Simple Affiliate vs ReferralCandy
App comparison
Simple Affiliate vs ReferralCandy
ReferralCandy is a refer-a-friend platform. It rewards existing customers for sending new customers, with an automated post-purchase loop and a success fee on net-new referred customers (typically the first three orders). It is not primarily an influencer-affiliate dashboard.
Modeled at $10,000 affiliate-attributed GMV / month: Simple Affiliate Pro $78 vs ReferralCandy $429 on published list prices. Autopay math assumes a 10% commission ($1,000).
Checked against public Shopify App Store listings and vendor pricing pages. Confirm current rates and contracts before buying.
Who each one is for
ReferralCandy is the stronger fit if the job is an automated refer-a-friend loop on net-new customers. Simple Affiliate is the stronger fit if you want an in-house affiliate program with partners, links, discount codes, Autopay, and 1099s.
Pricing
referralcandy.com/pricing lists Basic $39 plus 10.5% success fee on net-new customers (first three orders); Grow $79 plus 3.5%; Scale $249 plus 1.5%; Enterprise $799 plus 0.25%. The percentage applies to net-new referred customers, not every affiliate-attributed order. Simple Affiliate has no success fee on sales.
| Line item | ReferralCandy | Simple Affiliate |
|---|---|---|
| Published starting price | Basic $39/mo + 10.5% success fee on net-new customers | Starter $0; Pro $39/mo |
| Grow plan | $79/mo + 3.5% on net-new customers (first 3 orders) | No success fee |
| % of referred sales | Success fee on net-new customers only | None |
| Modeled at $10,000 net-new GMV | $429 on Grow ($79 + 3.5% of $10,000) | $78 on Pro with Autopay bank |
The $10,000 model treats that GMV as net-new referred customers in ReferralCandy’s first-three-orders window. If most of your affiliate GMV is repeat or influencer traffic, ReferralCandy’s success fee may not apply the same way — confirm on referralcandy.com/pricing. Simple Affiliate’s Autopay fee is on commission payouts (10% of GMV assumed here), not on GMV.
Features
Capabilities below are for a typical Shopify store. Plan and add-on limits apply. ReferralCandy features come from its App Store listing and public docs, not from a paid trial of every SKU.
| Feature | Simple Affiliate | ReferralCandy |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | ||
| Shopify Admin embedded app | YesShopify Admin app home | Yes |
| Shopify App Store listing | Yes | Yes |
| In-house program on the merchant store | YesProgram stays on the merchant store | Partial |
| Affiliates use Shopify customer accounts | YesAffiliates use Shopify customer accounts | — |
| No percentage of referred sales | YesFlat monthly Shopify subscription | — |
| Automated refer-a-friend loop | PartialIn-house referral program | Yes |
| Program tools | ||
| Affiliate roster and groups | PartialUnlimited on Basic+ | PartialAdvocate program |
| Unique discount codes | PartialPro+ | Yes |
| Per-product commissions | PartialPro+ | Partial |
| Klaviyo integration | PartialBasic+ | Partial |
| CSV program import | YesPaid Shopify plan and store-age safeguards | — |
| Payouts and tax | ||
| Automatic commission payouts | YesStripe; merchant pays the fee | Partial |
| Merchant pays payout processing fee | YesStripe; merchant pays the fee | Partial |
| IRS 1099-K / 1099-NEC facilitation | YesEligible U.S. Autopay affiliates | — |
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Simple Affiliate vs ReferralCandy. Updated August 18, 2026.
How does Simple Affiliate bill compared with ReferralCandy?
Simple Affiliate is a flat monthly Shopify subscription: Starter $0, Basic $19, Pro $39, Premium $69, Enterprise $189, with a 14-day trial on paid plans. There is no percentage of referred sales. Autopay processing fees are extra (3.9% bank / 8.9% card on Pro) and paid by the merchant on commission payouts, not deducted from the affiliate. ReferralCandy uses a different published model, described on this page from its App Store listing and vendor pricing page. Confirm current rates before buying.
Does Simple Affiliate keep the program on my store the way ReferralCandy does?
Simple Affiliate is an in-house Shopify app. Affiliates sign in with your store’s customer accounts and the dashboard stays on your domain (new customer accounts) or a branded theme page such as /pages/simple-affiliate (classic accounts). ReferralCandy may use a vendor-hosted portal or marketplace. Cite /pages/sc-faq/why-use-simple-affiliate-instead-of-a-network.
Should I compare this with Shopify Collabs?
Shopify Collabs is Shopify’s included creator marketplace. These pages name it in prose and link apps.shopify.com/collabs and shopify.com/collabs. There is no Simple Affiliate vs Shopify Collabs URL. These pages do not recommend uninstalling Shopify products such as Shopify Collabs.
Is ReferralCandy an affiliate app?
It is a refer-a-friend product. Public pricing bills a success fee on net-new customers (first three orders on the published tiers). Simple Affiliate is an in-house affiliate and referral app for partners who share links and codes. Pick ReferralCandy when the job is friend-gets-friend automation.
Does the modeled $429 assume every sale is net-new?
Yes. Grow at $79 + 3.5% of $10,000 is $429 only if that GMV is net-new referred customers in the first-three-orders window. Repeat or influencer orders may not incur that fee. This page states that assumption instead of inventing a blended rate.
Sources and other comparisons
- ReferralCandy on the Shopify App Store
- ReferralCandy pricing
- All Simple Affiliate vs pages
- Simple Affiliate pricing
- Autopay processing fees
- Simple Affiliate vs UpPromote
- Simple Affiliate vs GoAffPro
- Simple Affiliate vs Social Snowball
ReferralCandy is a trademark of its owner. Simple Affiliate is not affiliated with ReferralCandy. Shopify is a trademark of Shopify Inc. Simple Affiliate is a third-party Shopify App Store app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Shopify. These pages compare independent App Store products and do not recommend uninstalling Shopify products such as Shopify Collabs. See shopify.com. List prices verified .