Gleam Competitions vs ViralSweep Giveaways Contestsfor Shopify (2026)
Gleam Competitions and ViralSweep Giveaways Contests both cater to Shopify merchants seeking to leverage giveaways and contests to boost engagement, grow their email lists, and drive sales. However, they approach this goal with slightly different emphases. Gleam Competitions focuses on providing a versatile platform with a wider range of entry methods, including user-generated content collection through photo contests, and emphasizes email list building and ongoing engagement through sales funnels. ViralSweep, on the other hand, seems to prioritize ease of use, viral growth through social media incentives, and offers more data-driven analysis of contest performance. The major difference lies in their core strengths: Gleam provides a balanced suite of features, offering campaign templates and support for multiple entry types, including unique options like photo contests. ViralSweep shines in its focus on virality, offering features like refer-a-friend and social action incentives to maximize reach. Moreover, ViralSweep has a stronger integration with email, social media, and SMS platforms. The choice between the two depends on whether a merchant prioritizes feature richness and user-generated content collection or ease of use, viral growth, and detailed analytics.
At a Glance
Gleam Competitions
32 reviews
ViralSweep Giveaways Contests
135 reviews
Detailed Overview
Gleam Competitions
Easily set up and run Giveaways, Contests & Sweepstakes that drive real user engagement.
Key Features
- Create your own campaign, or use our campaign templates for every occasion.
- Run campaigns directly from your Shopify store to increase website traffic.
- Get entrants to sign up to your newsletter then sync to your Shopify admin.
- Use Viral Share action to incentivize entrants to refer their friends & family.
- Create photo contests to collect user-generated content from your customers.
ViralSweep Giveaways Contests
Run viral giveaways, contests & sweepstakes to grow email list, boost engagement & have more sales!
Key Features
- Create your giveaway or raffle in minutes & share it easily with your customers
- Give bonus entries for completing social media actions: like, share, & more
- Run purchase-based giveaways to reward entries based on spend $1 spent = 1 entry
- Refer friends or complete social actions to move up spots on the waitlist
- Integrates with all your favorite email marketing, social media, & SMS platforms
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.9/5 |
Rating Gleam Competitions4.5/5 ViralSweep Giveaways Contests4.9/5 | ||
| Reviews | 32 | 135 |
Reviews Gleam Competitions32 ViralSweep Giveaways Contests135 | ||
| Core Focus | Versatile campaigns, Email Engagement | Ease of use, Viral Growth, Analytics |
Core Focus Gleam CompetitionsVersatile campaigns, Email Engagement ViralSweep Giveaways ContestsEase of use, Viral Growth, Analytics | ||
| User-Generated Content | Photo contests | Photo & video contests, voting |
User-Generated Content Gleam CompetitionsPhoto contests ViralSweep Giveaways ContestsPhoto & video contests, voting | ||
| Viral Incentives | Viral Share action | Refer friends, social actions for bonus entries |
Viral Incentives Gleam CompetitionsViral Share action ViralSweep Giveaways ContestsRefer friends, social actions for bonus entries | ||
| Email Integration | Sync to Shopify Admin | Integrates with email marketing platforms |
Email Integration Gleam CompetitionsSync to Shopify Admin ViralSweep Giveaways ContestsIntegrates with email marketing platforms | ||
| Purchase-Based Entries | Not specified | Entries based on spend ($1 = 1 entry) |
Purchase-Based Entries Gleam CompetitionsNot specified ViralSweep Giveaways ContestsEntries based on spend ($1 = 1 entry) | ||
| Campaign Templates | Yes | Not specified |
Campaign Templates Gleam CompetitionsYes ViralSweep Giveaways ContestsNot specified | ||
Our Verdict
For Shopify merchants seeking a more straightforward and user-friendly platform with a strong emphasis on viral growth and detailed analytics, ViralSweep Giveaways Contests is the preferred choice. Its features like purchase-based entries and robust social media integrations make it ideal for driving both immediate sales and long-term brand awareness. Its higher rating and significantly larger number of reviews suggest a more polished user experience.
However, if a merchant needs a wider range of entry methods, including unique features like photo contests to collect user-generated content, and values a balanced approach to engagement and email marketing, Gleam Competitions remains a viable option. Gleam's strength lies in its versatility, making it suitable for merchants running diverse campaigns and collecting valuable customer-generated content.
Common Questions
Which app is easier to use?
Based on the descriptions, ViralSweep emphasizes ease of use in its marketing material, suggesting a potentially simpler setup process compared to Gleam Competitions.
Which app is better for generating viral growth?
ViralSweep is specifically designed to foster viral growth through features like refer-a-friend and bonus entries for social media actions, making it the superior choice for maximizing reach.
Which app is better for collecting user-generated content?
Both support UGC, but Gleam specifically mentions photo contests, while ViralSweep mention photo and video contests. This difference means ViralSweep could be slightly better for those seeking video entries.
Which app is better for rewarding customer loyalty through purchases?
ViralSweep offers purchase-based entries (e.g., $1 spent = 1 entry), directly incentivizing purchases and rewarding customer loyalty. Gleam does not mention such a feature.
Which app has better data reporting?
ViralSweep explicitly mentions entrant data analysis with charts and graphs, suggesting a more comprehensive reporting system compared to Gleam, which focuses more on email list building.
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