyalty together. The seven options below are listed in no particular order.
A referral programme lives or dies on one moment: when a happy customer is asked to share and can see exactly what they'll get for it. Everything else, from the landing page to the reward email, exists to make that moment smooth. If you're leaving UpViral, here are seven referral and viral marketing tools for businesses that grow through customers and sharing.
Tracking referrers and plugging into checkout
UpViral's own page leans on big words about reach and lead generation. Strip that back and the thing to test in any replacement is simpler: how referrers are tracked and rewarded, and how the programme connects to your checkout or sign-up form. If a referral isn't credited, or a reward arrives late, the people you most want to keep feel let down.
Check three details early. First, how a referral is recorded: a unique link, a code, or both. Second, how rewards are issued, whether as discounts, points, store credit or something else. Third, how the tool connects to your shop, form or app. Tools in this category split by who they're built for and how much you set up yourself, so run the same real customer journey through each before you decide.
It also helps to know who'll look after the programme. Some tools expect a marketer to set up rules, design the share page and check rewards each week. Others say they handle most of that for you once connected. Neither is wrong, but the second suits a small team with little time, and the first suits a brand that wants control over every detail.
Three types of referral programme
Ecommerce referral programmes
ReferralCandy is built for Shopify and ecommerce brands, with an AI agent to set up and run referral and affiliate programmes. Viral Loops covers ecommerce too, plus newsletters and apps. Referral Rock focuses on automated programmes with reward rules and payout tracking.
Launches, giveaways and waitlists
KickoffLabs is the one to look at if you're building buzz before a launch. Its campaigns award points for every share, with waitlists, giveaways and milestone rewards built in.
Referral and loyalty for larger brands
Extole, Friendbuy and Talkable go wider, mixing referral with loyalty, influencer or promotional campaigns. The first names retail, banks and telecoms among its focus areas, the second brings referral, loyalty and influencer programmes into one platform, and the third centres on conversion-led referral campaigns.
The seven referral tools, A to Z
Alphabetical and in no particular order. Each description reflects what the vendor says about its own product.
Extole
Best for: Large retailers, banks and telecoms running referral, loyalty, influencer and ambassador offers from one enterprise platform, as the vendor describes it.
Friendbuy
Best for: Brands that want referral, loyalty and influencer programmes in one place, with new customers, repeat purchases and results measured together.
KickoffLabs
Best for: Launches and promotions: viral giveaways, referral waitlists and milestone rewards where every share earns points, with fraud checks and reward emails included, says the vendor.
Referral Rock
Best for: Businesses wanting an automated referral programme with links, reward rules and payout tracking that the vendor says runs in the background; a free plan is named.
ReferralCandy
Best for: Shopify and ecommerce stores; an AI agent inside the app sets up and runs customer referral and affiliate programmes, according to the vendor.
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Talkable
Best for: Established brands focused on conversion, with promotional campaigns, wallet pass marketing and reward-based referrals in the vendor's mix.
Viral Loops
Best for: Ecommerce shops, newsletters and apps that want to build and track a referral programme from one tool, which is how the vendor positions it.
Referral tools side by side
| Tool | Kind of tool | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Extole | Enterprise offer management | Big brands running referral and loyalty together |
| Friendbuy | Referral and loyalty platform | Brands mixing referral, loyalty and influencer programmes |
| KickoffLabs | Viral campaigns and waitlists | Giveaways and launch waitlists where shares earn points |
| Referral Rock | Referral programme software | An automated programme that runs in the background |
| ReferralCandy | Ecommerce referral and affiliate | Shopify and ecommerce stores |
| Talkable | Referral marketing platform | Conversion-focused referral campaigns and promotions |
| Viral Loops | All-in-one referral platform | Ecommerce, newsletters and apps |
My advice before you launch a referral programme
Start with the reward, not the software. Decide what you can give the referrer and the friend, and make sure it's something your customers would happily tell a mate about. A modest reward that arrives instantly beats a big one that needs a form and a three-week wait. Once you know the reward, the right tool is usually obvious: it's the one that issues that reward cleanly through your shop or sign-up flow.
Remember that rules on prize promotions, incentives and disclosure vary by country and by platform, so check the guidance from your regulator and the terms of any social network you share on. If giveaways are part of the plan, my guides to running giveaways and contests and what makes people enter an online giveaway cover the side of it the software can't.
Common mistakes when switching referral tools
- Switching off the old programme before every pending reward has been issued.
- Changing referral links without redirecting the old ones, so customers' shared links stop working.
- Making the reward rules more complicated than a customer can explain in one sentence.
- Forgetting to test a full referral, from share to reward, on a phone as well as a computer.
- Leaving fraud checks off and then finding the same person referring themselves.
- Not telling existing referrers what's changed and where their new link lives.
Do you make referral marketing software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a referral programme and an affiliate programme?
Referral programmes reward existing customers for telling friends. Affiliate programmes reward partners, often publishers or creators, who promote you to their own audience.
What rewards work best for referrals?
Simple, instant rewards usually work well, such as a discount for the friend and credit for the referrer. Test one reward at a time so you can see what changes.
How do referral tools stop fraud?
Many check for repeat email addresses, matching devices or self-referrals. Ask each vendor what checks it runs and whether you can review rewards before they're issued.
Can I move my existing referrers to a new tool?
Often, by importing your customer list. Their old links may change, so redirect them where possible and email referrers with their new link.
Are there legal rules for referral rewards?
Yes, and they vary by country and industry. Check the guidance from your regulator on promotions and disclosure before you launch.
Do referral programmes work for service businesses?
They can. A clear reward and an easy way to share matter more than the type of business, though service firms often reward referrals that turn into booked work.
