The Rave vs ReferralCandy

The easiest, lowest-cost way to launch referral and affiliate.

ReferralCandy helped define this category, and both run referral and affiliate programs. The difference is the fee: ReferralCandy's $39 entry plan carries a 10.5% success fee — to get down to a low rate you pay $249–$799/month. The Rave is 2.5% at $59/month and 1% at $199, with a 30-day free trial and the flexibility to pay customers in real cash.

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Side by side

The Rave vs ReferralCandy, side by side

Both run referral and affiliate programs. The real difference is what you pay: ReferralCandy's cheap entry plan hides a 10.5% success fee, while The Rave keeps a low 1–2.5% fee from $59/month.

Compare

The Rave

ReferralCandy

Entry plan

$59 / mo + 2.5%

$39 / mo + 10.5%

Success fee on referred sales

1–2.5%

0.25%–10.5% (by plan)

Plan needed for a ~1–1.5% fee

$199 / month

$249–$799 / month

Cost at $10k/mo referred sales

~$159 (Premium)

~$429 (Grow) – $1,089 (Basic)

Free trial to get started

Up to 30 days

7 days

Referral programs

Yes

Affiliate programs

Yes

Cash payout options

Venmo, PayPal & ACH

PayPal

Spend rewards back at the brand at a multiplier

Yes

Automated payouts & fraud protection

Yes

Average setup time

~15 minutes

Under 1 hour

Proof on paper

The numbers do the talking.

Real merchants, real revenue. Here's what customer-led growth looks like once the loop is running.

Halfday

$0M+

in new revenue from customer referrals.

~10% of all orders now come from referrals
8–10% referred-customer conversion
$20 cashback hook, brand-set
0 hours/week to run the program

of brands that try The Rave keep using it

0.0×

average ROI on referral traffic

~0 min

average setup time

12–0%

of customers share their link at checkout, daily

Questions

The Rave vs ReferralCandy, answered

Is The Rave a good ReferralCandy alternative?+

Yes. Both run referral and affiliate programs, so the deciding factor is cost and flexibility. ReferralCandy's $39 entry plan charges a 10.5% success fee on referred sales — to get a low rate you move up to $249–$799/month. The Rave is 2.5% at $59/month and 1% at $199, with a longer 30-day trial (vs 7 days) and more ways to pay customers.

How is The Rave different from ReferralCandy?+

Two big things. First, the fee curve: ReferralCandy's cheap $39 base hides a 10.5% success fee, so at $10k/month in referred sales you'd pay roughly $429–$1,089 depending on plan; The Rave's Premium is ~$159 at the same volume. Second, rewards: The Rave pays in real cash — customers can spend it back at your store at a multiplier (e.g. $100 becomes $150 in store credit) or cash out via Venmo, PayPal or ACH, all handled automatically.

Can I run both referral and affiliate programs with The Rave?+

Yes. The Rave runs referral and affiliate programs together from a single post-purchase flow — no separate affiliate tool required. Customers are converted into ambassadors automatically on the Shopify thank-you page.

How much does The Rave cost compared to ReferralCandy?+

The Rave is $59/month (Premium) + 2.5%, or $199/month (Plus) + 1%, with a 30-day free trial. ReferralCandy is $39/month + 10.5% (Basic), $79 + 3.5% (Grow), $249 + 1.5% (Scale) or $799 + 0.25% (Enterprise), with a 7-day trial. Because ReferralCandy's low rates only unlock on its pricier plans, The Rave usually costs less until you're at high referral volume.

How do rewards and payouts work with The Rave?+

Everyone gets paid in cash. Customers and affiliates choose to spend their rewards back at your store at a multiplier or cash out via Venmo, PayPal or ACH. Tracking, fraud detection and payouts are fully automated — you do zero work.

How long does setup take?+

About 15 minutes. The Rave installs as a Shopify app and runs in the background — no developer time needed. Set your reward once and it runs on autopilot.

See it running on your store.

Live on Shopify in about 15 minutes. Free for 30 days, a small commission only when we drive a sale. There's no downside to trying.

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How long does setup take?+

About 15 minutes. The Rave syncs directly to Shopify as an app — no developer needed.

What does it cost?+

The Premium plan is $59/month plus a 2.5% commission only on confirmed referral sales, with a 30-day free trial, no setup fees and no contracts. Larger brands can move to Plus at $199/month for a 1% commission and unlimited programs.

Do I need a developer?+

No. It installs as a Shopify app and runs in the background — nothing to build or maintain.

What rewards can I offer?+

You set them — cash, coupon, or credit. The standard hook is around $20 cashback.

How do payouts work?+

Tracking, fraud detection and payouts are automated. Rewards are held briefly until orders clear, then released.

How do you stop fraud?+

Rewards stay pending until orders clear the approval window, links give clean attribution, self-referrals don't count, and suspicious activity is flagged before payout.