Best Referral Marketing Software & Program Tracking Tools

From a plethora of options, I've distilled the best referral marketing software of 2023. Power your word-of-mouth strategies with these expert picks.

Best Referral Marketing Software:

Don't have time? Here’s our shortlist of the 5 best referral marketing software we're ranking through our extensive research and use:

Company Name	Best fit for:	Base Price:	Free Trial?	Demo
Upfluence	Best Fit For: Influencer Search & Management	Custom	No Trial	Demo
Referral Rock	Best Fit For: Referral, Affiliate, Influencer Programs	$200/mo	Growth Based	Demo
Viral Loops	Best Fit For: Various Referral Campaign Types	$49/mo	14 days	Demo
Referral Candy	Best Fit For: E-commerce Referral Program	$59/mo	14 days	Demo
Extole	Best Fit For: Customer Referral Program	Custom	No Trial	Demo

Compare Referral Marketing Software Features:

We've researched the 5 most important software features and compared our shortlist:

Software Feature
Referral Program Design & Customization	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Reward & Incentive Management	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Referral Tracking & Attribution	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Integration with E-commerce Platforms	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Automated Email & Notification Triggers	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

Our Reviews of the Best Referral Software:

Nick Cotter

April 8, 2024

min read

Our analysts assess software with impartiality. Clicks may generate a commission that funds our evaluations. Discover our commitment to transparency and our review approach.

Sponsored

Upfluence simplifies product seeding with detailed shipping automation. Focus on choosing the right influencers, optimizing inventory, and boosting your campaign's ROI. Automate communicating, negotiating and hiring Influencers in just a few guided clicks.

Free trial

Upfluence

4.6

out of 5

$ Base Price: Custom

Sponsored

Our opinion on Upfluence

Upfluence stands as a robust and comprehensive influencer marketing platform, notable for its extensive database of over 3 million influencers across various social platforms. It excels in offering detailed analytics and a wide array of tools for campaign management, from discovery through to payment. While its rich feature set makes it a powerful tool for brands looking to capitalize on influencer marketing, this complexity also introduces a learning curve that might deter newcomers. Despite this, its integrated systems for communication, content review, and payment streamline the process considerably, presenting a compelling solution for both influencer and affiliate marketing campaigns. However, the platform could benefit from expanding its payment options to accommodate a broader range of preferences. Overall, Upfluence is a valuable asset for brands aiming to optimize their influencer marketing efforts, provided they can navigate its sophisticated interface.

What we like:

Robust Influencer Discovery: Upfluence's powerful search engine, with access to over 3 million influencers across various social media platforms, impressed me. Its precise filtering capabilities ensured I could find the right influencer fit for my brand, accounting for factors like niche, geography, and audience demographics.
Comprehensive Data Analytics: Upfluence's data analytics are top-notch, providing clear insights into influencer and affiliate campaign performance, engagement statistics, and potential ROI. This helped me evaluate campaign effectiveness and make necessary adjustments in real-time.
Efficient Workflow: The integrated workflow system, with capabilities for direct influencer outreach, collaboration, content review, and payment processing, all within the same platform, significantly streamlined my operations. This one-stop solution made managing multiple influencer campaigns much less daunting.

What we don't like:

Learning Curve: As a comprehensive tool with a multitude of features, Upfluence requires a learning curve to get the most out of the platform. For newcomers to influencer marketing, the initial setup and familiarization process might be overwhelming.
Influencer payouts: While Upfluence provides both PayPal and ACH payments to influencers, it would be nice to see a few other options influencers can choose from.
Campaigns: Although you’re still able to run affiliate campaigns within Upfluence, the platform is definitely more tailored to launching influencer campaigns.

Unique product features:

Influencer Search Engine: Access to a vast database of influencers across multiple platforms with precise search filters.
Campaign Management: End-to-end campaign management features for streamlining all aspects of an influencer marketing campaign.
Integrated Communication: The ability to communicate directly with influencers within the platform, simplifying outreach and negotiation processes.
Content and Payment Management: Tools to manage content approvals and handle payments, providing a comprehensive workflow for influencer collaboration.
Deep Analytics: In-depth performance analytics for campaigns and influencers to help evaluate success and adjust strategies as necessary.

Free Trial: No Trial

Ideal For: SMEs

Best Fit For: Influencer Search & Management

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Influencer Discovery & Vetting

✓

Campaign Creation & Management

✓

Content Approval Workflows

✓

Payment & Contract Management

✓

Performance Tracking & ROI Analysis

Full Upfluence software review

Free Trial →

Referral Rock

4.4

out of 5

$ Base Price: $200/mo

Sponsored

Our opinion on Referral Rock

Referral Rock is praised for its user-friendly interface, allowing users to effortlessly set up and manage referral campaigns without needing technical skills, a feature highlighted by a setup time of approximately five minutes for a referral program. It stands out with its versatile reward offerings, including cash, coupons, gift cards, and customized rewards, alongside customizable email templates for comprehensive communication with referral partners. However, its pricing can be prohibitive for very small businesses or startups, especially given the $800 onboarding fee. Additionally, while excellent for tracking referrals, Referral Rock may not suit businesses looking to reward partners based on website traffic or require deeper partnership functionalities. The software's unique features, such as automated referral tracking, segmentation capabilities, a variety of reward management options, CRM integrations, and robust email marketing tools, further enhance its utility and flexibility in handling diverse marketing needs while encouraging proactive engagement with referral partners.

What we like:

User-friendly interface: Intuitive design makes it easy for users to set up and manage referral campaigns without technical expertise. It took me about 5 minutes to set-up a referral program for my brand.
Multi-reward types: Referral Rock gives their customers the ability to reward anything from cash (PayPal, wire transfer), coupons, gift cards, and even customized rewards.
Customizable email templates: Having a way to communicate with referral partners is so important, and Referral Rock offers customers the ability to send emails directly to partners. With their platform you can send welcome emails, newsletters, announcements, monthly program summaries, and even further customized emails

What we don't like:

Price Point: Might be on the higher side for very small businesses or startups who are entirely new to referral, affiliate programs. I’d test out their 14 free trial to see if it has everything you need before purchasing because they also have an $800 onboarding fee associated with set-up.
Referral Rock is great for tracking referrals, but, if you want to set up deeper partnerships to reward partners it may not be the best fit for you. E.G. If you’d like to reward based on traffic (clicks) sent to your website from a partner, you won’t be able to do this directly within the Referral Rock platform.
Accounting, taxes: This is a con for almost all 3rd party affiliate software, but I want to note you’ll be responsible for collecting tax information (w9s) and policing your program.

Unique product features:

Automated Referral Tracking: Monitors referral sources and calculates rewards automatically.
Segmentation Capabilities: Allows businesses to target specific referral segments with tailored referral incentives.
Reward Management: Multiple reward options, including cash,coupons, and gift cards.
CRM integrations: Connect your CRM to Referral Rock to track down-funnel reporting.
Email Marketing Tools: Send automated email campaigns to engage and remind referrers about your program.

Free Trial: Growth Based

Ideal For: SMBs

Best Fit For: Referral, Affiliate, Influencer Programs

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full Referral Rock software review

Free Trial →

Viral Loops

4.3

out of 5

$ Base Price: $49/mo

Sponsored

Free Trial: 14 days

Ideal For: SMBs

Best Fit For: Various Referral Campaign Types

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Ambassador Recruitment & Onboarding

✓

Campaign Management Tools

✓

Content Creation & Distribution Tools

✓

Performance & Engagement Analytics

✓

Reward & Incentive Structures

Full Viral Loops software review

Free Trial →

Referral Candy

4.4

out of 5

$ Base Price: $59/mo

Sponsored

Free Trial: 14 days

Ideal For: SMBs

Best Fit For: E-commerce Referral Program

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full Referral Candy software review

Free Trial →

Extole

4.3

out of 5

$ Base Price: Custom

Sponsored

Free Trial: No Trial

Ideal For: SMEs

Best Fit For: Customer Referral Program

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full Extole software review

Free Trial →

Referral Factory

4.3

out of 5

$ Base Price: $95/mo

Sponsored

Free Trial: 14 days

Ideal For: SMBs

Best Fit For: Referral Marketing Campaigns

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full Referral Factory software review

Free Trial →

Friendbuy

4.1

out of 5

$ Base Price: $249/mo

Sponsored

Free Trial: 30 days

Ideal For: SMBs

Best Fit For: Consumer Referral Platform

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full Friendbuy software review

Free Trial →

Genius Referrals

4.1

out of 5

$ Base Price: $89/mo

Sponsored

Free Trial: 30 days

Ideal For: SMBs

Best Fit For: Custom Referral Strategies

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full Genius Referrals software review

Free Trial →

SaaSquatch

4.1

out of 5

$ Base Price: $500/mo

Sponsored

Free Trial: No Trial

Ideal For: SMEs

Best Fit For: Loyalty & Growth Automation

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full SaaSquatch software review

Free Trial →

VYPER

4.1

out of 5

$ Base Price: $149/mo

Sponsored

Free Trial: Growth Based

Ideal For: SMBs

Best Fit For: Growth Hacking Toolkit

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full VYPER software review

Free Trial →

InviteReferrals

4.4

out of 5

$ Base Price: $99/mo

Sponsored

Free Trial: 14 days

Ideal For: SMBs

Best Fit For: Tailored Referral Campaigns

Product features we found most useful:

✓

Referral Program Design & Customization

✓

Reward & Incentive Management

✓

Referral Tracking & Attribution

✓

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

✓

Automated Email & Notification Triggers

Full InviteReferrals software review

Free Trial →

Referral Marketing Software Pricing:

Compare the various referral marketing software prices:

Platform	Free Trial?	Base Price	Platform Users
Upfluence	No Trial	Custom	SMEs
Referral Rock	Growth Based	$200/mo	SMBs
Viral Loops	14 days	$49/mo	SMBs
Referral Candy	14 days	$59/mo	SMBs
Extole	No Trial	Custom	SMEs

Referral Marketing Software Reviews.

Compare the various referral marketing software reviews:

Software	Features	Performance	User Experience	GrowScore
Upfluence	4.5	4.4	4.6	4.6
Referral Rock	4.5	4.4	4.4	4.4
Viral Loops	4.2	4.3	4.3	4.3
Referral Candy	4.2	4.4	4.5	4.4
Extole	4.5	4.3	4	4.3

How we Choose the Best Referral Tracking Software:

Our Evaluation Goal:

Our primary objective is to equip you with in-depth, actionable insights about referral marketing software options, enabling you to make informed decisions that align with your business needs.

In-Depth Research and Analysis Methodology:

Our dedicated in-house team employs a rigorous research methodology, combining firsthand testing with comprehensive market analysis. We strive to personally test each referral marketing software, but when direct access is limited, we ensure the integrity of our reviews through meticulous third-party information validation and extensive research, keeping our evaluations accurate and up-to-date.

Detailed Evaluation Criteria:

Usability: We assess how intuitive and user-friendly the application is, considering the learning curve for new users and overall user experience.
Design: Our analysis covers the software's design aesthetics, user interface, and the impact on user engagement and productivity.
Features: We examine the range and depth of functionalities offered, evaluating how well the software meets diverse business needs.
Pricing: Our reviews consider the software's cost relative to its value proposition, analyzing pricing structures and ROI potential.
Scalability: We evaluate the software's ability to adapt and scale with a business, considering factors like customization capabilities and modular architecture.
Pros & Cons: Our balanced insights highlight what each software excels at and areas where it falls short, aiding in a holistic evaluation.
Integrations: We assess the ease of integration with existing ecosystems, looking at compatibility with other tools and platforms.
Company's Tenure: The vendor's market presence and experience are considered, reflecting on their stability and reliability in the industry.
External Feedback: We compile and analyze feedback from various review platforms to gauge user satisfaction and market reputation.
Onboarding & Customer Support: Our evaluation prioritizes companies that offer comprehensive onboarding processes and a variety of continuous support options, enhancing user adoption and satisfaction.

Commitment to Transparency and Reader Engagement:

We conclude our evaluation process with a pledge to transparency, openly disclosing any affiliations or partnerships. We encourage our readers to share their experiences or suggest referral marketing software for future reviews, fostering a collaborative community dialogue.

What Is Referral Tracking Software?

Referral Tracking Software FAQs

Nick Cotter

Founder & CEO

With over 7 years navigating the intricate realms of marketing, and specifically B2B partner marketing, Nick has forged collaborations with top-tier tech brands, prominent agencies, and some of the industry's foremost B2B publishers and content creators. His deep immersion in both marketing landscapes showcases a trajectory of expertise and innovation. Identifying a significant void in specialized resources, he founded Growann.

The aspiration? Deliver unparalleled insights and guidance, carving out a dedicated space where the broader marketing and B2B partner marketing communities can flourish.

Best Referral Marketing Software & Program Tracking Tools