Mage vs LoyaltyLion vs Rivo: 2026 Comparison

Comparing Mage, LoyaltyLion and Rivo comes down to how each platform runs loyalty after launch. All three support points, rewards, referrals, and VIP tiers, but they differ in operating model. For brands weighing LoyaltyLion vs Rivo, LoyaltyLion emphasizes analytics-led optimization, while Rivo focuses on Shopify retention workflows. Mage Loyalty is the strongest fit for most Shopify brands because it combines branded experiences, Shopify depth, developer tools, and founder-led support.

TL;DR

• All three are loyalty and retention platforms, but their operating models differ: Mage Loyalty connects Shopify retention surfaces, LoyaltyLion emphasizes optimization data, and Rivo focuses on Shopify retention workflows.
• Mage Loyalty is built exclusively for Shopify brands that want loyalty, referrals, accounts, wishlists, checkout redemption, and developer flexibility in one platform.
• LoyaltyLion is built around loyalty analytics, retention metrics, segmentation, and AI-recommended campaigns on higher plans.
• Rivo is built around Shopify loyalty, referrals, memberships, checkout, POS, and developer access.
• Mage Loyalty is the stronger fit for most Shopify brands that need marketer-controlled experiences, Shopify-native breadth, and hands-on support. LoyaltyLion may suit analytics-led or international requirements, while Rivo may suit brands seeking a focused Shopify retention setup.

Quick snapshot

Updated September 2026.

What is Mage Loyalty?

At the time of writing, Mage Loyalty positions itself as a retention and loyalty platform built exclusively for Shopify brands. Merchants can build a Shopify loyalty program around repeat purchases, referrals, VIP status, account engagement, saved products, and checkout redemption.

In practice, Mage Loyalty gives Shopify teams one place to run points or store credit, rewards, VIP tiers, Basic Referrals or Referral Campaigns, wishlists, customer accounts, Shopify POS activity, and integrations. Its operating model is designed for marketers who need to change customer-facing experiences themselves while still giving developers tools for custom work.

Key features and strengths

• Mage Canvas: Build loyalty, account, referral, wishlist, and saved-for-later surfaces without code.
• Shopify surfaces: Run loyalty across the storefront, Shopify Checkout, Shopify POS, app blocks, and customer accounts.
• Points and rewards: Reward purchases, reviews, birthdays, subscriptions, and custom actions with configurable rewards.
• VIP tiers and referrals: Build up to 10 tiers and run two-sided referral rewards with fraud protection.
• Developer toolkit: Use REST API, JavaScript SDK, webhooks, and Shopify metafields for custom experiences.
• Founder-led support: Work directly with the engineers building Mage through Slack access and concierge-style onboarding.

Best for: Shopify and Shopify Plus DTC brands that want broad retention capabilities, no-code control over storefront experiences, and technical flexibility when the program needs to grow beyond standard points and coupons.

What is LoyaltyLion?

At the time of writing, LoyaltyLion positions itself as a customer loyalty platform focused on repeat purchases, higher lifetime value, and loyalty optimization. Its offering is oriented around using loyalty data to understand and improve customer behavior.

In practice, LoyaltyLion operates as a structured SaaS platform with a branded loyalty page, pre-built earning rules, loyalty data integrations, analytics, and expanded capabilities on higher plans. Brands evaluating it should look closely at which tier provides the VIP, POS, multilingual, AI, and strategic-review features they expect to use.

Key features and strengths

• Analytics: Track retention, ROI, referrals, lifetime value, and predictive loyalty metrics.
• Loyalty rules: Configure earning and reward structures for purchases, reviews, referrals, birthdays, and more.
• Klaviyo workflows: Connect loyalty data to ready-to-use Klaviyo email flows.
• VIP programs: Access VIP tier capabilities on higher plans.
• AI optimization: Access AI-recommended rewards and campaigns on the Plus plan.
• Broader coverage: Support multilingual translations on higher plans.

Best for: Mid-market or enterprise brands that prioritize analytics-led optimization, segmentation, AI capabilities, multilingual support, and structured loyalty reporting.

What is Rivo?

At the time of writing, Rivo positions itself as a Shopify-focused retention platform covering loyalty, referrals, memberships, checkout, POS, and developer access. It is designed around a Shopify-native retention stack rather than a standalone loyalty layer.

In practice, Rivo emphasizes loyalty and referral mechanics alongside memberships and Shopify checkout or POS workflows. Its plans distribute advanced capabilities, VIP tiers, analytics, checkout extensions, custom integrations, and developer tooling across higher tiers.

Key features and strengths

• Loyalty program: Support points, cashback, VIP tiers, analytics, and Shopify checkout integration.
• Referrals: Run referral programs with fraud protection.
• Memberships: Offer memberships as part of its retention platform.
• Shopify workflows: Connect loyalty across checkout and Shopify POS.
• Developer access: Use an open API platform and Developer Toolkit on higher tiers.
• Integrations: Access broader integration and custom integration options on higher plans.

Best for: Shopify brands that want a focused retention platform with loyalty, memberships, checkout, POS, and developer access, and are comfortable assessing feature access across tiered plans.

Mage Loyalty vs LoyaltyLion vs Rivo: detailed comparison

The shortlist should be decided by the work your team will do after launch, not by whether each platform can issue points. Ask who owns campaigns, how the customer experience changes, what developers need, and which costs or constraints emerge as order volume grows.

1. Program philosophy and operating model

If you want loyalty to connect with accounts, wishlists, referrals, checkout, and retention campaigns, ask each vendor to show how those experiences work together rather than as separate modules.

Mage Loyalty. Mage is built exclusively for Shopify and combines loyalty, referrals, accounts, wishlist activity, checkout redemption, POS, and developer tools in one retention platform. Its operating model gives marketing teams Mage Canvas for routine storefront changes.

LoyaltyLion. LoyaltyLion centers on loyalty performance, retention metrics, predictive analytics, and AI-driven optimization on Plus. It is a credible fit where program analysis and optimization are the primary operating requirements.

Rivo. Rivo centers on Shopify retention through loyalty, referrals, memberships, checkout, POS, and developer access. Its approach suits merchants looking for a connected Shopify retention setup.

Verdict: Mage has the broadest Shopify-specific retention surface area in this comparison. LoyaltyLion has the strongest stated emphasis on analytics and AI optimization, while Rivo offers a focused Shopify retention model.

2. Setup and time to launch

If you need a seasonal campaign live without a development sprint, ask each vendor to demonstrate a loyalty-page edit, an earning-rule change, and a referral update during the demo.

Mage Loyalty. Mage Canvas lets a marketing team style and publish loyalty, account, referral, wishlist, and saved-for-later surfaces without code. Mage says most merchants have a program live in a day, although migration work can extend the timeline.

LoyaltyLion. LoyaltyLion includes dedicated onboarding support on Classic. Confirm the implementation process, design responsibilities, and timeline for your storefront and integrations.

Rivo. Rivo provides a Shopify-focused implementation path. Confirm which launch support and configuration assistance are included with the plan under consideration.

Verdict: Mage is the clearest fit for teams that need ongoing marketer-owned changes through a no-code builder. LoyaltyLion and Rivo should be assessed on how independently a marketing team can operate after launch.

3. Customer-facing experience and branding

If your marketing team needs to refresh the loyalty experience before a product launch, ask each vendor to show a live change to the loyalty page, referral flow, and any connected account or saved-product experience.

Mage Loyalty. Mage Canvas controls the loyalty page, Rewards Widget, Mage Accounts, referral campaigns, wishlist, and Saved for Later. Mage Accounts add an on-site customer account drawer with loyalty balance, tier progress, saved products, orders, and configurable blocks.

LoyaltyLion. LoyaltyLion provides a branded loyalty page built for merchants on Classic. Confirm how much control your internal team has over layout, account experiences, and connected wishlist workflows.

Rivo. Rivo offers loyalty and referral capabilities within its Shopify-focused retention platform. Confirm the available branding controls, account experience, and plan access in the demo.

Verdict: Mage gives marketers the most explicitly broad no-code control across loyalty, account, referral, and wishlist surfaces. LoyaltyLion is well suited to brands whose main customer-facing need is a branded loyalty page.

4. Checkout, POS and omnichannel

If you run retail stores and staff redeem rewards at the till, ask each vendor to demonstrate customer lookup, balance visibility, reward redemption, and tier treatment through Shopify POS.

Mage Loyalty. Mage supports Shopify POS and Checkout Extensions, including a Flexible Redemption block for eligible logged-in customers. It also supports app blocks, customer segments, metafields, and Shopify Plus features such as Multipass SSO.

LoyaltyLion. LoyaltyLion supports Shopify POS, with enhanced multi-location POS loyalty on Advanced. LoyaltyLion supports checkout redemption for Shopify Plus merchants.

Rivo. Rivo supports Shopify POS and checkout integrations. Confirm the exact checkout extension behavior and plan requirements for your Shopify setup.

Verdict: All three support meaningful Shopify commerce workflows. Mage offers the most detailed Shopify-native checkout, POS, app-block, and metafield coverage, while LoyaltyLion matters for merchants that need multi-location POS and Plus checkout redemption.

5. Referrals, VIP tiers and engagement

If referral fraud or tier progression affects margin, ask each vendor to show how it blocks suspicious referrals, calculates tiers, delays rewards after returns, and reports on outcomes.

Mage Loyalty. Mage supports up to 10 VIP tiers, flexible rewards, Basic Referrals, Referral Campaigns, fraud controls, points drops, multiplier campaigns, receipt scanning, and subscription milestones. Its fraud rules cover self-referrals, email aliases, duplicate accounts, shared IPs, repeat devices, and rapid bursts. See how to prevent loyalty program fraud and self-referrals before setting reward values.

LoyaltyLion. LoyaltyLion supports VIP tiers and loyalty analytics, with VIP access on Advanced and above. AI campaign recommendations are available on Plus.

Rivo. Rivo supports points, cashback, VIP tiers, referrals, fraud protection, and memberships. Advanced loyalty capabilities are distributed through Scale and Plus.

Verdict: Mage provides the most detailed stated controls for referral fraud and the broadest range of engagement mechanics. LoyaltyLion may suit teams prioritizing analytics-led program optimization, while Rivo covers a core Shopify retention mix.

6. Integrations, data and developer flexibility

If developers need loyalty data in a custom account portal while marketing needs automated email triggers, ask each vendor to show API access, data sync, and the exact integration plan requirement.

Mage Loyalty. Mage offers REST API, JavaScript SDK, webhooks, Shopify metafields, Shopify Flow actions, and integrations across email, SMS, reviews, subscriptions, support, returns, and upsell tools. Its Klaviyo loyalty integration syncs points, VIP tiers, events, and more into customer profiles.

LoyaltyLion. LoyaltyLion offers Klaviyo integration with ready-to-use flows on Classic and advanced Klaviyo events on Plus. It offers integrations across email, SMS, and reviews tools, so confirm the integrations and access included with the proposed plan.

Rivo. Rivo offers an open API platform, custom integrations, and a Developer Toolkit on Plus. Its higher tiers are the relevant place to assess custom loyalty workflows.

Verdict: Mage is strongest for teams that need both marketer-friendly controls and API, SDK, webhook, metafield, and Shopify Flow options. LoyaltyLion and Rivo should be evaluated against the access included on the proposed plan.

7. Support, onboarding and migration

If you are migrating a mature program, ask each vendor to map balances, tiers, earning rules, referral history, pending rewards, active links, integrations, and test procedures before launch.

Mage Loyalty. Mage provides founder-led support with direct Slack access to the engineers building the platform, concierge onboarding, and free white-glove migration. It has built-in importers for some platforms plus CSV import for other migration sources.

LoyaltyLion. LoyaltyLion includes dedicated onboarding support on Classic and quarterly reviews on Plus. Confirm the migration scope, implementation ownership, and ongoing strategic support attached to the proposed plan.

Rivo. Rivo offers human support, with priority support on higher tiers. Confirm the migration scope and the support level attached to the plan.

Verdict: Mage has the clearest hands-on support model, especially for brands that want direct engineering access during setup and iteration. LoyaltyLion offers structured onboarding and Plus-level reviews, while Rivo’s included migration scope should be clarified before launch.

Want to see how Mage handles these workflows on your store? Book a demo.

Pricing compared

Mage Loyalty uses monthly plans from $15 with included orders, per-order overage on Starter and Growth, and no annual contract. LoyaltyLion uses tiered SaaS pricing based on monthly order volume with Classic, Advanced, and Plus plans, while Rivo uses tiered pricing primarily surfaced through the Shopify App Store based on monthly orders and feature access. See the pricing table below, then assess what changes as order volume grows, which capabilities sit on higher plans or add-ons, and how overage affects year-two cost. Read our guide on how to budget for a loyalty program before comparing subscription fees alone.

What each platform costs at 500, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000 orders a month, using the cheapest plan that covers the volume:

How to read these tables: "list" is the public list price on the vendor's pricing page or Shopify App Store listing, "est." is calculated from the published plan price and overage rate, "Custom quote" means the vendor only prices on request, and "Not published" means no public figure exists at that volume. Prices checked September 2026. Sources: Mage Loyalty pricing; LoyaltyLion pricing, LoyaltyLion on the Shopify App Store; Rivo pricing, Rivo on the Shopify App Store.

• Mage Loyalty at 2,500 orders: Starter is $49 plus $0.20 per order over 500; Growth includes 2,500 orders.
• Mage Loyalty at 5,000 orders: $499 plus $0.15 per order over 2,500.
• Mage Loyalty at 10,000 orders: $499 plus $0.15 per order over 2,500; Enterprise is quoted on volume, typically from around $999.
• LoyaltyLion at 2,500 orders: Advanced and Plus are quote only.
• Rivo at 2,500 orders: Scale brackets above 500 orders are not published.
• Rivo at 5,000 orders: Plus covers up to 2,500 orders.

Pros and cons

Mage Loyalty

Pros

• Shopify-native retention platform
• Mage Canvas for no-code control
• Accounts, wishlist, loyalty, and referrals
• API, SDK, webhooks, and metafields
• Founder-led support and migration help

Cons

• Built exclusively for Shopify
• Some advanced capabilities sit on higher plans
• Accounts and memberships can be paid modules
• Broader setup needs program strategy

LoyaltyLion

Pros

• Advanced retention and ROI analytics
• Predictive analytics capabilities
• AI campaign recommendations on Plus
• Shopify POS and multilingual support
• Strong Klaviyo integration

Cons

• VIP tiers require Advanced or above
• AI capabilities require Plus
• Advanced and Plus use custom pricing
• Higher capabilities are tier-dependent

Rivo

Pros

• Shopify checkout and POS workflows
• Memberships and cashback
• Referrals with fraud protection
• Open API platform
• Modern Shopify-focused retention model

Cons

• VIP tiers require Scale
• Bonus campaigns require Scale
• Checkout extensions require Plus
• Developer Toolkit requires Plus

Which should you choose?

Choose Mage Loyalty if

• You want loyalty, accounts, wishlists, referrals, and checkout in one Shopify platform.
• Your marketing team needs to control storefront experiences without developer tickets.
• Your developers need APIs, SDKs, webhooks, Shopify Flow, or metafields.
• You value founder-led support and direct Slack access.
• You are migrating a mature program and want white-glove help.

LoyaltyLion may suit you if

• Your primary requirement is loyalty analytics, predictive insights, and AI-led campaign optimization.
• You need multilingual support and structured loyalty reporting.

Rivo may suit you if

• You want a Shopify-focused retention platform with memberships, checkout, and POS.
• Your team is comfortable assessing feature access across tiered plans.

Final verdict

Mage Loyalty is the recommended choice for most Shopify brands because it is built exclusively for Shopify, gives marketers practical control through Mage Canvas, and combines loyalty, referrals, accounts, wishlists, checkout redemption, POS, and developer tools in one platform.

LoyaltyLion may suit brands whose primary requirement is analytics-led optimization, AI capabilities, multilingual support, and structured program reporting. Rivo may suit Shopify brands seeking a focused retention platform with memberships, checkout, POS, and developer access.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mage Loyalty a good alternative to LoyaltyLion and Rivo?

Mage Loyalty is a strong alternative to LoyaltyLion and Rivo for Shopify brands seeking Shopify-native breadth, no-code control, developer flexibility, and hands-on support. LoyaltyLion is a credible fit for analytics-led optimization and multilingual requirements, while Rivo suits Shopify teams that want loyalty, memberships, checkout, POS, and developer access in a focused retention platform.

Is LoyaltyLion good for Shopify Plus brands?

LoyaltyLion can suit Shopify Plus brands that prioritize advanced analytics, Shopify POS, checkout redemption, VIP tiers, and AI-recommended campaigns. Its higher plans add enhanced POS capabilities, multilingual translations, advanced Klaviyo events, AI recommendations, and quarterly reviews. Brands should confirm the plan access and implementation scope needed for their specific program.

Is Rivo good for Shopify loyalty programs?

Rivo can suit Shopify brands seeking a retention platform covering loyalty, referrals, memberships, checkout, POS, and developer access. Its tiered packaging makes plan evaluation important: VIP tiers and bonus campaigns sit on Scale, while checkout extensions and the Developer Toolkit sit on Plus. Review the capabilities required at your current and expected order volume.

Which loyalty capability should a Shopify brand prioritize first?

Prioritize the retention behavior with the clearest commercial value for your model. Replenishment brands may prioritize repeat purchases, high-AOV brands may prioritize VIP progression, advocacy-led brands may prioritize referrals, and subscription brands may prioritize renewal milestones. Account engagement and wishlists can be useful where customers frequently browse before purchasing.

When does it make sense to switch loyalty platforms?

It makes sense to switch when the current setup limits a revenue-critical workflow, creates hard-to-brand customer experiences, increases costs as orders grow, or prevents routine changes. Plan migration around balances, tier status, rules, referral records, pending rewards, active links, integrations, and testing before launch.

What matters more in year two than in year one?

Year two exposes operating cost and team ownership more clearly than launch. Review order-volume pricing, higher-plan access, overage, reward redemption behavior, reporting, fraud controls, integration maintenance, campaign cadence, and whether marketers can change customer-facing experiences without recurring engineering work. Track cost per retained customer alongside acquisition metrics.

Ready to see Mage in action? Book a demo.