5 Best Referral Software for Product Led Companies
Philipp Neusser

Philipp Neusser

Marketing
Cello

LinkedIn
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5 Best Referral Software for PLG Companies in 2025

Why PLG teams choose Cello for their user-led growth

TL;DR

Cello tops the 2025 list for PLG SaaS referral software thanks to its drop‑in SDK, success‑based free tier (up to $5 k referral ARR), multi‑currency payouts, and full GDPR/CCPA compliance. For most product‑led SaaS, start with Cello’s free tier to validate referral‑driven growth, then graduate to paid plans or specialized tools only if unique needs arise.

Why referral software matters for PLG

Product‑led businesses live or die by efficient, compounding user acquisition. A modern referral platform automates tracking, payouts, and fraud‑prevention while plugging straight into your product experience—turning happy users into a scalable growth engine.

1. Cello – Best all‑in‑one referral software for PLG SaaS

Cello sits at the top of our list because it was built for PLG SaaS: a single platform that powers in‑product user referrals and affiliate programs, with success‑based pricing that stays founder‑friendly. Key highlights:

  • Friction‑free integration – drop‑in web & mobile SDKs mean most teams launch in < 1 day.
  • Automated rewards through Stripe and PayPal; fraud checks & tax/KYC are baked in.
  • Real‑time analytics for revenue, installs and payout ROI.
  • Global readiness – GDPR/CCPA compliance plus UI & emails localized in 6 languages out‑of‑the‑box. Cello

Pricing: Freemium to $5 k referral ARR; usage‑based tiers thereafter. Free = all integrations, no hidden fees Cello

Best for PLG teams that want the fastest path to a seamless, in‑product referral experience, from early‑stage to enterprise. Test the channel risk-free with Cello.

2. FirstPromoter – Lean, Stripe‑centric tracking for subscription SaaS

FirstPromoter focuses on recurring‑revenue businesses and nails the essentials:

  • Plug‑and‑play Stripe, Paddle & Chargebee webhooks track upgrades, downgrades and churn automatically.
  • Bulk PayPal/Wise payouts plus flexible commission models (one‑time, recurring, tiered).
  • Branded affiliate portals, fraud rules and granular reporting for clicks → MRR. Work-Management.org

Pricing: Starts at $49 / mo; caps by affiliate MRR.

Drawbacks & red‑flags

  • Payout + marketplace gaps → Only PayPal / Wise payouts and no built‑in affiliate network can slow global rollout. Work-Management.org
  • Customization & tracking complaints → G2 reviewers note limited page styling, sporadic tracking hiccups and uneven support response times. G2

Avoid FirstPromoter if you must pay promoters via local rails (ACH, SEPA, etc.), need a public marketplace for rapid partner recruitment, or lack dev time to debug tracking issues.

Best for bootstrapped or indie SaaS founders who need bullet‑proof tracking on a budget.

3. SaaSquatch – Enterprise‑grade loyalty + referral suite

SaaSquatch combines referrals, rewards and loyalty in a single customer‑marketing stack:

  • Flexible theming & API/SDK allow deep brand alignment across web and mobile.
  • Built‑in analytics, fraud detection and multi‑channel touch‑points.
  • Native integrations with Salesforce, Segment, Stripe & Branch for attribution everywhere. GetApp

Pricing: From c.$500 / mo; scales to enterprise SLAs.

Drawbacks & red‑flags

  • Enterprise‑level pricing → Review aggregators call it “quite expensive” compared with mid‑market tools (starts ± $1.2 k / mo). P2P marketing
  • Clunky admin UX & thin reporting → Capterra users flag too many clicks, confusing labels and limited custom report exports. CapterraCapterra

Avoid SaaSquatch if budget agility or self‑serve reporting matters more than deep API flexibility and white‑glove support.

Best for mid‑market to enterprise SaaS needing advanced customization and security.

4. Friendbuy – Rapid A/B testing & concierge success team

Friendbuy wins points for speed and marketer autonomy:

  • Unlimited campaigns, robust analytics and rapid A/B testing without engineering cycles.
  • Deep ecosystem connections to data warehouses & subscription billing tools.
  • Dedicated onboarding specialists ensure best‑practice setup. SaaSworthy

Pricing: Starter plan $249 / mo up to $50 k sales; enterprise custom.

Drawbacks & red‑flags

  • Premium price tag → Starter tiers ($249–$749 / mo) are higher than many PLG‑friendly options. growann.com
  • Customization & developer lift → Users mention design limits, need for dev help on some integrations, and a desire for stronger in‑app analytics. SaaSworthy

Avoid Friendbuy if you’re early‑stage, price‑sensitive, or need pixel‑perfect branding without tapping engineering resources.

Best for growth teams that value experimentation velocity and white‑glove support over low entry cost.

5. Viral Loops – Template‑driven campaigns for global audiences

Viral Loops excels at quick, template‑based campaign creation:

  • Launch newsletter, wait‑list or contest referrals in minutes with pre‑built flows.
  • Real‑time dashboards, WhatsApp sharing and Shopify/WooCommerce integrations.
  • Competitive pricing ($35–$399 / mo) and 14‑day free trial. viral-loops.com

Drawbacks & red‑flags

  • Limited analytics & template rigidity → Ready‑made templates aren’t deeply customizable and reporting depth is shallow. P2P marketing
  • Support‑lag & fraud leakage → US users report time‑zone delays plus bot/fake‑account referrals slipping past filters. Capterra
  • Billing friction → A 2025 review describes “impossible to cancel” charges, so scrutinize contract terms. Capterra

Avoid Viral Loops if you need granular analytics, high‑fidelity design control, airtight anti‑fraud, or hassle‑free cancellation.

Best for start‑ups and e‑commerce brands seeking a fast, affordable solution.

Final thoughts

Referral velocity is the lifeblood of product‑led growth. Start by embedding a low‑friction share flow (Cello makes this literal copy‑paste), then iterate on incentives and messaging for each key geography. Ready to turn users into your strongest acquisition channel? Book a Cello demo today and launch in a day.

What’s the best referral software for a PLG SaaS in 2025

Cello consistently wins because it’s purpose‑built for product‑led SaaS. You get a single dashboard for user‑to‑user and affiliate referrals; the drop‑in SDK takes most teams only a few hours to ship; and a success‑based pricing model lets you stay on the free tier until you generate $5 k in referral ARR. Alternatives like FirstPromoter (great for simple Stripe tracking) or SaaSquatch (great for enterprise customization) are solid, but they tend to require more setup time or a higher upfront cost.

How do I integrate referral tracking into my PLG product with Stripe and recurring MRR?

With Cello the flow is straightforward: 1. Add the lightweight attribution library (one script tag or NPM package). 2. Connect Stripe via the pre‑built webhook that listens for subscription, invoice and refund events, automatically mapping them to referral rewards. 3. Push any edge‑case events through the REST API if you need extra granularity. 4. Drop the ready‑made Referral Component into your app so customers can share, track, and cash out without leaving the product. Other tools follow a similar pattern, but most will have you hand‑roll webhook logic or custom scripts, so Cello generally ships in a single sprint, not several.

Which referral platforms offer GDPR‑compliant, multi‑currency payouts for global SaaS users?

Cello ticks every box: full GDPR and CCPA compliance, an EU‑hosting option, and PayPal‑powered payouts in virtually any currency, all wrapped in built‑in KYC, fraud and tax handling. SaaSquatch also supports multi‑currency rewards but limits many features to higher‑priced enterprise plans.

What’s the most affordable referral software for PLG startups under $100/month?

Cello is the most wallet‑friendly because its free tier covers your first $5 k in referral revenue with no feature restrictions, so you pay nothing until the channel proves itself. Viral Loops starts at about $35 per month but caps you at 1 000 participants, making it attractive for small wait‑lists or newsletter drives. FirstPromoter’s starter plan is roughly $49 per month and works well if all your billing runs through Stripe, although payout flexibility is limited. For most SaaS teams, Cello’s pay‑as‑you‑grow model frees up budget for core product and customer activation.