Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards vs. Extole: Customer Referrals Comparison

Introduction

Selecting the right retention tools often dictates the trajectory of a brand's long-term profitability. For many merchants, the choice involves weighing a loyalty-first approach against a referral-heavy strategy. While both paths aim to lower customer acquisition costs and increase lifetime value, the technical implementation and cost structures vary significantly between specialized apps.

Short answer: Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards is a modern, agile solution designed for fast-growing DTC brands seeking a customizable loyalty and points system. Extole: Customer Referrals is an enterprise-grade referral platform focused on high-revenue Shopify Plus stores that require advanced testing and audience segmentation. Choosing between them depends on whether the priority is a broad loyalty ecosystem or a sophisticated, high-volume referral machine, though many merchants find that consolidating these functions into an integrated platform reduces operational overhead.

This analysis provides an objective, feature-by-feature comparison of Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards and Extole: Customer Referrals. By examining their technical capabilities, pricing structures, and integration ecosystems, merchants can determine which tool aligns with their current scale and future growth objectives.

Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards vs. Extole: Customer Referrals: At a Glance

Detailed Analysis of Strategic Positioning and Target Audience

The fundamental difference between these two applications lies in their intended market segment and primary functional focus. Understanding these differences is the first step in comparing plan fit against retention goals for any scaling storefront.

Rivo: A Modern Approach to Loyalty and Points

Rivo positions itself as a nimble alternative to legacy loyalty solutions. The developer emphasizes a rapid shipping cycle, with product updates occurring weekly to stay aligned with the latest Shopify technologies, such as Checkout Extensions and Shopify Flow.

• Agile Development: The platform is built specifically for the 2025 ecommerce environment, prioritizing speed and modern Shopify architecture.
• Metric-Driven Success: The focus is on driving actual retention metrics through a blend of points, rewards, and referral incentives.
• Customization Flexibility: Through a dedicated Developer Toolkit, brands can move beyond standard templates to create highly branded experiences.

Extole: Enterprise-Grade Referral Logic

Extole operates in a different sphere, focusing almost exclusively on the "Refer-a-Friend" mechanic but with a level of depth suited for large-scale operations. It is explicitly tailored for Shopify Plus merchants who view referrals as a primary acquisition channel rather than just a secondary loyalty perk.

• Strategic Acquisition: The platform is designed to turn existing customers into an active sales force through personalized referral links and QR codes.
• Optimization Tools: Unlike simpler referral tools, this solution includes A/B testing and limited-time offers to maximize the performance of referral campaigns.
• Revenue-Based Scaling: The app's structure is built for merchants already generating significant revenue, often starting at the $10M annual mark.

Feature Parity and Technical Capabilities

When evaluating these tools, merchants must look at how the software interacts with the Shopify ecosystem and the specific mechanics available to engage customers.

Loyalty and Points Mechanics

Rivo provides a comprehensive points-based system. This allows customers to earn currency for various actions, which can later be redeemed for discounts or products.

• Ways to Earn and Redeem: Standard loyalty mechanics are present, including points for purchases and social actions.
• VIP Tiers: Available on higher plans, tiers allow merchants to segment their most valuable customers and offer escalating rewards.
• Points Expiry: A critical tool for driving urgency, points expiry helps clean up balance sheets and encourages repeat purchases.

Extole does not focus on a points-ledger system in the same way. Instead, it prioritizes the "trigger and reward" cycle for referrals. While it can drive loyalty, it does so through the successful completion of a referral rather than the accumulation of points over time for various micro-interactions.

Referral Programs and Advocacy

Both apps offer referral capabilities, but the execution differs. Rivo includes referrals as part of a broader loyalty suite. This is often sufficient for brands that want a simple "Give $X, Get $X" structure integrated with their points program.

Extole, however, treats referrals as a sophisticated marketing channel.

• Multi-Channel Sharing: Customers can share via SMS, social, email, or QR codes.
• Advanced Tracking: The platform automatically tracks orders, shipments, and even cancellations to ensure rewards are only issued for valid, high-quality referrals.
• Personalized Links: Every advocate gets a unique experience, which can be further personalized using Extole's audience-targeting features.

Customization and Brand Consistency

For a high-growth brand, the "look and feel" of a loyalty program is non-negotiable. Rivo offers "Advanced Branding" on its Scale plan, allowing for custom CSS and fonts. For brands with internal developers, the Rivo Developer Toolkit provides a path to full customization, ensuring the loyalty experience is indistinguishable from the rest of the storefront.

Extole uses App Embeds and Checkout Extensions to place referral calls-to-action throughout the buyer journey. Their focus is on dynamic content—showing the right offer to the right person at the right time. This level of personalization is a hallmark of enterprise software, though it often requires more configuration than a standard loyalty app.

Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership

The financial investment required for these two apps represents two entirely different tiers of the Shopify market. Before committing, it is useful to engage in checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals to see how other brands justify these costs.

Rivo Pricing Structure

Rivo offers a gateway for smaller merchants while providing an upgrade path for larger ones.

• Free Forever: Limited to 200 monthly orders, this plan includes basic points and rewards, making it accessible for startups.
• Scale ($49/month): This plan introduces VIP tiers and advanced branding, removing the "starter" feel and providing more control over the customer journey.
• Plus ($499/month): At this level, merchants get access to Checkout Extensions, custom integrations (like Klaviyo events), and the Developer Toolkit.

Extole Pricing Structure

Extole’s pricing is scaled based on the merchant’s annual revenue, which indicates its enterprise focus.

• Existing Customers (Free): Only for those already using the Extole platform outside of Shopify.
• <$10M Revenue ($999/month): The entry point for Extole is twice the price of Rivo’s most expensive standard plan.
• $10M-$40M Revenue ($2,500/month): Aimed at mid-market to enterprise brands.
• $41M-$80M Revenue ($44,000/year): A significant investment for large-scale operations requiring high-touch support and advanced features.

In terms of value for money, Rivo is more accessible for the average DTC brand. Extole is a specialized investment for those who have already scaled and need to squeeze every percentage point of efficiency out of their referral marketing.

Integration Ecosystem and Operational Fit

A loyalty tool should not exist in a vacuum. It must communicate with the rest of the tech stack to be effective.

Rivo Integrations

Rivo boasts a "world-class" integration list that covers the most common tools used by modern merchants:

• Marketing Automation: Klaviyo, Attentive, and Postscript.
• Customer Support: Gorgias.
• Operations: Shopify Flow and Shopify POS.
• Identity and UX: Status and Fuego.

This ecosystem ensures that loyalty data (like point balances or VIP status) can be used to trigger emails, SMS messages, or support tickets, creating a unified customer experience.

Extole Integrations

Extole’s integrations reflect its enterprise positioning, often connecting with high-end marketing clouds:

• Data and Orchestration: Braze, Iterable, and Twilio Segment.
• Email Marketing: Listrak and Klaviyo.
• Core Shopify Tech: Checkout and Customer Accounts.

The presence of Braze and Segment suggests that Extole is intended to be part of a much larger, complex data ecosystem where customer behavior is tracked across multiple platforms and touchpoints.

Support and Reliability

Reliability is a key factor when an app handles customer rewards and financial discounts. seeing how the app is positioned for Shopify stores often reveals how much emphasis a developer places on long-term stability versus rapid feature expansion.

• Rivo Support: Rivo prides itself on 24/7 live chat support. On their Plus plan, they offer "concierge support," which is vital for brands performing complex migrations or custom builds. The founder-led approach suggests a high level of accountability.
• Extole Support: While the provided data does not specify support hours, the pricing tiers (up to $44k/year) typically imply a high level of account management and dedicated technical support. Enterprise contracts usually include Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that smaller apps do not.

The review data for both apps is currently limited on the Shopify App Store, with Rivo having one review (4.8 rating) and Extole having none listed in the provided dataset. This lack of volume means merchants must rely more heavily on direct demos and trial periods to verify performance.

Determining the Right Fit for the Storefront

Deciding between these two tools requires an honest assessment of current needs and technical resources.

When to Choose Rivo

• The primary goal is to build a comprehensive points-based loyalty program.
• The brand is in a high-growth phase and needs a tool that can be customized by developers.
• Budget is a consideration, and there is a need for a free or mid-range entry point.
• The merchant wants an app that is frequently updated with the latest Shopify-specific features.

When to Choose Extole

• The brand generates over $10M in annual revenue and views referrals as a major growth engine.
• There is a need for advanced marketing tactics like A/B testing and audience segmentation within the referral flow.
• The existing tech stack includes enterprise tools like Braze or Segment.
• Referral integrity (preventing fraud and tracking shipments) is a higher priority than simple point-earning mechanics.

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

While specialized tools like Rivo and Extole offer deep functionality in their respective niches, many merchants eventually encounter the challenge of "app fatigue." This occurs when a store's tech stack becomes a fragmented collection of single-purpose apps. Each new app adds another monthly subscription, another integration to maintain, and another script that could potentially slow down the storefront. More importantly, data becomes siloed; your review data doesn't talk to your loyalty data, and your wishlist doesn't influence your referral rewards.

If consolidating tools is a priority, start by selecting plans that reduce stacked tooling costs. This shift toward an integrated philosophy allows merchants to execute loyalty points and rewards designed to lift repeat purchases while simultaneously collecting and showcasing authentic customer reviews from a single dashboard. By moving away from tool sprawl, brands can create a more consistent customer experience. When a customer reaches a new VIP tier, that status can immediately be reflected in their review requests or their wishlist incentives without needing complex third-party connectors.

This integrated approach is the foundation of the Growave philosophy. Instead of managing separate contracts for loyalty, referrals, and UGC, merchants can manage the entire customer lifecycle in one place. This synergy is visible in real examples from brands improving retention by using combined data to drive higher engagement. For instance, offering VIP tiers and incentives for high-intent customers becomes significantly more effective when you can also use review automation that builds trust at purchase time.

Furthermore, the operational benefits of a unified stack extend to the technical team. Managing one set of API keys and one customer success contact simplifies the workflow. Merchants can find customer stories that show how teams reduce app sprawl by replacing four or five disparate apps with one cohesive platform. This not only results in a clearer view of total retention-stack costs but also ensures that the storefront remains fast and responsive for the end user.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards and Extole: Customer Referrals, the decision comes down to the specific mechanics of the desired retention strategy and the current scale of the business. Rivo is an excellent choice for those seeking a modern, flexible loyalty and points system with a developer-friendly toolkit. Extole is the clear choice for enterprise-level Shopify Plus stores where referral optimization and audience targeting are the primary focus. Both apps serve their specific audiences well, but they require the merchant to manage at least one more specialized tool in their stack.

As a brand grows, the strategic value of an integrated platform often outweighs the benefits of specialized, single-function apps. By bringing loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlists under one roof, merchants can eliminate data silos and reduce the technical debt associated with app sprawl. This leads to a more seamless customer experience and a more manageable backend for the ecommerce team. Whether you are comparing plan fit against retention goals or looking for a way to streamline operations, the move toward an all-in-one retention suite is a logical step for long-term growth.

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

FAQ

Is Rivo or Extole better for a small business just starting on Shopify?

Rivo is generally better for smaller businesses because it offers a "Free Forever" plan for stores with up to 200 monthly orders. This allows new merchants to experiment with loyalty points and rewards without an immediate financial commitment. Extole is designed for merchants with significant revenue and its pricing reflects an enterprise-level investment that may be prohibitive for startups.

Can I use Rivo and Extole together on the same Shopify store?

While it is technically possible to install both, it is generally not recommended as they have overlapping referral features. Running two different referral programs can confuse customers and make it difficult to track which app is responsible for a conversion. It is usually better to choose one platform that aligns with the primary goal—whether that is a comprehensive loyalty points system or a highly optimized referral engine.

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

An all-in-one platform like Growave provides several modules (loyalty, reviews, referrals, wishlist) in a single installation. This reduces the number of scripts loading on the storefront, which can improve site speed. It also ensures that data flows naturally between different features—for example, giving loyalty points for leaving a product review. Specialized apps like Rivo or Extole may offer deeper features in one specific area but require more effort to integrate with other parts of the customer journey.

Do these apps work with Shopify Plus?

Yes, both apps are compatible with Shopify Plus. Extole is explicitly marketed toward Plus merchants with features like A/B testing and revenue-scaled plans. Rivo also supports Plus-specific features like Checkout Extensions on its higher-tier plans, making it a viable option for high-growth brands that need advanced customization. When evaluating these options, seeing how the app is positioned for Shopify stores can help clarify which platform has the necessary infrastructure for enterprise-level demands.