Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards vs. Propel Subscriptions App Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right software to manage customer retention is often the most significant decision a Shopify store owner makes. The app ecosystem offers a vast array of specialized tools, but finding the right balance between specific functionality and overall store performance requires a careful look at how different features align with long-term business goals. Whether a brand is focusing on rewarding repeat purchases through points or securing recurring revenue through subscriptions, the choice of technology impacts everything from site speed to the customer experience.

Short answer: Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards is a specialized platform for points-based loyalty and referrals, whereas Propel Subscriptions App focuses on recurring billing and subscription management. For merchants seeking to improve retention, the best choice depends on whether the immediate goal is incentivizing one-time buyers to return or converting them into long-term subscribers with automated billing.

This comparison provides a detailed analysis of Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards and Propel Subscriptions App. By evaluating their core features, pricing structures, and integration capabilities, merchants can determine which tool better serves their current operational needs and future growth plans.

Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards vs. Propel Subscriptions App: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

To understand how these tools impact a Shopify store, it is necessary to look beyond the surface-level descriptions and examine how they function in a real-world environment. While both apps reside in the loyalty and rewards category on the Shopify App Store, they solve retention problems from very different angles.

Core Features and Workflows

Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards is built around the philosophy of constant movement and frequent updates. The app focuses on three primary pillars: loyalty points, rewards, and referrals. The workflow allows merchants to set up specific ways for customers to earn points, such as through purchases, social media follows, or account creation. These points are then redeemed for discounts or specific perks. The platform also includes a referral system, which leverages existing customers to acquire new shoppers, effectively turning the customer base into a marketing channel.

Propel Subscriptions App takes a different approach to retention. Instead of rewarding a customer for returning manually to the store, it automates the return process by turning products into subscriptions. The primary workflow involves choosing a product, setting a billing interval, and letting the app handle the recurring charges. This approach is highly effective for consumable products or services where repeat usage is expected. Propel also includes loyalty-based discounts, but these are specifically tied to the subscription—for instance, offering a deeper discount after a certain number of successful billing cycles.

Customization and Control

Customization is a major differentiator between these two solutions. Rivo emphasizes branding and developer flexibility. On its mid-tier plans, merchants gain access to advanced branding features like custom CSS and fonts. For larger brands on the Plus tier, the Rivo Developer Toolkit allows for full customization, making it possible to tailor the loyalty experience to match a highly unique storefront. This level of control is essential for brands that want their loyalty program to feel like a native part of their brand identity rather than a third-party add-on.

Propel Subscriptions App focuses on ease of use and mobile-first design. Its customization options are centered on the subscription picker—the widget that appears on product pages. The goal here is conversion. The app aims to make the choice between a one-time purchase and a subscription as frictionless as possible. While it offers widget customization and translation support, it does not provide the same level of deep CSS or API-driven customization that a developer-centric tool might offer. However, for many merchants, the trade-off is a simpler setup that works immediately without needing technical expertise.

Pricing Structure and Value for Money

Analyzing the pricing models reveals two very different philosophies regarding how a merchant should pay for retention tools.

Rivo offers a tiered structure that scales significantly as a business grows:

• A free plan is available for stores with up to 200 monthly orders, offering basic points programs and branding.
• The Scale plan at $49 per month introduces VIP tiers, analytics, and points expiry, which are crucial for maintaining engagement.
• The Plus plan at $499 per month targets high-volume brands, providing checkout extensions, custom integrations, and priority support.

Propel Subscriptions App is positioned as a more accessible solution for stores of all sizes:

• The free-to-install plan includes unlimited subscriptions and basic analytics.
• The Growth plan at $9 per month adds custom email notifications and the ability for customers to edit their own subscriptions.
• The Enterprise plan at $19 per month includes custom shipping rates and priority support.

When evaluating these costs, merchants must consider the total cost of ownership. Rivo's higher tiers represent a significant investment but offer deep integration into the Shopify Plus ecosystem. Propel offers a low-cost entry point into recurring revenue, which can provide an immediate boost to cash flow with minimal overhead.

Integrations and Tech Stack Fit

The ability for an app to "play well" with others is a critical factor in preventing operational silos. Rivo is built to integrate with a modern tech stack, specifically mentioning Klaviyo, Gorgias, Postscript, and Attentive. These integrations allow loyalty data to flow into email and SMS marketing campaigns, making it possible to send personalized reminders about points balances or referral opportunities. It also works with Shopify Flow, which enables automated workflows based on loyalty events.

Propel Subscriptions App lists compatibility with various payment and subscription-related technologies like Stripe, Shoppay, and even other subscription apps like Recharge or Seal. This suggests that Propel is designed to fit into a ecosystem focused on transaction management and billing. While it does not list as many marketing-specific integrations in the provided data, its focus is clearly on the reliability of the billing cycle and the ease of the checkout experience.

Reliability and Support Expectations

Trust is built through consistent performance and available support. Rivo highlights its "world-class customer success team" and 24/7 live chat. Given that it has a 4.8 rating, it appears that early adopters find the service effective, though the single review in the provided data makes it harder to gauge broad merchant sentiment. The emphasis on weekly product updates suggests a developer team that is highly responsive to the evolving Shopify platform.

Propel Subscriptions App has a much larger pool of public feedback, with 175 reviews and a 4.9 rating. This volume of positive feedback is a strong signal of reliability and customer satisfaction. Merchants frequently mention the simplicity of the setup and the quality of the support team. For a tool that handles recurring billing—a sensitive area of any business—this established track record of reliability is a significant asset.

Operational Overhead and Performance

Every app added to a Shopify store has an impact on performance and administrative burden. Rivo's focus on Shopify's latest technology and "built for 2025" suggests an optimized codebase that aims to minimize site lag. However, managing a full-scale loyalty program with VIP tiers and custom rewards requires ongoing administrative attention to ensure the incentives remain effective.

Propel Subscriptions App aims to reduce support tickets by giving customers a portal to manage their own subscriptions. This self-service model is a key way to reduce operational overhead. By letting customers pause, skip, or edit their orders, the merchant spends less time on manual customer service tasks. The "one-minute setup" also implies a low initial burden on the store's technical team.

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

While specialized apps like Rivo and Propel offer strong individual features, many merchants eventually encounter the challenge of app fatigue. This occurs when a store becomes a collection of disconnected tools, each with its own dashboard, billing cycle, and data silos. For example, a merchant might use one app for loyalty, another for subscriptions, and a third for product reviews. This fragmented approach often leads to an inconsistent customer experience and a pricing structure that scales as order volume grows in a way that becomes difficult to manage.

Introducing an integrated platform can solve these problems by consolidating multiple retention functions into a single system. When loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlists are handled by one provider, the data flows seamlessly between them. This allows for more sophisticated marketing, such as rewarding a customer for leaving a review or offering loyalty points when a wishlisted item goes on sale. By checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals, it becomes clear that many brands are moving toward this unified philosophy to streamline their operations.

Growave provides a solution that embraces this "More Growth, Less Stack" approach. Instead of managing five different apps, merchants can use one integrated suite to handle the entire post-purchase journey. This reduces the technical weight on the storefront, leading to faster load times and a more cohesive brand aesthetic. For stores looking to move beyond simple points or billing, loyalty points and rewards designed to lift repeat purchases can be combined with other social proof tools to build a comprehensive retention engine.

Beyond just simplifying the backend, an integrated platform improves the customer experience. A shopper only needs to interact with one interface to see their rewards, manage their wishlist, and view their past reviews. This consistency builds trust and reduces the friction that often comes with navigating multiple third-party widgets. Brands that prioritize this level of integration often find that collecting and showcasing authentic customer reviews becomes much more effective when tied directly to a loyalty program.

For those curious about how this consolidation looks in practice, a tailored walkthrough based on store goals and constraints can provide clarity on how to transition from a fragmented stack to a unified platform. Managing retention is not just about having the features; it is about how those features work together to drive growth without increasing complexity. By comparing plan fit against retention goals, merchants can find a path that balances power with simplicity.

When a brand reaches a certain level of maturity, the overhead of managing disparate tools often outweighs the benefits of their specialized features. An integrated approach ensures that as the store grows, the technology supporting it remains manageable. Seeing how the app is positioned for Shopify stores helps merchants understand the long-term value of a platform that scales with them. Utilizing VIP tiers and incentives for high-intent customers alongside review automation that builds trust at purchase time creates a powerful synergy that single-purpose apps struggle to replicate. To see the full potential of this integrated approach, a guided evaluation of an integrated retention stack is a logical next step for any growing brand.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Rivo: Loyalty Program, Rewards and Propel Subscriptions App, the decision comes down to the primary retention mechanism the business requires. Rivo is an excellent choice for brands that want a modern, highly customizable loyalty and referral program with a focus on developer flexibility and deep integration with marketing platforms. It is particularly suited for high-growth DTC brands that prioritize brand identity and are ready to invest in a sophisticated loyalty ecosystem.

On the other hand, Propel Subscriptions App is a powerful and cost-effective choice for merchants whose business model relies on recurring revenue. Its simplicity, mobile-first design, and established reputation for reliability make it a strong contender for those who want to launch a subscription service quickly and manage it with minimal effort.

However, as a store grows, the need for a more holistic approach to retention often emerges. Managing loyalty and subscriptions in isolation can lead to missed opportunities for engagement. Integrated platforms allow for a more streamlined tech stack, reducing the total cost of ownership and providing a better experience for the end user. When choosing a plan built for long-term value, it is vital to consider how each tool fits into the broader goal of building a sustainable, high-LTV customer base.

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

FAQ

Which app is better for a new Shopify store on a budget?

Propel Subscriptions App is generally more accessible for new stores due to its lower price points, with plans starting as low as $9 per month. It allows a store to start generating recurring revenue with very little upfront investment. Rivo also offers a free plan, but its paid tiers represent a more significant jump in cost, making it a better fit for stores that already have a steady volume of orders and are ready to invest in a full-scale loyalty program.

Can I use Rivo and Propel Subscriptions together?

Yes, these apps serve different primary functions. Rivo manages your points, rewards, and referrals, while Propel manages your recurring billing and subscription cycles. Since they focus on different aspects of the customer journey, they can coexist on the same store. However, merchants should be mindful of the cumulative cost and the potential for a fragmented user experience when using multiple separate apps for retention.

Does Rivo or Propel offer better support?

Both apps show a strong commitment to support, but they have different signals of reliability. Propel has a large volume of positive reviews (175 reviews with a 4.9 rating), suggesting a long-standing history of good service. Rivo highlights its 24/7 world-class live chat and weekly product updates, which indicates a very proactive approach to customer success, though it has fewer public reviews in the provided data.

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

A specialized app often provides deep, niche features for one specific task, such as subscription billing or referral tracking. In contrast, an all-in-one platform combines several of these functions—like loyalty, reviews, and wishlists—into a single interface. The primary advantage of an integrated platform is the reduction in tool sprawl and the ability for different features to share data. This leads to a more consistent customer experience and typically a lower total cost of ownership than paying for multiple high-tier specialized apps.