Joy vs. Smile
Why growing Shopify brands get more loyalty features for less
Compare Joy with Smile and see why thousands of merchants choose us for better value and faster innovation.
Thousands of leading brands migrated and see significant recovery
App store rating
10.000+
Active Merchants
Built exclusively for Shopify
Joy vs. Smile
A side-by-side look at features, pricing, and usage limits.
Pricing (max)
Usage (max)
Platform
Reward rules
VIP tier system
Membership
Social Rewards
Wallet passes
On-site touchpoints
Checkout integration
Cart drawer redemption
Analytics
Custom API
On-demand customization
Account Manager
Support
How Joy and Smile compare for growing Shopify merchants
Smile and Joy are both well-established loyalty platforms for Shopify. Joy is built for high-volume DTC brands that want a dedicated loyalty platform with a complete feature set. While Smile pioneered loyalty on Shopify, Joy includes features Smile has not built: paid membership, Apple/Google Wallet passes, Instagram story rewards, and cart drawer redemption. Here is how they compare.
1. Price at Scale
Smile's top plan costs roughly twice as much as Joy's for a similar order volume. Joy also includes a dedicated account manager at a lower plan tier than Smile does. If budget matters at scale, the gap is hard to ignore.
2. Membership and Wallet Passes
Joy supports paid membership programs and Apple/Google Wallet passes out of the box. Smile has neither. Merchants who want a premium loyalty tier or mobile wallet integration would need to look for add-ons or workarounds.
3. Social Rewards and On-site Reach
When a customer mentions your brand in an Instagram story, Joy detects it and rewards them automatically. Smile only supports basic social following. Joy also reaches customers in more places: cart drawer, POS, checkout, and 30+ other touchpoints. Smile covers loyalty hub, product page, and account page.
4. Reward Conditions and Cart Redemption
Joy lets you set reward rules based on specific products, collections, or customer segments. Smile limits conditions to orders and customers, and only on its Growth plan. Joy also lets customers redeem points directly in the cart. Smile does not.
Korean Skincare achieved 71.5% MoM sales growth over 6 months
Korean Skincare migrated from Smile.io to Joy in two weeks with zero disruption to loyalty members. After switching, they saw dramatic improvements in loyalty program engagement across 5 international stores.
Learn moremembers enrolled in 6 months
MoM sales growth
international stores
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See Our Dedication to Help Brands Move
We are committed to help you migrate while your data remains secured and your sales gets recovered promptly
1,000+
Brands Successfully Migrated to Joy
10%
Average Sales Recovery Within First 2 Months
2 Weeks
Average Time to Launch Your New Program
Join Industry Leaders Who Chose Joy to Drive Growth
What Makes Joy Stand Out
Four capabilities competitors struggle to match - built for modern Shopify merchants
Reward Programs
Flexible points earning for purchases, reviews, birthdays, social actions and more - with anti-cheat controls built in.
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Membership
Offer paid membership plans with exclusive perks, members-only discounts, and tiered benefits that drive recurring revenue.
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Social Rewards
Automatically reward customers for Instagram story mentions, follows, comments, and reviews - turning UGC into loyalty.
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Wallet Passes
Let customers carry their loyalty card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet with real-time point updates and push notifications.
Read moreNeed help switching to Joy?
Our team handles the full migration — points, members, program setup — with zero disruption. Book a demo and we'll walk you through the switch.
