Generic coupon codes like 10% OFF or 20% discount are everywhere. Almost every online store uses them. And while they do attract attention, they rarely create excitement anymore.
Today’s smart stores don’t just offer discounts; they design strategic coupon experiences. Think personalized deals, Buy-One-Get-One offers, store credits and automated rewards that nudge shoppers to come back and spend more.
But here’s the catch: not every WooCommerce coupon plugin delivers these advanced capabilities.
When you start searching, two names consistently rise to the top — Smart Coupons and Advanced Coupons. Both claim to unlock better engagement, higher conversions and smarter promotional control.
So… which plugin is actually efficient for your store?
In this comparison blog, we’ll break down the real differences between Smart Coupons by StoreApps and Advanced Coupons for WooCommerce.
Smart Coupons vs WooCommerce Advanced Coupons: Smart Coupons offers everything without stacking add-ons
Smart Coupons is the original advanced coupons plugin and is actually sold on the official WooCommerce marketplace.
Advanced Coupons is known for its “freemium” model and loyalty promotion.
When you compare Smart Coupons and Advanced Coupons side by side, the difference becomes clear.
Smart Coupons delivers a complete, all-in-one promotional system while Advanced Coupons works well for stores that prioritize loyalty features, but may require additional investment to match the promotional flexibility Smart Coupons already includes.
Let’s get to the comparison now!
| Smart Coupons (Official) | Advanced Coupons | |
|---|---|---|
| Gift cards / store credit | Buy paid add-on | |
| Customized coupon designs | ||
| BOGO deals | Buy paid add-on | |
| First purchase discount | ||
| URL coupons | ||
| Auto-apply coupons | ||
| Import / export coupons | ||
| Cashback coupon | ||
| Dynamic pricing | Limited | |
| Loyalty program | ||
| Bulk generate coupons and email them | Yes but can’t email | |
| Coupon scheduling | ||
| Print coupons | ||
| Advanced coupons restrictions | Email, minimum spend, categories, purchase history, payment methods, location, shipping, user roles, product attributes, taxonomy, quantity in cart | Shipping, user roles |
| Support | High-rated support, Documentation, calls & email | Documentation & email |
| 5-star reviews | 180+ | 50+ |
The bottomline is that you get everything in a single purchase when you go with Smart Coupons. The same isn’t true for Advanced Coupons.
It forces you to piece together multiple premium add‑ons, ultimately costing double or triple the price for a fraction of the functionality.
Smart Coupons: Let’s talk more about it in detail
It’s a fully native WooCommerce extension designed by the StoreApps team. Its core function is to handle everything from simple discount campaigns to advanced promotional strategies.
Instead of stacking multiple coupon plugins, Smart Coupons gives you a powerful, consolidated system that works seamlessly inside WooCommerce.
At $129, you get a complete promotional tool — without needing to purchase separate add-ons for core features.
With Smart Coupons, you unlock BOGO, gift cards, store‑credit, scheduling and advanced restrictions – everything a modern WooCommerce shop needs.
Key features of this Smart Coupons plugin:
- Offers gift cards like Amazon, perfect for birthdays and holidays.
- Sell gift cards at a lower price to attract new customers.
- Print coupons to create physical gift cards.
- Allows users to spend credit for subscription renewals by integrating with WooCommerce Subscriptions.
- Limit coupons to specific product quantities in carts, ideal for clearance sales.
- Offer BOGO deals on the same or different products.
- Generate shareable links that automatically apply coupons.
- Offer discounts to new users to reduce cart abandonment.
- Allows you to bulk-generate and send unique coupon codes.
- Personalize coupon promo codes with custom prefixes and suffixes.
- Apply store credits on shipping costs and taxes.
- Set up an Amazon Prime-like service to offer free shipping to customers.
- Send a fixed amount of cashback as store credit to customers.
- Easily manage, search, filter and export coupons.
Pros
- Gift cards, store credits, BOGO deals, auto-applied coupons and more — are included in a single purchase.
- Advanced coupon logic based on products, cart conditions, user roles, location, shipping methods, payment methods and more.
- Smart Coupons works equally well for new stores launching simple discounts, growing stores with bulk campaigns and even large stores running advanced marketing programs.
- WooCommerce coupon generator: Generate thousands of unique codes in bulk and email them directly to customers.
- Includes: Cashback as store credit, Amazon-style gift cards, Prime-like free shipping programs and print-ready coupons.
Cons
- No built-in loyalty program.
- No free version.
Advanced Coupons plugin: Detailed overview
Advanced Coupons is developed by Rymera Web Co. It has quickly become a major player in the coupon plugin space.
It offers features like store credits, loyalty programs and gift cards to help store owners run more engaging promotional campaigns.
With over 20,000 users and a free version available, it provides a starting point for businesses that want to experiment with advanced coupon functionality before upgrading to paid plans.
Here are the key features of Advanced Coupons:
- Create Buy One Get One (BOGO) offers for specific products, product groups or entire categories.
- Sell gift card products, allowing customers to purchase and gift store credit.
- Automatically apply coupon codes when cart conditions are met.
- Enable customers to apply coupons through shareable URLs (ideal for email and social campaigns).
- Offer advanced shipping discounts beyond standard free shipping.
- Use Virtual Coupons to generate one parent coupon with multiple child codes.
- Display countdown banners to create urgency and boost conversions.
Pros
- Simpler for basic discounts.
- Free version is actually useful.
- Cleaner UI for simple tasks.
Cons
- Rely on paid-addons for key features.
- Support is slow and limited.
- Limited performance.
The true cost: Why Advanced Coupons’ “Modular Pricing” costs you more
Smart Coupons is available at a flat pricing of $129 a year.
While Advanced Coupons offers competing features, many of its most powerful capabilities require purchasing separate add-ons or bundles.
For example, the core plugin costs $59, the loyalty program add-on is priced at $79 and the gift cards add-on costs you another $59.
This can bring the total investment to approximately $197 or more.
If you want a plugin that “just works” and covers 99% of what a growing store needs, Smart Coupons is the gold standard in the market.
Smart Coupons pays for itself
Smart Coupons bundles gift cards, store credits, BOGO deals, cashback, advanced restrictions and bulk coupon management into a single plugin.
Advanced Coupons is a good option for stores that need basic coupon enhancements or want to start with a free version. However, unlocking comparable functionality often means purchasing multiple add-ons.
In short, Smart Coupons offers better value, scalability and long-term efficiency. Plus, you also get dedicated human support from the developers.
FAQs
Which plugin is better for increasing repeat purchases?
Smart Coupons has built-in store credit and cashback functionality, making it especially effective for retention-focused campaigns while Advanced Coupons includes loyalty features via add-ons.
Can both plugins handle BOGO deals effectively?
Both plugins support BOGO offers. However, Smart Coupons includes BOGO functionality by default, whereas Advanced Coupons may require purchasing an additional add-on
Can I switch to StoreApps’ Smart Coupons if I’m unhappy with another coupon plugin?
Yes. Purchase Smart Coupons from the WooCommerce marketplace. Install and activate and you are good to go.
Is StoreApps’ Smart Coupons compatible with other WooCommerce extensions and plugins?
Yes, it is compatible with Affiliate for WooCommerce, Chained Products, Smart Manager, Email Customizer Pro and more.
Can I print coupons created by Smart Coupons for offline promotions?
Yes, Smart Coupons lets you design and produce printable coupons with unique coupon codes. You can distribute them in magazines or newspapers for online redemption.