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GrowSurf vs Shopify Collabs

GrowSurf logo

GrowSurf

Software

Referral software for tech companies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopify Collabs logo

Shopify Collabs

Software

Connect with creators to grow your Shopify store

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GrowSurf startup tier limited to 1 referral program; Shopify Collabs a 2.9% processing fee is applied to every automatic commission payment and charged to the merchant's Shopify bill
  • They diverge on capability: GrowSurf covers Referral tracking, Shopify Collabs covers Creator marketplace.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GrowSurf and Shopify Collabs actually diverge.

Attributes where GrowSurf and Shopify Collabs differ
AttributeGrowSurfShopify Collabs
Founded20172021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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
  • Fraud detection
  • Custom branding
  • Developer API
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Intercom

Only in Shopify Collabs

  • Creator marketplace
  • Affiliate management
  • Gift tracking
  • Commission payments
  • Performance analytics
  • Application management
  • Direct messaging
  • Shopify integration

Both cover

  • 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 Shopify Collabs
  • White-label referral systems matching brand appearancenot Shopify Collabs
  • AI-powered reward suggestions and promotional copy generationnot Shopify Collabs
  • Integrations with Zapier, Stripe, HubSpot, Slack, PayPal, Salesforcenot Shopify Collabs

Shopify Collabs

  • Recruiting affiliates and creators for a Shopify storenot GrowSurf
  • Issuing creator discount codes and affiliate linksnot GrowSurf
  • Paying creator commissions automatically through the Shopify billnot 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

Shopify Collabs

  • A 2.9% processing fee is applied to every automatic commission payment and charged to the merchant's Shopify bill
  • Requires a Shopify store, so it is unusable by brands not selling on Shopify
  • Commissions are handled in USD and merchants billed in another currency pay local conversion fees
  • Creators who do not submit a W9 have their annual payouts capped at $599.99 USD
  • Collabs is not accepting new creator signups, so brands can only work with creators already on the platform or invited directly

Pricing, plan by plan

GrowSurf

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GrowSurf review.

Shopify Collabs

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Creator discovery
    • Gift tracking
    • Basic affiliate links
  • Pro$99/month
    • Advanced search
    • Commission management
    • Bulk messaging

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 Shopify Collabs if

  • You need creator marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want affiliate management.
Shopify Collabs review

Questions people ask

Is GrowSurf or Shopify Collabs better?
Neither clearly leads. GrowSurf starts at Free and Shopify Collabs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GrowSurf or Shopify Collabs?
GrowSurf starts at Free and Shopify Collabs at Free.
Does GrowSurf or Shopify Collabs run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Shopify Collabs is typically brought in for.
What can GrowSurf do that Shopify Collabs cannot?
GrowSurf covers Referral tracking, Automated rewards, Fraud detection, Custom branding. Shopify Collabs covers Creator marketplace, Affiliate management, Gift tracking, Commission payments. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

More on GrowSurf

More on Shopify Collabs

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