11 Best Rise.ai Alternatives for Shopify (Find Better Options in 2025)

Looking for Rise.ai alternatives? While Rise.ai is a popular gift card and store credit platform, it’s not the only option, and depending on whether you need traditional loyalty points or just store credit, other platforms might serve you better.

Whether you’re seeking more comprehensive loyalty features, better pricing, or different approaches to customer retention, this guide compares the 11 best Rise.ai alternatives for Shopify in 2025.

📊 Quick Stats:

• Average savings with point-based alternatives: $200-$800/year
• Most popular comprehensive alternative: Yuko (store credit + points + reviews)
• Top reason for exploring alternatives: Need for points-based loyalty. Rise lacks

Best Rise.ai Alternatives

Best Overall: Yuko ($49/month) – Store credit + points + reviews + referrals + memberships

Best for Points: Joy Loyalty ($25/month) – Advanced points-based loyalty

Best for Store Credit Only: Govalo ($79/month) – Specialized gift card platform

Best Budget: BON Loyalty (Free-$23/month) – Points + referrals + store credit options

Quick Decision:

• Need points-based loyalty? → Joy, Smile.io, or BON (Rise doesn’t do points)
• Just gift cards/store credit? → Govalo or Go Gift Cards
• Want everything? → Yuko (store credit + points + reviews)
• Enterprise needs? → LoyaltyLion or Yotpo

Why Consider Rise.ai Alternatives

Rise.ai specializes in store credit and gift card management with a unique cash-back approach instead of traditional points. While innovative, this creates limitations:

No Traditional Points System – Rise uses store credit only; many brands need points for gamification

Limited Loyalty Features – Rise focuses on gift cards; it lacks VIP tiers, advanced campaigns, and referral tools

No Review Management – If you need reviews + loyalty, you’ll need additional apps

Different Approach – Store credit feels transactional vs points’ gamified engagement

Pricing Structure – At $16.99/month minimum, alternatives offer more features for similar costs

Best Rise.ai Alternatives Compared

App	Starting Price	Points	Store Credit	Reviews	Gift Cards	Rating	Best For
Yuko	$49/mo	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Basic	4.9/5	Complete retention
Joy Loyalty	$25/mo	✅ Advanced	✅ Yes	❌ No	Basic	4.9/5	Points-focused
Smile.io	$49/mo	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	Basic	4.9/5	Established points
BON Loyalty	Free-$23/mo	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	Basic	5.0/5	Budget points
Govalo	$29/mo	❌ No	✅ Advanced	❌ No	✅ Advanced	3/5	Gift card specialist
Growave	$49/mo	✅ Basic	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Basic	4.8/5	Budget all-in-one
LoyaltyLion	$199/mo	✅ Advanced	✅ Yes	❌ No	Basic	4.7/5	Enterprise points
Yotpo	$79/mo	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Basic	4.8/5	Enterprise all-in-one
Go Gift Cards	$5/mo	❌ No	✅ Advanced	❌ No	✅ Advanced	4.7/5	Gift cards only
Shopify Gift Cards	Free	❌ No	✅ Basic	❌ No	✅ Basic	N/A	Native basic cards
Rivo	$49/mo	❌ No	✅ Advanced	❌ No	✅ Advanced	4.9/5	Store credit focus

Top 11 Rise.ai Alternatives

1. Yuko – Comprehensive Retention Platform

Yuko offers everything Rise.ai does (store credit, rewards) PLUS traditional points, VIP tiers, reviews, and memberships. At $49/month vs Rise’s $20-70/month, you get far more features.

Best For: Merchants wanting store credit + points + reviews in one platform.

Pricing: $49-199/month

Pros:

✅ Includes points-based loyalty Rise lacks
✅ Adds reviews + memberships. Rise doesn’t offer
✅ VIP tiers and advanced campaigns
✅ Better for a comprehensive retention strategy

Cons:

❌ More expensive than Rise’s entry price
❌ May be overkill if you only need gift cards

Rise.ai vs Yuko:

• Rise: $20/mo for store credit + gift cards
• Yuko: $49/mo for store credit + points + reviews + referrals + memberships

2. Joy Loyalty — Advanced Points-Based Alternative

Joy delivers sophisticated points-based loyalty with VIP tiers and referrals at $25/month—slightly more than Rise, but with traditional loyalty features Rise doesn’t provide.

Best For: Stores needing gamified points engagement vs Rise’s cash-back approach.

Pricing: $25-499/month

Pros:

✅ Advanced campaign rules for points
✅ Traditional loyalty gamification
✅ VIP tiers with progression
✅ Better for engagement vs transactional store credit

Cons:

❌ Not specialized in gift card management like Rise
❌ Store credit features are more basic than Rise

3. Smile.io – Established Points Platform

Smile.io is the most popular loyalty app, offering traditional points + store credit redemption at $49/month. More expensive than Rise but with 10+ years of proven reliability.

Best For: Brands wanting an established points platform with store credit options.

Pricing: $49-599/month

Pros:

✅ Proven reliability (100,000+ merchants)
✅ Traditional points + VIP tiers
✅ Extensive integrations
✅ Can redeem points as store credit

Cons:

❌ More expensive than Rise
❌ Less sophisticated gift card features than Rise

4. BON Loyalty — Budget Points + Store Credit

BON delivers points-based loyalty with store credit redemption options at free-$23/month—similar or less than Rise’s pricing but with traditional loyalty features.

Best For: Budget-conscious merchants wanting points + store credit flexibility.

Pricing: Free-$99/month

Pros:

✅ Free plan available
✅ Traditional points system
✅ Store credit redemption options
✅ Excellent 24/7 support

Cons:

❌ Less advanced gift card features than Rise
❌ Simpler than Rise’s store credit workflows

5. Govalo — Gift Card Specialist

Govalo specializes in advanced gift card management similar to Rise.ai, starting at $29/month. Better gift card features than Rise, but lacks loyalty program integration.

Best For: Stores prioritizing gift card sales and management.

Pricing: $29-99/month

Pros:

✅ Specialized gift card platform
✅ Advanced gifting features
✅ Better email gift card experiences
✅ Similar to Rise’s focus

Cons:

❌ No loyalty points program
❌ Limited rewards/referral features

6. Growave – Budget All-in-One

Growave bundles points + reviews + wishlists starting at $49/month—cheaper than Rise with more features, though each is less sophisticated.

Best For: Small stores wanting everything affordably.

Pricing: $49-499/month

7. LoyaltyLion – Enterprise Points Platform

LoyaltyLion offers sophisticated points-based loyalty with advanced analytics at $199/month—for high-volume stores needing more than Rise’s store credit approach.

Best For: Enterprise stores (5,000+ orders/month) needing advanced points.

Pricing: $199-799/month

8.Yotpo – Enterprise All-in-One

Yotpo combines points + reviews + store credit starts at $79/month brands wanting an integrated platform.

Best For: Well-funded brands wanting premium everything.

Pricing: $79-999/month

9. Go Gift Cards – Budget Gift Cards

Go Gift Cards focuses purely on gift card management at $5/month—cheaper than Rise for gift cards only.

Best For: Simple gift card needs without loyalty.

Pricing: $5-89/month

10. Shopify Gift Cards – Native Basic Option

Shopify’s native gift cards are free but very basic – no store credit workflows or loyalty integration.
Best For: Very basic gift card needs.

Pricing: Free (built into Shopify)

11. Rivo – Free Points Platform

Rivo offers a generous free plan with points + referrals—a great alternative if you want traditional loyalty without paying for Rise’s store credit focus.

Best For: Budget merchants wanting free points-based loyalty.

Pricing: Free-$499/month

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature	Rise.ai	Yuko	Joy	Smile	Govalo
Points Program	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Advanced	✅ Yes	❌ No
Store Credit	✅ Advanced	✅ Good	✅ Basic	✅ Good	✅ Advanced
Gift Cards	✅ Advanced	Basic	Basic	Basic	✅ Advanced
VIP Tiers	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Reviews	❌ No	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Referrals	Limited	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Price	$20/mo	$49/mo	$25/mo	$49/mo	$29/mo

Key Insight: Rise.ai’s strength is store credit/gift cards. Its weakness is la lack of traditional points-based loyalty that many brands need for gamification and engagement.

Rise.ai vs Traditional Loyalty: Key Differences

Rise.ai Approach (Store Credit):

• Customers earn cash back ($5 per $100 spent)
• Simple, transactional
• Easy to understand value
• Less gamification/engagement

Traditional Points Approach (Joy, Smile, Yuko):

• Customers earn points (100 points per $1 spent)
• Gamified, engaging
• VIP tiers create progression
• Higher customer engagement

Which is better? It depends:

• Store credit (Rise): Better for simple, transactional businesses
• Points (alternatives): Better for building an engaged community

How to Switch from Rise.ai

1. Evaluate Needs: Do you need points or just store credit?
2. Export Data: Customer store credit balances from Rise
3. Choose Alternative:
   • Want points? → Joy, Smile, or Yuko
   • Just gift cards? → Govalo or Go Gift Cards
   • Want everything? → Yuko
4. Import: Most alternatives support balanced import

Timeline: 1-2 days
Data Loss: Zero with proper migration

Our Top Pick: Best Rise.ai Alternative

For most merchants, Yuko at $49/month is the best Rise.ai alternative because it delivers Rise’s store credit capabilities PLUS traditional points, VIP tiers, reviews, referrals, and memberships. You get a complete retention platform vs Rise’s narrow focus.

For points-only needs: Joy Loyalty at $25/month delivers sophisticated points-based loyalty with advanced campaigns that Rise can’t match.

For gift card specialists: Govalo at $29/month focuses purely on gift cards like Rise, but with even better gifting experiences.

When to keep Rise.ai: If you love the store credit approach and don’t want traditional points-based loyalty, Rise’s focus makes sense. But most brands benefit from points’ gamification.

Frequently Asked Questions