Promolayer vs SmashPops.
What happens after a shopper wins?
Compare Promolayer and SmashPops for Shopify reward eligibility, repeat attempts, automatic discounts, game selection and monthly popup impressions.
What do you need your website to do next?
Two stores can use the same wheel artwork and make different promises. One promises that a winning shopper can pay the discounted price immediately. The other promises one entry per email across an entire holiday promotion, including next week’s scratch card.
We tested those promises separately. Promolayer applied a generated discount to a cart. SmashPops revealed our configured scratch reward, then refused a second entry using the same address. The scratch test used a fixed test code, so it establishes repeat-entry handling independently of redemption.
How the comparison works
15 rounds compare both platforms against the same 196 capability criteria, with 100 points distributed across the sections. Each round explains the practical differences and adds to the running score. The table beneath each round shows how the points are awarded. The conclusions bring those results together for different uses of the platforms.
Formats & content
A wheel can retreat to a teaser after dismissal. A deadline or floating bar gives the store a smaller way to present an offer on a subsequent page. A teaser invites the visitor back to the game, and a reminder bar can keep the reward visible afterwards. They serve different moments in the same promotion.
| Formats & content | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Message | — | — |
| Flyby / slide-in | +0.64 | — |
| Promo bars | +0.32 | +0.32 |
| Teasers | +0.32 | +0.32 |
| Content carousel | — | — |
| Eye-catching | +0.64 | — |
| Countdown | +0.64 | — |
| Button link | — | — |
| Copy coupon | +0.64 | — |
| Dynamic text | — | — |
| Mobile editor | +0.64 | — |
| Score | +3.863.86 | +0.640.64 |
Forms
The standard form has space for two custom fields alongside contact details. A dropdown and a text answer fit together on one screen. An email reply or a thank-you view follows submission. The scratch template asks for a name and email. The data-collection panel controls whether the same email can enter again in one game or across all games.
| Forms | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Email capture | +0.16 | +0.16 |
| SMS capture | — | +0.32 |
| Phone field | +0.32 | — |
| Single choice | +0.32 | — |
| Multiple choice | — | — |
| Free text | +0.32 | — |
| Consent checkbox | +0.65 Consent checkbox (+0.32) · Privacy terms consent (+0.32) | — |
| Hidden fields | — | — |
| Multi-step | — | — |
| Logic | — | — |
| Validation | +0.48 Validation (+0.16) · Required fields (+0.32) | +0.48 Validation (+0.16) · Duplicate email filter (+0.32) |
| CAPTCHA | — | — |
| Email double opt-in | — | — |
| Follow-up | +1.62 Follow-up (+0.32) · After signup (+0.32) · Reward email (+0.32) · Email automation (+0.32) · Email sequences (+0.32) | — |
| Score | +3.887.73 | +0.971.61 |
Surveys
Use a dropdown for the reason for a visit and a text field for the shopper’s explanation. Reporting a satisfaction index or assigning a quiz outcome would require more than these two inputs. Players reveal offers rather than report satisfaction. A prize choice should only enter customer research as a preference when the visitor actually answered a preference question.
| Surveys | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Numeric rating | — | — |
| NPS | — | — |
| Star rating | — | — |
| Emoji rating | — | — |
| Binary rating | — | — |
| Quizzes | — | — |
| Score | +07.73 | +01.61 |
Gamification
SmashPops gives a campaign manager a way to change the game for week two and retain an email-based eligibility rule across games. Promolayer’s wheel is useful when the difference between slices is the reward itself, including free shipping or no prize.
The wheel assigns odds and an outcome to each slice, including a losing slice. A merchant can distinguish a fixed code created in Shopify from a new discount generated for the winner. The gallery offers wheel, scratch ticket, gift, slot machine, Card Dance and claw formats. In the scratch editor the prize table shows both the assigned weight and the resulting percentage.
| Gamification | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Spin the wheel | +0.66 Spin the wheel (+0.13) · Prize weights (+0.26) · Losing slices (+0.26) | +0.13 |
| Slot machine | — | +0.26 |
| Plinko | — | — |
| Lottery ball | — | — |
| Claw machine | — | +0.26 |
| Scratch card | — | +0.26 |
| Pick a gift | — | +0.26 |
| Pick a card | — | +0.26 |
| Break the egg | — | — |
| Shake the tree | — | — |
| Memory cards | — | — |
| Treasure hunt | — | — |
| Learn to earn | — | — |
| Seasonal calendar | — | — |
| Daily offers | — | — |
| Score | +0.668.4 | +1.463.07 |
Targeting
Promolayer can wait for a cart addition before inviting the shopper. In SmashPops decide both how often the invitation returns and whether the returning address is still entitled to enter. A cart addition can trigger a campaign. Item, cart value and customer-tag conditions help reserve the offer for shoppers who qualify. URL rules then narrow where they see it. Campaigns can include or exclude URL paths, distinguish devices and referrers, and use a delay, scroll depth or exit. Redisplay and repeat prize eligibility have separate settings.
| Targeting | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Page targeting | +0.23 | +0.23 |
| Geo targeting | +0.23 | +0.23 |
| Device targeting | +0.23 | +0.23 |
| Audience targeting | +2.02 Audience targeting (+0.23) · New/returning visitors (+0.23) · Referrer targeting (+0.23) · Cart targeting (+0.45) · Customer tags (+0.45) · Login status (+0.45) | +0.68 Audience targeting (+0.23) · New/returning visitors (+0.23) · Referrer targeting (+0.23) |
| Behavior triggers | +2.25 Behavior triggers (+0.23) · Time delay (+0.23) · Exit intent (+0.23) · Scroll trigger (+0.23) · Inactivity trigger (+0.45) · Custom event trigger (+0.45) · Page-load trigger (+0.45) | +0.9 Behavior triggers (+0.23) · Time delay (+0.23) · Exit intent (+0.23) · Scroll trigger (+0.23) |
| Click trigger | — | +0.45 |
| Scheduling | +0.23 | +0.23 |
| Frequency cap | +0.23 | +0.23 |
| Campaign control | +0.45 | — |
| Score | +5.8514.25 | +3.156.22 |
Experiments
Basic supports variants and a group that sees no popup. Keep that group when the decision concerns paying for the discount itself. The vendor describes an alternative to native A/B testing. Separate game reports alone do not demonstrate random allocation of visitors.
| Experiments | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| A/B testing | +2.1 A/B testing (+0.7) · Popup tests (+0.7) · No-popup holdout (+0.7) | — |
| Score | +2.116.35 | +06.22 |
Email & SMS
Paid follow-up can deliver a signup incentive and later messages. Check who owns the welcome email when a connected provider also receives the subscriber. Link a game to an email provider and map the reward code if that provider will send the prize. The game can also reveal the code on its win screen.
| Email & SMS | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Email marketing | — | — |
| SMS marketing | — | — |
| Web push | — | — |
| Score | +016.35 | +06.22 |
Team & sites
Professional includes two workspaces, while inviting collaborators by email starts on Plus. A second workspace and a separate client login are different purchasing decisions. Exporting a game to another account can help an agency reuse a design. Check separately how a client accesses player data and who may change live rewards.
| Team & sites | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Workspaces | +2.25 Workspaces (+0.56) · Several sites (+0.56) · Projects (+0.56) · Client portfolio (+0.56) | — |
| Team | +0.56 | — |
| Roles | +0.56 | — |
| Score | +3.3819.72 | +06.22 |
Developer
A developer can trigger an existing popup from JavaScript and receive form submissions by webhook. Those operations establish storefront control and outbound data delivery. A game can call a JavaScript function defined on the host site when somebody wins. This gives analytics a signal without requiring the developer to infer a win from a pageview.
| Developer | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP API | — | — |
| Browser API | +0.38 | — |
| Webhooks | +0.38 | — |
| MCP server | — | — |
| Score | +0.7520.47 | +06.22 |
Support
Email support is listed across the Shopify plans. Live chat starts at Enterprise, so include the support tier in the budget for a time-sensitive launch. Setup guides cover display rules, coupon generation and email-provider handoff. Support is accessible from the game dashboard.
| Support | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Chat support | +1.8 | — |
| Score | +1.822.27 | +06.22 |
Editor & workflow
A merchant can save a draft and preview it before switching it live. Use a restricted storefront URL for reward testing because the editor preview skips coupon creation. Save a game without activating it. The editor separates its play screen, win screen, teaser, reward settings and subscriber destinations.
| Editor & workflow | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Free editor | +0.39 | +0.39 |
| Campaign drafts | +0.39 | +0.39 |
| Saved versions | — | — |
| AI popup assistant | — | — |
| Score | +0.7723.04 | +0.776.99 |
Data & reporting
Export contacts from a list to investigate the records behind signup totals. For a coupon promotion, reconcile redeemed codes and discount amounts with the store. The dashboard separates displays, collected emails, conversion rate and sales from coupons. In our test the same address tried twice and the game recorded one email.
| Data & reporting | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Field mapping | — | +0.64 |
| Lead export | +0.32 | +0.32 |
| Scheduled reports | — | — |
| Revenue goals | — | +0.64 |
| Team notifications | +0.64 | — |
| Score | +0.9624.01 | +1.618.6 |
Integrations
An Omnisend campaign can use a SmashPops game tag and coupon property. A Promolayer merchant using Shopify Customers should decide whether the entry creates a customer or also subscribes the shopper to marketing. Choose Shopify customer creation, creation with marketing subscription or no Shopify update. Mailchimp, Klaviyo and the webhook have separate controls in the form actions. A saved provider connection is linked to each game. Omnisend can receive a game tag and distinct properties for the code and its name. Shopify Customers can be removed separately.
| Integrations | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| +0.13 Mailchimp: Connect a Mailchimp account and choose the audience that receives new form submissions. Apply tags for the signup source. Confirm the subscriber’s status before using the tag to start a welcome email. Klaviyo: Authorize Klaviyo with the required keys and choose the subscriber list for the form. Check list membership before relying on a list-triggered welcome flow. | +0.13 MailerLite: Choose the Classic or New connector for the receiving account, then link it under Data collection for the game. Klaviyo, Mailchimp: Connect the provider to the game and pass the reward code to the customer record. The provider can then send the prize email. Omnisend: Set a game-specific tag and map the coupon name and code to custom properties for the reward message. AWeber, ActiveCampaign, Drip: SmashPops lists subscriber integrations with these providers. Account-specific field mappings vary by destination. | |
| SMS | — | — |
| CRM | — | — |
| Messaging | — | — |
| Customer lifecycle | — | +0.25 MoEngage: Select MoEngage in the account integrations directory to connect the subscriber destination for a game. |
| Analytics | +0.13 Google Analytics: Promolayer forwards display, click, submission and no-display control events for analysis in GA4. | +0.13 Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager: Call a site-defined JavaScript function on a game win to dispatch the relevant analytics event. |
| Advertising | — | — |
| Marketing tools | — | — |
| Store | +0.13 Shopify: Send a signup into Shopify’s customer list and add customer tags. Shopify also supplies cart conditions for display targeting. | +0.13 Shopify: Select Shopify Customers as a signup destination independently of the internal game list. |
| Product recommendations | — | — |
| Personalization | — | — |
| Reviews | — | — |
| Content | — | — |
| Custom forms | — | — |
| Data & validation | — | — |
| Spreadsheets | — | — |
| Automation | +0.13 Shopify Flow: Shopify Flow is listed in the Shopify plan table. Make, Zapier: Receive a webhook in an automation service and route the submitted fields to another destination. The automation service handles the second step. | +0.13 Shopify Flow: The Shopify listing names Flow as a compatible service. |
| Custom connections | +0.25 Webhooks: A submitted form can send data to a configured callback URL. The Actions panel offers a test send. | — |
| Score | +0.7524.76 | +0.759.35 |
Shopify
A generated 10% wheel prize applied automatically in our test cart. A €72 product fell to €64.80 when added after the spin. The code did not require manual entry. Games can reveal existing Shopify codes or generate new ones. In our storefront test the scratch card revealed the configured test code and refused the same email on a second entry.
| Shopify | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront installation | +0.39 Install the Shopify app for storefront campaigns and Shopify-specific targeting. | +0.39 A live game also needs the theme app embed. |
| Native Shopify app | +0.39 Promolayer has its own Shopify App Store listing. | +0.39 SmashPops provides a Shopify installation and game dashboard. |
| Built for Shopify | — | — |
| Shopify media assets | — | — |
| Shopify products and variants | — | — |
| Shopify collections | — | — |
| Shopify discount assets | +0.39 A live wheel generated a unique percentage discount on the Free Shopify plan. | +0.39 Use existing Shopify codes or configure unique coupons, including percentage, fixed or buy-X-get-Y rewards. |
| Shopify metafields and metaobjects | — | — |
| Shopify customer data | +0.79 Use Shopify customer tags to select an audience. | — |
| Shopify customer synchronization | +0.39 Choose whether to create a Shopify customer, subscribe them to marketing or skip the Shopify update. The editor also accepts customer tags. | +0.39 Shopify Customers can be removed independently from the internal player list for a game. |
| Shopify events and triggers | +0.79 Open a display when the shopper adds a product to the cart. | — |
| Shopify audience and cart targeting | +0.79 Set conditions on cart items, an empty cart, cart value or customer tags. | — |
| Apply a Shopify discount | +0.39 The generated wheel code applied automatically in the cart, reducing a €72 item to €64.80. | +0.39 The reward settings offer automatic application at Shopify checkout. |
| Add a Shopify product to cart | — | — |
| Buy now / direct checkout | — | — |
| Shopify Flow | +0.39 The Shopify-specific plan table lists Shopify Flow / Automation. Its available triggers and actions need separate confirmation. | +0.39 The Shopify App Store lists Shopify Flow. |
| Score | +4.7229.48 | +2.3611.71 |
Pricing
Both Shopify offers count displays. For a weekend event forecast the number of repeat invitations along with first views. Compare the entry plans at that figure before paying for experiments or extra workspaces. Shopify plans count popup impressions across the account. At monthly rates Basic covers 15,000 for $25 and adds unbranded display, experiments and follow-up email. Free includes 100 monthly displays. Basic costs $9 for 5,000. A busy game shown repeatedly can consume more displays than the number of people who play.
| Pricing | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
A small website
| $25 / mo · Basic At one popup impression on each of 2,000 pageviews, Basic covers the workload. Free fits if targeting limits actual displays to 1,000. +0.26 points | $9 / mo · Basic At one display per pageview, 2,000 displays fit Basic. +0.74 points |
Visitors explore more pages
| $70 / mo · Standard At one popup impression on each of 60,000 pageviews, Standard covers the month. Fewer displays can reduce the required tier. +1 point | — 60,000 displays at one impression per pageview exceed the listed Business allowance. |
A higher-traffic website
| $70 / mo · Standard At one popup impression per pageview, 100,000 displays exactly use Standard’s monthly allowance. +1 point | — 100,000 displays exceed the listed Business allowance. |
Two websites on one account
| — Two domains do not establish how many independently billed Shopify stores or workspaces the client needs. | — Consolidated pricing across two independent websites is unconfirmed. |
Launch popups without vendor branding
| $25 / mo · Basic Basic removes branding and covers up to 15,000 popup impressions. +1 point | — The plan that removes vendor branding is unconfirmed. |
Run a sale or promotion
| $25 / mo · Basic At 2,000 monthly displays a coupon campaign fits Basic. Free can serve up to 1,000 displays. +0.26 points | $9 / mo · Basic Basic covers 2,000 displays of a reward campaign. +0.74 points |
Improve popup conversion with A/B testing
| $25 / mo · Basic Basic includes popup A/B testing and room for 2,000 monthly displays. +1 point | — The vendor describes an alternative experiment setup. Native split-test entitlement is unconfirmed. |
Collect data and feedback with surveys, quizzes and forms
| $25 / mo · Basic Use the two custom fields for a dropdown and a written answer. At 2,000 monthly displays the campaign fits Basic; Free covers 1,000. +1 point | — The game signup and prize selection do not establish an open-text and single-choice feedback form. |
Signup plus an automated welcome email
| — Basic supports automated replies. The monthly sending allowance for the 1,000-email workload is unconfirmed. | — Reward delivery through a connected provider does not establish a native 1,000-send allowance. |
Popups and email marketing in one platform
| — Standalone broadcasts, segments and the 5,000-send workload are unconfirmed. | — A native broadcast and segmentation plan for 5,000 emails is unconfirmed. |
| Score | +5.5335.01 | +1.4713.18 |
The final score
Choose SmashPops for a series of different games sharing an entry policy. Choose Promolayer for a cart-sensitive reward whose effect the merchant wants to compare with ordinary shopping.
- Promolayer
- 35.01
- SmashPops
- 13.18
What matters most to you?
Let’s put your priorities first
First, check that each tool can do the task. An absent or unconfirmed required capability means a dash with an explanation instead of a scenario score, and no winner highlight. Only qualifying tools share the points; a sole qualifier earns the full weight of each criterion it meets. 70 points go to the criteria directly related to it, and 30 to everything else. For “Popups without email marketing”, all 100 points go to the included capabilities and relevant popup pricing scenarios; unwanted features and email sending have zero weight. Both tools earn points for confirmed capabilities; unconfirmed ones earn zero. The first row keeps the original overall score.
| What matters to me | Promolayer | SmashPops |
|---|---|---|
| The overall feature set | 35.01 | 13.18 |
| Popups without email marketing | 36.66 | 16.28 |
| Collecting more leads | 34.66 | 16.71 |
| Driving clicks and actions | 38.73 | 16.48 |
| Popups and email marketing in one service | —Required capability unconfirmed | —Required capability unconfirmed |
| Running campaigns for my Shopify store | 36.65 | 16.84 |
| A/B testing and measuring results | 35.68 | —Required capability unconfirmed |
| Creating and editing campaigns with AI | —Required capability unconfirmed | —Required capability unconfirmed |
| Collecting data and feedback | 31.68 | —Required capability unconfirmed |
| Working with a team or managing clients | 65.34 | —Required capability unconfirmed |
| Connecting AI agents to my workflow | —Required capability unconfirmed | —Required capability unconfirmed |
How the comparison works
These scores are relative to Promolayer and SmashPops in this comparison. They cannot be carried over to comparisons with other products: each tool’s points depend on what the other participant offers.
Relative scores, not universal ratings
The same capability earns half the points when both tools have it, and all the points when only one does. Changing the opponent can therefore change a product’s score without changing the product itself. The review pages separately show absolute capability ratings without price.
One shared pool of 100 points
The 15 rounds cover 196 criteria. Each round has a set weight, divided equally among its criteria. These weights are our editorial choices.
How features earn points
If both products meet a criterion, they split its points equally. If only one does, it earns all of them. An unconfirmed capability earns zero. If neither qualifies, those points are not awarded, so the two totals can add up to less than 100.
How prices earn points
Ten scenarios carry 1 point each. We use the cheapest confirmed plan meeting each scenario’s traffic and feature requirements, billed monthly in USD. Equal prices split the point; a plan costing half as much earns twice the share. A free qualifying plan beats a paid one. If only one suitable plan and price are confirmed, it earns the full point.
Which plans count
Feature rounds cover capabilities across the products’ plans. The total does not describe a single subscription; the pricing scenarios identify the plan needed for each stated use case.
How your priorities change the score
A tool must first meet the task’s required capabilities. If a requirement is absent or unconfirmed, its scenario score is shown as a dash and it cannot be the winner; the status explains why. Only qualifying tools participate in point allocation and price comparisons. A sole qualifying tool earns the full weight of each criterion it meets; criteria it does not meet remain unearned. Standard priorities assign 70 points to their relevant criteria and 30 to the rest, preserving relative weights within each group. “Popups without email marketing” instead distributes all 100 points among its included criteria, preserving their relative weights and giving everything else zero. It includes lead capture, testing, reporting and external handoff. Its pricing criteria exclude email sending and feedback workloads. Included email features carry no penalty: only the required plan price counts. The evidence and scoring rules stay the same. The overall-feature row keeps the original weights.