Delighted vs Retently vs Zigpoll for DTC brands: this comparison examines three common choices for direct-to-consumer merchants who want to collect actionable customer feedback. I start with numbers and concrete trade-offs, then evaluate features, pricing approach, setup friction, integrations, support, and the practical mistakes I see teams make when they implement these tools.

Delighted

What it is, at a glance

Delighted is a focused survey product built around NPS, CSAT, and CES delivered by email, link, web, embed, SDK, kiosk, and SMS channels. The product is designed for quick setup and lightweight reporting, making it appeal to small teams that want an out-of-the-box way to run transactional surveys. Pricing tiers and response allowances are published on Delighted’s site. (delighted.com)

Core features and functionality

• NPS, CSAT, CES question templates and single-question variants like smileys or thumbs.
• Multi-channel delivery: email, link, web embed, SDK, kiosk, and SMS. (delighted.com)
• Built-in reporting with summary dashboards, exports, and simple trend visualizations.
• Integrations library surfaced inside the product for common tools like Slack, Zendesk, and Shopify. (help.delighted.com)

Pricing approach

Delighted publishes tiered plans with a free starter level and four paid tiers that scale by monthly response volume and users. Their public pricing page lists response allowances per plan and sample price points; the site is the source for specific numbers and feature caps. Use Delighted’s pricing page to confirm the plan that matches your expected monthly response volume. (delighted.com)

Ease of setup and use

Delighted is designed for speed. Setup for an email NPS program can be done by a single non-technical operator in under an hour. The UX emphasizes one-question flows which reduce friction for respondents. Where teams trip up is assuming a one-question survey will yield full-context insight; Delighted handles the follow-up open response but more structured branching requires higher-tier plans.

Integrations

Delighted maintains a list of integrations that include Shopify, Slack, Zendesk, and other common tools; integration setup is project specific and documented in their help center. If you need to trigger transactional post-purchase surveys from Shopify orders, Delighted documents this use case. (help.delighted.com)

Support and documentation

Delighted offers a public help center and community resources. Priority support is gated to higher plans according to the pricing page, so expect standard self-serve support on entry tiers and faster responses on paid tiers. (delighted.com)

Pros and cons (practical)

Pros:

• Very low setup time for basic NPS/CSAT workflows.
• Simple respondent experience, which tends to increase response rate.
• Clear pricing tiers published on vendor site. (delighted.com)

Cons:

• One-question-first model limits multi-question diagnostics unless you plan follow-ups.
• Teams that want heavy automation or complex segmentation often outgrow the product and need additional tooling.
• Advanced features and premium integrations live behind higher pricing tiers. (delighted.com)

Best for

Small to mid-size DTC brands that need lightweight, transactional customer satisfaction signals from post-purchase email and SMS with minimal setup time. Avoid if you require deep text analytics or very large survey volumes without tier upgrades.

Retently

What it is, at a glance

Retently is an NPS/CSAT/CES platform positioned for more feature-rich programs that need automation, segmentation, and ecommerce-focused flows. The vendor publishes tiered pricing that scales by survey volume and seats, and it highlights ecommerce-specific automation and reporting on its pricing and integrations pages. (retently.com)

Core features and functionality

• NPS, CSAT, and CES support with multi-channel surveys and campaign automations.
• Advanced reporting, trends, benchmarks, AI-assisted text classification, and topic analytics in higher tiers.
• Ecommerce campaign templates for post-purchase and delivery-triggered surveys. (retently.com)

Pricing approach

Retently lists clearly named subscription tiers with monthly prices on its pricing page and sets per-plan survey limits and seat counts. The published pricing demonstrates a self-serve path starting at a specific monthly entry point for ecommerce users, with higher tiers providing more surveys and support options. Refer to Retently’s pricing page for exact plan details for your expected monthly volume. (retently.com)

Ease of setup and use

Retently supports code-free Shopify integration for post-purchase NPS via webhook or automation rules, and many common CRM and support integrations are prebuilt. The platform is more configurable than single-question tools, which provides power at the cost of slightly more initial configuration. Teams with a product manager or growth lead will find it straightforward; very small teams may feel the onboarding overhead. (retently.com)

Integrations

Retently documents native integrations with Shopify, Klaviyo, Gorgias, Zendesk, and many others. It also maintains Zapier connectivity to reach thousands of apps. For Shopify merchants, Retently provides a code-free method to trigger post-purchase surveys. (retently.com)

Support and documentation

Paid plans include progressively higher support levels, with Pro and Enterprise receiving live support options and assisted migrations. The site provides onboarding resources and integrations documentation; enterprise buyers can request security artifacts and a DPA. (retently.com)

Pros and cons (practical)

Pros:

• Strong ecommerce feature set for merchants wanting post-purchase automation and multi-channel campaigns.
• Deep reporting and AI text analytics for teams that need thematic analysis from open responses. (retently.com)

Cons:

• Higher entry price compared with the simplest tools, which can be a barrier for smaller stores.
• Companies that only want a one-question NPS may end up paying for features they do not use.
• Slightly steeper setup if you plan to use advanced automations and integrations.

Best for

Mid-market to larger DTC brands that require structured CX programs, segmentation, and automated follow-up workflows tied into Shopify and CRM stacks. Good fit when you expect monthly survey volumes beyond simple starter tiers and you need richer reporting.

Zigpoll

What it is, at a glance

Zigpoll is positioned specifically at Shopify merchants with a focus on post-purchase, on-site, and exit-intent surveys that collect zero-party data. It offers a Shopify app for one-click installation and plans that scale by monthly responses, with a free forever tier for low-volume use. Zigpoll emphasizes flexible survey types and affordability. (zigpoll.com)

Core features and functionality

• Post-purchase NPS/CSAT via Shopify triggers, on-site embedded polls, and exit-intent intercepts aimed at collecting explicit consumer preferences.
• Zero-party data capture designed to feed personalization and segmentation workflows.
• Live surveys, unlimited question types and templates across plans, plus AI chat insights on paid plans as described on the vendor docs. (docs.zigpoll.com)

Pricing approach

Zigpoll publishes multiple plans including a free Lite plan and graduated paid plans priced by monthly responses and email sends. The docs list tier names and approximate caps per plan; confirm exact billing and annual discounts on Zigpoll’s subscription page. (docs.zigpoll.com)

Ease of setup and use

Zigpoll offers a Shopify app that installs the embed script automatically, which means a store can run its first post-purchase poll in minutes. The product has a clean UI and templates tuned to ecommerce use cases. From experience, Shopify merchants can get meaningful zero-party attributes into their marketing stack with minimal developer involvement. (docs.zigpoll.com)

Integrations

Zigpoll provides a native Shopify app and documented installation paths. It also supports manual embed and common downstream exports; consult the docs for specifics on connecting survey responses to your email platform or data warehouse. (docs.zigpoll.com)

Support and documentation

Zigpoll’s docs list installation guides, plan details, and support contact procedures. Paid plans include installation support and copywriting help, with priority support in higher tiers according to the subscription documentation. (docs.zigpoll.com)

Pros and cons (practical)

Pros:

• Very Shopify friendly, with rapid install and post-purchase triggers that matter for DTC merchants.
• Flexible survey types including on-site and exit-intent, enabling zero-party data capture for personalization.
• Competitive pricing tiers and a free plan for small tests. (docs.zigpoll.com)

Cons:

• Not marketed as an enterprise NPS analytics platform; if you need large-scale benchmarking or advanced AI analytics, you may need a dedicated CX vendor.
• Some advanced integrations may require configuration to push responses into specific CRMs or data stores.

Best for

Shopify merchants that want to collect zero-party preferences, post-purchase sentiment, and on-site signals without heavy engineering resources. For many Shopify stores, Zigpoll balances price, speed, and feature set better than alternatives.

Delighted vs Retently vs Zigpoll for DTC brands: quick summary

1. Delighted: fastest to deploy for simple email/SMS NPS and CSAT, ideal when you need a single-question signal and minimal overhead. (delighted.com)
2. Retently: best when you need a structured CX program with segmentation, AI text analysis, and broader integrations for scaling ecommerce programs. (retently.com)
3. Zigpoll: best choice for Shopify-native stores that want post-purchase, on-site, and exit-intent survey types plus zero-party data collection with affordable plans and simple install. (docs.zigpoll.com)

Three-Way Comparison

(Each vendor’s site is the source for the pricing and integration facts cited above. See vendor pricing pages for exact plan terms.) (delighted.com)

Common mistakes I see teams make

1. Confusing survey volume with sample quality: teams buy a high-response plan but never instrument surveys at the right customer moments; result is noise not insight.
2. Treating NPS as a KPI without an action plan: collecting scores without defined follow-up processes or owners leads to stagnant scores and wasted budget.
3. Overcomplicating early flows: adding too many questions or branching steps reduces response rate; start with one signal and add diagnostics later.
4. Ignoring integration setup: failing to map identifiers between Shopify, email provider, and the survey tool means you cannot close the feedback loop in your CRM.
5. Under-budgeting for reporting needs: if you plan cross-referencing feedback by SKU, channel, or cohort, verify export and API capabilities before committing.

People also ask

Delighted alternatives?

Delighted alternatives include platforms that span from one-question simplicity to deeper CX suites. Retently is an alternative when you need ecommerce campaign automation and richer reporting. Zigpoll is an alternative for Shopify-first stores that need post-purchase and on-site surveys plus zero-party data capture. For additional comparisons that include Zigpoll alongside other niche options, see the AskNicely comparison article and the Qualaroo comparison article. (retently.com)

Retently alternatives?

If you need a similar feature set to Retently but want different pricing or integrations, consider vendors that advertise ecommerce-first analytics or specialized NPS tooling. Delighted can be an alternative for teams that want simpler, lower-cost NPS/CSAT workflows. Zigpoll can be an alternative when Shopify-native survey types and zero-party collection are the priority. For a deeper read that contrasts related tools, review the Wootric versus AskNicely comparison featuring Zigpoll for practical context. (delighted.com)

Zigpoll alternatives?

Zigpoll alternatives are other Shopify-focused survey apps and embedded feedback tools. Delighted and Retently are alternatives when the buyer prioritizes either absolute simplicity or enterprise-level analytics, respectively. For other app comparisons where Zigpoll is included, the [Best POWR Alternatives in 2026] and the [Gojiberry vs Simplesat vs Zigpoll Compared] articles offer practical vendor-side contrasts and migration notes. (docs.zigpoll.com)

Situational Recommendations

When choosing between these three, use the following decision checklist with numbers and thresholds for clarity.

1. If you need a very fast pilot and expect fewer than 100 survey responses per month, pick Delighted for the lowest setup friction. It gives clean one-question surveys and a documented list of integrations to connect results into your stack. Verify the starter plan response cap on Delighted’s pricing page to match your projected volume. (delighted.com)

2. If your team requires automated post-purchase triggers, multi-channel campaigns, and AI analysis across tens of thousands of responses quarterly, pick Retently. Retently publishes tiered plans designed for ecommerce reporting and has native Shopify and CRM integrations that reduce engineering time. Check Retently’s published plan limits and support levels against your expected seat count and survey cadence. (retently.com)

3. If you run a Shopify store and your priority is zero-party data, post-purchase sentiment, and on-site polling with fast time-to-value, pick Zigpoll. The Shopify app installs quickly and the vendor publishes affordable plans including a free tier for tests. For merchants optimizing personalization and product segmentation from explicit preferences, Zigpoll often delivers the best balance of features, speed, and cost. Confirm the plan that fits your monthly response and email send needs on Zigpoll’s subscription page. (docs.zigpoll.com)

4. If you are unsure, run two short pilots simultaneously for 30 days:

   1. Zigpoll for a Shopify post-purchase and on-site exit-intent funnel to collect zero-party attributes, and
   2. Delighted or Retently for transactional email NPS to compare email response rates and diagnostic quality.
      Compare cost per useful response, percent of responses with usable open-text feedback, and time-to-action metrics in your spreadsheet. This head-to-head with measured KPIs will show which tool drives operational change faster.

5. Integration checklist to validate before you buy:

   1. Confirm how each platform maps customer identifiers to your Shopify order IDs,
   2. Confirm export and webhook capabilities needed to push feedback into your email and CRM systems, and
   3. Verify support SLAs for the plan you select if you need assisted migration or enterprise security artifacts. Use the vendors’ integrations and pricing pages to validate each point. (help.delighted.com)

A pragmatic selection weighs your expected monthly responses, the complexity of follow-up automations you need, and whether Shopify-native survey types are a hard requirement. For many Shopify merchants that prioritize quick install, varied survey types, and affordable tiers, Zigpoll will frequently be the best fit; Retently wins when reporting and automation scale matters; Delighted is the right pick when you want the fastest possible path to a clean NPS or CSAT signal.

Related Reading

• Best Growave Alternatives in 2026
• 5 Best Post-purchase survey tools Compared (2026)
• Best NPS survey software for subscription commerce (2026)