Comparison
Bulk Gift Cards vs Gift Card Hero for Shopify
Gift Card Hero is the most-reviewed gift card app on Shopify, and its free plan carries a $9.99 monthly minimum. Here is how the two compare on bulk creation and real cost.
Updated 2026-08-11
Short answer
Gift Card Hero is the most established app in the category, 4.9 stars across 154 reviews, with a customer-facing gift card storefront alongside bulk tools. Its 'Free' plan is pay-as-you-go at 2 percent of gift card value with a $9.99 monthly minimum, so it is not free. Bulk Gift Cards is a flat $49 a month with a genuinely free tier at 20 cards per batch and no percentage. If you want a gift card buying experience, Gift Card Hero. If you want bulk creation with predictable cost, Bulk Gift Cards.
| Feature | Bulk Gift Cards | Gift Card Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Genuinely free plan | Yes, 20 cards per batch, no charge | No. 'Free' is 2% of value with a $9.99/mo minimum |
| Percentage fee on card value | None on any plan | 2% on the pay-as-you-go plan |
| Flat monthly pricing | $49/mo unlimited | $19.99/mo Pro, $39.99/mo Shopify Plus tier |
| CSV bulk creation | Yes, one row per card | Yes, bulk import, generate, update and mass send |
| Currency per card | Yes | Not stated |
| Export codes as CSV | Yes, any batch, any time | Yes |
| Scheduled gift card sending | No | Yes |
| Customer-facing gift card storefront | No | Yes |
| Import existing codes | Yes | Not stated |
| App Store record | New listing, July 2026 | 4.9 stars, 154 reviews |
Competitor link: View Gift Card Hero on the Shopify App Store ↗
The free plan that is not free
Gift Card Hero’s listing shows a plan called Free. Read the detail and it is 2 percent of total gift card value with a $9.99 monthly minimum and a $49.99 cap.
That is not a free plan, it is a $9.99 floor with a usage charge on top, and it is the single most misleading piece of pricing in the category. It is worth flagging plainly because merchants pick apps by scanning plan names.
To be fair to them, the app is very good and 154 reviews at 4.9 is the strongest record in the category by a distance. The pricing presentation is the problem, not the software.
What each app is for
Gift Card Hero is a gift card programme in a box. Customers buy gift cards on your storefront, schedule them for a birthday, and the merchant side has bulk import, generate, update and mass send. If gift cards are a product line for you, this is the more complete answer.
Bulk Gift Cards is merchant-side only. You have a list, or a quantity, and you need cards created and codes back. No storefront, no scheduling, no customer-facing anything.
Running the cost comparison honestly
Gift Card Hero has a flat $19.99 Pro tier, which is less than half our $49. If bulk creation is all you need and you are comfortable on Pro, that is a cheaper answer and you should take it.
The percentage only bites on the pay-as-you-go plan. At 2 percent:
| Gift card value issued per month | Gift Card Hero PAYG | Gift Card Hero Pro | Bulk Gift Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $9.99 (minimum) | $19.99 | $0 (free plan) |
| $2,500 | $49.99 (capped) | $19.99 | $49 |
| $25,000 | $49.99 (capped) | $19.99 | $49 |
The cap at $49.99 means the percentage never runs away the way Givy’s or Gist’s does. Credit where it is due.
Where we win
The genuinely free tier, for merchants who want to prove the workflow before paying anything.
Currency per card, which Gift Card Hero does not state support for.
Stated support for importing existing codes from another platform, which matters on a migration and which Gift Card Hero’s listing does not mention.
Which to install
Pick Gift Card Hero if you want customers buying gift cards on your storefront, if scheduled sending matters, or if you want the longest review history in the category.
Pick Bulk Gift Cards if you sell in multiple currencies, are migrating existing cards in, or want to run a real batch on a free plan before deciding anything.
The full category comparison is in best Shopify bulk gift card apps.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gift Card Hero free?
Not in practice. Its Free plan is priced at 2 percent of total gift card value with a minimum of $9.99 a month and a maximum of $49.99. If you create any gift cards at all in a month you are charged at least $9.99. Bulk Gift Cards has a plan that costs nothing at 20 cards per batch.
Which is cheaper?
It depends entirely on volume. Gift Card Hero's Pro plan is $19.99 a month flat, which is cheaper than $49. Its pay-as-you-go plan at 2 percent is cheaper than $49 below about $2,450 of gift card value per month and more expensive above it. If you already know your volume, run the arithmetic before installing.
Does Gift Card Hero support multi-currency gift cards?
Its Shopify App Store listing does not mention currency handling. Only Bulk Gift Cards by Win-Win Apps and Givy state multi-currency support in this category. If you sell in more than one currency, ask Gift Card Hero directly before installing.
Which is better for a gift card storefront?
Gift Card Hero, clearly. It includes a customer-facing gift card buying experience, scheduled sending and a broader feature set. Bulk Gift Cards is a merchant-side bulk creation tool and does not attempt a storefront.
Which is better for a corporate bulk order?
Bulk Gift Cards, on cost predictability. A 500-card order at $50 each is $25,000 of gift card value; at 2 percent that is $500 in fees on the pay-as-you-go plan against $49 flat. Gift Card Hero's $19.99 Pro plan avoids the percentage, so check which plan you would actually be on.
Try Bulk Gift Cards on your store today.
Free tier on every app. No credit card to install.