us vs them
Sep 23, 2025
TLDR;
Viral Loops → Best for marketers who want pre-built viral campaign templates (like Dropbox- or Robinhood-style).
ReferralHero → Best for teams who need flexible referral tracking + detailed analytics.
QueueForm → Best for startups, SaaS, and e-commerce that want an all-in-one growth engine with viral waitlists, milestone rewards, gamification, and built-in email marketing.
👉 If you want to go beyond signups and build viral campaigns people actually share, QueueForm is the go-to in 2025.
If you’re looking to grow through word-of-mouth and referrals, you’ve probably come across tools like Viral Loops, ReferralHero, and the newer QueueForm.
Each platform helps you launch referral campaigns, giveaways, or waitlists — but they differ in focus, features, and flexibility.
In this guide, we’ll break down what makes each tool unique, compare them side by side, and help you figure out which one fits your needs in 2025.
Quick Comparison Table
Criteria | QueueForm | Viral Loops | ReferralHero |
|---|---|---|---|
Main Focus | Referral campaigns + viral waitlists + gamification | Pre-built templates inspired by famous referral campaigns | Customizable referral campaigns & analytics |
Campaign Types | Waitlists, milestone rewards, giveaways, spin-the-wheel, scratch cards | Startup pre-launch, milestone referrals, newsletter growth | Giveaways, referral links, leaderboard campaigns |
Ease of Use | Drag-and-drop builder, no-code | Easy setup with templates | More manual setup, flexible for developers |
Email Marketing | Built-in campaigns (no extra tool needed) | Requires external ESP | Requires external ESP |
Gamification | Leaderboards, progress bars, interactive widgets | Leaderboards & milestone tracking | Leaderboards, social media shares |
Integrations | Zapier, Webflow, Shopify, native email | Webflow, Bubble, Shopify, Zapier | Zapier, API, webhooks |
Best For | Startups, SaaS, e-commerce, creators wanting growth + engagement | Marketers wanting plug-and-play viral templates | Teams needing analytics-driven referral tracking |
Viral Loops: Templates Inspired by Success Stories
Viral Loops has built its reputation around campaign templates modeled after well-known success stories (think Dropbox’s storage bonus or Robinhood’s waitlist).
Strengths: It’s straightforward to launch campaigns using their templates, and it integrates with popular website builders like Webflow and Shopify.
Considerations: While templates save time, customization can feel limited for teams that want a very unique referral structure.
✅ Best for marketers who want fast, proven campaign setups without reinventing the wheel.
ReferralHero: Analytics-Driven Referral Tracking
ReferralHero focuses on providing flexible referral campaign mechanics with detailed analytics. It’s often used for newsletters, contests, and straightforward referral flows.
Strengths: Gives you clear dashboards and allows custom integrations via API and webhooks.
Considerations: Some setup is more manual compared to template-driven tools, which may require more time or technical knowledge.
✅ Best for teams who value data insights and custom referral workflows.
QueueForm: Modern Referral Engine with Built-In Gamification
QueueForm is the newest of the three, designed for startups and brands that want referrals baked into every growth campaign.
Strengths: Combines waitlists, milestone rewards, giveaways, and unique gamified widgets (like spin-the-wheel and scratch cards) in one platform. It also has built-in email marketing — meaning you don’t need to connect an extra ESP just to send updates or reward notifications.
Considerations: Since it’s newer, it has fewer pre-made templates than long-established platforms.
✅ Best for founders, SaaS, and e-commerce teams who want a referral tool that doesn’t just collect leads, but actively drives engagement and hype.
Which One Should You Choose in 2025?
Choose Viral Loops if you want ready-made viral campaign templates modeled on famous growth stories.
Choose ReferralHero if you want strong analytics and custom workflows with more control.
Choose QueueForm if you want an all-in-one viral growth engine that combines referrals, waitlists, gamification, and built-in email marketing.
Final Thoughts
Referral marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all — the right tool depends on your goals: fast launch, deep analytics, or integrated growth mechanics.
That said, QueueForm stands out in 2025 for startups and creators who want more than just a signup form. With viral waitlists, milestone rewards, and gamification, it helps you launch campaigns that people don’t just join — they share.
👉 Try QueueForm and build your viral referral campaign today →
