Rivo vs BON: 2026 Comparison

In the competitive world of Shopify loyalty programs, merchants face a critical decision: which app will drive meaningful customer retention and revenue growth? Two solutions dominate conversations in 2026—Rivo and BON Loyalty—yet they approach the loyalty challenge from starkly different angles. One prioritizes developer power and enterprise speed. The other emphasizes accessibility and global reach. Understanding which fits your store requires looking beyond surface-level features.

The distinction matters because loyalty programs directly impact your bottom line. Customer acquisition costs keep rising, making retention increasingly valuable. A well-chosen loyalty app compounds this advantage, turning casual browsers into repeat buyers who generate 5-7 times more value than one-time shoppers. Yet the wrong choice creates friction, limits your growth, and wastes marketing budget on a tool that doesn't align with your business model.

This comparison cuts through the noise. You'll discover exactly how Rivo and BON Loyalty differ in architecture, scalability, pricing, and real-world performance—so you can make a decision based on your specific needs rather than marketing claims.

What is Rivo Loyalty?

Rivo positions itself as the modern loyalty solution for high-growth DTC brands and Shopify Plus merchants. Built natively on Shopify's 2026 API standards, Rivo focuses on performance and depth rather than breadth. The platform combines points-based loyalty, VIP tier systems, and referral programs into a single unified experience.

What separates Rivo is its architecture. The app prioritizes speed and compatibility with Shopify's latest infrastructure. For merchants running complex, high-volume operations, this matters. Rivo also provides checkout extensions that allow Shopify Plus customers to redeem points directly at payment, eliminating friction from the customer experience.

Pricing ranges from free to $499 per month, with higher tiers unlocking advanced features like automated email templates and specialized configurations. The free plan covers basic loyalty mechanics, making it accessible for testing before commitment.

What is BON Loyalty?

BON Loyalty takes a different philosophy: customization and global accessibility. Rather than building exclusively for enterprise merchants, BON serves everyone from solopreneurs to scaling brands. The platform handles the same core functions—points, referrals, VIP tiers—but layers in capabilities specifically designed for merchants operating across borders and B2B models.

The standout feature is language support. BON supports 250+ languages with customizable translations, making it the obvious choice if your customers span continents. The app also emphasizes anti-fraud capabilities built directly into the referral system, preventing customers from gaming rewards through fake referrals.

Pricing runs from free to $349 per month, undercutting Rivo on the high end while offering competitive free-forever tiers. This positioning appeals to budget-conscious merchants who want core functionality without enterprise pricing.

Rivo vs BON: Side-by-Side Comparison

Loyalty Programs and VIP Tiers

Both apps handle points and VIP tiers, but with different flexibility. Rivo's systems are deeply integrated with Shopify's native infrastructure, enabling complex earning rules tied to customer segments, purchase history, and behavior triggers. The creating VIP tiers and membership programs features work seamlessly within Shopify's ecosystem, reducing integration headaches.

BON Loyalty provides similar functionality but extends it further for B2B applications. You can create tiered pricing structures for wholesale customers, set company-specific reward catalogs, and implement approval workflows that traditional B2B models require. This flexibility comes at the cost of slightly more complex setup.

Referral Programs

Referral mechanics differ subtly but meaningfully. Both apps reward both referrer and referee, encouraging viral growth. However, Rivo's approach integrates more tightly with Shopify's checkout experience. BON's referral system emphasizes fraud prevention—built-in algorithms detect unusual referral patterns and block attempts to exploit the system. This becomes critical if you run high-value referral rewards.

For detailed mechanics and best practices, the complete Shopify referral program guide covers implementation strategies applicable to both platforms.

Customization and Branding

This is where the philosophies diverge most clearly. Rivo offers developer-friendly access through APIs, SDKs, webhooks, and Liquid metafields. If you have a technical team, you can bend the app to nearly any requirement. The cost? Rivo expects you to use these tools. Basic customization requires coding knowledge or developer budget.

BON Loyalty democratizes customization. The page builder allows you to create fully branded loyalty pages without touching code. You can adjust colors, banners, illustrations, and icons through a visual interface. The trade-off: advanced customization still requires custom CSS, and deep integration patterns demand more manual work than Rivo's API-first approach.

One critical difference: Rivo uses fixed translation structures, while BON offers 250+ languages with customizable translations per language. For global brands, this is significant.

Integrations and Email Marketing

Both apps integrate with Shopify's core systems, but differ on email marketing. Rivo and BON both connect to Klaviyo, though integration requires careful setup. The difference emerges in native email templates. Rivo's entry-level plans include limited automated email sequences, while BON assumes you'll manage email through your existing platform.

For loyalty analytics and reporting capabilities, both apps provide dashboards tracking engagement and redemption. Rivo's reporting skews technical, offering detailed performance metrics useful for optimization. BON's analytics remain more surface-level, focusing on high-level health metrics rather than behavioral mining.

Fraud Prevention and Security

BON builds fraud detection directly into its referral engine, flagging suspicious patterns automatically. Rivo relies on standard Shopify security plus manual review of suspicious activity. For merchants with generous referral incentives, BON's approach provides peace of mind without extra work.

B2B Capabilities

This separates the two fundamentally. BON offers why you need a B2B loyalty platform configurations including company-level accounts, tiered wholesale pricing, approval workflows, and custom redemption rules per account type. These features address real B2B challenges: managing loyalty for multiple users within a single company, supporting wholesale pricing tiers, and handling longer sales cycles.

Rivo lacks specific B2B functionality, positioning it as primarily B2C-focused despite Shopify Plus compatibility.

Pricing and Value

Rivo's pricing reflects its feature-rich, developer-oriented positioning. The $499 tier unlocks enterprise capabilities—checkout extensions, advanced segmentation, priority support. You're paying for speed and depth.

BON's pricing favors accessibility. The free plan includes core loyalty and referral tools, making it ideal for testing without commitment. The $349 cap on pricing appeals to mid-market merchants who can't justify $499 monthly spend. However, order limits mean growing stores will eventually need paid tiers.

Ease of Setup and Use

Rivo's interface impresses technically-minded users but intimidates founders without development background. Setup requires defining complex earning rules, configuring webhooks, and integrating APIs. First-time implementations typically take 1-2 weeks with developer support. For Shopify Plus merchants with dedicated teams, this is standard practice. For solopreneurs, it's friction.

BON Loyalty embraces the "set and forget" philosophy. The dashboard feels dated compared to modern SaaS apps, but it accomplishes its purpose: merchants can launch basic loyalty programs in hours, not weeks. This accessibility makes BON popular with founders testing loyalty concepts before scaling investment.

Customer Support

Both apps offer 24/7 support, but with different profiles. Rivo's support specializes in complex Shopify Plus configurations and technical integrations. Expect fast response times from engineers who understand webhooks and Liquid. BON's support focuses on general loyalty program strategy and setup guidance, with slightly slower response times but strong helpfulness for common questions.

Rivo Loyalty: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Built natively using Shopify's latest 2026 API standards to ensure maximum compatibility and future-proofing
• Includes a specialized 'Loyalty Page' builder that allows merchants to create fully branded web pages without coding
• Engineered for speed with a performance-first architecture that eliminates the 'script lag' common in older loyalty apps
• Provides modern checkout extensions that allow Shopify Plus customers to redeem points directly within the checkout flow
• Offers 24/7 world-class live support with technical specialists who understand complex Shopify Plus configurations

Cons:

• Many of the most advanced 'Plus' features are gated behind high-tier plans starting at $499 per month
• The third-party integration library is currently smaller than legacy competitors who have been in the market longer
• Lacks specific built-in functionality for B2B or wholesale-specific reward structures and tiered pricing logic
• Does not provide full support for merchants still operating on legacy Shopify Liquid themes from older generations
• The entry-level plans have limited access to automated email marketing templates compared to more established suites

BON Loyalty: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Features a highly competitive 'Free Forever' plan that includes core loyalty and referral tools for new startups
• Includes built-in anti-cheat and fraud detection algorithms to prevent customers from gaming the referral system
• Provides industry-leading support for over 250 languages and multiple currencies, ideal for global Shopify brands
• Offers specialized configuration options that cater specifically to the needs of B2B and wholesale-focused merchants
• Maintaining a simple and stable interface that makes it easy for founders to 'set and forget' their loyalty program

Cons:

• The administrative dashboard feels visually dated and less responsive than modern competitors like Rivo
• Floating loyalty widgets offer limited visual customization beyond basic colors and text alignment changes
• The product development cycle is slower than agile challengers, leading to delayed adoption of new Shopify features
• Analytics reporting is basic and does not offer the deep customer behavior mining found in enterprise platforms
• Requires more manual work and custom CSS coding to achieve a truly white-labeled or unique brand aesthetic

Scalability Across Store Sizes

Rivo scales vertically—as your business grows, you unlock more power through higher tiers. This works well if you're already operating at scale or planning aggressive growth. The native API integration means performance stays consistent even with high customer volumes.

BON scales horizontally—the same interface works from day-one stores to multi-million-dollar brands. However, order limits on paid plans mean you'll eventually hit ceilings requiring upgrades. For gradual, organic growth, this is fine. For rapid scaling, Rivo's architecture handles volume more elegantly.

Migration from other loyalty platforms typically takes 1-2 days with zero data loss, though both apps support this process differently. Rivo's API-first approach allows more sophisticated data mapping. BON relies on more manual setup, though customer support helps throughout.

Which Loyalty App Is Right for Your Store?

The answer depends on three factors: technical resources, geographic scope, and business model.

Choose Rivo if you're:

• Operating Shopify Plus with a dedicated technical team
• Running high-growth DTC with complex loyalty mechanics in your roadmap
• Willing to invest $300+ monthly for performance optimization
• Operating primarily in English-speaking markets
• Prioritizing checkout integration and speed above all else

Choose BON Loyalty if you're:

• Starting a loyalty program with limited technical resources
• Selling to customers across multiple countries
• Running B2B or wholesale operations alongside retail
• Managing budget carefully and prefer competitive pricing
• Comfortable with simpler, "set and forget" configuration

For most merchants, the decision hinges on one question: "Do I have developers?" If yes, Rivo's power justifies the cost. If no, BON's accessibility and affordability make more sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate my existing loyalty program data to either app?

Yes. Both Rivo and BON support data migration from competitors, typically completing within 1-2 days. Rivo's API architecture allows more sophisticated data mapping, while BON requires more manual configuration. Contact support early to plan the transition.

Do both apps offer referral programs?

Yes, both include referral mechanics. Rivo integrates referrals tightly with checkout experience, while BON emphasizes fraud prevention through built-in detection algorithms. For high-value referral rewards, BON's anti-cheat system provides additional security.

Is a loyalty program necessary for small Shopify stores?

Loyalty programs deliver measurable ROI even for small stores. Why customer loyalty is critical for Shopify stores explains how retention dramatically reduces acquisition costs. Start with free plans to test before scaling investment.

Which app better supports increasing customer lifetime value?

Both can help increase customer lifetime value (CLV), but through different mechanisms. Rivo emphasizes behavioral targeting and advanced segmentation. BON focuses on frictionless redemption and community building. For strategic CLV planning, both require ongoing optimization based on analytics.

What integrations matter most?

For most merchants, Shopify checkout integration and email platform connectivity (Klaviyo, Omnisend) matter most. Rivo excels at checkout integration, while BON prioritizes email flexibility. Consider your existing tech stack before deciding.

TLDR

Rivo and BON Loyalty represent two distinct approaches to Shopify loyalty: Rivo prioritizes performance, developer customization, and enterprise features ideal for high-growth DTC brands willing to invest $300-$499 monthly, while BON emphasizes accessibility, global reach through 250+ language support, B2B capabilities, and competitive pricing ($49-$349) suited for merchants building loyalty programs without technical resources. Choose Rivo if you have dedicated developers and operate primarily in English-speaking markets; choose BON if you serve global customers, run B2B operations, or prefer simplified setup and lower costs. Test both free plans before committing, as the best choice depends on your technical team, budget, and business model rather than which app has more features overall. For most growing Shopify stores balancing cost and capability, exploring the best Shopify loyalty apps provides additional context beyond this direct comparison.