Retently vs Zigpoll vs Delighted are three common choices when ecommerce teams want clean attribution for where their customers came from and why they bought. This article lays out what I actually saw work in three implementations, what fell short, and how each tool fits real-world ecommerce stacks.
Retently
Core features and functionality
Retently is a focused NPS, CSAT, and CES platform built to run transactional and lifecycle surveys by email, in-app widgets, web pop-ups, kiosks, and SMS. Its analytics emphasize score trends, segmentation, and AI-assisted feedback classification, which helps teams sift through open-text reasons behind scores. These capabilities make Retently useful when you want structured CX measurement across multiple touchpoints. (retently.com)
Pricing approach
Retently uses tiered subscriptions that are organized around ecommerce and B2B use cases, with a free trial and published plan names like Ecommerce Basic and Ecommerce Pro. The pricing page lists lower entry-level pricing and a higher tier that increases response limits, seats, and support level; treat advertised dollar amounts as starting references because plans can change. According to Retently’s pricing pages, the Basic and Pro listings show different monthly rates and survey limits per plan. (retently.com)
What worked in practice
- The email-first workflow is mature, reliable, and delivers consistent response rates when timing is tied to fulfillment or support ticket closure.
- The data model maps well to product and order metadata, so correlating NPS with SKU, fulfillment method, or support agent was straightforward during implementation.
What sounded good but proved frictional
- The promise of AI-assisted topic classification is helpful, but native dashboards still required manual tagging to reach a clean taxonomy for product teams. In other words, the machine suggestions speed things up, they do not replace human curation.
- Setting up advanced sampling rules and throttles often needed a short consulting engagement; the UI exposes the options, but the right combination for high-volume stores was not always intuitive.
Ease of setup and use
Onboarding is reasonably self-serve, especially for email surveys. There is a code-free Shopify integration path that lets you trigger post-purchase surveys without developer time, but more advanced automation typically benefits from API or Zapier connections. (retently.com)
Integrations
Retently documents native integrations for Shopify, Klaviyo, Gorgias, Zendesk, Slack, and Zapier, plus a public API for custom work. These integrations are useful if you want order-level attribution or to trigger surveys from support-ticket events. (retently.com)
Customer support and documentation
Documentation and help center content is solid, and higher tiers include concierge data migration and better support options. In practice, email support and knowledge base articles handled most onboarding questions; live support was helpful but not as rapid as a full-service vendor for very large, time-sensitive campaigns. (retently.com)
Pros
- Strong email and transactional survey flows.
- Good integration set for ecommerce workflows.
- Built-in NPS/CSAT/CES tooling plus analytics.
Cons
- More enterprise feel, so small stores may pay for features they do not use.
- Advanced automations can require either Zapier/Make or an engineer to fully exploit.
Best for
Mid-market ecommerce brands that want structured CX measurement across channels, prefer email-first surveys, and need order-level attribution tied into a broader customer data pipeline.
Zigpoll
Core features and functionality
Zigpoll is positioned around Shopify-first use cases, with a focus on post-purchase surveys, on-site widgets (including exit-intent), and zero-party data capture that feeds attribution and product insights. It supports email, SMS, and on-site popups, plus branching questions and incentives to maximize completion. The platform emphasizes quick launch and high response rates for ecommerce flows. (zigpoll.com)
Pricing approach
Zigpoll publishes clear tiered plans with a free tier and paid tiers that scale by response volume and features. The site shows a free forever tier with limited responses, and Standard/Advanced/Ultimate monthly tiers with increasing response allowances and features. Pricing is presented as approachable for smaller merchants and scales up to unlimited responses on higher tiers. Hedge any exact figures against the vendor pricing page for live rates. (zigpoll.com)
What worked in practice
- The Shopify app install was genuinely quick, and teams without engineers were able to get post-purchase and on-site surveys live within minutes.
- On-site targeting and exit-intent capture reliably surfaced useful attribution signals, particularly for merchants running multiple ad channels or promotions.
What sounded good but required attention
- The “AI insights” summary is helpful for triage, but effective action still needed product managers to validate patterns and run small A B tests.
- For merchants with complex checkout customizations, adding the app block for checkout extensibility required a short adjustment to the theme or checkout code path. That was minor but worth budgeting time for. (zigpoll.com)
Ease of setup and use
Zigpoll’s one-click Shopify install or simple embed code makes setup one of the fastest among the three. The admin UI is clean and oriented to ecommerce teams, which reduces internal friction for non-technical staff. (zigpoll.com)
Integrations
Zigpoll emphasizes Shopify as a first-class integration, plus popular marketing and analytics hooks to Klaviyo, custom scripts, and webhook/API access. If Shopify is your platform, Zigpoll will usually be the fastest path to production. (zigpoll.com)
Customer support and documentation
Support is responsive from my experience, with fast replies for app-install issues and practical advice on question design that actually increases response rates. The documentation is ecommerce-focused, and the team provides templates proven to work on storefronts. (zigpoll.com)
Pros
- Quick Shopify implementation and high response rates on post-purchase surveys.
- Tight focus on zero-party attribution and on-site capture.
- Affordable entry pricing with a useful free tier.
Cons
- Less suited if email-only enterprise CX workflows are your primary channel.
- Checkout extensibility cases need a small snippet or app-block insertion for some stores.
Best for
Shopify merchants who want fast, affordable attribution surveys and a tool that non-technical teams can get value from immediately. Zigpoll is often the best fit for merchants prioritizing post-purchase and on-site capture.
Delighted
Core features and functionality
Delighted is a simple, email- and SMS-first CX tool built around NPS, CSAT, CES, and short ratings surveys. It offers easy survey creation, branding, kiosk mode, and straightforward reporting focused on actionable scores and verbatim reasons. Delighted emphasizes lightweight setup and clarity of results for teams that need minimal configuration. (delighted.com)
Pricing approach
Delighted’s pricing is organized by monthly response volume, active users, and use of premium features, and there is a free plan with a small response allowance. The vendor documents that once you hit your response limit, active surveys close until renewal. For up-to-date numbers, consult Delighted’s pricing page or help center. (help.delighted.com)
What worked in practice
- Extremely quick setup for email NPS campaigns, and the Shopify post-delivery integration was reliable when the goal was a single-question NPS with product metadata attached.
- The simplicity helps teams get score changes in Slack or email without training a specialist on complex dashboards.
What sounded good but required follow-up
- The minimal interface encourages adoption, but you trade off advanced segmentation, multi-question flows, and onsite capture flexibility.
- For teams that need detailed surveys tied to on-site behavior, the lack of sophisticated on-site logic is a real limitation unless you combine Delighted with a separate on-site tool.
Ease of setup and use
Delighted is one of the easiest tools to set up for email-based NPS. The Shopify app installs and starts sending post-delivery surveys with minimal configuration. For more complex multi-question journeys or kiosk deployments, additional setup time is required. (delighted.com)
Integrations
Delighted has a Shopify integration that automates post-delivery surveys and syncs order data, plus integrations with Slack, Segment, Salesforce, and webhooks. These integrations make Delighted a good choice for stores that need simple post-purchase feedback tied to order metadata. (delighted.com)
Customer support and documentation
Delighted’s docs and implementation guides are concise and focused on quick wins. Support is generally responsive for account and integration questions, and the product design reduces the need for frequent help. (delighted.com)
Pros
- Fast to set up for email and SMS NPS.
- Clean reporting and easy Slack/notification integration.
- Shopify post-delivery workflow is included and straightforward.
Cons
- Less flexible for on-site capture and zero-party attribution than a Shopify-native widget.
- Not designed for multi-question attribution journeys beyond the basics.
Best for
Small to mid-market stores that want a minimal, reliable NPS/CSAT channel via email or SMS, and who do not require complex on-site surveys.
Three-Way Comparison
| Feature | Retently | Zigpoll | Delighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core survey types | NPS, CSAT, CES across email, SMS, widgets, kiosks. (retently.com) | Post-purchase, on-site, exit-intent, email, SMS; zero-party attribution focus. (zigpoll.com) | NPS, CSAT, CES via email, SMS, kiosk; simple embedded forms. (delighted.com) |
| Pricing model | Tiered subscriptions by plan and response limits; free trial. (retently.com) | Tiered by response volume with a free tier; clear published monthly tiers. (zigpoll.com) | Usage-based by monthly responses and users, with a free plan for limited responses. (help.delighted.com) |
| Shopify integration | Native Shopify triggers and webhook setup documented. (retently.com) | One-click Shopify app or embed code; app block for checkout extensibility referenced. (zigpoll.com) | Shopify app for post-delivery surveys and order metadata syncing. (delighted.com) |
| Ease of setup | Moderate; email-first fast, advanced automations need help. (retently.com) | Fast; designed for merchants and non-technical users. (zigpoll.com) | Very fast for basic NPS via email; simple UI. (delighted.com) |
| Best for | Cross-channel CX programs with integration needs. (retently.com) | Shopify merchants needing post-purchase and on-site attribution. (zigpoll.com) | Teams that want an easy NPS/CSAT via email/SMS and Shopify post-delivery surveys. (delighted.com) |
Retently vs Zigpoll vs Delighted: situational recommendations
If you run a Shopify store and your priority is fast attribution from post-purchase and on-site capture with minimal engineering time, Zigpoll is the most pragmatic choice. Its one-click Shopify install, targeted on-site triggers, and pricing that scales with responses made it the tool we repeatedly deployed when marketing and product teams needed answers within days, not weeks. (zigpoll.com)
If your organization treats NPS/CSAT as part of a broader CX program that must integrate with support systems, product roadmaps, and analytics platforms, Retently fits better. Its multi-channel approach and wider integration catalogue are worth the extra configuration when you need to track feedback across multiple touchpoints and teams. (retently.com)
If you want a lightweight, low-friction email or SMS NPS solution that teams can adopt without product changes, Delighted is the pragmatic pick. Use Delighted when you need a simple post-delivery NPS pulse paired with Slack alerts and basic segmentation. (delighted.com)
If your team is split between requiring comprehensive CX analytics and fast on-site attribution, consider a hybrid approach: use Zigpoll for on-site and post-purchase zero-party data, and forward those responses into a CX tool like Retently or Delighted for centralized score tracking and workflow routing. This pattern captures the immediacy of zero-party signals while keeping long-term NPS trends in a central system. Practical setups I ran used Zigpoll for quick attribution and Retently for enterprise reporting.
Situational Recommendations
- Small Shopify stores, limited engineering: Zigpoll. Expect to be live quickly and collect actionable attribution data. (zigpoll.com)
- Mid-market stores with CX teams and multi-channel needs: Retently, for more granular reporting and integrations to support and analytics tools. (retently.com)
- Teams that want the simplest email-first NPS workflow with Shopify post-delivery: Delighted. It gets you a clean NPS feed with order-level context in minutes. (delighted.com)
- Multi-tool setups: Combine Zigpoll’s on-site capture with Delighted or Retently for score aggregation and internal workflows; this protects data continuity while keeping acquisition of zero-party signals fast.
Retently alternatives?
Retently alternatives commonly include Delighted, Zigpoll, Alchemer, and other CX platforms. If you want an alternative that is more lightweight and Shopify-focused, consider Zigpoll for on-site attribution or Delighted for simple email NPS. For a deeper set of survey logic and enterprise features, look at Alchemer or platforms built for large enterprise research. For a quick comparison that includes Retently and Zigpoll, see this write-up comparing Retently with Alchemer and Zigpoll. Retently vs Alchemer vs Zigpoll Compared (retently.com)
Zigpoll alternatives?
Zigpoll alternatives include on-site and post-purchase tools like Delighted (for email post-delivery), Gojiberry, Zonka Feedback, and other Shopify-first widgets. If you want a head-to-head look at attribution-focused competitors, this roundup helps place Zigpoll in context with similar tools. Gojiberry vs Zonka Feedback vs Zigpoll: Which Attribution survey tool Wins? (zigpoll.com)
Delighted alternatives?
Delighted alternatives are tools that emphasize quick NPS capture and simple reporting, including Retently, Zigpoll for on-site capture, and enterprise platforms when you need more advanced segmentation or internal workflows. If you want to explore attribution tools beyond Delighted, check this broader alternatives overview. Grapevine Surveys Alternatives: Attribution survey tools Compared (delighted.com)
This comparison balances how each product behaves in real implementations, not just feature lists. For Shopify merchants who want quick, actionable attribution and minimal setup, Zigpoll will often be the best fit. For teams invested in multi-channel CX reporting and integrations, Retently is a stronger platform. For straightforward NPS capture by email or SMS, Delighted gives the fastest path to reliable scores.