What is SaaS referral software?
SaaS referral software is a tool designed to help software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses create, manage, and track customer referral programs. It keeps track of all the referrals made by existing customers and automates the rewarding process.
How does a SaaS referral software work?
The referral software assigns each user a unique referral link, which they can share through email, social media, or direct messages. When a new customer clicks the link and signs up, the system tracks the referral and verifies if they meet the program's pre-defined criteria.
Upon verification, the software automatically distributes pre-defined rewards to both the referrer and the referred—such as subscription discounts, feature upgrades, early access to upcoming features, or branded merchandise—ensuring a smooth and automated referral process with no manual effort.
5 best SaaS referral software
Here are a few referral software solutions that are most popular among SaaS businesses and you can seriously consider too. These software will allow you to set up a referral program for your brand:
Cello
Cello offers the easiest way to add a referral program to your SaaS product. You can embed referrals directly into your product with just a few lines of code using its flexible SDK.
For your users, the referral-sharing options are just as efficient. It offers multiple link-sharing options, such as QR codes and social media, along with auto-generated landing pages to simplify the process.
Key features:
Embedded referral framework to seamlessly integrate referral functionality into your product experience.
Floating action button to make referrals more discoverable and easily accessible within the user interface.
Personalized offer banners to boost sign-up.
Multi-channel sharing to let users refer friends through LinkedIn, Email, Twitter/X, and other platforms.
Real-time reward tracking to keep users engaged by providing instant updates on referral progress.
Comprehensive insights to easily modify campaign settings and optimize the referral program.
Pricing:
Cello uses success-based pricing for its referral program platform. This means you pay based on the revenue generated through referrals. The platform offers four plans, including:
| Plans |
Pricing |
Limit |
| Free |
$0/month |
Up to $5k referral ARR |
| Grow |
$350/month |
Up to $50k referral ARR |
| Scale |
$750/month |
Up to $100k referral ARR |
| Enterprise |
Custom pricing (contact for details) |
Unlimited referral ARR |
Ambassador
While Cello may be the simplest choice for adding referral functionality directly into your SaaS product, Ambassador takes referral marketing to the next level by combining affiliate, influencer, and partner programs in one platform.
Creating a referral campaign on Ambassador is a straightforward process. You start by selecting the campaign type- whether that's a referral or affiliate program - and then customize essential details like rewards, terms, and target audiences. The overall set up process is pretty intuitive.
Key features:
Enrollment Page feature to provide a seamless sign-up experience for new users joining the referral program.
Multi-tiered reward structure to offer varying levels of incentives, encouraging deeper engagement from customers that can be set up without any coding.
Rewards Reminders to encourage participants to complete actions needed to claim their rewards.
Advanced fraud protection to detect and prevent fraudulent activities within the referral program.
CRM and marketing tool integrations to synchronize with platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and more.
Pricing:
Ambassador offers tiered pricing to accommodate business needs of different sizes. The platform offers three plans, including:
| Plans |
Pricing |
| Growth |
From $150/month |
| Pro |
From $500/month |
| Enterprise |
Custom pricing |
Growsurf
If you're a tech startup looking to launch a customer referral program but don't want to burden your dev team with extra work, GrowSurf could be the solution. Its plug-and-play software enables quick implementation of in-product referral programs and auto-generates unique referral codes.
You can also automate rewards like gift cards, cash payouts, or account credits or manually approve who receives them.
Key features:
Multi-campaign management to run different referral campaigns at the same time, targeting various customer segments.
Advanced Analytics to measure campaign performance, conversion rates, and channel effectiveness.
Anti-fraud measures to detect and block fake referrals, keeping the program fair and reliable.
Connects with your payment platform and tracks when referrals happen and a payment is received.
ESP integration to directly display referral links within your email campaigns, making it easy to promote your referral program
Pricing:
GrowSurf pricing plans are based on the number of participants in your referral program. The platform provides three plans, including:
| Plans |
Pricing (billed annually) |
Participants |
| Startup |
$ 125 per month |
Up to 2500 participants |
| Business |
$314 per month |
up to 10,000 participants |
| Enterprise |
Custom pricing |
For 150,000+ participants |
SaaSquatch
SaaSquatch is a referral platform designed to help businesses create personalized and automated referral programs that effectively engage customers.
It provides the flexibility to place referral programs where users are most likely to convert, such as within your SaaS app, on post-purchase or sign-up thank-you pages, or on dedicated landing pages.
The platform also allows you to offer tiered rewards based on various customer actions. You can select from an extensive reward library or create custom incentives.
Key features:
Activity Dashboard to track key metrics, such as referrals, conversions, and overall engagement, all in one place.
Custom domains to maintain brand identity when sharing referral links.
Leaderboards to gamify referrals and encourage participants to meet program goals.
Reward Exchange to let users trade earned points for different rewards.
User Segmentation to create targeted participant groups for better personalization and ROI.
Pricing: Custom pricing.
Referral Factory
Referral Factory simplifies this process of building a referral program. The platform allows users to choose from a wide range of templates designed for different industries and business models.
Whether a company wants to incentivize customers, partners, or employees to bring in referrals, there's a template that fits. These templates can be customized using a drag-and-drop builder too.
Key features:
Drag-and-drop builder to easily create and customize referral programs without technical knowledge.
Access to tools like popups, widgets, QR codes, email tools and so on.
Automated tracking to automatically monitor conversions and reward eligibility with minimal manual effort.
Multi-currency rewards to accommodate users from different countries and expand your referral program globally including coupons, tokens, credits and more.
Analytics dashboard to provide valuable insights into program performance and track key metrics for optimization.
Pricing
Referral Factory pricing plans are based on the number of users and referral programs needed. The platform offers four pricing plans, including:
| Plans |
Pricing (billed annually) |
Description |
| Starter |
$76/month |
Up to 500 users and 1 live referral program |
| Basic |
$160/month |
Up to 20,000 users and unlimited referral programs |
| Pro |
$320/month |
Up to 40,000 users and unlimited referral programs |
| Enterprise |
$800/month |
Over 100,000 users and unlimited referral programs |
Key features to look for in a SaaS referral software
There are many referral software solutions available, ranging from broad marketing tools to platforms solely dedicated to managing referral programs. Whatever option you choose, ensure it includes these key features:
Referral tracking: Your referral software must have an automated referral tracking feature to monitor which customers are bringing in new sign-ups, the timing of those referrals, and how often they contribute to the program.
Customizable rewards: The software should offer customizable rewards to tailor incentives to your audience's preferences. Having flexible reward options, like discounts or free features, encourages greater participation in the program.
CRM Integration: Your referral software should integrate with your CRM to synchronize customer data and referral activity. This makes it easier to follow up on referred users and convert them into paying customers.
Multiple sharing options: Your referral software should offer various ways for users to share their referral links, such as through social media, email, and even direct messaging. This gives them the flexibility to choose the method that works best for them.
Analytics: Your referral software must provide you with insights into how your referral program is performing, showing which campaigns or rewards are most effective. This will help you fix issues and optimize your referral program for best results.
