Fairing and KnoCommerce are the two names that come up first when a Shopify brand decides to ask customers where they heard about it. Both put a survey on the thank-you page, both turn responses into channel reports, and both push answers into tools like Klaviyo. The real difference is how they charge, which changes the answer depending on how many orders you do. If you have not run a survey before, running post-purchase surveys that tell you something covers the setup mistakes that matter more than tool choice.
Fairing charges by order volume
Fairing’s App Store listing starts with a free tier for up to 100 orders a month and a $15 plan for up to 200. From there, its own listing shows $49 a month for up to 500 orders, $99 for up to 1,000, $149 for up to 5,000 and $199 for up to 7,500, with pricing above that scaling with volume. Responses are unlimited, so you pay for orders, not for answers.
The feature set is strong on analysis. Fairing lines survey responses up against order and LTV data, and syncs answers to Klaviyo, Google Sheets and Shopify orders. It also works with Shopify Flow and POS. Question targeting by new versus returning customer, product purchased or geography is part of the standard setup.
KnoCommerce charges by features
KnoCommerce does not meter orders. Its pricing page lists Starter at $19 a month with one live survey, three questions and no integrations. Analyst is $119 a month with two live surveys, unlimited questions and up to two concurrent integrations. Pro is $299 a month with four live surveys, four concurrent integrations and custom audiences. Plans are month to month, and there is a 7-day free trial.
KnoCommerce’s own guidance is that brands spending under $100,000 a month on ads should start on Analyst. In practice Starter is a test drive. The integration limits on Analyst are the thing to check, because two concurrent connections can force a choice between your email tool and your analytics tool.
Which is cheaper depends on your order count
At 400 orders a month, Fairing is $49 and KnoCommerce Analyst is $119. At 3,000 orders, Fairing is $149 and Analyst is still $119. At 7,000 orders, Fairing is $199, while a brand at that size probably wants Kno Pro at $299 for the extra surveys and integrations. Small stores tend to pay less on Fairing. Larger stores that only need one or two surveys can pay less on KnoCommerce.
Response rates and question design matter more than either price. A survey with one clear attribution question and a sensible answer list will beat a five-question survey nobody finishes, regardless of which tool runs it.
Check what your attribution tool already includes
Before buying a separate survey app, look at whether your attribution tool already has one. ThoughtMetric includes post-purchase surveys on every plan and combines survey answers with pixel data in the same reports, with pricing based on monthly pageviews starting at $99 a month. (Disclosure: ThoughtMetric sponsors this site.) If you only need a “how did you hear about us” question feeding attribution, that may cover it. If you want survey research beyond attribution, such as NPS, product feedback or detailed segmentation, a dedicated tool like Fairing or KnoCommerce goes further. I compared bundled survey options in Shopify attribution tools with post-purchase surveys, and covered how to weigh survey answers against tracking data in post-purchase surveys as an attribution signal.
For other survey options, see Fairing alternatives and KnoCommerce alternatives.
Writing a survey that holds up
Whichever tool you pick, keep the first question simple and the answer list short. Eight to ten answer options covering your real channels, in randomized order, with an “other” field, works for most stores. Include options for things a pixel will never see, like podcasts, a friend or a store, because those are the answers that justify running a survey at all.
Ask the attribution question only on first orders. Returning customers mostly answer “I already knew you,” which tells you nothing about acquisition and dilutes the useful responses. Fairing supports targeting by new versus returning customers, and you should confirm the KnoCommerce plan you pick offers the same audience control before you launch.
What to test during the trial
Run the two trials back to back on similar sales weeks rather than stacking two surveys on the same thank-you page. Look at response rates, how easily the answers can be broken down by product or order value, and how cleanly responses sync to Klaviyo or wherever else you need them. Kno’s 7-day trial is short, so set it up before a normal sales week rather than during a promotion that skews who is buying.
Picking one
- Under about 1,000 orders a month? Fairing usually costs less.
- Several thousand orders and only one or two surveys? KnoCommerce Analyst can be cheaper.
- Need several integrations running at once? Check Kno’s concurrent limits before choosing a tier.
- Only need an attribution question? See whether ThoughtMetric (our sponsor) or your current attribution tool already includes surveys.
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