Gleam Competitions vs Happy Birthday Emails by UWfor Shopify (2026)
Gleam Competitions and Happy Birthday Emails by UW cater to different customer engagement strategies on Shopify. Gleam Competitions focuses on broader engagement through contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways, leveraging viral marketing and email list growth. It aims to drive traffic, increase user engagement, and collect leads. Happy Birthday Emails by UW, on the other hand, is laser-focused on building customer loyalty and driving repeat purchases through personalized birthday emails with discounts. Its strength lies in automated, personalized marketing and gathering customer data for targeted campaigns. While both apps indirectly aim to increase sales, their approaches differ significantly. Gleam Competitions provides a platform for running various interactive campaigns, offering versatility in engagement. Happy Birthday Emails by UW specializes in a single, high-impact strategy – birthday marketing – simplifying the process of personalized customer interactions. Merchants need to consider which strategy best aligns with their overall marketing goals and resource availability. Gleam is suited to those wanting to capture new customers; Happy Birthday Emails is more for retaining existing ones.
At a Glance
Gleam Competitions
32 reviews
Happy Birthday Emails by UW
141 reviews
Detailed Overview
Gleam Competitions
Easily set up and run Giveaways, Contests & Sweepstakes that drive real user engagement.
Key Features
- Create your own campaign, or use our campaign templates for every occasion.
- Run campaigns directly from your Shopify store to increase website traffic.
- Get entrants to sign up to your newsletter then sync to your Shopify admin.
- Use Viral Share action to incentivize entrants to refer their friends & family.
- Create photo contests to collect user-generated content from your customers.
Happy Birthday Emails by UW
Send a birthday email with a discount to build loyalty and repeat purchases
Key Features
- Send birthday emails with personalised messages and discounts
- Run a birthday loyalty campaign with zero ongoing effort
- Collect birthdays and age data at checkout, POS, or landing pages
- Works with your email platform or sends happy birthday emails for you
- Populates Shopify’s customer birthday metafield
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 5/5 |
Rating Gleam Competitions4.5/5 Happy Birthday Emails by UW5/5 | ||
| Reviews | 32 | 141 |
Reviews Gleam Competitions32 Happy Birthday Emails by UW141 | ||
| Focus | Giveaways, Contests & Sweepstakes | Birthday Emails & Loyalty |
Focus Gleam CompetitionsGiveaways, Contests & Sweepstakes Happy Birthday Emails by UWBirthday Emails & Loyalty | ||
| Key Feature 1 | Viral Share action to incentivize referrals | Automated birthday email sending with discounts |
Key Feature 1 Gleam CompetitionsViral Share action to incentivize referrals Happy Birthday Emails by UWAutomated birthday email sending with discounts | ||
| Target Merchant | Merchants seeking traffic and lead generation | Merchants focusing on customer retention and loyalty |
Target Merchant Gleam CompetitionsMerchants seeking traffic and lead generation Happy Birthday Emails by UWMerchants focusing on customer retention and loyalty | ||
| Integration | Direct Shopify store integration for campaigns | Integrates with email platforms or sends emails directly |
Integration Gleam CompetitionsDirect Shopify store integration for campaigns Happy Birthday Emails by UWIntegrates with email platforms or sends emails directly | ||
| Data Collection | Email addresses and engagement data from contest entries | Customer birthdays and age data |
Data Collection Gleam CompetitionsEmail addresses and engagement data from contest entries Happy Birthday Emails by UWCustomer birthdays and age data | ||
| Value Proposition | Drive engagement and acquire new customers through interactive campaigns | Increase customer loyalty and repeat purchases through personalized birthday marketing |
Value Proposition Gleam CompetitionsDrive engagement and acquire new customers through interactive campaigns Happy Birthday Emails by UWIncrease customer loyalty and repeat purchases through personalized birthday marketing | ||
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Our Verdict
If you're primarily focused on acquiring new customers, driving traffic to your store, and collecting leads through interactive and viral campaigns, Gleam Competitions is likely the better choice. Its versatility allows for a range of contest types and promotional strategies. However, if your priority is nurturing existing customer relationships, increasing customer lifetime value, and driving repeat purchases through personalized interactions, Happy Birthday Emails by UW offers a simpler, more targeted solution. Its focus on birthday marketing provides an efficient and effective way to engage customers on a personal level.
The lower review count for Gleam, despite its utility, and slightly lower rating should be taken into consideration. While Happy Birthday Emails has less use cases, its customers appear to have had much better experiences with it. If a merchant has a strong and dedicated customer base to target, Happy Birthday Emails is the superior choice for the increased likelihood of a seamless and valuable integration. If a merchant is looking to try different things, and has the time to invest in setup, Gleam may be the superior choice for versatility.
Common Questions
Can both apps be used together?
While both apps target different customer engagement strategies, they can technically be used together. Gleam Competitions can attract new customers, while Happy Birthday Emails can focus on retaining those acquired customers. However, be mindful of potential overlap and ensure clear communication to customers.
Which app is easier to set up and use?
Happy Birthday Emails by UW is likely easier to set up and use due to its singular focus on birthday email automation. Gleam Competitions, with its broader range of features and campaign types, may require more initial setup and ongoing management.
Does Gleam Competitions collect more data?
Gleam Competitions potentially collects more diverse data, including email addresses, social media interactions, and user-generated content, depending on the contest setup. Happy Birthday Emails by UW focuses specifically on collecting and utilizing birthday and age data.
Which app is more affordable?
Without pricing information for either app, it's impossible to definitively say which is more affordable. Merchants should compare the pricing plans and features offered by each app to determine which best fits their budget and needs.
Does one require more tech knowledge?
Gleam Competitions may require slightly more tech knowledge because campaigns can be configured in many ways, including integrating into different marketing channels. Happy Birthday Emails by UW integrates with Shopify or sends the emails for the user, so it may require less technical knowledge.
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