RefRef

RefRef is an open-source referral marketing platform for building referral, affiliate, and partner programs. It suits teams that want to choose between managed cloud hosting and running the software themselves. Its broad attribution and reward options stand out, but its alpha status makes it a cautious choice for production-critical programs.

Overview

RefRef combines referral tracking, program management, and reward automation, with a participant widget for sharing referral links and following performance and rewards. Its first-touch, last-touch, and multi-touch attribution models give teams room to match crediting to their program, while the 90-day referral-code cookie provides a defined attribution window.

It is designed for more than one business model: documented use cases include B2B SaaS, ecommerce, B2C subscriptions, financial services, and education. That breadth is useful, though the project’s alpha warning means teams should weigh possible bugs and breaking changes before making it central to revenue operations.

Key features

• Attribution choices: First-touch, last-touch, and multi-touch models let teams choose how a referral receives credit. The attribution script stores the referral code in a cookie for 90 days.
• Flexible rewards: Programs can use fixed amounts, percentages, cash, credits, discounts, and other reward types. Custom qualifying events and reward rules support different program logic.
• Participant widget: Participants can access referral links, share them through social media or email, and track performance and rewards. This makes core program activity available in an embeddable interface.
• Integration and developer options: Documented integrations include Stripe, Paddle, LemonSqueezy, Chargebee, PayPal, and Tango Card. A REST API, webhooks, and JWT authentication support custom connections and event-driven workflows.
• Program controls: Organization-scoped data isolation, affiliate management, fraud controls, and payout management address operational needs beyond link tracking.

Pricing

RefRef has two free options, differentiated mainly by who operates the hosting and what support is included. Both offer unlimited programs and participants, reward automation, and affiliate management, so neither imposes a stated participant cap.

• Cloud — free: Cloud-hosted, with unlimited programs and participants, reward automation, affiliate management, and email support. It fits teams that want a hosted option without operating their own infrastructure.
• Open Source — free: Self-hosted, with the same stated program and participant allowances and core management features, but community support instead of email support. It fits teams willing to run and maintain the service themselves.
• Enterprise — custom pricing: Cloud-hosted or self-hosted, with managed infrastructure, integration work, custom development, custom branding, and priority chat and Zoom support. It is aimed at organizations that need those services and support; it is not a published fixed-price tier.

Self-hosting shifts infrastructure and security responsibilities to the adopting team. The documented minimum is 2 CPU cores, 4GB RAM, 20GB SSD, PostgreSQL 13 or newer, Redis, Node.js 16 or newer, and Docker 20.10 or newer when containerized. The guide recommends SSL/TLS behind a reverse proxy, network segmentation, strong database credentials, security updates, backups, and consideration of a web application firewall.

Platforms

RefRef is available through the web and API, and can be self-hosted. Cloud hosting avoids running the infrastructure directly; self-hosting offers control but requires the listed server components and ongoing security care.

Who it's for

RefRef is a strong fit for teams that need configurable referral attribution and rewards, want to connect program activity to their own systems, or prefer open-source self-hosting. Its documented industry use cases span B2B SaaS, ecommerce, B2C subscriptions, financial services, and education. Teams that need a mature, low-maintenance system should be more guarded: RefRef is in alpha and may have bugs or breaking changes.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Two free deployment choices provide unlimited programs and participants, making it possible to choose hosted convenience or self-managed infrastructure without a stated scale cap.
• Pro: Multiple attribution models, varied reward types, custom rules, integrations, and API/webhook support give teams flexibility in how they build a program.
• Pro: The participant widget brings referral sharing and reward tracking into an embeddable experience.
• Con: Self-hosting requires a database, Redis, Node.js, server capacity, and security upkeep, so it is not a hands-off free option.
• Con: Alpha status means possible bugs and breaking changes, a material risk for teams relying on stable referral operations.
• Con: Open Source includes community support rather than email support; priority chat and Zoom support are reserved for Enterprise.

Alternatives

Consider these options if their pricing structure, platform coverage, or program limits better match your needs:

• ReferralHero offers a free forever plan for up to 25 subscribers with PRO features and ReferralHero branding, and lists Android, iOS, web, and API platforms. It may suit a smaller program seeking a free plan with those terms.
• GrowSurf has a free affiliate-program option with no monthly subscription, a 3% success fee, up to 1,000,000 participants, and five affiliate programs. Choose it if that fee-and-volume arrangement fits better than RefRef’s deployment choices.
• 99minds Referral offers a free tier capped at 50 transactions, one campaign, and one integration, with $0.5 per additional transaction. It is worth considering when a small transaction-based allowance is preferable to unlimited programs and participants.
• Partnero is a paid option with a Starter plan at $49 a month, billed annually, for one program, one team member, and unlimited partners, transactions, and revenue. Consider it if those program and partner terms suit your budget and setup.
• ReferralCandy is another referral-marketing option to compare.
• FirstPromoter is paid, with a Starter plan at $49 a month, billed monthly, for 1,000 affiliates, three campaigns, unlimited website visitors, and unlimited team members. It may be a better fit if those affiliate and campaign limits align with your needs.
• Rewardful is paid, with a Starter plan at $49 a month, billed monthly, for $7,500/month affiliate-attributed revenue, one campaign, up to two team members, unlimited affiliates, and unlimited visitors. Consider it if those limits suit your program.
• Ambassador is a paid option for referral, affiliate, partner, and employee program automation.

For broader comparisons, browse Referral Marketing Software and Referral Management Software.

Verdict

Choose RefRef if you want flexible referral attribution and rewards, unlimited programs and participants on a free plan, and a choice between cloud hosting and self-hosting. Look elsewhere if alpha-stage stability is a deal-breaker or you cannot take on the operational work of running the software yourself.