Affiliate Marketing · head to head
Referral Rock vs UpPromote

Referral Rock
Affiliate Marketing
Referral marketing software for any business
- From
- $200/month
- Rated
- -

UpPromote
Affiliate Marketing
Top-rated Shopify affiliate marketing app
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only UpPromote 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; UpPromote shopify-exclusive platform with no support for WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms
- They diverge on capability: Referral Rock covers Multi-program support, UpPromote covers Affiliate recruitment.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Referral Rock and UpPromote actually diverge.
| Attribute | Referral Rock | UpPromote |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $200/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Shopify |
| Founded | 2014 | 2019 |
Identical on both: 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 Referral Rock
- Multi-program support
- Customizable rewards
- Automated workflows
- Engagement widgets
- Detailed analytics
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zapier
Only in UpPromote
- Affiliate recruitment
- Multi-level marketing
- Custom commission structures
- Auto-tier commission
- PayPal mass payment
- Shopify
- Klaviyo
- Shopify Flow
Both cover
- PayPal
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Referral Rock
- affiliate marketing management
- Workflow automation
- Reporting
UpPromote
- affiliate marketing management
- Workflow automation
- Reporting
Both are used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
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
UpPromote
- Shopify-exclusive platform with no support for WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms
- Free plan limited to 200 affiliate orders per month
- Dual pricing model combines fixed monthly fees with percentage-based performance fees on approved sales
- Free plan lacks in-app messaging system for direct communication with affiliates
Pricing, plan by plan
Referral Rock
$200/month- Starter$200/month
- 500 members
- Unlimited programs
- Basic integrations
UpPromote
Free- FreeFree
- Basic affiliate management
- Limited to 200 affiliate orders/month
- No in-app messaging
- Growth$24.99/month
- Unlimited programs
- Auto-generated coupons
- Email automation
Which should you pick?
Choose Referral Rock if
- You need multi-program support.
- You also want customizable rewards.
Choose UpPromote if
- You need affiliate recruitment.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Shopify.
- You also want multi-level marketing.
Questions people ask
- Is Referral Rock or UpPromote better?
- Neither clearly leads. Referral Rock starts at $200/month and UpPromote at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Referral Rock or UpPromote?
- UpPromote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $200/month for Referral Rock and Free for UpPromote.
- Does Referral Rock or UpPromote run on more platforms?
- Referral Rock runs on Web. UpPromote runs on Web, Shopify.
- Can I use UpPromote for free?
- Yes. UpPromote 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.
- What can Referral Rock do that UpPromote cannot?
- Referral Rock covers Multi-program support, Customizable rewards, Automated workflows, Engagement widgets. UpPromote covers Affiliate recruitment, Multi-level marketing, Custom commission structures, Auto-tier commission. Both handle PayPal, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
UpPromote: What does UpPromote cost?
UpPromote offers a free plan, Growth plan at $24.99/month, Professional plan at $74.99/month, and Enterprise plan at $166.66/month. Paid plans also charge a performance fee on approved referral sales (approximately 2% on Growth, 1.5% on Professional, 1% on Enterprise).
SourceUpPromote: Is UpPromote only for Shopify?
Yes. UpPromote is exclusively built for Shopify and does not support WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms, making it limited to Shopify merchants.
SourceUpPromote: What does the free plan include?
The free plan includes basic affiliate program management, limited to 200 affiliate orders per month, and lacks advanced features like in-app affiliate messaging, approval/denial of individual referral orders, and multi-level commissions.
SourceUpPromote: What integrations does UpPromote have?
UpPromote integrates with email marketing platforms, page builders, subscription apps, payment processors (PayPal, Store Credit), and offers API/Webhook access for custom integrations.
SourceRelated pages
More on Referral Rock
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