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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Friendbuy vs Reward Gateway

Friendbuy logo

Friendbuy

Affiliate Marketing

Referral and loyalty platform for DTC brands

From
$249/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Reward Gateway logo

Reward Gateway

Employee Engagement

Total rewards and engagement platform

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Friendbuy no public pricing; requires sales call which makes it difficult to compare costs; Reward Gateway the pricing URL resolves to a contact and demo request page with no plan, no per-employee rate and no minimum published
  • They diverge on capability: Friendbuy covers Referral programs, Reward Gateway covers Benefits administration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Friendbuy and Reward Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where Friendbuy and Reward Gateway differ
AttributeFriendbuyReward Gateway
Starting price$249/monthOn request
CategoryAffiliate MarketingEmployee Engagement
Founded20101997

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Friendbuy

  • Referral programs
  • Loyalty programs
  • A/B testing
  • Fraud detection
  • Attribution tracking
  • Shopify
  • Klaviyo
  • Attentive

Only in Reward Gateway

  • Benefits administration
  • Recognition programs
  • Engagement tools
  • Rewards catalog
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Mobile app
  • Reporting
  • Integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Friendbuy

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Reward Gateway
  • Workflow automationnot Reward Gateway
  • Reportingnot Reward Gateway

Reward Gateway

  • Employee recognition and reward programs with a points based currencynot Friendbuy
  • Employee discount and benefits marketplacenot Friendbuy
  • Internal communications and pulse surveys for frontline workforcesnot Friendbuy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Friendbuy

  • No public pricing; requires sales call which makes it difficult to compare costs
  • Custom pricing can be expensive, especially for additional currencies or features
  • Low level of customization makes it difficult to implement seamlessly and maintain brand consistency
  • Customer support only available via email with slow response times
  • Rewards require manual processing and approval rather than automatic distribution
  • Tracking accuracy issues where referred customers sometimes marked as existing customers

Reward Gateway

  • The pricing URL resolves to a contact and demo request page with no plan, no per-employee rate and no minimum published
  • The only routes offered are a 30-minute demo request, a broker referral or a phone call
  • The platform is split into separately named products for recognition, wellbeing, commuter benefits and discounts, none of which carries a published price
  • The company now trades as Reward Gateway | Edenred following the Edenred acquisition

Pricing, plan by plan

Friendbuy

$249/month
  • Starter$249/month
    • Referral program
    • Basic analytics
    • Email support

Reward Gateway

On request
  • Reward Gateway Suite$undefined/month
    • Benefits platform
    • Recognition
    • Engagement programs

Which should you pick?

Choose Friendbuy if

  • You need referral programs.
  • You also want loyalty programs.
Friendbuy review

Choose Reward Gateway if

  • You need benefits administration.
  • You also want recognition programs.
Reward Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is Friendbuy or Reward Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Friendbuy starts at $249/month and Reward Gateway at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Friendbuy or Reward Gateway?
Friendbuy starts at $249/month and Reward Gateway at On request.
Does Friendbuy or Reward Gateway run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Friendbuy best used for?
Friendbuy is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, affiliate marketing management and workflow automation are not what Reward Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Friendbuy do that Reward Gateway cannot?
Friendbuy covers Referral programs, Loyalty programs, A/B testing, Fraud detection. Reward Gateway covers Benefits administration, Recognition programs, Engagement tools, Rewards catalog.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Friendbuy: What is Friendbuy's pricing model?

Friendbuy uses custom quote-based pricing with no publicly listed rates. Starting point is approximately $3,000 annually, with costs varying based on traffic volume, features needed, and onboarding requirements. Annual contracts are required.

Source
Reward Gateway: How much does Reward Gateway cost?

Reward Gateway does not publish pricing on its website. The company uses a custom pricing model determined through direct consultation with prospects, tailored to organizational size, feature requirements, and specific needs.

Source
Friendbuy: Does Friendbuy offer a free trial?

Friendbuy does not offer a free trial. Prospective customers must contact sales for a demo and quote. There is no self-serve signup or trial period available.

Source
Reward Gateway: How do I get a price quote from Reward Gateway?

Interested organizations can request a 30-minute demo at https://www.rewardgateway.com or contact the sales team directly. This indicates Reward Gateway requires direct engagement with sales representatives to discuss pricing.

Source
Friendbuy: Does Friendbuy offer referral and loyalty programs?

Yes. Friendbuy bundles both referral and loyalty program features together. You cannot purchase referral features alone and must pay for the complete suite.

Source
Friendbuy: What integrations does Friendbuy support?

Friendbuy integrates with major e-commerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, plus marketing tools like Klaviyo, Braze, and Segment.

Source
Friendbuy: Are rewards processed automatically in Friendbuy?

Activity is tracked automatically, but rewards are processed manually, requiring administrator action to approve and distribute rewards to referrers.

Source
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