Advocado vs PEKO — the quick answer?

Advocado is the PSG-subsidised, Singapore-headquartered incumbent; PEKO is the AI-first, free-to-300-members challenger — pick Advocado for the grant, PEKO for AI churn prediction and messaging that runs itself.

That's the three-sentence version of a decision most SG operators are making in 2026. Advocado has been in-market since the mid-2010s with a POS-agnostic loyalty engine, campaign builder, and a track record on the IMDA PSG pre-approved vendor list — meaning eligible ACRA-registered SMEs can offset up to 50% of the software cost through the grant. That's real money and, for many independents, is the deciding factor.

PEKO's counter-argument is that the operator's real cost isn't software price — it's the hours per week spent designing campaigns, drafting messages, deciding who to message, and configuring vouchers. PEKO's AI Agent does that work by default: it scores every regular on lapse-risk nightly, drafts the win-back message, and hands the operator a one-click approve. Free to 300 members means an indie café pays nothing until they've grown past the point where the tool has already paid for itself.

The honest gap: Advocado has a longer local reference-customer list in Singapore hospitality, a more mature integrations catalogue with legacy POS, and the PSG paper trail your accountant already knows how to file. PEKO is the newer entrant with an AI-native architecture and a lower cost floor.

The clearest picking rule: if your ACRA entity qualifies for PSG and your procurement process cares about grant paperwork, go Advocado. Otherwise default to PEKO, run free to 300 members, and only revisit the decision when your active member count crosses the paid tier threshold.