Comparison

Regulr vs Smile.io

An honest, side-by-side comparison. Where Smile.io wins, where it falls short, and which tool is right for your business.

6 min read

6

Regulr only

4

Both have

0

Smile.io only

Overview

Smile.io is one of the biggest loyalty platforms in eCommerce: points, referrals, VIP tiers for online stores. It's great for Shopify merchants. But like Yotpo, it's an online tool. No POS integration, no in-store tracking, no churn prediction from visit behavior. And their top plan runs $999/month billed annually. For a local business with a physical location, it's the wrong tool entirely.

Loyalty and rewards for eCommerce

Feature-by-feature comparison

Green checkmarks mean the feature is included. Dashes mean it's not available or requires a workaround.

FeatureRegulrSmile.io
Churn prediction from visit patterns✓—
Square POS integration✓—
In-store visit tracking✓—
Digital loyalty program✓✓
Points-based rewards✓✓
Referral program✓✓
VIP tiers✓✓
Apple/Google Wallet pass✓—
Automated win-back campaigns✓—
Built for local business✓—

Pricing

Regulr

$99/mo

Per location. All features included.

Smile.io

Smile.io has a free tier, with paid plans at $15/mo (Essential), $79/mo (Standard), $199/mo (Growth), and $999/mo billed annually for Plus (smile.io/pricing, checked August 2026). Regulr is $249/mo for a single coffee shop and from $400/mo for other verticals, with the retention layer included.

Where Smile.io works well

Smile.io is best for Shopify and BigCommerce stores that want a simple points and rewards program for online customers.

Where Smile.io falls short

Built for eCommerce: no POS integration for in-store businesses
No churn prediction or automated retention from visit behavior
No in-store visit or transaction tracking
No Apple or Google Wallet passes
Advanced features sit in the top tiers ($199/mo Growth, $999/mo Plus)

Where Regulr does better

Square POS integration for real in-store tracking
Flags the customers whose visits are slowing before they stop entirely
Automated win-back and retention campaigns
Apple & Google Wallet passes for frictionless loyalty
Purpose-built for local brick-and-mortar businesses on Square

The bottom line

Smile.io is a solid choice if you need smile.io is best for shopify and bigcommerce stores that want a simple points and rewards program fo. But if your main goal is reducing customer churn with campaigns triggered by each customer's actual visit pattern, Regulr is built specifically for that.

Regulr wins on 6 features that Smile.io doesn't offer, while Smile.io has 0 features Regulr doesn't. They share 4 features in common.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Smile.io good for brick-and-mortar businesses?
Smile.io is built for online stores. Local businesses with physical locations need POS-connected retention like Regulr that tracks real visits and in-store behavior. That requires Square: if you run a different POS, Regulr can't read your visits yet.
Can Regulr do points and VIP tiers like Smile.io?
Yes. Regulr supports points, VIP tiers, and referrals, plus behavior-triggered retention, automated campaigns, and Wallet passes that Smile.io doesn't offer.
Which is more cost-effective?
It depends where you sell. Smile.io's Standard plan at $79/mo undercuts Regulr on price, but it cannot see an in-store visit at any tier. If your revenue walks through a door, the cheaper tool is the one that can't help you.

Related reading

Ready to see who's drifting and win them back? Start your free Regulr trial and connect your POS in about 5 minutes.

Founder of Regulr & City Curated

Regulr is the customer retention layer for local businesses. It plugs into your POS, learns every customer's behavior, and runs personalized retention campaigns automatically — SMS, email, wallet pass updates, and RCS sentiment routing. Built for restaurants, coffee shops, salons, med spas, fitness studios, and other independent local businesses where every customer is a name and every visit matters.