BON Loyalty Program & Rewards vs. Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards Comparison

Introduction

Selecting the right retention tools often feels like a balancing act between feature depth and operational simplicity. For Shopify merchants, the choice is rarely about finding a "good" app—since many are high quality—but rather about finding the specific tool that aligns with their current growth stage, technical capacity, and customer engagement strategy. As customer acquisition costs continue to rise, the ability to turn a one-time buyer into a lifelong advocate is no longer a luxury but a fundamental requirement for sustainable e-commerce success.

Short answer: BON Loyalty Program & Rewards is highly effective for stores requiring multi-language support and specialized B2B tiers at a flexible range of price points. Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards excels for established brands seeking a marketing-heavy approach with built-in SMS, email, and contest modules to drive omnichannel engagement. Choosing the right fit depends on whether the priority is international flexibility or a robust, marketing-centric loyalty engine, though merchants often find that integrated platforms provide even greater efficiency by reducing the friction of managing multiple disconnected tools.

This comparison provides an objective analysis of BON Loyalty Program & Rewards and Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards. By examining their core features, pricing structures, and integration capabilities, this guide helps merchants identify which solution best supports their retention goals while maintaining a lean and effective technology stack.

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards vs. Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

To understand the practical impact of these apps on a Shopify storefront, it is necessary to look beyond the surface-level features and evaluate how they function in a real-world environment.

Core Feature Sets and Functionality

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards positions itself as a specialized solution for retention and growth, focusing heavily on the mechanics of points, VIP tiers, and referrals. Its standout feature is the inclusion of a B2B Loyalty Program, which is a specific requirement for wholesale merchants who need to incentivize large-volume buyers differently than retail customers. By offering exclusive tiered rewards for business-to-business clients, it addresses a niche that many standard loyalty apps overlook. Additionally, its focus on multi-language displays makes it a strong contender for stores operating in multiple regions, ensuring that the loyalty experience feels native to all customers regardless of their location.

Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards takes a broader approach by blending loyalty mechanics with direct marketing tools. While it offers the standard points, tiers, and referrals, it distinguishes itself through its "Ultimate Plan" which includes a contest module and integrated marketing channels like SMS, email, and push notifications. This allows merchants to not only reward behavior but to actively prompt it through targeted outreach. The inclusion of a contest module adds a layer of gamification that can be useful for brands looking to build community and excitement around specific product launches or seasonal events.

Customization and User Experience

The user experience for both apps is designed to integrate into the Shopify environment, but the level of control varies. BON Loyalty emphasizes an effortless setup, claiming merchants can launch a program in minutes. It offers a brand-tailored loyalty page and the ability to unlock custom CSS on its higher-tier plans, which is essential for brands that want their rewards program to match their aesthetic perfectly. For Shopify Plus merchants, BON provides points at checkout, a high-value feature that streamlines the redemption process and reduces friction at the most critical stage of the buyer journey.

Kangaroo focuses on deep customization through branding elements such as logos, graphics, and images that align with the business's identity. Its omnichannel capabilities are a significant part of the experience, allowing for seamless transitions between online and in-store rewards. This is particularly relevant for merchants using Shopify POS or other retail systems like Lightspeed. The ability to monitor and adjust the program based on customer behavior trends within the app provides a data-driven way to manage customer relationships, though it may require a steeper learning curve than more automated solutions.

Pricing Structure and Value Realization

The pricing models of these two apps cater to different segments of the market. BON Loyalty offers a highly accessible entry point with its "Free Forever" plan, which includes essential points, referral programs, and automated emails. This makes it a low-risk option for new stores. As a merchant scales, the "Basic" plan at $25 per month introduces multi-language support and POS rewards, while the $99 "Growth" plan unlocks VIP tiers and B2B capabilities. The "Professional" plan at $349 per month is clearly aimed at larger enterprises, offering full API access and a Software Development Toolkit for headless commerce (Hydrogen) environments.

In contrast, the provided data for Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards highlights a single "Ultimate Plan" priced at $199 per month. While there is mention of multiple plans in some contexts, the primary data shows this $199 price point as the standard for accessing its full suite of features, including the contest module and marketing tools. This suggests that Kangaroo is positioned as a mid-market to enterprise solution where the value is found in the consolidation of marketing and loyalty tools rather than a low-cost entry point. For a brand already spending significantly on separate SMS and email apps, Kangaroo’s $199 price might offer better value by consolidating those costs.

Technical Integrations and Ecosystem Fit

The "Works With" list for an app is a reliable indicator of its versatility within a modern tech stack. BON Loyalty Program & Rewards shows strong compatibility with the Shopify ecosystem, including Shopify Flow, Shopify Plus Checkout, and Hydrogen. It also integrates with popular review apps like Fera, LAI, and Judge.me, as well as Klaviyo for email marketing. This makes it a well-connected tool for merchants who prefer a modular approach, picking specialized apps for each function of their store.

Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards also has a robust integration list but skews slightly more toward omnichannel and diverse marketing platforms. It works with Shopify POS, Lightspeed, and MailChimp, alongside Klaviyo and Judge.me. Its integration with Appmaker.xyz for mobile apps and Gorgias for customer support indicates a focus on providing a unified experience across different customer service and mobile shopping touchpoints. This is ideal for merchants who operate across multiple sales channels and need their loyalty data to follow the customer wherever they shop.

Customer Support and Success Signals

When evaluating reliability, review counts and ratings serve as important trust signals. BON Loyalty Program & Rewards currently has a rating of 5.0 but only a single review in the provided data. While the rating is perfect, the low volume of reviews suggests it is a newer player or has a smaller user base, which might mean less community-tested stability but more personalized 24/7 support as they look to grow.

Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards has a more established track record with 47 reviews and a 4.8 rating. This volume of feedback provides more evidence of real-world performance and long-term reliability. The slightly lower rating compared to BON suggests that with more users comes more varied feedback, but a 4.8 remains exceptionally high for an app with a complex feature set like omnichannel loyalty and marketing automation.

Operational Overhead and Scalability

A critical consideration for any merchant is the "total cost of ownership," which includes not just the monthly fee but the time and effort required to maintain the app. BON Loyalty’s tiered approach allows for gradual scaling. A merchant can start with simple points and only move to the $349 plan when they truly need API access or headless commerce support. This "pay-as-you-grow" model keeps operational overhead low in the early stages.

Kangaroo’s model suggests a more "all-in" approach from the start. While this may mean higher initial costs, it can reduce the complexity of managing multiple vendors. However, if a merchant only needs a simple loyalty program and already has a preferred SMS or email provider, Kangaroo’s bundled features might lead to "feature bloat," where they are paying for tools they do not use. verifying compatibility details in the official app listing can help merchants see how these different feature sets impact their specific storefront configurations.

The Alternative: Solving App Fatigue with an All-in-One Platform

While choosing between specialized apps like BON and Kangaroo is a common path, many growing merchants eventually encounter a phenomenon known as "app fatigue" or tool sprawl. This occurs when a store's tech stack becomes a collection of disconnected plugins—one for loyalty, one for reviews, one for wishlists, one for referrals, and another for social proof. While each individual app might be excellent, the cumulative effect often includes slowed site performance, fragmented customer data, inconsistent user interfaces, and a high total cost of ownership.

The "More Growth, Less Stack" philosophy offers a different path. Instead of layering separate tools that don't communicate with each other, merchants can use an integrated platform to handle multiple retention functions simultaneously. This approach ensures that loyalty points and rewards designed to lift repeat purchases are perfectly synchronized with other engagement markers, such as when a customer leaves a review or adds an item to a wishlist.

When data is siloed in separate apps, it is difficult to get a clear picture of customer behavior. For example, if a customer is a high-tier VIP in a loyalty app like BON but is also a frequent user of a separate wishlist app, the merchant might miss the opportunity to send a targeted reward based on those wishlist items. An integrated platform solves this by keeping all engagement data in a single profile. This allows for comparing plan fit against retention goals more effectively, as the merchant is evaluating a single ecosystem rather than five different subscriptions.

Furthermore, managing a single integrated platform reduces the technical burden on the team. There is only one script to manage, one support team to contact, and one dashboard to learn. This simplicity is vital for brands scaling quickly. By collecting and showcasing authentic customer reviews within the same system that manages rewards, the store creates a seamless experience where customers are automatically incentivized to provide social proof after a purchase, without the need for complex third-party integrations.

Successful brands often look at real examples from brands improving retention to understand how consolidation drives efficiency. By moving away from a fragmented stack, these businesses can redirect their time from troubleshooting app conflicts to refining their strategy. They can focus on building VIP tiers and incentives for high-intent customers that feel like a natural extension of the brand, rather than a bolted-on plugin.

Integrating review automation that builds trust at purchase time alongside a referral engine ensures that every stage of the customer journey is covered. When a shopper sees that other buyers are being rewarded for their loyalty, it increases the perceived value of joining the program. These insights are often shared in customer stories that show how teams reduce app sprawl, highlighting how a unified dashboard makes it easier to track the return on investment for retention efforts.

If consolidating tools is a priority, start by gaining a clearer view of total retention-stack costs. This transparency is often the first step toward realizing that a single, powerful platform can replace several smaller ones while providing a better experience for both the merchant and the customer. This transition is not just about saving money; it is about choosing a plan built for long-term value and creating a stable foundation for future growth.

Finally, checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals can reveal how other stores have successfully simplified their operations. By prioritizing a "less is more" approach to the tech stack, merchants can achieve higher levels of engagement and retention without the complexity that usually accompanies scaling a Shopify store.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between BON Loyalty Program & Rewards and Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards, the decision comes down to the specific operational requirements and marketing strategy of the store. BON Loyalty is an excellent choice for businesses that need to scale their loyalty program across multiple languages or those operating in the B2B space who require specialized wholesale tiers. Its flexible pricing makes it accessible for stores at various stages of growth. On the other hand, Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards is better suited for brands that want an all-in-one loyalty and marketing engine, particularly those with an omnichannel presence and a focus on gamified contests.

However, as a brand grows, the limitations of using separate apps for loyalty, reviews, and wishlists often become apparent. Tool sprawl can lead to a disjointed customer experience and increased technical debt. This is why many successful merchants eventually move toward an integrated platform like Growave. By combining these essential retention features into one cohesive system, Growave allows teams to focus on growth rather than managing a complex app stack. This unified approach not only improves site performance but also provides a more consistent journey for the customer, ultimately leading to higher lifetime value.

To reduce app fatigue and run retention from one place, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from.

FAQ

Is BON Loyalty better for small stores or large enterprises?

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards is designed to cater to both. Its Free Forever plan is ideal for small stores just starting their journey, while its Professional plan at $349 per month provides the API access and headless commerce support required by large enterprises. Its ability to scale through four distinct tiers makes it a versatile option for merchants regardless of their current size.

Does Kangaroo: Loyalty and Rewards support in-store purchases?

Yes, Kangaroo is built with an omnichannel focus. It integrates with Shopify POS and other retail systems like Lightspeed, allowing customers to earn and redeem points whether they are shopping online or in a physical storefront. This makes it a strong contender for "bricks and clicks" businesses that want a unified loyalty experience.

How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps?

An all-in-one platform like Growave replaces several specialized apps by integrating loyalty, reviews, wishlists, and referrals into a single dashboard. This reduces the number of scripts running on the storefront, which can improve loading speeds. It also ensures that data flows seamlessly between features, allowing for more advanced automation—such as rewarding a customer for leaving a review without needing to set up a complex integration between two different vendors.

Can I use my own branding with these loyalty apps?

Both BON Loyalty and Kangaroo allow for significant branding customization. BON Loyalty offers a brand-tailored loyalty page and custom CSS on higher plans, while Kangaroo allows you to incorporate your business colors, logo, and graphics. This ensures that the loyalty program feels like a native part of the shopping experience rather than a third-party add-on.

Which app is better for international merchants?

BON Loyalty Program & Rewards has a slight edge for international merchants due to its dedicated multi-language display feature. This allows the loyalty interface to adapt to the language of the shopper, which is critical for brands with a global customer base. While other apps may offer translations, BON’s specific focus on multi-language support is a key part of its value proposition for cross-border commerce.