Software · head to head
Refersion vs Shopify Collabs
Refersion
Software
Affiliate and influencer marketing for e-commerce
- From
- $99/month
- Rated
- -
Shopify Collabs
Software
Connect with creators to grow your Shopify store
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Shopify Collabs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Refersion no influencer discovery tools; requires using separate platforms to identify creators; 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: Refersion covers Affiliate recruitment, Shopify Collabs covers Creator marketplace.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Refersion and Shopify Collabs actually diverge.
| Attribute | Refersion | Shopify Collabs |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2014 | 2021 |
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 Refersion
- Affiliate recruitment
- Coupon tracking
- Commission automation
- Influencer management
- BigCommerce
- WooCommerce
- Magento
- Stripe
Only in Shopify Collabs
- Creator marketplace
- Affiliate management
- Gift tracking
- Commission payments
- Application management
- Direct messaging
- Shopify integration
Both cover
- Performance analytics
- Shopify
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Refersion
- affiliate marketing managementnot Shopify Collabs
- Workflow automationnot Shopify Collabs
- Reportingnot Shopify Collabs
Shopify Collabs
- Recruiting affiliates and creators for a Shopify storenot Refersion
- Issuing creator discount codes and affiliate linksnot Refersion
- Paying creator commissions automatically through the Shopify billnot Refersion
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Refersion
- No influencer discovery tools; requires using separate platforms to identify creators
- Limited audience analysis and insights compared to competitors
- Minimal customization options for reports and analytics
- Higher starting price (39-99 USD/month) may be prohibitive for small businesses
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
Refersion
$99/month- Professional$99/month
- 130 monthly order conversions
- Unlimited affiliates
- Shopify integration
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 Shopify Collabs if
- You need creator marketplace.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want affiliate management.
Questions people ask
- Is Refersion or Shopify Collabs better?
- Neither clearly leads. Refersion starts at $99/month and Shopify Collabs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Refersion or Shopify Collabs?
- Shopify Collabs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Refersion and Free for Shopify Collabs.
- Does Refersion 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. Refersion starts at $99/month.
- What is Refersion best used for?
- Refersion 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 Refersion do that Shopify Collabs cannot?
- Refersion covers Affiliate recruitment, Coupon tracking, Commission automation, Influencer management. Shopify Collabs covers Creator marketplace, Affiliate management, Gift tracking, Commission payments. Both handle Performance analytics, Shopify, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Refersion: How much does Refersion cost?
Refersion offers tiered pricing starting at 39 USD per month for the base plan, with Growth tier at 129 USD/month and Scale tier at 599 USD/month. Professional plans start at 99 USD/month with a 14-day free trial, and Business plans cost 249 USD/month. Pricing scales with advanced features at 599 USD/month.
SourceRefersion: How fast can I set up Refersion?
Refersion integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce stores in as little as 10-15 minutes with no developer required. This is significantly faster than competitors like Impact.com which typically requires 2-4 weeks and developer resources for implementation.
SourceRefersion: What integrations does Refersion support?
Refersion integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and Stripe. The platform also connects with Klaviyo for email marketing and Postscript for SMS campaigns, enabling seamless affiliate program management across ecommerce platforms.
SourceRefersion: Does Refersion include influencer discovery?
No. Refersion does not include tools for discovering influencers, which requires brands to use additional platforms or manually identify creators. The platform focuses on tracking and managing existing affiliate and influencer relationships rather than discovery.
Source