LoyaltyLion vs Subscribfy: Which Model Fits? (2026)

LoyaltyLion vs Subscribfy looks like a loyalty app comparison. It is really a comparison between two ways of keeping customers.

LoyaltyLion is one of the established points platforms on Shopify: earning rules, rewards, referrals, VIP tiers on higher plans, and a strong Klaviyo integration. Subscribfy is built around paid membership, where a customer pays a monthly fee, gets it back as store credit, and receives perks. Subscribfy also includes a points and referral program for membership clients.

If you already run LoyaltyLion and wonder whether a membership would do more, this article is for you.

LoyaltyLion vs Subscribfy: what is the difference?

LoyaltyLion is a points-based loyalty program priced by your store’s monthly order volume, with VIP tiers on its Advanced plan. Subscribfy is a paid membership platform priced per plan plus membership transactions, where members prepay for store credit and perks, and loyalty points are included for membership clients.

LoyaltyLion’s pricing page lists Classic at $199 a month including 500 orders, with Advanced adding VIP tiers, points on product pages, multi-location Shopify POS and multilingual translations. Advanced and Plus prices depend on order volume. Subscribfy’s plans are on our pricing page.

Is LoyaltyLion or Subscribfy better for retention?

For customers who already buy often, a paid membership usually changes behavior more, because members prepay and then spend credit they own. Points reward a purchase after it happens, and over a quarter of loyalty points go unspent, according to Antavo’s 2026 Global Customer Loyalty Report.

Points programs are good at one thing: nudging a customer toward the next purchase with a visible reward. They are weaker at the part retention depends on, which is getting customers to commit before they drift. Antavo’s 2026 report found that 26.2% of loyalty points go unspent and 11.9% expire unspent.

A membership flips the timing. The member pays first. Their credit sits in their account, and spending it feels like spending their own money, because it is. That is why Tres Colori now generates 50% of its total revenue from members, in jewelry, a category with almost no natural reason to return monthly.

McKinsey’s 2020 survey on paid loyalty points the same way: members of paid loyalty programs were 60% more likely to spend more on the brand after joining, against 30% for free programs.

LoyaltyLion vs Subscribfy pricing: how do the costs compare?

LoyaltyLion’s cost scales with store orders; Subscribfy’s scales with membership charges. LoyaltyLion is a cost line. A Subscribfy membership is a revenue line, because fees are collected upfront. The fair comparison is net: what each program costs against what it brings in.

Take a store on LoyaltyLion Classic at the published $199 entry price. Now add a membership on Subscribfy Pro with 600 members paying $25:

• Subscribfy Pro: $199 + 1.49% of $15,000 ($223.50) + 25¢ × 600 ($150) = $572.50 a month.

• Membership fees collected: $15,000 a month, before any product ships.

If you replace LoyaltyLion with Subscribfy’s included loyalty program, the LoyaltyLion fee disappears too. If you keep both, you are paying for two points engines.

Curious what a membership would add next to your points program? Book 30 minutes with our CEO and bring your repeat purchase rate; we will model it.

When should you choose LoyaltyLion?

Choose LoyaltyLion if you want a points and referral program with deep earning rules, your customers are not ready to pay a monthly fee, or your repeat purchase rate is too low to support a membership yet.

A paid membership needs customers who come back. If most of your buyers purchase once and disappear, fix that first. A well-run points program can build the habit a membership later monetizes.

When should you choose Subscribfy?

Choose Subscribfy if you have a meaningful base of repeat customers, you want a recurring revenue line instead of another loyalty expense, and you want membership, points and subscriptions in one platform with a team that designs the program with you.

Dossier+ is a good example of layering: the membership was added on top of Dossier’s existing loyalty program. Members show a 144% higher LTV, and 48% of shoppers opt in at checkout.

With Subscribfy, loyalty is included free for membership clients. A customer who pays to belong and accumulates points toward a reward is the hardest customer to lose.

Can I keep LoyaltyLion and add Subscribfy?

Yes. You can launch the membership first and keep your points app until its contract ends, then consolidate. Running both long term means two sets of rules, two widgets and two data sources, so moving points into Subscribfy once the membership is live is usually simpler.

A typical Subscribfy launch takes two to three weeks, with migration assistance included.

Thinking about adding a paid tier on top of your points program? Book 30 minutes with our CEO and we will model it on your numbers.

Frequently asked questions

Does LoyaltyLion offer paid memberships?

LoyaltyLion is built around points, rewards, referrals and VIP tiers. Its model is not a paid membership that returns a monthly fee as store credit.

How much does LoyaltyLion cost?

LoyaltyLion’s published Classic plan starts at $199 a month including 500 orders. Advanced and Plus are priced by order volume. Check LoyaltyLion’s site for current pricing.

Does Subscribfy include a points program?

Yes. Subscribfy includes points, cashback, referrals, VIP tiers and punch cards, free for membership clients.

Which is better for a brand with high repeat purchase rates?

Brands whose customers already buy often usually get more from a paid membership, because it converts that habit into prepaid revenue and higher spend per member.

Can Subscribfy integrate with Klaviyo?

Yes. Subscribfy syncs eight membership events to Klaviyo automatically, including created, cancelled, paused, successful charge and credit expiry.