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Software · head to head

Referral Rock vs Shopify Collabs

Referral Rock logo

Referral Rock

Software

Referral marketing software for any business

From
$200/month
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

  • Only Shopify Collabs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Referral Rock there is one paid tier at $250 a month and no free plan, only a 14 day trial; 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: Referral Rock covers Multi-program support, Shopify Collabs covers Creator marketplace.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Referral Rock and Shopify Collabs actually diverge.

Attributes where Referral Rock and Shopify Collabs differ
AttributeReferral RockShopify Collabs
Starting price$200/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20142021

Identical on both: 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 Referral Rock

  • Multi-program support
  • Customizable rewards
  • Automated workflows
  • Engagement widgets
  • Detailed analytics
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier

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.

Referral Rock

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Shopify Collabs
  • Workflow automationnot Shopify Collabs
  • Reportingnot Shopify Collabs

Shopify Collabs

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

Where each one falls short

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

Referral Rock

  • There is one paid tier at $250 a month and no free plan, only a 14 day trial
  • The plan includes 10,000 base members and a further 10,000 costs $125 a month
  • Each additional referral program is $100 a month
  • Extra users and extra recruiters are sold in blocks of 10 at $50 a month each
  • Rewards are limited to coupons, pay-as-you-go gift cards or custom rewards

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

Referral Rock

$200/month
  • Starter$200/month
    • 500 members
    • Unlimited programs
    • Basic integrations

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 Referral Rock if

  • You need multi-program support.
  • You also want customizable rewards.
Referral Rock 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 Referral Rock or Shopify Collabs better?
Neither clearly leads. Referral Rock starts at $200/month and Shopify Collabs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Referral Rock or Shopify Collabs?
Shopify Collabs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $200/month for Referral Rock and Free for Shopify Collabs.
Does Referral Rock or Shopify Collabs run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Shopify Collabs for free?
Yes. Shopify Collabs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Referral Rock starts at $200/month.
What is Referral Rock best used for?
Referral Rock is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, affiliate marketing management and workflow automation are not what Shopify Collabs is typically brought in for.
What can Referral Rock do that Shopify Collabs cannot?
Referral Rock covers Multi-program support, Customizable rewards, Automated workflows, Engagement widgets. Shopify Collabs covers Creator marketplace, Affiliate management, Gift tracking, Commission payments. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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