Smile.io vs SaaSquatch

by Gralio Feb 11, 2025

Smile.io and SaaSquatch both aim to boost customer loyalty and drive growth, but they cater to different needs. Smile.io offers a more comprehensive loyalty program solution, while SaaSquatch specializes in sophisticated referral programs.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 100 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 hour, 3 minutes of reading.

Smile.io

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SaaSquatch

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About

Smile.io helps businesses turn one-time buyers into loyal customers with easy-to-manage rewards programs. Used by over 100,000 brands, it lets you reward actions like purchases, social sharing, and reviews. Features include customizable program design, powerful reporting, and integrations with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. Smile.io aims to increase sales, repeat purchases, and brand loyalty, while saving on marketing costs.

SaaSquatch is a referral marketing platform designed to help mid-sized and larger companies turn their existing customers into advocates. It allows you to build custom referral programs with rewards and incentives for referring new customers. With customizable templates, various integrations, and fraud detection, SaaSquatch aims to make referral programs easy to manage and effective at driving growth and customer loyalty.

Summary

Main difference

Smile.io is a comprehensive customer loyalty platform ideal for e-commerce businesses of all sizes seeking to build and manage points-based, VIP, and referral programs. SaaSquatch, while also supporting referrals, focuses primarily on building sophisticated referral programs for mid-sized to larger businesses, offering extensive customization and integrations.

Relative strengths of Smile.io (compared to SaaSquatch)

Offers a wider range of loyalty program features beyond referrals, including points, VIP tiers, and birthday rewards.
Provides a more user-friendly interface, making setup and management easier for non-technical users.
Integrates seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce.

Relative weaknesses of Smile.io (compared to SaaSquatch)

Referral program customization is less extensive than SaaSquatch.
Pricing can be expensive, with significant jumps between plans.
Limited customization for reward redemption and coupon functionality.

Who should use Smile.io VS. SaaSquatch

Smile.io is a rewards program software that helps e-commerce businesses build customer loyalty. Users love its ease of use and customizable programs, while some find the pricing a bit steep. It's praised for boosting customer engagement and repeat purchases.

SaaSquatch is a referral marketing platform ideal for mid-sized businesses. Users praise its customizability and integrations, but some find it technically challenging. It offers robust referral program management, including rewards and analytics. However, some users mention the UI could be more modern.

Best for small to mid-sized businesses.
Ideal for e-commerce businesses.

Best for medium-sized businesses seeking referral program growth.
Suitable for various industries looking to leverage customer advocacy.

Smile.io and SaaSquatch features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Unique referral links

Supported

Smile.io supports unique referral links for its referral programs.

Supported

SaaSquatch allows generating unique referral links, which are essential for tracking and rewarding affiliates.
Referral program

Supported

Smile.io supports referral programs, allowing for rewarding both the referrer and the referred friend.

Supported

SaaSquatch fully supports setting up and managing referral programs, including incentives and tracking.
Loyalty program

Supported

Smile.io supports loyalty programs with points, VIP tiers, and referrals.

Supported

SaaSquatch supports loyalty programs, allowing businesses to reward repeat customers.
Welcome emails

Partially supported

Smile.io can send welcome emails via Klaviyo integration.

Partially supported

SaaSquatch offers email automation but automatic welcome emails are not explicitly mentioned.
Fixed-fee commission

Not supported

Smile.io offers a variable commission based on the referred client's subscription plan, not a fixed fee.

Partially supported

SaaSquatch likely supports fixed-fee commissions due to its flexible commission structure.
Points for referrals

Partially supported

Points are granted for referrals, but not as standalone points.

Partially supported

SaaSquatch allows custom rewards, which could include points.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.33

Rather negative sentiment

-0.2

Neutral sentiment
Customer Service

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.85

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.89

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.78

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.71

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.5

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.33

Rather positive sentiment
Scalability

No data

+0.2

Neutral sentiment

Smile.io and SaaSquatch Pricing

Smile.io offers a free plan for businesses with less than 200 monthly orders. They also offer migration services from other loyalty program providers, including buying out existing contracts.

Plans

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.14

See full Pricing page

No data

See full Pricing page

Smile.io and SaaSquatch review insights

100 reviews analysed from

Users love

Easy to set up and use, with a user-friendly interface.
Highly customizable reward programs to fit various business needs.
Excellent customer support, praised for responsiveness and helpfulness.
Effective at boosting customer engagement and repeat purchases.
Seamless integration with Shopify and other popular e-commerce platforms.

Highly responsive and helpful customer support team.
Extensive customization options for referral programs, including tiered rewards and various sharing methods.
Seamless integration with platforms like HubSpot and Tango for streamlined workflows.
Provides valuable data and analytics to track referral program performance and ROI.
Offers a wide range of reward options, including gift cards, discounts, and points.

Users dislike

The pricing tiers can be expensive, with significant jumps between plans.
Limited customization for reward redemption options and coupon functionality.
Some users find the pop-up interface confusing and disruptive to the customer experience.
Integrations with third-party email marketing platforms could be improved.
Lack of flexibility in the free plan, limiting customization and integrations.

The platform can be quite technical and difficult to manage without assistance from the SaaSquatch team or an in-house technical team.
Limited native support for multiple referral program integration with HubSpot.
Some users find the user interface (UI) outdated and in need of a refresh.
Limited customization options for certain aspects like the user dashboard.
Integration with certain platforms can be complex and require significant technical expertise.

Smile.io and SaaSquatch Ratings

G2

4.2/5

(45)
Glassdoor

4.3/5

(69)

G2

4.5/5

(65)

Company health

Employee growth

2% decrease in the last year

No data

Web traffic

6% decrease in the last quarter

No data

Financing

February 2012 - $1M

No data

How customizable are the reward program designs?

Smile.io offers highly customizable reward programs to fit various business needs, allowing for flexibility in design and implementation. SaaSquatch also provides extensive customization options for referral programs, including tiered rewards and various sharing methods, but focuses specifically on referral programs rather than broader loyalty programs. Therefore, Smile.io offers more customizable reward program designs overall.

Which platform offers easier integration with existing ecommerce tools?

Smile.io offers easier integration with existing ecommerce tools. It is specifically designed for ecommerce businesses and boasts seamless integrations with popular platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. While SaaSquatch offers various integrations, its focus is broader than just ecommerce, and some users have reported that integrations can be complex and require technical expertise. Therefore, for businesses primarily focused on ecommerce, Smile.io appears to offer a more straightforward integration experience.

What are the advantages of Smile.io?

Smile.io offers advantages in ease of use and setup, along with extensive customization for reward programs to fit diverse business needs. It is praised for excellent customer support and effectiveness in boosting customer engagement and repeat purchases. It also boasts seamless integrations with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, making it particularly attractive for online businesses.

What are the disadvantages of Smile.io?

Smile.io's pricing plans can be expensive, especially for growing businesses, with substantial price jumps between tiers. Users have reported limited customization options for reward redemption and coupon functionality. The pop-up interface can be disruptive to the customer experience and confusing for some users. Finally, some users desire better integrations with third-party email marketing platforms.

Alternatives to Smile.io and SaaSquatch

Friendbuy

Friendbuy helps businesses create and manage referral and customer loyalty programs. It aims to boost sales by turning existing customers into brand advocates. The software integrates with various e-commerce, marketing, and data platforms, allowing businesses to incorporate referral incentives into their customer interactions. Friendbuy focuses on driving new customer acquisition and increasing customer lifetime value, boasting a strong track record with both large and rapidly growing brands.

Cello

Cello is a software platform designed to help businesses, especially software companies, grow by encouraging their existing users to refer new customers. It does this by making it easy for users to share about the product and by providing rewards for successful referrals. Cello handles the technical side of running a referral program, including tracking referrals, managing rewards, and ensuring secure payments. This allows businesses to focus on their product and customers while building a referral program as a growth strategy.

TapMango

TapMango helps businesses, especially restaurants and retailers, create custom loyalty programs. With TapMango, you can reward repeat customers, track their purchases, and manage digital promotions. TapMango also offers tools to attract new customers through referrals and online reviews.

Extole

Extole is a software platform designed to help large businesses run customer referral programs. It allows companies to create and customize programs across various channels like websites and apps. Extole provides tools for managing rewards, tracking referrals, and preventing fraud. It's particularly helpful for businesses in retail, finance, and telecommunications looking to leverage existing customers for growth and brand advocacy.

Yotpo

Yotpo is a popular eCommerce marketing platform designed to increase customer retention. It offers a suite of integrated tools including reviews and ratings, loyalty programs, SMS and email marketing, and subscriptions. Yotpo helps businesses understand customer behavior, personalize marketing, and encourage repeat purchases, all within a single platform. This data-driven approach allows businesses to track performance and optimize their strategies for better customer engagement and increased sales.

PartnerStack

PartnerStack is a leading software platform designed to help businesses grow through partnerships. It provides tools to find, recruit, and manage affiliates, influencers, and other business partners. With PartnerStack, you can automate partner payments, track performance, and gain insights to optimize your partner program. PartnerStack is best known for its focus on B2B software companies and boasts a large network of potential partners.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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