RefRef vs Friendbuy

Skip the quote and the weeks of onboarding. Launch today.

Friendbuy is a full-service referral, loyalty, and affiliate platform for consumer brands, and RefRef runs the same three programs on an open-source engine. Friendbuy sells by quote on an annual license with four to six weeks of onboarding; RefRef publishes every price, starts free, and lets your team launch on its own.

Start free Compare feature by feature

Open sourceFree up to 1,000 active participantsNo share of your revenue

Updated October 20, 2026, checked against the official pages of Friendbuy.

Feature scorecard

RefRef

12/12

Friendbuy

6/12

+4 partly

YesOpen sourceFriendbuy: Proprietary; its terms bar reverse engineering the service.
YesPricing that doesn't tax your growthFriendbuy: Flat annual license with no per-referral fee; price by quote only.
YesCash payouts with tax formsFriendbuy: Cash and gift cards via Tremendous, funded by you; W-9s in Tremendous.
YesShopify and WooCommerceFriendbuy: Shopify and Salesforce Commerce Cloud; WooCommerce not listed.

See all 12 rows

01RefRef vs FriendbuyFeature by feature

RefRef vs Friendbuy: feature comparison

RefRef and Friendbuy, feature by feature
Feature	RefRef	Friendbuy
Open source	YesAGPLv3 on GitHub. Use RefRef Cloud or run it yourself.	NoProprietary; its terms bar reverse engineering the service.
No vendor lock-in	YesFull data export, REST API, and webhooks.	YesMerchant API and webhooks for rewards, ledger, and customers.
Pricing that doesn't tax your growth	YesPriced by active participants. No share of referred revenue, no fee on your own payout rail.	PartlyFlat annual license with no per-referral fee; price by quote only.
Referral, affiliate, and loyalty	YesAll three program types on one integration.	YesReferral, loyalty, and influencer and affiliate programs.
AI assistant and MCP	YesSet up and run programs from the in-app assistant, Claude, Cursor, or Codex.	YesMCP for Claude and ChatGPT; AI offer recommendations.
Cash payouts with tax forms	YesPayPal payouts in 98 countries. W-9 and W-8BEN collected.	PartlyCash and gift cards via Tremendous, funded by you; W-9s in Tremendous.
Rewards inside your billing	YesAccount credit, discounts, and plan upgrades in Stripe, Paddle, Polar, Dodo Payments, and RevenueCat.	YesStripe credit, free renewals, and coupons; needs Stripe Invoicing.
Shopify and WooCommerce	YesNative Shopify app and WooCommerce plugin.	PartlyShopify and Salesforce Commerce Cloud; WooCommerce not listed.
Signup attribution for your auth stack	YesBetter Auth plugin and recipes for Clerk, Supabase, Auth0, WorkOS, and Auth.js.	PartlyJavaScript SDK and API; no auth-provider plugins listed.
Embeddable widget and join pages	YesBranded referral widget and public partner join pages.	YesReferral widgets and emails, built by Friendbuy at onboarding.
Custom link domains	YesShare links on your own domain.	YesCustom short domain, set up by support and fixed once set.
Free plan	YesFree up to 1,000 active participants.	NoNo free plan; platform fees under an annual agreement.

Friendbuy facts checked on October 20, 2026 against its official pages. See sources

Switch from Friendbuy to an open-source platform, free to start.

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02Why teams switchThe case

Why teams choose RefRef over Friendbuy

Start today, not after a sales cycle

Friendbuy publishes no prices and onboards each brand over four to six weeks. RefRef publishes every plan, is free up to 1,000 active participants, and lets your team launch a program on its own.

Month to month, not an annual license

RefRef is AGPLv3 on GitHub with full data export, a REST API, and webhooks. Use RefRef Cloud month to month or run it on your own infrastructure.

PayPal payouts without a Tremendous account

RefRef pays partners through managed PayPal payouts in 98 countries for 2%, with W-9 and W-8BEN forms collected, and rewards customers with credit, discounts, and plan upgrades in Stripe, Paddle, Polar, Dodo Payments, and RevenueCat.

03Inside RefRefProduct tour

Everything you need, from the first click to the payout.

Referral, affiliate, and loyalty in one place

Run customer referrals, a partner program, and a loyalty program side by side, each with its own rewards and results.

Rewards inside your billing

Give account credit, discounts, or plan upgrades straight in Stripe, Paddle, Polar, Dodo Payments, or RevenueCat.

RefRef Console: choosing how rewards are delivered in Stripe

Partners, invitations, and applications

Invite partners, approve applications, and give each one a branded join page and link.

Cash payouts, done for you

RefRef pays partners through PayPal in 98 countries, collects W-9 and W-8BEN forms, and shows every statement.

RefRef Console: payout statements and transfers

04PricingWhat you pay

Friendbuy pricing vs RefRef pricing

RefRef

RefRef plans
Plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0	Up to 1,000 active participants
Starter	$49/month	5,000 active participants ($29 billed annually)
Pro	From $119/month	10,000 to 50,000 active participants, custom domains

No overage, no share of referred revenue. Managed PayPal payouts cost 2%.

Friendbuy

Friendbuy plans
Plan	Price	Includes
Custom	Quote only	Flat annual license with no per-referral fee; monthly platform fees on an annual agreement

05IntegrationsEcosystem

Plugs into the stack you already run.

Native billing, commerce, and auth integrations, plus an open API, webhooks, and MCP for AI agents. The ecosystem grows every month.

Billing: StripePaddlePolarDodo PaymentsRevenueCat
Commerce: ShopifyWooCommerce
Auth: Better AuthClerkSupabaseAuth0WorkOSAuth.js
Payouts: PayPalW-9 and W-8BEN forms
Automation and AI: REST APIWebhooksMCPZapierMakeActivepiecesClaudeCursorCodex

06SwitchThree steps

Switch from Friendbuy in three steps.

Your partners and customers keep what they earned. We help you move.

Start free Get migration help

Export advocates, referral links, and unredeemed rewards from Friendbuy, including account credit and points balances from its ledger.

Import them into RefRef referral and loyalty programs keyed by the same customer IDs, and connect Shopify, Stripe, or your billing provider.

Send advocates their new RefRef links, then test a referral, a purchase, and a refund before you switch the widget.

07QuestionsFAQ

Is RefRef a good Friendbuy alternative?

Yes, if you want referrals, loyalty, and affiliates without a quote or an annual license: RefRef publishes its prices and is free up to 1,000 active participants. Friendbuy remains a strong choice for brands that want a fully managed launch.

How much does Friendbuy cost?

Friendbuy does not publish prices; it sells a flat annual license with no per-referral fee, and its Shopify listing says monthly platform fees apply under an annual agreement. RefRef is free up to 1,000 active participants, and Starter is $49/month, or $29 billed annually, for 5,000.

How long does Friendbuy onboarding take?

Four to six weeks, during which Friendbuy designs and builds the widgets and emails for your brand. RefRef is self-serve, so your team can launch a program on its own.

How does Friendbuy pay cash rewards?

Through Tremendous: Friendbuy sends cash and gift cards from a Tremendous account that you fund, and W-9s are handled in Tremendous. RefRef pays through managed PayPal payouts in 98 countries for 2% and collects W-9 and W-8BEN forms itself.

Is Friendbuy open source?

No. Friendbuy is proprietary, and its terms bar reverse engineering the service. RefRef is AGPLv3 in the public amicalhq/refref repository, on RefRef Cloud or your own infrastructure.

When Friendbuy fits

Choose Friendbuy if you are a large consumer brand that wants a project-managed launch, with widgets and emails designed and built for you, and you are ready to commit to an annual license.

Sources, checked October 20, 2026

Written by the RefRef team. Friendbuy is a trademark of its owner; RefRef is not affiliated with it. Plans change, so check the official pages before you buy. Spot an error? Tell us and we correct it.

Ready to switch from Friendbuy?

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