Customer.io vs ReferralCandy Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Customer.io | ReferralCandy | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $100/mo | $39/mo |
| Number of plans | 3 | 4 |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | usage-based | hybrid |
Essentials
- 5k profiles (people + objects)
- AI Agent with core execution skills
- 1 million emails per month
- 2 object types
- Visual workflow builder
- LLM actions with 100K credit sample
- Email and community support
- Basic data integrations
Premium
- Custom profile volume & pricing
- Custom email volume & pricing
- 10 object types
- Elevated Agent limits + custom skills
- Daily Routines (scheduled tasks)
- Premium chat & email support
- 90-day onboarding support
- HIPAA Compliance*
- Premium data integrations
Enterprise
- Our best pricing on profile & email volume
- Custom Agent limits + execution skills
- Priority technical support
- Migration support*
- Dedicated Customer Success Manager*
- Dedicated hardware
- Audit logging & data governance
- Dedicated Technical Implementation Specialist*
- Shared Slack channel*
Basic
- Unlimited referral campaigns
- Unlimited affiliate campaigns
- Custom coupon codes
- Cash & store credit rewards
- Full API access
- Connect to Klaviyo, ReCharge, Tremendous + 20 apps
Grow
Popular- Unlimited referral campaigns
- Unlimited affiliate campaigns
- Custom coupon codes
- Cash & store credit rewards
- Full API access
- Connect to Klaviyo, ReCharge, Tremendous + 20 apps
Scale
- Unlimited referral campaigns
- Unlimited affiliate campaigns
- Custom coupon codes
- Cash & store credit rewards
- Full API access
- Connect to Klaviyo, ReCharge, Tremendous + 20 apps
Enterprise
- Unlimited referral campaigns
- Unlimited affiliate campaigns
- Custom coupon codes
- Cash & store credit rewards
- Full API access
- Connect to Klaviyo, ReCharge, Tremendous + 20 apps
Customer.io vs ReferralCandy FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- ReferralCandy is the cheaper option, starting at $39/mo vs $100/mo for Customer.io.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Neither has a free plan. But ReferralCandy offers a free trial.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. Customer.io uses usage-based pricing, while ReferralCandy goes with hybrid. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Customer.io: They're positioned mid-to-upper market for marketing automation — not trying to compete with Mailchimp on price, but undercutting Braze or Iterable on entry cost while targeting the same product-led growth companies. The $100 floor is accessible, but the annual Premium commitment signals they're really after funded startups and scaling SaaS teams. ReferralCandy: ReferralCandy sits in the middle of the referral software pack — not a bargain-bin tool, but nowhere near the enterprise loyalty platforms that charge four figures with custom contracts. The hybrid pricing lets them compete for small merchants with a low entry point while still capturing more revenue from high-volume brands through the success fee, so they're fishing in both ponds at once.
Keep tabs on both.
We'll monitor pricing changes for Customer.io and ReferralCandy and let you know when something moves.