Brandwave

ReferralCandy vs Smile.io:Which is more popular by branded search?

In August 2026, Smile.io had more branded searches than ReferralCandy among referral programme platforms worldwide. Smile.io was estimated to have 2.1K branded searches compared to ReferralCandy’s 1.4K, and held a 7.4% Share of Search versus ReferralCandy’s 4.9%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search among referral programme platforms worldwide in August 2026Which is more popular in search, ReferralCandy or Smile.io?
ReferralCandy4.9%1.4K searches
vs
Smile.io7.4%2.1K searches

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Which is more popular in search, ReferralCandy or Smile.io?

Compare the platforms used to run customer referral programmes. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

ReferralCandy and Smile.io among referral programme platforms worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Smile.io, ReferralCandy. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthYotpoAmbassadorSmile.ioTalkableReferralCandy
Oct 202572.7%8.8%5.2%5.9%7.4%
Nov 202571.8%8.6%6.4%5.7%7.4%
Dec 202572%8.9%5.7%5.9%7.6%
Jan 202670.2%10.6%6.2%5.7%7.3%
Feb 202671.7%8.7%6.3%5.7%7.5%
Mar 202669.3%10.3%7.7%5.5%7.2%
Apr 202676%9%5.2%4.8%5%
May 202672.5%8.9%6.5%5.9%6.2%
Jun 202672.5%10.9%5.7%5.8%5.1%
Jul 202673.3%10.9%5.7%4.9%5.1%
Aug 202669.3%12.6%7.4%5.7%4.9%
Sep 2026—————

How has the ReferralCandy and Smile.io comparison changed over the last 12 months?

  • The lead changed hands once in the 11 months ending August 2026: Smile.io took it in March 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, ReferralCandy’s estimated Share of Search among referral programme platforms worldwide moved from 7.4% to 4.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3K to 1.4K.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Smile.io’s estimated Share of Search among referral programme platforms worldwide moved from 5.2% to 7.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.1K.

How did search popularity change for referral programme platforms worldwide in August 2026?

  1. In August 2026, Talkable overtook ReferralCandy to rank 4th among referral programme platforms worldwide, at 5.7%.

  2. In August 2026, Smile.io gained estimated Share of Search among referral programme platforms worldwide, from 5.7% to 7.4%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for ReferralCandy worldwide fell 53.3% over 11 measured months, from 3K to 1.4K in August 2026.

How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using ReferralCandy’s and Smile.io’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

ReferralCandy

4 branded search terms

  • referralcandy
  • referralcandy alternatives
  • referralcandy shopify
  • referralcandy.com

Smile.io

4 branded search terms

  • smile io
  • smile.io
  • smile.io points
  • smile.io rewards

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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