Referral marketing is one of the most cost-effective strategies for acquiring new customers in the eCommerce space. For WooCommerce store owners, leveraging referral systems can boost visibility, increase customer loyalty, and drive conversions, without overspending on paid ads or aggressive promotions. The key is to integrate the right referral plugin tailored to WooCommerce.
WooCommerce Referral Plugins are specialized tools designed to help you automate and manage customer referral programs. These plugins make it easy for store owners to reward customers for bringing in new business, whether through direct links, email invites, or social media shares. They track referral behavior, offer customizable incentives, and often include analytics dashboards for performance monitoring.
In this blog, we’ll explore the top 10 WooCommerce Referral Plugins that can streamline your referral campaigns and align with your overall marketing goals. You’ll learn what these plugins do, how they work, the types available, and the advantages they bring to your online store. We’ll also look at individual plugin reviews, including their features, pricing, pros, and limitations, giving you all the insights needed to make an informed decision.
If you’re looking to boost your store’s growth and customer base, WooCommerce Referral Plugins are a must-have tool. They can help you leverage your existing customer network, offering them incentives to share your products with their friends and family. This kind of organic growth not only saves you on marketing costs but also builds trust, which is crucial for long-term success.
Why Do You Need WooCommerce Referral Plugins?
Referral marketing is one of the most effective ways to acquire new customers. Research shows that referred customers are more likely to make a purchase and have a higher lifetime value. WooCommerce Referral Plugins help you tap into this potential by automating the process, making it easy for customers to share your store with their networks. Additionally, these plugins often come with built-in tracking tools to monitor the success of your campaigns and ensure you’re rewarding your customers correctly.
Key Features to Look for in WooCommerce Referral Plugins
When choosing WooCommerce Referral Plugins, there are several key features you should look for to ensure the plugin fits your store’s needs:
- Easy Integration: The plugin should integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce and other essential tools like email marketing platforms.
- Referral Tracking: A good plugin will provide in-depth analytics to help you track how many referrals are being made, who made them, and the impact they’re having on your sales.
- Customizable Rewards: Look for plugins that allow you to customize the rewards (discounts, store credit, etc.) based on the value of the referral or the actions taken by the referred customer.
- User-Friendly Interface: A clean and easy-to-navigate dashboard will make managing the referral program much simpler.
- Automated Notifications: Ensure that the plugin can send out automatic notifications to customers when they’ve earned rewards or when their referral has been successful.
What Are WooCommerce Referral Plugins?
WooCommerce Referral Plugins are WordPress extensions specifically developed to facilitate and manage referral marketing within WooCommerce-powered online stores. These plugins allow merchants to implement structured customer referral systems, encouraging existing customers to refer friends, family, or colleagues in exchange for incentives such as discounts, store credits, or free products.
In simple terms, a WooCommerce referral plugin helps automate the entire referral process—from generating unique referral links to tracking referrals and rewarding participants. This eliminates manual tracking and helps businesses build scalable and systematic word-of-mouth campaigns directly within their eCommerce workflow.
Typically, these plugins integrate seamlessly with your WooCommerce backend and are designed to work with existing checkout, cart, and customer account systems. Some plugins even extend functionality to include referral popups, social sharing options, multi-level referrals, or integration with email marketing tools. As a result, they make it easier for store owners to launch, monitor, and optimize referral-based promotions without requiring advanced coding skills or marketing automation platforms.
Whether you’re a small business owner looking to grow your customer base organically or a large online store aiming to improve customer retention through referral rewards, using a WooCommerce referral plugin can offer a structured, efficient, and performance-driven solution.
Top 10 WooCommerce Referral Plugins You Should Try
1. YITH WooCommerce Affiliates Plugin
The YITH WooCommerce Affiliates Plugin is a specialized affiliate marketing tool designed to turn customers or influencers into brand advocates. With this plugin, store owners can set up an affiliate program where users earn commissions for referring others to the shop. While it’s primarily an affiliate tool, it also works exceptionally well for referral campaigns, especially if you want to track and reward conversions.
Key Features:
- Affiliate Dashboard: Each affiliate gets a personalized dashboard to track clicks, commissions, and conversions.
- Custom Commission Rules: Set global or product-specific commission rates in fixed or percentage formats.
- Referral Link Generation: Affiliates can generate unique tracking URLs to share across platforms.
- Automatic Commission Assignment: When a referred user makes a purchase, commissions are assigned automatically.
- Manual & Auto Approval: Admins can approve affiliates manually or allow self-approval for quick onboarding.
- Cookie Duration Control: Define the duration of a referral cookie (e.g., 30 days, 60 days).
- Payout Management: Keep track of pending and completed affiliate payouts inside the WooCommerce dashboard.
- Shortcodes for Pages: Use shortcodes to display affiliate registration forms, login forms, and stats anywhere.
- Multilingual & RTL Ready: Fully compatible with WPML and right-to-left languages for international stores.
Pricing:
- Free Version: Available via WordPress.org with limited features.
- Premium Version: Starting from €99.99/year on the YITH website
Pros
- Helps increase sales and brand exposure through affiliate marketing.
- Customizable commission settings to suit different marketing strategies.
- Real-time tracking and automated affiliate payouts.
Cons
- The premium version offers more advanced features and requires an investment.
- Requires some setup and configuration for optimal use.
Why It Stands Out: YITH WooCommerce Affiliates stands out for its simplicity and powerful features. It enables WooCommerce store owners to run their affiliate programs smoothly, with easy commission management and tracking. This plugin can significantly boost your marketing efforts by leveraging external promoters to drive more traffic and sales.
Also Read: 10 Best WordPress Car Dealership Themes
2.WooCommerce Reward Points
WooCommerce Reward Points is a powerful loyalty and referral plugin that enables store owners to reward customers with points for various activities such as purchases, signups, product reviews, referrals, and more. These points can be redeemed for discounts on future purchases, encouraging repeat sales and organic word-of-mouth promotion. The plugin is tailored for WooCommerce users looking to gamify their shopping experience and increase customer lifetime value.
Key Features:
- Points for Purchases: Assign reward points for each product purchase based on price, product type, or user roles.
- Referral Points System: Reward customers when their referrals register or make a purchase.
- Signup & Activity Rewards: Grant points for actions like creating an account, writing reviews, or subscribing to newsletters.
- Flexible Redemption Options: Points can be converted into fixed or percentage discounts during checkout.
- Expiry & Minimum Threshold Settings: Set point expiration dates and minimum required points to redeem.
- Custom Point Labels: Personalize point names (e.g., coins, stars, credits) to match your branding.
- Tiered Loyalty Levels: Create loyalty levels with different reward rules based on cumulative spending or earned points.
- Transaction History: Full log of points earned, used, expired, and refunded per customer.
- Admin Panel Control: Set global rules or override settings for specific products, categories, or user roles.
- Multilingual Support: WPML compatible and translation-ready for global stores.
Pricing:
- Free Version: Available with limited features (basic rewards on purchases only).
- Premium Version: Starts at $129/year via Woocommerce.com
Pros:
- Seamless integration with WooCommerce checkout and My Account areas.
- Encourages repeat purchases and referral-based marketing.
- Highly customizable reward rules and redemption settings.
- Detailed user activity and points management dashboard.
- Scalable loyalty program suitable for growing stores.
Cons:
- The free version has very basic functionality.
- Lacks some advanced gamification tools like badges or challenges.
- No built-in email marketing automation—requires integration with other tools.
3. Extend – Referral System for WooCommerce
Extend – Referral System for WooCommerce is a referral program plugin crafted to seamlessly integrate into your WooCommerce store and boost organic sales through customer advocacy. This plugin allows store owners to reward users for referring friends or family, driving engagement and repeat business while reducing reliance on paid advertising. It’s a no-fuss solution focused on simplicity, transparency, and customizability.
Key Features:
- Two-Way Rewards System: Both referrers and referees receive rewards, which can be set as fixed discounts, percentage coupons, or store credits.
- Automatic Coupon Generation: When a referral is successful, the plugin generates unique coupons for the users automatically.
- Referral Link Tracking: Each customer gets a personal referral URL that can be easily shared via email or social media.
- Customizable Referral Rules: Admins can define minimum spend, referral conditions, reward limits, and expiration dates.
- WooCommerce Integration: Built specifically for WooCommerce with native compatibility and no third-party service dependencies.
- Anti-Fraud Protections: Blocks duplicate referrals, self-referrals, and abuse using cookie tracking, email checks, and IP monitoring.
- Dashboard Management: Simple, intuitive admin dashboard for tracking referrals, issued coupons, and performance.
- Email Notifications: Sends automated emails to referrers and new users when referrals are completed and rewards are earned.
- Shortcodes & Widget Support: Easily display referral links on My Account pages or anywhere using shortcodes or widgets.
- Translation Ready: Fully compatible with multilingual setups like WPML for international stores.
Pricing:
- Free Version: Not available.
- Premium Version: Starts from $29/year for a single site license.
Pros:
- Lightweight, fast-loading, and optimized for WooCommerce environments.
- Offers both fixed and percentage-based rewards.
- Simple interface for both store owners and customers.
- No reliance on third-party platforms or APIs.
- Reasonable pricing and one-time setup.
Cons:
- No free version for testing the plugin before purchase.
- Advanced referral tree or MLM-style tracking is not supported.
- Limited analytics compared to SaaS tools like ReferralCandy or Referral Rock.
4.RewardsWP – Refer-a-Friend Plugin for WooCommerce
RewardsWP – Refer-a-Friend is a lightweight and powerful WooCommerce referral plugin designed to help store owners drive word-of-mouth marketing by incentivizing customers to refer friends. This plugin focuses on simplicity, performance, and full WooCommerce compatibility, making it ideal for small to medium-sized online businesses that want to create a self-managed referral program without relying on third-party SaaS platforms.
Key Features:
- Automatic Referral Enrollment: Customers are automatically added to the referral system after they place an order—no manual registration needed.
- Two-Sided Rewards: Offers referral incentives to both the referrer and the referred user, encouraging participation from both parties.
- Unique Referral Links: Each customer gets a unique referral URL displayed on their account dashboard for easy sharing.
- One-Click Social Sharing: Supports link sharing via social channels such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and email.
- Flexible Reward Options: Store owners can set flat rate discounts, percentage-based rewards, or store credits as referral bonuses.
- Fraud Prevention Tools: Comes with IP address tracking, email validation, and referral limitations to block spam or self-referrals.
- Simple Dashboard Analytics: Visual tracking of referral conversions and rewards directly from the WooCommerce admin panel.
- WooCommerce Native Integration: 100% integrated with WooCommerce—no external system or API required.
- Custom Referral Rules: Set rules like reward delays, minimum purchase thresholds, or product-specific referral conditions.
- Multi-language Support: Compatible with WPML and other popular translation plugins for global reach.
Pricing:
- Free Version: Not available.
- Premium Plan: Pricing starts at around $49/year for a single-site license.
Pros:
- Clean and fast interface built directly for WooCommerce.
- Strong control over referral program rules.
- No third-party subscription fees.
- GDPR-compliant and developer-friendly.
Cons:
- Lacks broader affiliate marketing functionality (focused strictly on referrals).
- No free version, which might deter small businesses on a tight budget.
- Fewer advanced automation options compared to SaaS referral tools.
5. AffiliateWP
AffiliateWP is a leading referral and affiliate marketing plugin for WordPress that delivers full-featured referral tracking and campaign management. It integrates directly with WooCommerce, turning your store into a scalable affiliate-driven revenue engine while maintaining everything on your own site. Unlike standalone referral platforms, it avoids external dependencies and network fees
Key Features
- One-click WooCommerce Integration with automatic tracking of referrals from sales links and coupons.
- Real-time Reporting Dashboard with detailed analytics for affiliates, visits, conversions, and commissions.
- Flexible Commission Structures, including one-time, lifetime, recurring, tiered, and personalized commissions.
- Affiliate Coupons & Vanity Codes enable affiliates to promote using branded links or custom coupon codes.
- Integrated Payout Service: Pay affiliates instantly via PayPal or Stripe, or use store credit for WooCommerce.
- Anti-Fraud Protection through built-in fraud detection and referral verification tools.
- Affiliate Portal & Growth Tools: Affiliate dashboards, QR codes, leaderboards, and signup bonuses to incentivize affiliates.
- Multilingual & Multi‑currency Support out of the box, for global store compatibility.
Pricing
- Personal Plan (1 site): $149.60/year (approx)
- Plus Plan (3 sites): $199.60/year, includes advanced tools and integrations
- Annual pricing includes updates and support. Refund guaranteed within 14 days
Pros
- Powerful and flexible
- Easy to manage and track affiliates
- Excellent customer support
Cons
- More suited for larger stores
- It can be a bit overwhelming for beginners
Why it stands out: AffiliateWP is perfect for businesses that want to set up a full-fledged affiliate marketing program with advanced tracking and reporting capabilities.
Also Read: 10 Best WordPress Coupon Plugins
6. WPLoyalty – WooCommerce Loyalty Rewards and Referral Program
WPLoyalty is a powerful WooCommerce plugin designed to build customer loyalty and boost word-of-mouth marketing through referrals. It allows you to set up both point-based reward systems and referral incentives with ease, making it ideal for WooCommerce stores aiming to improve customer retention and organic growth.
Key Features:
- Refer-a-Friend Program: Give both the referrer and the referred customer customizable rewards (e.g., discounts, points).
- Flexible Rewards: Offer fixed discounts, percentage discounts, free shipping, or loyalty points as referral rewards.
- Automated Sharing: Referral links are automatically generated for users to share via email, social media, or direct links.
- Points & Rewards Integration: Combine referral programs with point-based systems for purchases, sign-ups, and reviews.
- Custom Rules: Set limits, expiry, minimum purchase values, and user roles for eligibility.
- Real-time Analytics: Track referrals, rewards, and ROI directly from the dashboard.
Pricing:
- Free version available on WordPress.org with basic features
- Pro version starts at $99/year for a single site
- Tiered pricing available for multiple site licenses
Pros:
- 100% WooCommerce-native and easy to integrate
- Combining referral and loyalty programs in one
- Customizable design and rewards logic
- Email automation to prompt sharing
- Real-time tracking of referrals and earnings
Cons:
- Pro features like advanced referral rules and design customization are locked behind the paid version
- Learning curve for configuring complex campaigns
- No built-in SMS sharing (can be added with a third-party extension)
7. Social Referrals by Smile.io
Social Referrals by Smile.io is a referral marketing module built around loyalty rewards and social media sharing. Although Smile.io is widely recognized for its robust referral and points system across platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, it currently does not support WooCommerce merchants. This means full WooCommerce compatibility is not available at present.
Key Features
- Referral link generation and tracking via social sharing
- The reward system is configurable for the referrer and the referred friend
- Integrated with Smile.io’s loyalty and point system for tiered engagement
- Real-time reporting and campaign metrics
- User-friendly referral interface tailored to social campaigns
Pricing
Smile.io offers a free tier for basic functionality and trialing loyalty and referral features. Paid plans start from $49/month, scaling based on feature needs and volume.
Pros
- Great for leveraging social media for referrals
- Easy to use and integrate
- Supports various reward types
Cons
- Social sharing is the main focus, so it might not suit everyone’s needs
- Limited customization in the free version
Why it stands out: Smile.io is ideal for businesses looking to tap into social media networks for referrals, making it perfect for those with an active social following.
8. WooCommerce Refer A Friend
WooCommerce Refer a Friend, built by Addify and available on the WooCommerce marketplace, enables store owners to implement a referral program where customers can earn rewards for inviting friends. It simplifies referral marketing by automating coupon generation and tracking directly within the WooCommerce admin interface
Key Features
- Generate unique referral coupons or links that fans can share
- Reward customers (referrers) and optionally referred friends (referees)
- Trigger rewards on user registration, first order completion, or both
- Set fixed or percentage-based coupon values with expiration and prefix options
- Restrict referral rewards by product category, order value, or user role
- Display referral details, coupons, and share buttons on the My Account page
- Custom shortcodes to embed referral widgets anywhere (e.g., landing pages)
Pricing
- 1‑year license: $49/year for a single site
- 2‑year plan: discounted to $78.40 (~20% savings)
Pros
- Simple and easy to set up
- Great for small businesses
- Minimal configuration needed
Cons
- Lacks advanced features like commission-based rewards
- Limited reporting and analytics
Why it stands out: WooCommerce Refer A Friend is perfect for those who want a no-fuss referral program that is easy to set up and doesn’t require technical expertise.
9. ReferralRock
ReferralRock is a cloud-based referral marketing platform that integrates with WooCommerce to enable automated referral tracking and reward management. It is a full-featured solution built for both B2C and B2B programs and allows store owners to run referral campaigns without building custom systems. Through integrations such as Zapier or Integrately, WooCommerce stores can connect to ReferralRock and manage referrals efficiently directly from their existing workflow.
Key Features
- Seamless referral tracking integrated with WooCommerce via SDK and automation tools
- Reward workflows: create unique referral codes, emails, sharing links, and campaigns
- Multi-currency and multilingual support
- Fraud detection and invalid referral filtering
- Real-time dashboards and analytics for referral performance
- Supports post-checkout referral prompts to boost participation
- Integration enabled via Zapier, Integrately, Zoho Flow for custom triggers and actions
Pricing
- Offers a free trial period to evaluate features and set up
- After the trial, ReferralRock operates under a subscription model (monthly or annual) with pricing scaling based on referral volume, feature set, and support plans. WooCommerce integration is included with all ReferralRock plans
Pros
- Highly customizable
- Supports various types of rewards
- Advanced reporting tools
Cons
- It can be complex for beginners
- Pricing might be too high for smaller businesses
Why it stands out: ReferralRock is designed for businesses that want a fully customizable referral program, with advanced features for tracking and reporting.
Also Read: 10 Best WooCommerce Wishlist Plugins
10.ReferralCandy for WooCommerce
ReferralCandy is a widely adopted referral marketing solution that integrates smoothly with WooCommerce. It enables store owners to launch a customizable referral program that rewards customers for bringing in new buyers. The plugin is ideal for stores looking to create brand advocates and boost sales through word-of-mouth marketing.
Key Features:
- Automated referral tracking and reward distribution
- Fully customizable emails, referral links, and widgets
- Seamless WooCommerce integration
- Multi-currency and multilingual support
- Built-in fraud detection
- Real-time analytics dashboard
Pricing:
ReferralCandy offers a 14-day free trial. After that, it follows a monthly subscription model starting at $47/month, including performance-based commissions for higher-tier services.
Pros
- Simple setup process
- High conversion rates
- Excellent customer support
Cons
- It can be a bit expensive for small businesses
- Limited free trial period
Why it stands out: ReferralCandy is known for its simplicity and effectiveness, making it an excellent choice for store owners looking for an easy-to-manage referral program.
Comparison Table
| Name of Tool | Best For | Standout Feature | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReferralCandy for WooCommerce | Automated referral programs with rewards | Customizable reward options and advanced referral tracking | Paid (pricing based on plan) |
| YITH WooCommerce Affiliates | Affiliate marketing with a commission structure | Commission-based referral system with customizable rates | Paid (pricing based on plan) |
| WooCommerce Referral Program by StoreYa | Fully automated referral programs | Intuitive dashboard and customizable rewards | Paid (pricing based on plan) |
| WooCommerce Points and Rewards | Reward points for referrals | Flexible reward system with in-depth performance reports | Paid (pricing based on plan) |
| AffiliateWP | Comprehensive affiliate marketing program | Real-time reporting and analytics with customizable commissions | Paid (pricing based on plan) |
| Referred | Simple and affordable referral programs | Automated referral program setup with customizable rewards | Paid (pricing based on plan) |
| Social Referrals by Smile.io | Social media-driven referral programs | Incentivizes social sharing for referrals | Free (with premium options) |
| WooCommerce Refer A Friend | Simple referral programs with discount rewards | No-fuss, easy-to-set-up referral program | Free (with paid options) |
| ReferralRock | Comprehensive, customizable referral systems | Multiple reward options with advanced reporting | Paid (pricing based on plan) |
| WooCommerce Reward Points | Points-based reward system for referrals | Easy-to-use points-based rewards | Paid (pricing based on plan) |
Choose the Right WooCommerce Referral Plugin to Boost Customer Acquisition
Referral marketing isn’t just a trend—it’s one of the most effective, cost-efficient, and trust-building strategies for modern eCommerce businesses. With WooCommerce’s vast plugin ecosystem, store owners can easily set up robust referral programs tailored to their brand goals.
The plugins we’ve reviewed—like ReferralCandy, Social Referrals by Smile.io, AffiliateWP, and YITH WooCommerce Affiliates—offer a wide variety of referral models, from friend-invite systems to full-scale affiliate networks. Whether you’re looking for simple one-click sharing tools or complex multi-level commission structures, there’s a WooCommerce referral plugin built for your needs.
To choose the right plugin:
- Define your goals: Do you want to increase first-time purchases, reward loyal users, or partner with influencers?
- Evaluate features: Look for features like link tracking, social sharing, email integration, and analytics.
- Consider scalability: Choose a plugin that can grow with your store as traffic and customer volume increase.
- Check integration compatibility: Ensure the plugin works smoothly with your current theme, checkout system, and CRM tools.
Ultimately, investing in a high-quality WooCommerce referral plugin can drive long-term customer acquisition, improve brand loyalty, and boost revenue—all while letting your happy customers do the marketing for you.
Ready to turn your shoppers into ambassadors? Pick the plugin that fits your store’s style and start building a referral engine today.
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