A Smile.io alternative for membership programs
Considering a move from points-led loyalty to paid or free memberships? Compare how customers join, earn and use benefits before choosing Memberply.
Memberply Growth: US$49/month. Unlimited members. 14-day free trial.
This comparison explains Memberply’s perspective and links to both providers’ sources. It is not an independent review.
Choose the program before choosing the app
Smile is a credible option when points, referrals and VIP progression are the centre of your loyalty strategy. Memberply is worth evaluating when you want customers to join a membership tier and use an ongoing package of perks. These models overlap, and neither is automatically better for every store.
A paid membership needs benefits customers will actually use often enough to justify its fee. A points program needs earning and redemption rules that customers understand. Switching software will not fix an offer that does not fit how people buy.
For example, an occasional gift buyer may prefer earning toward a future reward, while a frequent replenishment buyer may value recurring credit and member pricing. These are illustrative planning scenarios, not customer results.
Smile.io vs Memberply: what to compare
| Requirement | Smile.io | Memberply |
|---|---|---|
| Program focus | Points, referral rewards and VIP tiers. | Paid or free memberships with enabled tier benefits. |
| Rewards | Discount and shipping rewards, with additional reward types depending on plan. | Member discounts, free shipping, points and store-credit benefits; rules depend on configuration. |
| Member experience | Dedicated loyalty page and Loyalty Hub have plan-specific availability. | Standard member portal included in Growth; new and legacy account setup differ. |
| Integrations | Check the required connector and its plan limit. | Klaviyo membership-profile sync and documented webhooks; confirm each required field. |
| Best evaluation question | Can it run your intended earn-and-redeem journey? | Will customers join and use the membership benefits you plan to fund? |
Feature summaries use Smile’s App Store listing and Memberply’s App Store listing. Confirm the exact workflow on the plan you would buy. A VIP tier or a subscription-related reward does not by itself demonstrate recurring membership billing.
Memberply can also offer points, so this is not a choice between “points” and “no points.” Evaluate points-to-credit redemption, store-credit benefits and the member portal together.
Compare price at the features you need
| Plan | App price | Scope to check |
|---|---|---|
| Smile Free | US$0 | Up to 200 monthly orders. |
| Smile Essential | US$15/month | Up to 500 monthly orders; one integration. |
| Smile Standard | US$79/month | Up to 1,000 monthly orders; two integrations. |
| Smile Growth | US$199/month | 2,500 monthly orders included, then US$20 per additional 100 orders. VIP tiers and Loyalty Hub listed here. |
| Memberply Growth | US$49/month | Unlimited members; all standard features; 14-day free trial. |
Sources: Smile pricing, Smile’s listed Growth overage and Memberply pricing. Smile also offers Plus and Enterprise; this table is not its complete plan catalogue. Existing contracts or legacy plans may differ.
At 500 monthly orders, Smile Essential is US$15 if its features cover your needs, less than Memberply Growth at US$49. If you specifically need Smile’s listed VIP-tier features, compare its Growth plan instead. The different feature sets are not interchangeable.
For an illustrative store with 2,600 monthly orders on Smile Growth, the listed calculation is US$199 + US$20 = US$219. Memberply Growth remains US$49 for its standard offering, but price alone does not establish that it covers the same requirements. Confirm usage definitions and billing with the provider.
Memberply does not take a percentage of membership revenue. Customer membership fees, the rewards you fund, Shopify and payment-provider charges, connected apps, and custom implementation are separate from the app subscription.
When to keep Smile, and when to trial Memberply
Keep Smile on your shortlist
Your points and referral program already fits your customers, or you need its specific loyalty reporting, reward promotions or integrations. Verify required features on your plan before changing a working customer journey.
Trial Memberply
Your next program centres on paid or free membership tiers, recurring member value, discounts and credit. You want to test joining, using benefits and managing membership as one experience.
Integrations deserve a separate check. Smile documents Klaviyo loyalty data including points, VIP and referral information. Memberply’s Klaviyo integration syncs membership status, tier and membership dates. Do not assume existing Smile segments or flows will work unchanged.
If you need particular analytics, a specialist connector, a B2B workflow or shared balances across stores, require a demonstration or written scope. Memberply is not presented here as a feature-for-feature replacement for Smile.
Plan the migration before uninstalling Smile
Start with Smile’s customer and activity export instructions. Preserve exports and reconcile them against the current program before making changes.
Inventory what customers have earned
Record customer identifiers, points, VIP status, issued rewards and relevant activity. Separate unused points from already issued discount codes so you do not grant the same value twice.
Agree how value carries forward
Define the destination tier and treatment of each reward. Keep equivalent value explicit: 1,000 points is not inherently $10. Confirm conversion rates, expiry and exclusions before communicating an offer.
Separate member imports from reward migration
Memberply accepts up to 500 member records per CSV file. That does not automatically import Smile balances, VIP history, settings or reward rules. Confirm a supported route for each data type and test a small sample.
Rebuild and test communications
Review referral links, reward emails, account links and Klaviyo properties. Decide when old earning stops and the new program starts, then reconcile purchases made during the transition.
Introduce paid membership deliberately
If customers are moving from a free rewards program to a paid membership, explain the offer and let them complete the required signup. A data import does not create payment consent or transfer an existing subscription contract.
Smile’s plan-management documentation says uninstalling triggers data deletion within 48 hours, while issued discount codes remain in the commerce platform. Export and verify first, and agree how outstanding codes will be honoured. Cancelling a paid plan and uninstalling are different actions.
Read the Memberply import guide and loyalty migration checklist. Contact Memberply to confirm scope before promising a migration date.
Use the trial to test your actual offer
Configure one representative tier
Set its joining terms and benefits. Estimate the costs of rewards, shipping and discounts together.
Test both eligible and ineligible customers
Check joining, benefit visibility and redemption. Compare an active member with a non-member and a customer whose access has ended.
Follow the purchase through checkout
Check member discounts, reward redemption and the intended account type. Repeat on POS if it is part of your program, using the correct customer and location setup.
Verify management and data
Review available plan changes and cancellation, then verify the exact data needed by connected systems. Record any gaps before committing to a switch.
A 14-day trial can establish functional fit, not long-term retention lift. Use the evaluation worksheet to keep essential requirements and evidence together.
Smile.io alternative questions
Is Memberply a Smile.io alternative?
Yes, for merchants evaluating a membership-led program with tier benefits, points and store credit. Compare the intended customer journey and integrations; this page does not claim that Memberply replaces every Smile feature.
Is Memberply always cheaper than Smile?
No. Smile has a free plan and a US$15 Essential plan within their order limits. Memberply Growth is US$49/month. Compare the features and usage limits you need, including any overages or custom work.
Can I move Smile points into Memberply automatically?
Do not assume an automatic transfer. Export and reconcile customer data, points and issued rewards, then confirm the supported migration method. Memberply’s member CSV import does not automatically migrate every reward balance or rule.
Will my Smile Klaviyo flows work with Memberply?
Not necessarily. The integrations use different properties and support different data. Review each segment, trigger and message against Memberply’s documented membership-profile fields before switching.
Does Memberply include a member portal?
Yes. Growth includes the standard member portal. Account setup and reward delivery differ between new and legacy Shopify customer accounts, so test the experience your store will use.
Should I uninstall Smile before testing Memberply?
No. Preserve exports, reconcile outstanding rewards and test the replacement first. Smile documents data deletion within 48 hours of uninstalling, while previously issued discount codes remain in the commerce platform.
Merchant reviews
Merchants use Memberply to launch practical membership programs
Read what merchants say about using Memberply for their membership programs. Read reviews on the Shopify App Store.
"The app is great and does exactly what i need it to. It is well priced and Doug is so great."
Olverum Official Store
United Kingdom
"Their pricing is fair, and their support is legendary."
Puzzery
Canada
"Our store is based in Argentina so we don't have access to Shopify Payments... Memberply solved it."
Elemental Outfit AR
Argentina
See whether Memberply fits your membership offer
Start with standard features and test your essential journeys. For broader options, explore our Shopify loyalty app comparison.
Install on Shopify