GrowSurf vs Viral Loops
GrowSurf and Viral Loops are both affiliate & referral programs tools. GrowSurf is aimed at small businesses and developers, while Viral Loops is aimed at small businesses and creators. Viral Loops costs less, from $49/mo versus $179/mo for GrowSurf. Only GrowSurf has a free plan.
Referral and affiliate program software for SaaS and tech startups
Referral campaigns and viral waitlists
| Pricing | Freemium · $179 | Paid · $49 |
| Starting price | $179/mo | $49/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Small businesses, Developers | Small businesses, Creators |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | US | GR · 2016 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose GrowSurf if
SaaS and tech startups that want an in-product customer referral program with fraud checks and automated rewards.
- Fast to launch inside a SaaS product without custom code
- Free affiliate plan charges only when referrals generate revenue
- Handles tax forms and payouts, not just tracking
Look elsewhere if: Shopify stores (ReferralCandy), viral pre-launch campaigns on a small budget (Viral Loops) or cheap Stripe-only affiliate tracking (Rewardful).
Choose Viral Loops if
Startups and marketers running launch or referral campaigns.
- Ready-made templates
- Great for launches
- Easy to deploy
Look elsewhere if: Ongoing affiliate programs.
GrowSurf vs Viral Loops pricing
GrowSurf
- Affiliate Free$0Affiliate programs only; 3% success fee on referral revenue
- Startup$179/mo$125/mo billed yearly; up to 2,500 participants, 2 programs
- Business$449/mo$314/mo billed yearly; up to 10,000 participants, 5 programs
- CustomCustom150,000+ participants, onboarding and volume discounts
Viral Loops
- Start-up$49/mo$35/mo billed annually; 1,000 participants
- Plus$139/mo$99/mo billed annually; 5,000 participants
- Growing$159/moBilled annually; 10,000 participants
- Power$399/mo$279/mo billed annually; 25,000 participants
- EnterpriseCustom25,000+ participants
GrowSurf · Key features
- Automatic referral link for every user via one code snippet
- White-labeled referral portal with custom domain on Business
- Qualification rules on signup, first purchase or custom events
- Automatic rewards as gift cards, cash payouts or account credits
- Fraud protection with manual reward approval options
- Affiliate programs with Stripe, PayPal and Wise payouts
Cons
- Referral plans start at $179 a month, steep for early startups
- Pricing scales with participants, so large user bases get expensive
- Startup plan limits you to two team members and two programs
Viral Loops · Key features
- Prelaunch waitlist template
- Milestone referrals
- Giveaways and sweepstakes
- Newsletter referral programs
- Ambassador programs
- Widgets and integrations
Cons
- Participant limits
- Less customizable
- Pricing per tier
GrowSurf vs Viral Loops: FAQ
Which is cheaper, GrowSurf or Viral Loops?
Viral Loops starts at $49/mo and GrowSurf at $179/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do GrowSurf and Viral Loops have a free plan?
GrowSurf has a free plan. Viral Loops has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.