SARAL Vs. Shopify Collabs: Features & Pricing Comparison

In today’s day and age of eCommerce, influencer marketing isn’t just a marketing channel to keep a backlog for future marketing experiments. It’s become a go-to channel for a brand of any size.

With the rise of ad costs, brands are turning to influencer marketing to drive brand awareness and acquire new customers. But, to make it happen, brands turn to influencer marketing tools to find, onboard, and manage all their influencers automating away the manual tasks.

Among these are Shopify Collabs and SARAL, two tools helping eCommerce brands manage influencer programs. In this blog, we’ll talk about how each tool’s capabilities, key features, pricing, user reviews, pros, and cons so that you can come to a decision on which one to choose.

TL;DR

Team Fit: SARAL is tailored for eCommerce brands and agencies seeking a comprehensive influencer marketing solution with advanced features. Shopify Collabs is designed for small to medium-sized Shopify merchants looking to initiate influencer collaborations within the Shopify influencer network.

Cost & Flexibility: SARAL offers flexible quarterly pricing plans starting at $12K per year, catering to various stages of influencer marketing. Shopify Collabs is free to install for Shopify merchants, with a 2.9% processing fee on payments to creators.

Workflow Style: SARAL provides a full-stack platform with features like influencer discovery across multiple platforms, automated outreach, CRM, affiliate tracking, and social listening. Shopify Collabs focuses on connecting Shopify merchants with creators, managing gifting, discount codes, and commission payments within the Shopify admin.

Best Fit Strategy: Choose SARAL if you're looking for a robust, scalable influencer marketing platform with advanced automation and analytics. Opt for Shopify Collabs if you're a Shopify merchant and are just getting started with influencer marketing.

1. SARAL

SARAL is a simple, affordable, and user-friendly influencer marketing tool built for eCommerce brands of all sizes. With SARAL, you actually systemize your influencer marketing efforts, which is what gets you results. We don't do unfair annual contracts, or have a month-long onboarding process.

If you're still using Google Sheets or some other tool to manage influencers, you're wasting hours each week on stuff that does not move the needle. You can use SARAL to automate the boring work and make some real money with influencers.

Who Should Use This?

Ecommerce and DTC Brands of all sizes. Influencer Marketing Agencies of any scale. We developed this platform for influencer managers, CMOs, and CEOs/Founders. Anyone can use it and build your ambassador programs.

Pricing:

SARAL offers flexible quarterly pricing to suit different stages of your influencer marketing journey:

• Starter: $12K per year. Ideal for those just beginning to explore influencer marketing.
• Business: $15K per year. Well-suited for businesses looking to expand their existing influencer programs.
• Professional: $25K per year. Designed to help streamline large-scale influencer initiatives.

Check out each plan in detail here.

Free Trial?

Yes, a free trial is available for you to explore SARAL's features once a call is complete. Try it out for yourself here.

Key Features:

1. Find Perfect Partners - Find creators across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram with detailed metrics, audience insights, and contact info.
2. Save Time on Outreach - Send personalized campaigns at scale with our AI-powered inbox and automated email sequences.
3. Manage Relationships - Keep all your influencers, affiliates, and brand ambassadors organized in one beautiful CRM.
4. Track Performance - Create affiliate links, share discount codes, and identify your top-performing partners.
5. Never Miss Mentions - Our social listening tool automatically catches all influencer content about your brand.
6. Connect Your Tools - Seamlessly integrate with Shopify, WooCommerce, Klaviyo, and PayPal.
7. Automations - Automate shipping, follow-ups, product tracking, and content monitoring.

Customer Case Studies:

1. Learn how Heart & Soil built brand awareness with influencers and saved hours on influencer discovery.
2. Learn how Nooma built a diverse influencer portfolio and streamlined influencer management with SARAL.
3. Learn how Augmentum turned influencer seeding into growth engine for their clients with SARAL.

💡How To Get Started?

Integrations & Compatibility:

1. Shopify
2. Magento
3. WooCommerce
4. Veeper
5. Klaviyo
6. Sendlane
7. PayPal Payouts
8. GoAffPro
9. Slack
10. Gmail

2. Shopify Collabs(formerly Dovetale)

Shopify Collabs (formerly Dovetale) is a marketplace-style app by Shopify that connects Shopify merchants with creators for affiliate & influencer partnerships. Brands can invite creators, share commission offers, and manage gifting, discount codes, and payments. Creators can find products, generate commission links, and apply to affiliate programs.

Who Should Use This?

Small-to-medium-sized eCommerce businesses, exclusively Shopify merchants new to influencer and affiliate marketing.

Pricing:

Shopify Collabs is free for both merchants and creators to use. The only cost is a 2.9% fee on automated payments for sales driven through creator collaborations.

Free Trial? Yes.

Key Features:

1. Direct creator invitations
2. Instant commission offers via open access program.
3. Custom store page for affiliate applications.
4. Gift and discount code distribution
5. Affiliate sales tracking
6. Streamlined affiliate payments.

💡How To Get Started?

To join the Collabs Network, you need to complete your profile, avoid running a dropshipping store (as they aren’t accepted), add at least one product with a set price in the settings, enable auto-payments (the only payout option), and generate at least $10,000 in sales over the past year. You need to install the app from the Shopify App Store before you can start using it.

Integrations & Compatibility:

1. Checkout
2. Shopify Flow
3. Instagram
4. YouTube
5. Shopify Flow
6. Klayvio
7. Yotpo

Shopify Collabs Vs. SARAL - At A Glance

Getting authentic, high-converting UGC from influencers—without the high price tag is highly possible with the right tactics. Check out this FREE guide to learn proven strategies for sourcing cost-effective but authentic influencer content that feels real and drives tangible results.

SARAL - Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Simple & Powerful Interface - Our user-friendly platform makes managing influencers, seeding programs, and brand ambassadors a breeze.
2. All-in-One Relationship Management - Keep all your creator partnerships organized in our built-in CRM system.
3. Dedicated Success Team - We'll guide you through onboarding and provide monthly performance reviews to maximize your results.
4. Time-Saving Automations - Automatically send follow-up emails, generate discount codes, and create affiliate links without the busywork.
5. Always-Available Support - Our helpful team is ready to assist you 24/7 whenever you need a hand.
6. No Commission Fees - Keep 100% of your affiliate earnings with our transparent, one-time payment model.
7. Massive Creator Database - Connect with over 100M+ influencers across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
8. Flexible & Affordable Options - Enjoy brand-friendly contracts and scalable pricing that works with your marketing budget.

Cons:

1. Not A Creator Marketplace or a Limited Database.
2. Not Suitable For Passive Affiliate Programs.
3. Not Suitable To Track Conversions From Creator’s Ads.

User Reviews of SARAL on G2

Shopify Collabs - Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Easier Access to Influencers – You can find and connect with creators directly through the marketplace instead of searching for them on your own.
2. Simple Management – Everything from influencer discovery to tracking sales and paying commissions is handled in one place.
3. Automated Payments & Tracking – The platform automatically tracks affiliate sales and processes payments, saving you time.
4. Creator Recruitment – You can set up an application page where influencers can apply to work with your brand, making it easier to find the right people.
5. Ideal For New Brands: Shopify Collabs is a good choice if you’re a new Shopify brand getting started with influencer marketing.

Cons:

1. Restricted Marketplace Network – Collabs only includes signed-up creators, limiting partnerships and increasing the risk of working with overused influencers who promote competitors
2. Not Suitable for Long-Term Influencer Seeding/Ambassador Programs – Great for quick UGC but lacks features for building lasting relationships with influencers.
3. Bulk Email Outreach Isn’t Possible – No option to send or schedule mass outreach emails, making influencer recruitment more manual.
4. Limited Features – No guarantee influencers will fulfill commitments after receiving free products, and customization is restricted within Shopify.
5. Unresponsive Customer Support – Lacks a dedicated support team, making it harder to get personalized help.
6. Low Rated on Shopify App Store: Shopify Collabs is rated 3.3/5 on Shopify App Store and has received a lot of negative reviews on the platform limitations. Check out the reviews here.

User Reviews of Shopify Collabs on G2

What To Choose: Shopify Collabs or SARAL?

1. If You Want a Shopify-Integrated Affiliate Program → Choose Shopify Collabs

• Best for Shopify merchants looking for a basic, built-in solution.
• Ideal for small businesses new to influencer marketing.
• Works well if you primarily want to generate affiliate sales with minimal setup.

2. If You Need Scalable Influencer Relationship Management → Choose SARAL

• Best for brands focused on long-term influencer partnerships.
• Ideal for running ambassador programs and influencer seeding.
• Offers a built-in CRM and automation for outreach, tracking, and payments.

3. If You Want to Automate Outreach & Engagement → Choose SARAL

• Shopify Collabs lacks bulk email outreach, limiting scalability.
• SARAL allows you to automate influencer outreach, follow-ups, and post-collaboration engagement.

4. If You Need an Extensive Influencer Search Feature → Choose SARAL

• Shopify Collabs only connects you with signed-up creators.
• SARAL provides access to 100M+ influencers across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

5. If You Prefer a No-Cut Commission Model → Choose SARAL

• Shopify Collabs takes a 2.9% processing fee on affiliate payments.
• SARAL has a flat fee with no hidden commission cuts.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the right platform is the one that aligns with your needs—whether it’s quick affiliate sales or a full-fledged influencer marketing program. Choosing between Shopify Collabs and SARAL depends on your business goals and influencer marketing strategy.

If you're a Shopify merchant looking for built-in affiliate tool, Collabs might be a good starting point. However, if you want to scale your influencer marketing with automations, long-term relationship management, and a larger creator search engine, SARAL is the better choice. It handles all the tedious work so you can focus on building genuine relationships with influencers who love your brand.

Book a free demo here, and let us show you how it can help you build a successful, profitable influencer marketing program.