Smile versus LoyaltyLion

Why brands switch from Smile to LoyaltyLion

Fully embedded experience
Smile’s loyalty display is limited to a pop-up, unless you’re on the highest plan, offering little control over branding or placement.

LoyaltyLion delivers a seamless, fully embedded loyalty experience with a full-page layout designed to feel like part of your brand.
Smarter loyalty tools
LoyaltyLion lets you create conditional tiers, schedule point expiry, and reward custom actions like recycling, all on any plan.

Smile only supports custom actions on its most expensive plans and doesn’t offer fixed point expiry, increasing risk and liability.
Deep loyalty analytics
LoyaltyLion tracks CLV, loyalty revenue, and redemption patterns, not just discounts.

Smile provides limited insights, so you can’t see how your loyalty program is truly performing.

Feature comparison

Smile is a good starting point, but scaling brands need more. LoyaltyLion offers the depth, control, and analytics required to grow loyalty revenue.

Feature

LoyaltyLion

Smile

G2 rating

4.6

Loyalty experience

Fully embedded into the customer account with customizable components and a full loyalty page

Pop-up based experience only, with limited branding and poor UX, especially on mobile

Klaviyo integration

Deep integration with full event triggers (e.g. new reward, tier upgrade), and properties (e.g. DOB, date enrolled)

Shallow integration missing key events and properties, limiting personalization

VIP tiers

Automatically move customers between tiers using flexible rules and Shopify tags, ideal for things like subscriber-only tiers or invite-only perks.

Automatically upgrades tiers based on spend or points, but lacks tag-based logic, limiting personalization and long-term scalability.

Reward custom activities

Reward custom activities (e.g. recycling, event check-in, subscriptions)

Custom activities are limited to Plus and Enterprise plans

Free product rewards

Seamless 1-click redemption for free product rewards

Requires a workaround using voucher codes

Points management

Approval window and fixed expiry dates from when points are earned, so you can confidently forecast and reduce liability.

No approval window. Points expire after inactivity, but any action resets the clock, increasing liability and unreliable forecasting.

Analytics & segmentation

Segment by behavior and tier; forecast CLV and point expiry; track loyalty revenue contribution

Basic analytics. No tier analysis, segmentation, or CLV forecasting

POS integration

Earning rules in-store extend to event check-ins, recycling, etc, driving omnichannel engagement

Earning rules in-store are limited to transactions only.

Multi-user admin controls

Role-based permissions and two-factor authentication

No multi-user roles. All admins have full access, creating security and error risks

Security compliance

SOC 2 compliant, with real-time OAuth-based integrations

Not SOC 2 compliant; outdated security protocols

Onboarding & support

Strategic onboarding for all plans, including design, Klaviyo setup, and guidance from loyalty specialists

Limited onboarding; only available on the highest-tier plan

Scalability

Designed for fast-growth brands ($1M+ GMV), with advanced features and benchmarks to support long-term revenue growth

Built for micro and early-stage businesses, it lacks the flexibility and tools needed to scale

Feature comparison breakdown

mobile_friendly

Seamless loyalty, built into the customer journey

Embed loyalty directly in customer accounts (no pop-ups)
Display points and tier status on checkout and thank you pages
Customize design to match your brand, not a generic template
Use embeddable components for a native experience across web, mobile, and POS

Smile relies on pop-ups and lacks full-page customer account integration, limiting UX and brand cohesion

analytics

Actionable insights that grow loyalty revenue

Track loyalty-driven revenue, CLV, and redemption patterns
Forecast customer churn and reward liability with confidence
Segment by tier, behavior, or redemption status
Compare performance against LoyaltyLion benchmarks

Smile doesn’t support CLV forecasting or loyalty segmentation, limiting program optimization

loyalty

Strategic features for growth & engagement

Reward custom activities like recycling, event check-in, and subscriptions
Create invite-only or subscriber tiers using Shopify tags
Offer seamless free product redemption with no voucher workarounds

Smile doesn’t support tag-based tiers or 1-click product rewards. Custom activities are limited to Plus and Enterprise plans.

settings

Controls built for growing, security-conscious brands

Set points to expire from the date earned. Use an approval window to manage fraud
SOC 2 compliant. Modern security protocols
Multi-user roles, granular permissions and 2FA
OAuth-based integrations for secure data sync in real time

Smile lacks fixed points expiry, SOC 2 compliance and multi-user roles, creating risk and limiting control.

Why brands choose LoyaltyLion over Smile

Ranked #1 for converting one-time buyers into loyal customers

Why brands switch from Smile to LoyaltyLion

Fully embedded experience

Smarter loyalty tools

Deep loyalty analytics

Feature comparison

Brands earn more with us

Feature comparison breakdown

Seamless loyalty, built into the customer journey

Actionable insights that grow loyalty revenue

Strategic features for growth & engagement

Controls built for growing, security-conscious brands

The evidence speaks for itself

Brands outgrowing Smile choose LoyaltyLion