Software comparisons
Affiliate software comparison · Reviewed 2026-07-16
ReferralHero vs Gleam
ReferralHero and Gleam both serve teams comparing referral software, but they differ in pricing and operating fit. Choose ReferralHero when customer referral programs is the priority; choose Gleam when you need customer referral programs.
Quick answer
Choose ReferralHero if
- Free plan available matches your budget and buying model
- You need designed for customer-led acquisition
- Customer referral, ambassador, and advocacy programs is the closer fit for your program
Choose Gleam if
- Free plan available matches your budget and buying model
- You need designed for customer-led acquisition
- Customer referral, ambassador, and advocacy programs is the closer fit for your program
Side-by-side comparison
Best fit
ReferralHeroCustomer referral, ambassador, and advocacy programs
GleamCustomer referral, ambassador, and advocacy programs
Public price
ReferralHeroFree plan available
GleamFree plan available
Pricing model
ReferralHeroSubscriber-based tiers
GleamPer-app or bundled subscription
Billing & commerce
ReferralHeroCustomer events, rewards, and commerce integrations
GleamCustomer events, rewards, and commerce integrations
Partner discovery
ReferralHeroCustomer and advocate activation
GleamCustomer and advocate activation
Payouts
ReferralHeroCash, credit, gift, or vendor-specific reward workflows
GleamCash, credit, gift, or vendor-specific reward workflows
Trial
ReferralHeroVerify with vendor
GleamVerify with vendor
Capability check
Subscription attribution
ReferralHeroVerify — Confirm how referrals connect to purchases and recurring revenue.
GleamVerify — Confirm how referrals connect to purchases and recurring revenue.
Affiliate portal
ReferralHeroPartial — Participant experiences vary from share widgets to full portals.
GleamPartial — Participant experiences vary from share widgets to full portals.
Partner recruitment
ReferralHeroPartial — Activation usually starts with an existing customer or community audience.
GleamPartial — Activation usually starts with an existing customer or community audience.
Automated payouts
ReferralHeroVerify — Check cash, credit, gift, fulfillment, approval, and fraud workflows.
GleamVerify — Check cash, credit, gift, fulfillment, approval, and fraud workflows.
Multi-motion PRM
ReferralHeroLimited — Referral tools are generally narrower than partnership platforms.
GleamLimited — Referral tools are generally narrower than partnership platforms.
After choosing the software, help affiliates find the program
Your tracking platform runs the program. AffiliList makes the offer discoverable by marketers comparing commission rates, payout models, cookie windows, and audience fit.
List your affiliate program