Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards vs. MAKS Loyalty Onsite: A Detailed Comparison

Introduction

Selecting the right retention tools is a pivotal decision for any Shopify storefront. The choice often dictates how a brand interacts with its most valuable asset: the existing customer base. As acquisition costs rise, the focus shifts toward maintaining interest and driving repeat sales through reward mechanisms. Merchants frequently find themselves choosing between specialized, integration-heavy apps and simpler, direct solutions.

Short answer: Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards is a high-performance choice for rapidly scaling DTC brands that require deep integrations and advanced customization. MAKS Loyalty Onsite provides a focused, straightforward approach primarily tailored to Dutch-speaking merchants or those seeking a simple voucher-based system. Moving toward integrated platforms can often simplify these operations and lower the technical debt associated with managing multiple individual apps.

This analysis provides a feature-by-feature evaluation of Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards and MAKS Loyalty Onsite. By examining their workflows, pricing structures, and integration capabilities, merchants can determine which path aligns with their current growth stage and operational capacity.

Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards vs. MAKS Loyalty Onsite: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

Evaluating these two options requires looking beyond basic points systems. The effectiveness of a loyalty program depends on how well it fits into the existing checkout flow and whether it can communicate effectively with other marketing channels like email or SMS.

Core Features and Loyalty Workflows

Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards is built for merchants who want a dynamic, multi-faceted program. It includes standard points-for-purchases models but extends into referral programs and VIP tiers. The developer emphasizes that the app is built on modern Shopify architecture, which allows for smoother performance during high-traffic periods. This infrastructure supports a variety of ways for customers to earn and redeem, which is essential for maintaining engagement over long periods.

MAKS Loyalty Onsite takes a different approach, focusing heavily on the onboarding phase of the customer journey. It utilizes "onboarding voordeel-vouchers" to encourage immediate secondary interactions. The workflow is designed to turn a first-time visitor into a repeat buyer as quickly as possible. While Rivo looks at the long-term lifecycle through tiers and referrals, MAKS focuses on the immediate post-purchase or onboarding momentum.

Customization and Brand Control

Customization is often the deciding factor for established brands. Rivo provides a dedicated loyalty and referral page and offers advanced branding options, including custom CSS and fonts in its Scale plan. For enterprise-level needs, the Rivo Developer Toolkit allows for almost total control over the user experience. This is particularly useful for stores that want their loyalty program to feel like a native part of their site rather than a third-party add-on.

In contrast, MAKS Loyalty Onsite focuses on simplicity. It provides vouchers and automated mailings, but the provided data does not mention advanced CSS overrides or a developer toolkit. It appears to be a "plug-and-play" solution where the merchant follows a set structure. This can be beneficial for those who do not have the time or technical resources to design a custom loyalty portal from scratch.

Pricing Structure and Value Assessment

The pricing models for these two apps cater to very different budgets and business sizes. Rivo offers a free entry point for stores with up to 200 monthly orders. This is an excellent way for new stores to start building a database without upfront costs. As a store grows, the $49 per month Scale plan introduces VIP tiers and analytics. The Plus plan, at $499 per month, is a significant investment aimed at high-volume merchants who need checkout extensions and priority support.

MAKS Loyalty Onsite utilizes a flat pricing model of $29.95 per month. The primary advantage here is the "onbeperkt aantal klanten" (unlimited number of customers). This provides a predictable monthly cost, which is often preferable for stores that have high traffic but lower average order values. While it lacks a free tier, the low entry price for unlimited users makes it a strong contender for cost-conscious merchants who have outgrown Rivo's free order limit but aren't ready for the $499 Plus tier.

Integrations and Compatibility

Integrations are where Rivo shows its strength for the modern tech stack. It works with Shopify POS, Flow, and major marketing tools like Klaviyo, Gorgias, and Postscript. This allows loyalty data to trigger emails or SMS alerts, creating a cohesive marketing strategy. If a customer hits a new VIP tier, Rivo can tell Klaviyo to send a celebratory email automatically.

MAKS Loyalty Onsite does not list specific third-party integrations in the provided data. It focuses on its own automated mailings to bring customers back to the store. For merchants who want a self-contained system that doesn't need to talk to other apps, this lack of complexity might be a benefit. However, for those looking to build a data-driven retention engine, the absence of an integration ecosystem can be a hurdle.

Market Focus and Language

A notable distinction between these apps is their target audience. Rivo is positioned for a global DTC audience, providing support and documentation in English. Its feature set is designed for the "fast-growing DTC brand" archetype found in the North American and international markets.

MAKS Loyalty Onsite is developed by MAKS Klantenloyaliteit, and the description is primarily in Dutch. This suggests the app is specifically optimized for the Netherlands or Belgium markets. Features like "spaardoelen" (savings goals) and "verjaardagsbeloning" (birthday rewards) are common in European retail, and having an app that understands the local nuances of these markets can be a major advantage for regional stores.

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

While choosing between Rivo and MAKS addresses immediate loyalty needs, many merchants eventually face the challenge of app fatigue. This occurs when a store relies on a different app for loyalty, another for product reviews, another for wishlists, and another for referrals. Each new app adds a monthly subscription, increases the site's code weight, and creates a new silo of customer data that doesn't easily sync with the others.

Adopting an integrated approach helps eliminate these friction points. By using a single platform to handle multiple retention functions, brands can ensure that a customer's loyalty points are visible on their wishlist page or that their review submission automatically triggers a reward. This level of synchronization is difficult to achieve when using a fragmented stack of single-purpose tools.

Strategically evaluating feature coverage across plans is the first step toward reducing this operational burden. When a merchant can access loyalty points and rewards designed to lift repeat purchases alongside a robust review system, the entire customer experience becomes more seamless. Instead of managing five different dashboards, the team manages one.

This consolidated philosophy also leads to a pricing structure that scales as order volume grows, preventing the sudden cost spikes that occur when multiple apps hit their billing thresholds simultaneously. It allows for more consistent review automation that builds trust at purchase time, as the system already knows the customer's purchase history through the loyalty module.

For those looking to move away from tool sprawl, the benefits extend to site performance as well. Fewer app scripts running in the background generally mean faster load times and a better mobile experience. If consolidating tools is a priority, start by selecting plans that reduce stacked tooling costs.

Furthermore, having a unified data source makes it easier to implement VIP tiers and incentives for high-intent customers. You aren't just rewarding a purchase; you are rewarding the entire relationship, including social shares and photo reviews. If you are unsure how this integration might look for your specific store, a tailored walkthrough based on store goals and constraints can clarify the transition.

Managing collecting and showcasing authentic customer reviews in the same environment as your loyalty program ensures that every interaction adds value to the customer profile. This holistic view is what enables modern brands to stay agile. To see if this integrated model fits your current trajectory, a guided evaluation of an integrated retention stack provides a clear roadmap for long-term growth.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards and MAKS Loyalty Onsite, the decision comes down to the desired level of complexity and the specific target market. Rivo is the stronger candidate for brands that need a scalable, integration-rich environment to support a global DTC strategy. Its ability to connect with the rest of the Shopify ecosystem makes it a flexible choice for teams that prioritize automation and data flow.

On the other hand, MAKS Loyalty Onsite is a practical, budget-friendly solution for merchants who value simplicity and may be focusing on a specific regional audience. Its flat-fee structure and focus on onboarding vouchers provide a low-risk entry into loyalty marketing without the need for technical expertise or a complex setup process.

Ultimately, the most successful brands often look beyond single-function apps to find solutions that offer more growth with less of a technical stack. By checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals, store owners can see the value of moving toward a unified platform. Such a move not only reduces the monthly overhead but also creates a more consistent and professional experience for the shopper.

Seeing how the app is positioned for Shopify stores helps merchants understand that retention is about more than just points; it is about the intersection of trust, loyalty, and convenience.

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

FAQ

Is Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards better for international stores?

Rivo is generally better for international DTC brands because it offers broader language support in its documentation and has a suite of integrations that work with global marketing platforms. However, MAKS Loyalty Onsite may be a superior choice for merchants specifically targeting the Dutch market due to its localized features and language.

Which app is more cost-effective for high-volume stores?

The answer depends on the specific needs. MAKS Loyalty Onsite offers a flat $29.95 fee for unlimited customers, which is very cost-effective for stores with high traffic but simple needs. Rivo’s Plus plan costs $499 per month, which is a higher investment but provides advanced features like checkout extensions and a developer toolkit that can drive significantly higher ROI for enterprise-level stores.

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

An all-in-one platform reduces the need to manage multiple subscriptions and ensures that different retention tools, such as loyalty programs and photo reviews, work together seamlessly. While specialized apps might offer deep functionality in one specific area, an integrated platform often provides a better total value by reducing site lag and consolidating customer data into a single, actionable dashboard.

Can I migrate my loyalty data between these apps?

Migration typically requires exporting customer point balances and referral data into a CSV file and importing them into the new app. Rivo offers 24/7 live chat support which may assist with this process. MAKS Loyalty Onsite focuses on a simple setup, so merchants should verify if their current data format is compatible with the "onboarding tools" provided by the app.