Friendbuy: Referrals & Loyalty vs VIP Pass: Refer a friend
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Nov 5, 2026 for Friendbuy, Oct 13, 2026 for VIP Pass.
The short answer
- Only VIP Pass lists a free plan.
- Friendbuy lists 14 features VIP Pass’s listing doesn’t mention, including Badges, Cash back, Coupons.
Head to head
- United States
- Canada
- Slovakia
Momentum
New reviews each month
Review pace is the clearest public read on how fast an app is winning new merchants.
Free
Free Starter
- · First $1,000 GMV 100% free
- · Monday 8 AM CEO digest
- · Storefront 72h countdown toast
- · Thank-You checkout pass
Growth Tier
- · All Free Starter features
- · Order Details admin block
- · Priority founder support
- · Shopify Flow automations
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureAcquire new customers at a jaw-droppingly low CPA through word-of-mouth referrals, and increase customer retention with personalized loyalty rewards. Friendbuy automatically injects Friendbuy code into Shopify themes and checkout pages, so you can display referral and loyalty widgets and track conversions.
A refer-a-friend referral program that runs from your Thank-you and Order status pages. Every order creates a time-limited friend pass, shared in one tap via WhatsApp or Messages — no portal, no points, no account for the friend. Friends land with the discount already applied and a countdown banner; the referrer gets a thank-you reward by email when the friend's order ships.
- Customizable Referral Program and Loyalty Program templates to get live fast
- Comprehensive reporting, analytics, and concurrent A/B testing
- Reliable fraud detection that prevents self referrals, and accounts for returns
- Share single-use 72h discount passes via WhatsApp and SMS post-purchase
- Floating countdown banner greets referred friends and applies discount to cart
- Automated weekly email summary of referral sales and top customer advocates
- Single-use codes can't leak to coupon extensions
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure |  Friendbuy |  VIP Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | 101 | Not published |
| Net store change, 28 days | +1 | 0 |
| Stores added, 28 days | 1 | Not enough data |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Apparel & Accessories, Health & Beauty, Food, Beverages & Tobacco | Not published |
| Top store countries | United States, Canada, Slovakia | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | Friendbuy | VIP Pass |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | 4.9 ★ | Not published |
| App Store reviews | 14 | Not published |
| New reviews, 28 days | 1 | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
FAQ
Friendbuy and VIP Pass: common questions
- Is Friendbuy or VIP Pass cheaper?
- Only VIP Pass lists a free plan. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- Friendbuy lists 14 the others don’t mention, such as Badges, Cash back, Coupons, Custom rewards. A feature missing from a listing may still be supported; this compares what each App Store listing says.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Nov 5, 2026 for Friendbuy, Oct 13, 2026 for VIP Pass; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Nov 5, 2026 for Friendbuy, Oct 13, 2026 for VIP Pass. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.