SweepWidget vs. Gleam: Which Giveaway Tool Fits Your Store in 2026?
On Gleam Competitions, custom CSS starts at $179/mo and the leaderboard embed at $499/mo, so a contest that needs either one gets expensive fast. For contest-focused Shopify and ecommerce brands, SweepWidget is the stronger Gleam alternative, because leaderboards, referral rewards and purchase-based entries all unlock on its $59/mo Business plan. Gleam is still the better pick if you want contests, pop-up lead capture, a rewards program and user-generated content (UGC) galleries from one vendor, or fraud detection listed on a free plan. Here's how the two compare on price, features and reviews.
SweepWidget vs. Gleam at a glance
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| SweepWidget | Shopify and ecommerce brands that want leaderboards, referral rewards and purchase entries without an enterprise-level plan | Free plan; paid from $29/mo | Leaderboards, referral and milestone rewards, and $1-spent purchase entries all unlock at $59/mo |
| Gleam | Marketing teams that want contests, pop-up lead capture, a rewards program and UGC galleries from one vendor | Free Competitions plan; paid from $29/mo (Hobby) | Four separate apps (Competitions, Rewards, Captures, Galleries) that can be bundled from $119/mo |
Prices verified on SweepWidget and the Gleam websites, October 15, 2026. Both are monthly prices. Annual discounts are reviewed in the comparison table.
No credit card required.
What does Gleam's own SweepWidget comparison get right, and what does it leave out?
Gleam publishes its own Gleam vs SweepWidget post (last updated May 21, 2026). Most of its points are fair, and we'd rather say so than argue with them. Here's each one.
Is SweepWidget only a contest tool?
Yes, and that's a fair point. Gleam's post says "SweepWidget is built around one thing: running contests." SweepWidget's pricing page doesn't list a standalone pop-up lead-capture tool, a rewards program outside of contests, or a hashtag-fed social wall; its rewards live inside campaigns. Gleam sells each of those jobs as separate apps. If you need them, Gleam's suite is the more complete option.
Are Zapier and API access on higher SweepWidget plans?
Yes, also fair. Zapier starts on SweepWidget's Business plan ($59/mo) and API access on Enterprise ($249/mo), exactly as Gleam's post says.
What does Gleam's comparison leave out?
Where Gleam's own contest features sit. According to Gleam Competitions' Shopify App Store listing, the leaderboard embed and Entry API are on the Premium plan at $499/mo, and custom CSS (your own styling code for the campaign) starts on Business at $179/mo. On SweepWidget, leaderboards start at $59/mo, custom CSS at $119/mo and API access at $249/mo. If contests are the job, that gap matters more than the number of apps in the suite.
What should you look for in a Gleam alternative?
Five things decide whether a switch saves money or just moves the problem:
- Which plan unlocks the feature you actually need. "Starting at" prices look similar ($29/mo on both), but leaderboards, custom CSS and API access sit on very different tiers.
- Whether you need one app or a suite. If you only run giveaways, paying for a multi-app bundle is wasted budget. If you also want pop-ups and a rewards program, a suite can be cheaper than stitching tools together.
- Shopify depth. Both tools have a Shopify app. Check whether purchases can earn entries, and on which plan.
- Fraud protection on the plan you'll actually use. Anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking and per-IP limits keep a winner list defensible. Check whether they're on the free plan, the entry-level paid plan or two tiers up.
- Branding control. Gleam's Capterra reviews include complaints that campaigns tend to look alike. If on-brand design matters, check where custom CSS and branding removal start.
How do SweepWidget and Gleam compare feature by feature?
SweepWidget
SweepWidget is a dedicated giveaway and contest platform with 120+ entry methods, covering 20+ social platforms on Pro and 30+ from Business and above, per SweepWidget's pricing page. It runs as a native Shopify app, a WordPress plugin and an embeddable widget. The Pro plan ($29/mo) includes unlimited entries plus anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking, a limit on entries per IP address, and allow and block lists for specific IP addresses and emails.
The Business plan ($59/mo) is where it pulls ahead for ecommerce: leaderboards, referral and milestone rewards, instant coupons, Zapier, and purchase entries that award an entry for every $1 spent on Shopify. The honest weakness is the tier spread. Gleam lists fraud detection on its own free plan, while SweepWidget's VPN blocking and per-IP limits start on Pro. Whitelabeling, custom CSS, email verification and country restriction are included on Premium ($119/mo), and API access, webhooks and phone verification need Enterprise ($249/mo).
- Best for: Shopify and ecommerce brands that run giveaways often and want leaderboards, referral rewards or purchase entries without a $499/mo plan.
- Pricing: Free; Pro $29/mo; Business $59/mo; Premium $119/mo; Enterprise $249/mo. Annual billing saves 17% on every paid plan. (Verified on sweepwidget.com/pricing, October 15, 2026.)
- Free trial: A permanent free plan rather than a time-limited trial, with unlimited entries and campaigns.
- Bottom line: The better value if giveaways are your main tool, as long as you budget for the specific tier that holds the feature you need.
Gleam
Gleam is a suite of four apps: Competitions for contests and giveaways, Rewards for coupon and reward unlocks, Captures for pop-up and embedded lead capture, and Galleries for displays of customer photos and posts (UGC). Each is priced separately, or bundled as a Full Package. It's the more complete choice for teams that want all four jobs handled by one vendor.
Gleam's Shopify listing also names Advanced Fraud Detection and Verified Action on the free Competitions plan, which is a genuine advantage for small, low-budget giveaways. Like SweepWidget, it also has a WordPress plugin and a Shopify app. The tradeoff shows up higher in the Competitions tiers. Viral Share (Gleam's referral action) starts on Pro ($59/mo), custom CSS on Business ($179/mo), and the leaderboard embed, Entry API (programmatic access to entry data) and 5-person team on Premium ($499/mo), according to Gleam's Shopify listing. Branding is the other common complaint; one Capterra reviewer wrote, "There is VERY little you can do to disguise that this is a Gleam app."
- Best for: Marketing teams that want contests plus pop-ups, a rewards program and UGC galleries from a single vendor and login.
- Pricing (Competitions): Free; Hobby $29/mo; Pro $59/mo; Business $179/mo; Premium $499/mo. Rewards and Captures start at $49/mo each, Galleries at $49/mo, and the Full Package bundle at $119/mo. Gleam advertises up to 65% off on yearly billing. (Plans and prices verified via Gleam's Competitions pricing page, its Shopify App Store listing and the PricingSaaS Gleam tracker, October 15, 2026.)
- Free trial: A free Competitions plan with unlimited campaigns, winner display, a hosted landing page and fraud detection; paid apps have no stated trial.
- Bottom line: Worth the higher price if you'll actually use more than one of its four apps. For contests alone, you'll usually pay more to unlock the same contest features.
Feature-by-feature comparison table
| Feature | SweepWidget | Gleam (Competitions) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free plan; paid from $29/mo | Free plan; paid from $29/mo (Hobby) |
| Free plan limits | Unlimited entries and campaigns | Unlimited campaigns; entry cap not stated on its Shopify listing |
| Annual discount | 17% off every paid plan | Up to 65% off yearly, per Gleam's pricing page; its Shopify listing shows 34% to 40% (Business is $1,428/yr) |
| Referral mechanic | Referral and milestone rewards from Business ($59/mo) | Viral Share action from Pro ($59/mo) |
| Leaderboards | From Business ($59/mo) | Leaderboard embed on Premium ($499/mo) |
| Custom CSS | Included on Premium ($119/mo) | From Business ($179/mo) |
| Entry API | Enterprise ($249/mo) | Premium ($499/mo) |
| Shopify | Native Shopify app; $1-spent purchase entries from Business ($59/mo) | Native Shopify app (Gleam Competitions); purchase entries not listed |
| Fraud controls | Anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking, per-IP entry limits, IP/email allow and block lists included on Pro ($29/mo) | Advanced Fraud Detection and Verified Action listed on the free plan |
| WordPress | WordPress plugin that embeds your hosted campaign by shortcode | WordPress plugin that embeds your hosted campaign by shortcode |
| Other apps | Giveaways and contests only | Rewards, Captures and Galleries sold separately or bundled from $119/mo |
| Importing an entrant list | Upload entries into a contest from CSV on Premium ($119/mo) and Enterprise | Not listed on Gleam's Shopify listing |
| Reviews | SweepWidget's Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (52 reviews); G2: 4.8/5 (20 reviews); Shopify: 4.0/5 (13 reviews) | Gleam's Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (20 reviews); G2: 4.2/5 (27 reviews); Shopify: 3.6/5 (32 reviews) |
Ratings checked on Capterra, G2's Gleam vs SweepWidget comparison and the Shopify App Store on October 15, 2026. Review samples on both sides are small, so read a few reviews rather than leaning on the star rating alone.
Why choose SweepWidget over Gleam?
Five checkable reasons, each verified on the vendors' own pages on October 15, 2026.
Leaderboards for $59/mo instead of $499/mo
SweepWidget's leaderboards start on Business at $59/mo. Gleam lists its leaderboard embed on Premium at $499/mo.
Purchase entries for Shopify stores
From Business ($59/mo), SweepWidget awards an entry for every $1 a customer spends on Shopify. Gleam's Shopify listing doesn't list purchase-based entries.
On-brand campaigns for less
Custom CSS is included on SweepWidget's Premium plan at $119/mo, versus $179/mo on Gleam Business. That matters if you've seen Gleam reviewers' complaint that campaigns tend to look alike.
API access at half the price
SweepWidget's API access comes with Enterprise at $249/mo. Gleam's Entry API is on Premium at $499/mo.
One product built for contests
SweepWidget is priced as a single giveaway tool with 120+ entry methods and unlimited entries on every plan, including free. You don't pay for pop-up, rewards or gallery apps you won't use.
SweepWidget vs. Gleam: pros and cons
Both tools, checked against each vendor's own pages on October 15, 2026.
SweepWidget
Pros
- Leaderboards, referral and milestone rewards from $59/mo.
- Native Shopify app with $1-spent purchase entries from $59/mo.
- Unlimited entries on every plan, and fraud controls like VPN blocking and per-IP limits on Pro ($29/mo).
- Higher ratings on Capterra (4.7 from 52 reviews vs 4.5 from 20), G2 (4.8 from 20 vs 4.2 from 27) and Shopify (4.0 from 13 vs 3.6 from 32).
Cons
- Contests only: no standalone pop-ups, rewards program or UGC galleries.
- Whitelabeling and custom CSS need Premium ($119/mo), so the $29 and $59 plans carry SweepWidget branding.
- API access and webhooks only on Enterprise ($249/mo).
- Zapier needs Business ($59/mo).
Gleam
Pros
- Four apps (contests, pop-ups, rewards, galleries) from one vendor, bundled from $119/mo.
- Fraud detection and verified actions listed on the free Competitions plan.
- Quick setup, praised in Gleam's Capterra reviews.
- Up to 65% off with yearly billing; Business drops to $1,428 a year on its Shopify listing.
Cons
- Leaderboard embed and Entry API only on Premium ($499/mo).
- Custom CSS starts at $179/mo, and reviewers say campaigns look alike.
- Purchase-based entries aren't listed on its Shopify listing.
- Each extra app costs more: Rewards and Captures start at $49/mo each.
How do you choose between SweepWidget and Gleam?
- You run giveaways and want leaderboards: SweepWidget, where leaderboards start at $59/mo, versus Gleam's $499/mo leaderboard embed. Referral mechanics start at $59/mo on both.
- You sell on Shopify and want purchases to earn entries: SweepWidget's Business plan awards an entry for every $1 spent.
- You want contests, pop-ups, a rewards program and UGC galleries in one place: Gleam's suite, especially the Full Package bundle from $119/mo.
- You want fraud detection without paying: Gleam, whose free Competitions plan lists Advanced Fraud Detection and Verified Action.
- You need API access on a budget: SweepWidget Enterprise ($249/mo) costs about half of Gleam Premium ($499/mo).
- You'll pay yearly and use more than one Gleam app: Gleam. Yearly billing and the Full Package close much of the price gap.
- You only run an occasional small giveaway: Both free plans allow unlimited campaigns. SweepWidget's Shopify listing shows unlimited entries on its free plan; Gleam's doesn't state an entry cap for its free plan, so check it before you launch.
How we evaluated these tools
We compared SweepWidget and Gleam on five criteria, in this order:
- Feature-to-tier mapping. Which plan first unlocks leaderboards, referral mechanics, custom CSS, API access and fraud controls.
- Pricing structure. Monthly price, annual discount, and single app versus bundle.
- Shopify fit. Native app availability and purchase-based entries.
- Fraud protection. What's included on the free and entry-level paid plans.
- Review record. Ratings and review counts on Capterra, G2 and the Shopify App Store.
Prices verified on each company's own pricing page and Shopify App Store listing, with the PricingSaaS tracker as a fallback where Gleam's pricing table wouldn't load; strengths and gaps drawn from public reviews and Gleam's own comparison post, all checked October 15, 2026.
Our verdict: which should you choose?
If giveaways and contests are your main growth tool, especially on Shopify, SweepWidget is the better fit: leaderboards, referral rewards and purchase entries all start at $59/mo, and fraud controls like VPN blocking are included on the $29/mo Pro plan. If you'll genuinely use Gleam's pop-ups, rewards program and UGC galleries alongside contests, Gleam's bundle is the more complete single-vendor option.
Ready to run your first giveaway?
Start free on SweepWidget, with no credit card, and move to Business when you want leaderboards and purchase entries.
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Still weighing your options?
See more comparison information here:
SweepWidget head-to-head comparisons
See how SweepWidget compares with each tool in detail:
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Frequently asked questions
Is SweepWidget cheaper than Gleam?
At the entry level they're the same: both start at $29/mo, and both have a free plan. The difference shows up higher in the tiers. On SweepWidget, leaderboards cost $59/mo, custom CSS $119/mo and API access $249/mo. On Gleam Competitions, custom CSS costs $179/mo and the leaderboard embed and Entry API cost $499/mo, according to Gleam's Shopify App Store listing, checked October 15, 2026.
Does Gleam have a Shopify app?
Yes. Gleam Competitions has a Shopify App Store listing rated 3.6 out of 5 across 32 reviews, with a free plan and paid plans from $59/mo when billed through Shopify. SweepWidget also has a native Shopify app, rated 4.0 out of 5 across 13 reviews, and its Business plan ($59/mo) can award an entry for every $1 a customer spends.
What can Gleam do that SweepWidget can't?
Gleam sells four apps: Competitions, Rewards, Captures and Galleries. That means it covers standalone pop-up lead capture, a rewards program outside of contests and UGC galleries, which SweepWidget doesn't offer as separate products. SweepWidget focuses on giveaways and contests, with 120+ entry methods and referral and milestone rewards inside campaigns.
Which tool has better fraud protection on cheaper plans?
Gleam's Shopify App Store listing names Advanced Fraud Detection and Verified Action on its free Competitions plan. SweepWidget's Pro plan ($29/mo) includes anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking, a limit on entries per IP address, and allow and block lists for specific IP addresses and emails, and email verification and country restriction are included on Premium ($119/mo). Check each tool's free plan against your campaign before relying on it.
Can I move my Gleam giveaways to SweepWidget?
SweepWidget doesn't list a dedicated Gleam import, so you recreate the campaign in its builder. If you need to carry over existing entrants, SweepWidget's Premium ($119/mo) and Enterprise plans can upload entries into a contest from a CSV file; check which export options your Gleam plan includes first. Plan the switch between campaigns rather than in the middle of a live giveaway.
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