Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist vs. Propel Subscriptions App: An Objective Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right applications for a Shopify store can significantly influence customer retention and overall business growth. Merchants frequently face the challenge of selecting tools that not only address specific needs but also integrate effectively into their existing operational framework without introducing unnecessary complexity. The decision often boils down to specialized solutions versus more comprehensive platforms.

Short answer: Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist is a multi-faceted platform designed to foster broad customer engagement through loyalty programs, reviews, referrals, and wishlists, ideal for merchants seeking an all-in-one retention suite. Propel Subscriptions App, conversely, specializes in managing recurring revenue models, providing robust tools for subscription setup, billing, and customer portal management. Each serves distinct but critical aspects of customer lifetime value, with integrated platforms often offering a more streamlined approach to reducing operational overhead. This comparison aims to provide a detailed, feature-by-feature analysis of both apps, helping merchants make an informed choice based on their specific business objectives and operational considerations.

Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist vs. Propel Subscriptions App: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

Core Focus and Feature Set

Understanding the fundamental purpose of each application is the first step in determining which aligns best with a merchant's strategic goals. Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist and Propel Subscriptions App cater to different, albeit complementary, aspects of the customer lifecycle.

Growave: Multi-faceted Retention Platform

Growave is positioned as a comprehensive retention platform. Its core functionality is designed to convert, retain, and grow customers using a unified suite of tools. This includes loyalty points programs, VIP tiers, referral marketing, product reviews and user-generated content (UGC) collection, and wishlist features. The philosophy behind Growave is to consolidate several critical retention functions into a single platform, thereby reducing the need for multiple single-purpose applications. For a merchant looking to implement a holistic customer engagement strategy that spans various touchpoints, Growave offers a cohesive solution. The platform emphasizes flexibility for customization and enterprise-level features, including support for headless commerce environments and advanced Shopify Plus requirements.

Propel Subscriptions: Specialized Recurring Revenue

Propel Subscriptions App, conversely, is laser-focused on enabling and managing recurring revenue models. Its primary objective is to make it easy for merchants to offer any product via subscription. The app handles the complexities of recurring billing, providing features such as flexible billing intervals, an intuitive mobile-first subscription picker for customers, and a robust customer portal for self-management. While it includes "loyalty-based discounts" within its feature set, these are primarily tied to subscription duration or tiers, rather than a broader points-and-rewards system. Merchants whose core retention strategy revolves around converting one-time purchasers into long-term subscribers will find Propel to be a specialized and efficient tool.

Customer Loyalty and Retention Mechanisms

Both apps contribute to customer retention, but they do so through different mechanisms and philosophies. The distinction lies in whether loyalty is built through engagement across the customer journey or primarily through recurring purchases.

Growave’s Holistic Loyalty Approach

Growave offers a wide array of loyalty programs that aim to encourage repeat purchases and foster a deeper connection with the brand. This includes:

• Loyalty points programs: Customers earn points for various actions, which can then be redeemed for discounts or rewards. This creates a direct incentive loop.
• VIP Tiers: Merchants can establish tiered loyalty programs that offer escalating benefits and exclusive perks to high-value customers, encouraging increased spending and engagement. Incentives that pair well with lifecycle email flows are crucial for keeping customers informed about their status and rewards.
• Referral programs: Existing customers are incentivized to bring new customers, leveraging word-of-mouth marketing and expanding the customer base. Referral program and fraud protection helps maintain the integrity of these initiatives.
• Gift cards: Available in higher tiers, supporting diverse reward options.

This integrated approach to loyalty points and rewards designed to lift repeat purchases helps build a comprehensive retention ecosystem, reducing reliance on constant discounting. For stores focused on nurturing customer lifetime value through diverse touchpoints, this breadth of options is a significant advantage. The platform also offers VIP tiers and incentives for high-intent customers, enabling segmentation and tailored experiences.

Propel’s Subscription-Based Loyalty

Propel's loyalty features are intrinsically linked to its subscription model. While it may not offer a traditional points-based loyalty system, it builds retention by:

• Tiered Discounts: Allows merchants to offer deeper discounts for long-term subscribers, rewarding consistent commitment. This encourages customers to stay subscribed for longer durations.
• Customer Portal: Empowers customers to manage their own subscriptions, reducing friction and support tickets. The ability for customers to easily pause, skip, or modify subscriptions contributes to retention by giving them control.
• Change Discount After X Orders: Provides flexibility for merchants to adjust pricing or discounts based on subscription tenure, further incentivizing loyalty through ongoing value.

Propel's approach to loyalty is about making the subscription experience so seamless and rewarding that customers choose to remain subscribed. It focuses on the recurring purchase itself as the primary loyalty mechanism, supported by flexibility and value-adds specific to the subscription model.

User-Generated Content and Social Proof

The role of social proof in converting new customers and retaining existing ones cannot be overstated. Both apps touch upon this area, but with differing emphasis.

Growave’s Review and UGC Management

Growave places a strong emphasis on user-generated content (UGC) as a pillar of retention and conversion. Its features include:

• Product Reviews: Enables merchants to collect and display product reviews, complete with photos and videos, directly on product pages. This provides valuable social proof.
• Review Request Email Series: Automates the process of soliciting reviews post-purchase, ensuring a steady stream of fresh feedback. Post-purchase review requests that feel consistent are key to maximizing collection rates.
• Google Shopping Reviews: Integrates with Google Shopping to display star ratings in search results, boosting visibility and click-through rates.
• Instagram UGC: Facilitates the collection and display of Instagram content featuring products, leveraging a powerful visual medium for social proof.
• Nudges (on-site reminders): These can subtly encourage purchases or engagement, which can include showing review counts or other social signals.

The ability to collect and showcase authentic customer reviews is a critical function for any e-commerce business. Growave’s suite of collecting and showcasing authentic customer reviews helps build trust and credibility, directly influencing conversion rates and average order value (AOV). By providing social proof that supports conversion and AOV, Growave helps merchants leverage their customer base to attract more buyers.

Propel’s Focus on Subscription Management Experience

Propel Subscriptions App does not include dedicated features for collecting and displaying product reviews or general UGC. Its contribution to social proof is indirect, primarily through the positive experience it creates for subscribers. A well-managed subscription, with easy self-service and transparent billing, can lead to satisfied customers who are more likely to recommend the service verbally. However, for explicit social proof on product pages or marketing channels, a separate solution would be required.

Wishlist Functionality

Wishlists are a proven tool for capturing purchase intent and driving future sales. This feature is a core component of Growave.

Growave’s Role in Purchase Intent Capture

Growave includes a comprehensive wishlist feature that allows customers to save products they are interested in for later. Key aspects include:

• Wishlist functionality: Provides a convenient way for shoppers to bookmark desired items without immediate purchase.
• Back-in-stock wishlist emails: Notifies customers when a previously wishlisted item becomes available again, prompting a purchase.
• Data imports/exports: Allows for managing wishlist data effectively.

Wishlists are powerful for understanding customer interest and re-engaging them at opportune moments. This direct link to future sales is a key retention driver for Growave users.

Propel’s Direct Path to Recurring Purchases

Propel Subscriptions App does not offer a wishlist feature. Its model is designed around immediate or scheduled recurring purchases, rather than deferred purchase intent. Merchants using Propel would need to integrate a separate wishlist app if this functionality is deemed necessary for their customer journey.

Customization and Branding

The ability to tailor an app's appearance and functionality to match a brand's aesthetic and operational needs is crucial for a consistent customer experience.

Growave’s Flexibility

Growave emphasizes full flexibility to customize app branding and tailor experiences, even for headless commerce setups. This includes:

• Customizable app branding: Ensures loyalty widgets, review sections, and other components seamlessly integrate with the store's visual identity.
• Customizable emails: Allows merchants to brand and tailor transactional and promotional emails sent through the platform.
• Headless: API & SDK: For enterprise-level stores, Growave offers APIs and SDKs to build highly customized experiences on headless storefronts.
• Loyalty page custom design: Provides options for unique loyalty program landing pages.

This level of customization ensures that the customer journey remains cohesive and reflects the brand's identity, especially important for growing brands and those with sophisticated design requirements.

Propel’s Branding Controls

Propel provides widget customization and options for custom email notifications. This allows merchants to align the subscription picker, customer portal, and communication with their brand. While comprehensive for its specific domain, it does not offer the same depth of customization or headless support that a broader platform like Growave provides for multiple engagement modules. The focus is primarily on ensuring the subscription experience feels native to the brand.

Integrations and Ecosystem Fit

The compatibility of an app with other tools in a merchant's tech stack is a critical factor for smooth operations and data flow.

Growave’s Broad Compatibility

Growave is designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide array of popular e-commerce tools, covering various aspects of marketing, customer service, and store operations. Its "Works With" list is extensive, including:

• Marketing & Email: Klaviyo, Omnisend, Attentive, Postscript, PushOwl
• Customer Service: Gorgias
• Page Builders: Pagefly, LayoutHub, GemPages, Shopney
• Shopify Ecosystem: Checkout, Shopify POS, Customer accounts, Shopify Flow
• Social Commerce: TikTok Shop

This broad integration capability underscores Growave's role as a central hub for retention efforts, allowing data and workflows to flow between different systems. This helps reduce data silos and ensures a consistent customer experience across platforms. Moreover, Growave offers unlimited integrations for its PLUS plan, supporting B2B and advanced use cases.

Propel’s Subscription Ecosystem

Propel's integrations are naturally focused on the subscription and payment processing ecosystem. Its "Works With" list includes:

• Stripe subscriptions
• Appstle subscriptions
• Recharge subscriptions
• Seal subscriptions
• Shoppay subscriptions

This indicates a focus on interoperability within the subscription space, potentially allowing merchants to migrate or run Propel alongside other subscription solutions if needed, though this might imply redundant functionality for some features. For merchants heavily invested in a specific subscription management provider, Propel’s compatibility could be a key consideration.

Pricing Structure and Value

Evaluating the pricing models helps merchants understand the long-term cost of ownership and how each app scales with their business.

Growave’s Tiered Model

Growave offers a tiered pricing structure that scales with a merchant's order volume and desired feature set.

• FREE Plan: Up to 100 orders/month (500 total orders). Includes loyalty points, wishlist, product reviews, and data imports/exports, with Growave branding and email support. This is a robust free option for smaller or new stores.
• ENTRY Plan ($49/month): Adds advanced rewards, referral programs with fraud protection, nudges, review request email series, Shopify POS, Shopify Flow, and one integration (e.g., Klaviyo). Customizable emails and 24/7 email support are included.
• GROWTH Plan ($199/month): Includes VIP Tiers, a dedicated loyalty page, Shopify POS Loyalty QR, points expiration, gift cards, account extensions, review attributes, Google Shopping Reviews, Instagram UGC, back-in-stock wishlist emails, and 5* onboarding. Offers 24/7 email/chat support.
• PLUS Plan ($499/month): Features checkout extensions, headless API & SDK, custom loyalty page design, custom reward actions, B2B, unlimited integrations, a customer success manager, dedicated launch plan, and 24/7 multi-channel support. This plan is tailored for high-growth operational complexity and enterprise needs, offering capabilities designed for Shopify Plus scaling needs.

Growave’s a pricing structure that scales as order volume grows provides clear upgrade paths as a business expands, ensuring that capabilities evolve with demand. Merchants can assess comparing plan fit against retention goals to identify the most suitable option, ensuring they only pay for the features and scale they truly need. For those concerned about managing multiple apps, reviewing a clearer view of total retention-stack costs can highlight the value of Growave’s all-in-one approach.

Propel’s Focus on Subscription Volume

Propel Subscriptions App also offers a free plan and scales up with more features, though its pricing structure seems less explicitly tied to overall order volume and more to core feature unlocks.

• Free Plan: "Free to install." Includes unlimited subscriptions, tiered discounts, customer portal, unlimited notifications, customer tagging, translation, analytics, and widget customization. This is a generous offering for core subscription management.
• Growth Plan ($9/month): Adds custom email notifications, subscription import, customer subscription editing, payment retry management, and the ability to change discounts after a specific number of orders.
• Enterprise Plan ($19/month): Includes all Growth features plus custom subscription shipping rates, custom subscription processing dates, cancellation management, and priority support.

Propel's pricing is notably lower at its higher tiers compared to Growave, reflecting its specialized scope. For a merchant whose primary need is robust subscription management without requiring broader loyalty or review features, Propel could represent a more focused investment. The "Free to install" model also allows for easy adoption and testing.

Support and Reliability Cues

The quality of customer support and the perceived reliability of an app are often reflected in its reviews and available support channels.

Assessing Support for Growave

With 1,197 reviews and a 4.8 rating, Growave demonstrates a strong track record of merchant satisfaction. The app descriptions detail comprehensive support options:

• Free plan: 48hr email support.
• Entry plan: 24/7 email support.
• Growth plan: 24/7 email/chat support.
• Plus plan: 24/7 email/live chat/phone support, dedicated CSM (Customer Success Manager) and AM (Account Manager), and a dedicated launch plan.

This tiered support model, escalating with plan complexity, suggests that Growave is committed to providing robust assistance, particularly for larger or more complex operations. The availability of dedicated personnel for higher-tier plans is a strong indicator of an approach that fits high-growth operational complexity, especially for features aligned with enterprise retention requirements. Checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals often provides insights into actual support experiences.

Evaluating Support for Propel

Propel Subscriptions App has a smaller but highly positive review base of 175 reviews with a 4.9 rating. This indicates strong satisfaction among its users for its specific functionality. Support specifics include:

• Enterprise Plan: Priority support is explicitly mentioned.
• For lower plans, support details are not specified, though the overall high rating suggests effective problem resolution for users across tiers.

The high rating on fewer reviews typically indicates that the app is performing its core function very well for its user base. For merchants, this signals reliability within its niche.

Ideal Use Cases and Merchant Fit

Ultimately, the choice between Growave and Propel hinges on a merchant's specific business model, growth stage, and strategic priorities.

Growave’s Strengths for Broad Engagement

Growave is best suited for merchants who:

• Prioritize a holistic retention strategy: Seeking to build customer loyalty through points, VIP tiers, referrals, reviews, and wishlists all from one platform.
• Aim to reduce app sprawl: Want to consolidate multiple single-function apps into a unified solution to reduce integration overhead and administrative burden. This aligns with a drive towards practical retention playbooks from growing storefronts.
• Are growing or enterprise-level: Especially relevant for Shopify Plus stores that require advanced customization, headless capabilities, and dedicated support. An approach that fits high-growth operational complexity is vital for these businesses.
• Operate DTC or B2B: The platform explicitly supports both models.
• Value comprehensive data and a unified customer view: Managing multiple engagement channels from one dashboard can provide clearer insights into customer behavior. Real examples from brands improving retention often showcase the benefits of this integrated view.

For these merchants, Growave provides a powerful toolkit for nurturing customer relationships across the entire lifecycle, driving repeat purchases, and increasing customer lifetime value through diverse engagement tactics.

Propel’s Niche for Recurring Revenue

Propel Subscriptions App is the stronger choice for merchants who:

• Primary business model is subscription-based: Focus heavily on selling products on a recurring basis.
• Need a robust, easy-to-manage subscription solution: Value simplicity in setting up and managing subscription products, billing, and customer self-service.
• Are looking for loyalty mechanisms specifically tied to subscriptions: Want to reward long-term subscribers with tiered discounts rather than a broader points program.
• Operate within a lean tech stack for subscriptions: Prefer a specialized app that excels at its core function without additional, potentially unneeded, features.
• Value a highly rated, niche solution: The high rating suggests strong performance and satisfaction for its specific purpose.

For these businesses, Propel delivers a focused, efficient solution to capture and manage recurring revenue, streamlining operations and empowering customers to manage their own subscriptions with ease.

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

Merchants frequently encounter "app fatigue"—a phenomenon characterized by tool sprawl, fragmented data across disparate systems, inconsistent customer experiences due to mismatched app interfaces, and the cumulative cost and management overhead of numerous single-function applications. Each new app, while solving a specific problem, introduces another integration point, another dashboard to monitor, and another monthly bill. This often leads to inefficiencies, data silos, and a diluted brand experience as customers interact with multiple disjointed tools.

An effective solution to this challenge lies in adopting an integrated, all-in-one platform philosophy. This approach consolidates core functionalities, such as loyalty programs, reviews, referrals, and wishlists, into a single, cohesive system. Growave's "More Growth, Less Stack" philosophy directly addresses app fatigue by offering a unified platform for customer retention and engagement. By bringing together essential tools under one roof, merchants can reduce complexity, ensure data consistency, and provide a more seamless, on-brand experience for their customers. If consolidating tools is a priority, start by choosing a plan built for long-term value.

Growave’s integrated modules are designed to work together, supporting a comprehensive strategy that targets multiple growth levers:

• Loyalty & Rewards: Moving beyond simple points, Growave provides advanced loyalty programs that keep customers coming back. This allows for creating sophisticated reward mechanics that support customer lifetime value and build lasting relationships, rather than just transactional exchanges.
• Reviews & UGC: The platform streamlines UGC workflows that keep product pages credible, automating the collection and display of authentic customer feedback. This is crucial for building trust and providing social proof that drives conversions.
• Wishlist: A built-in wishlist feature captures purchase intent, allowing merchants to re-engage interested customers with targeted communications, like back-in-stock notifications.
• Referrals: Integrated referral programs turn loyal customers into brand advocates, driving new customer acquisition through trusted recommendations.

By managing these critical customer engagement points from a single dashboard, merchants gain a clearer view of their customers and can execute retention strategies more effectively. This integration not only simplifies day-to-day operations but also provides a more coherent understanding of customer behavior across different touchpoints, leading to more informed strategic decisions. The unified nature of the platform means that capabilities like readiness for multi-team workflows and complexity are inherently supported, which is a major advantage for scaling businesses. Many businesses find value in seeing how other brands connect loyalty and reviews within a single platform to maximize their impact.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist and Propel Subscriptions App, the decision comes down to their primary retention strategy and the breadth of functionality required. Propel Subscriptions App is a highly effective, specialized tool for businesses whose core growth relies on establishing and efficiently managing recurring revenue models. Its strength lies in streamlining the subscription process, empowering customers with self-service options, and offering loyalty incentives directly tied to subscription tenure. It excels in its niche for merchants prioritizing a direct path to recurring purchases.

Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist, on the other hand, offers a more expansive, integrated platform for holistic customer retention. It caters to merchants seeking to build broad customer loyalty and engagement through diverse channels, including points programs, VIP tiers, referrals, and vital user-generated content like reviews and wishlists. This comprehensive approach is particularly beneficial for brands aiming to foster a deeper brand connection across multiple touchpoints and reduce the operational complexities associated with managing a stack of disparate single-function apps. Merchants can learn about implementation expectations through a guided evaluation of an integrated retention stack. Ultimately, the choice aligns with whether a merchant prioritizes deep specialization in subscriptions or a wider, integrated ecosystem for overall customer engagement and lifetime value growth. To reduce app fatigue and run retention from one place, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from.

FAQ

### What are the key differences in loyalty features between Growave and Propel?

Growave offers a comprehensive loyalty program that includes points, VIP tiers, and referral programs, allowing customers to earn rewards for various engagements beyond just purchases. Propel's loyalty features are primarily tied to subscription duration, offering tiered discounts to incentivize long-term subscribers within its recurring revenue model.

### Which app is better for collecting product reviews and user-generated content?

Growave includes robust features for collecting and showcasing product reviews, photos, videos, and integrating with platforms like Google Shopping and Instagram for user-generated content (UGC). Propel Subscriptions App does not offer dedicated features for reviews or general UGC collection, focusing instead on the subscription management experience.

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

An all-in-one platform, like Growave, consolidates multiple functions (loyalty, reviews, wishlists) into a single system, aiming to reduce app sprawl, integration overhead, and ensure consistent data and customer experience. Specialized apps, such as Propel, excel in a single domain, offering deep functionality for a specific need (e.g., subscriptions) but may require additional apps for other engagement aspects. The choice depends on a merchant's priorities for integration versus specialized depth.

### What are the typical pricing models for these apps?

Growave offers a tiered pricing structure that scales with a merchant's monthly order volume and desired feature set, starting with a free plan and escalating for more advanced features and higher usage. Propel Subscriptions App also has a free-to-install plan, with paid tiers primarily unlocking additional features related to subscription management, with its higher plans being significantly lower in price due to its specialized focus.