Softwr

Affiliate Marketing · head to head

GrowSurf vs ReferralCandy

GrowSurf logo

GrowSurf

Affiliate Marketing

Referral software for tech companies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ReferralCandy logo

ReferralCandy

Affiliate Marketing

Customer referral program for e-commerce

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GrowSurf startup tier limited to 1 referral program; ReferralCandy limited transparency on pricing tiers without account registration
  • They diverge on capability: GrowSurf covers Referral tracking, ReferralCandy covers Automated referral tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GrowSurf and ReferralCandy actually diverge.

Attributes where GrowSurf and ReferralCandy differ
AttributeGrowSurfReferralCandy
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebWeb, Shopify
Founded20172009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Affiliate Marketing).

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 GrowSurf

  • Referral tracking
  • Automated rewards
  • Custom branding
  • Developer API
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Intercom
  • Segment

Only in ReferralCandy

  • Automated referral tracking
  • Customizable rewards
  • Email campaigns
  • A/B testing
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce
  • Magento

Both cover

  • Fraud detection
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

GrowSurf

  • Launching customer referral programs without engineering overheadnot ReferralCandy
  • White-label referral systems matching brand appearancenot ReferralCandy
  • AI-powered reward suggestions and promotional copy generationnot ReferralCandy
  • Integrations with Zapier, Stripe, HubSpot, Slack, PayPal, Salesforcenot ReferralCandy

ReferralCandy

  • affiliate marketing managementnot GrowSurf
  • Workflow automationnot GrowSurf
  • Reportingnot GrowSurf

Where each one falls short

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

GrowSurf

  • Startup tier limited to 1 referral program
  • Startup and Business tiers include only email support, not real-time
  • Requires upgrade to Business tier for custom referral portal domain
  • Custom tier requires 25,000+ participants and quote-based pricing

ReferralCandy

  • Limited transparency on pricing tiers without account registration
  • Primary focus on Shopify integration limits effectiveness for non-Shopify platforms
  • Email CC/BCC limitations for looping in stakeholders

Pricing, plan by plan

GrowSurf

Free
  • Startup$179/month
    • 2,500 participants
    • 2 referral programs
    • 2 team members
  • Startup$279/month
    • 5,000 participants
    • 2 referral programs
    • 2 team members
  • Business$449/month
    • 10,000 participants
    • 5 referral programs
    • 5 team members
  • Business$1429/month
    • 150,000 participants
    • 5 referral programs
    • 5 team members

ReferralCandy

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ReferralCandy review.

Which should you pick?

Choose GrowSurf if

  • You need referral tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want automated rewards.
GrowSurf review

Choose ReferralCandy if

  • You need automated referral tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Shopify.
  • You also want customizable rewards.
ReferralCandy review

Questions people ask

Is GrowSurf or ReferralCandy better?
Neither clearly leads. GrowSurf starts at Free and ReferralCandy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GrowSurf or ReferralCandy?
GrowSurf starts at Free and ReferralCandy at Free.
Does GrowSurf or ReferralCandy run on more platforms?
GrowSurf runs on Web. ReferralCandy runs on Web, Shopify.
Can I use GrowSurf for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GrowSurf best used for?
GrowSurf is most often used for launching customer referral programs without engineering overhead, white-label referral systems matching brand appearance, ai-powered reward suggestions and promotional copy generation, integrations with zapier, stripe, hubspot, slack, paypal, salesforce. Of those, launching customer referral programs without engineering overhead and white-label referral systems matching brand appearance are not what ReferralCandy is typically brought in for.
What can GrowSurf do that ReferralCandy cannot?
GrowSurf covers Referral tracking, Automated rewards, Custom branding, Developer API. ReferralCandy covers Automated referral tracking, Customizable rewards, Email campaigns, A/B testing. Both handle Fraud detection, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GrowSurf: Is there a free trial for GrowSurf?

Yes, all paid plans include a 14-day free trial with access to paid features and integrations. No credit card required.

Source
ReferralCandy: Does ReferralCandy work with Shopify?

Yes, ReferralCandy integrates natively with Shopify with one-click installation, making it easy to set up referral programs on Shopify stores.

Source
GrowSurf: How does GrowSurf pricing scale with participants?

GrowSurf pricing is based on the number of participants (people who refer or are referred). Startup plans range from $179-$279/month for 2,500-5,000 participants. Business plans range from $449-$1,429/month for 10,000-150,000 participants. Plans auto-scale on a prorated basis.

Source
ReferralCandy: What types of rewards can I offer?

ReferralCandy supports multiple reward types including store credit, discount coupons, PayPal cash transfers, gift cards, and free products.

Source
GrowSurf: Do higher GrowSurf tiers include more integrations?

Yes. Startup includes Stripe, HubSpot, Zapier, Slack, and Tango Card. Business adds PayPal, Salesforce, Chargebee, Recurly, Marketo, and CDP integrations.

Source
ReferralCandy: Does ReferralCandy include fraud detection?

Yes, ReferralCandy includes built-in fraud detection to catch self-referrals and leaked coupon codes before payouts are processed.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on GrowSurf

More on ReferralCandy

Keep looking

Other head to heads