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Index › Partner and channel › Referrals › Smile.io vs Cello
Referral and partner programs · October 2026 Edition

Smile.io vs Cello

Zero of fourteen models named Smile.io first on the direct prompt; three named Cello. Smile.io was named by ten of the fourteen models and Cello by nine and Smile.io carries 10 labels and Cello 13, so the shares are not directly comparable.

Smile.io

accepted challenger

Named in three categories this edition.

Cello

accepted challenger

Named in two categories this edition.

First-choice share13%6%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate0%0%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#3#6A position in a field of 15; printed, not drawn.
Labels1013A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Smile.io reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Referral Rock was named alongside these two in thirteen of the fourteen direct answers. PartnerStack vs Smile.io · PartnerStack vs Cello · Referral Rock vs Smile.io

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the referral and partner programs page.

By framing

How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
Smile.ioFirst choices, of fourteen modelsCello
Direct03
Paraphrase00
Comparative00
Budget-constrained70
Scale-constrained00
Negative00
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.

Every model, every framing

The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Smile.io and Cello stood in it.
ModelDirectParaphraseComparativeBudget-constrainedScale-constrainedNegative
Claude Haiku 4.5
GPT-5.4 mini
Gemini 3.5 Flash
Perplexity Sonar
Grok 4.1 Fast
Mistral Small
DeepSeek V4 Flash
Llama 4 Maverick
Qwen 3.7 Flash
Kimi K2
GLM 4.7 FlashX
MiniMax M2.5
GPT-6 Luna
Muse Glimmer 30B
Smile.io Cello first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Smile.io on the left and Cello on the right.

The direct prompt

The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Smile.io and Cello stood in it.

Cello first, Smile.io not the choice

3 of 14 modelsSmile.io was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.
Claude Haiku 4.5Cello alternatives: Friendbuy, PartnerStack, Referral Rock
DeepSeek V4 FlashCello, Referral Rock alternatives: Ambassador, GrowSurf, PartnerStack
GLM 4.7 FlashXCello alternatives: Ambassador, Extole, Referral Factory, Referral Rock

Neither was named

11 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.
GPT-5.4 miniReferral Factory alternatives: Ambassador, PartnerStack, Referral Rock, impact.com
Gemini 3.5 FlashReferral Rock alternatives: GrowSurf, PartnerStack, Referral Factory, impact.com Advocate
Perplexity SonarReferral Rock alternatives: Ambassador, CustomerGauge, GrowSurf, Referral Factory
Grok 4.1 FastAmbassador alternatives: PartnerStack, Referral Rock
Mistral SmallReferral Rock alternatives: SaaSquatch
Llama 4 MaverickFriendbuy alternatives: Partnero, Referral Rock, SaaSquatch
Qwen 3.7 FlashPartnerStack alternatives: Cello.so, Partnero
Kimi K2Referral Rock alternatives: FirstPromoter, PartnerStack
MiniMax M2.5Referral Rock alternatives: Ambassador, Friendbuy, PartnerStack
GPT-6 LunaSaaSquatch alternatives: PartnerStack, Referral Rock
Muse Glimmer 30BAmbassador alternatives: Extole, PartnerStack, Partnerize, Referral Rock

Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.

By buyer segment

The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Cello leads by four points.
Cello6%#– of 10
Smile.io2%#– of 10
The full small business standing →
Mid-marketThe figures above
The order flips: Smile.io leads at mid-market.
Smile.io13%#3 of 15
Cello6%#6 of 15
The full mid-market standing →
Enterprise
Level: the same share of first choices.
Smile.io0%#– of 12
Cello0%#– of 12
The full enterprise standing →

What the models said about Smile.io

No label in this category carried a quote.

What the models said about Cello

Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Three of three in this category shown.

“Best Overall: Cello ... For most mid-market B2B companies, Cello offers the best balance of features, pricing, and B2B-specific functionality” GLM 4.7 FlashX · direct prompt · first choice
“If you're a B2B SaaS company where referrals happen inside the product, Cello is the clear winner” DeepSeek V4 Flash · direct prompt · first choice
“Cello - Best for B2B SaaS” Claude Haiku 4.5 · direct prompt · first choice
Also compared

Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.