Introduction
Choosing the right wishlist, cart-sharing, or list-management app is one of the more practical decisions a Shopify merchant faces. Many stores start with a single-purpose tool to solve an immediate problem — letting shoppers save items, share carts with family, or let B2B buyers upload orders — but that approach can create fragmentation, extra costs, and friction in the customer experience.
Short answer: Ask to Buy create & share cart is a focused tool for enabling cart sharing and pre-filled checkout experiences, while Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus is a stronger option for multi-list management, "save for later" features, and B2B ordering with spreadsheet imports. Both solve valuable problems, but neither eliminates the need for other retention tools. For merchants who want fewer apps with broader retention features, an integrated platform like Growave offers better value for money by combining loyalty, reviews, referrals, wishlists, and VIP tiers.
This article provides a detailed, feature-by-feature comparison of Ask to Buy create & share cart and Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus. The goal is to make the trade-offs clear so merchants can decide which app matches current needs and growth plans. After the direct comparison, the piece explains the costs of proliferating single-purpose apps and presents an integrated alternative that reduces tool sprawl while increasing customer lifetime value.
Ask to Buy create & share cart vs. Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus: At a Glance
| Feature | Ask to Buy create & share cart | Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus |
|---|---|---|
| Core Function | Cart creation & share-to-checkout | Wishlists, lists, B2B order forms, save-for-later |
| Best For | Stores needing simple cart-sharing and invite-to-checkout flows | Brands requiring multi-list management, distributor CSV imports, and B2B ordering |
| Rating (Shopify) | 4.4 (7 reviews) | 5.0 (1 review) |
| Key Capabilities | Pre-fill checkout, custom AskToBuy buttons, group share, track cart shares & revenue | Unlimited list items, multiple lists, CSV imports, one-click reordering, save-for-later |
| Starting Price | $15 / month (basic) | Free plan available; Advanced $14.99 / month; Plus $49.99 / month |
| Integrations (selected) | Shopify checkout | Checkout, Customer accounts, Shopify Flow |
| Time to Launch | Small theme edits, button placement | Advertised under 5 minutes to integrate theme |
| Typical Use Cases | Gift registry, parent/teen checkout flow, sales rep-created carts | B2C wishlists, B2B order forms, distributor reorders |
| Works With | Shopify (checkout flows) | Shopify Checkout, Customer accounts, Shopify Flow |
Deep Dive Comparison
This section breaks down the comparison into practical merchant-centric criteria: features, pricing and value, integrations, setup and UX, analytics, security and privacy, scalability, and support.
Features
Ask to Buy create & share cart — Feature Profile
Ask to Buy focuses on the single, clear problem of sharing a pre-filled cart or checkout link. Its main capabilities include:
- Pre-fill checkout details so invitees need only pay. This is useful for teens without payment methods, gift purchases, or sales reps concluding a sale.
- Invitees land directly in the checkout page with a customized welcome experience, reducing friction between discovery and conversion.
- Built-in AskToBuy buttons with some customization, allowing placement in product pages, cart, or custom locations.
- Group share support to create shared carts among multiple invitees.
- Tracking for cart shares, conversions, and generated revenue.
This feature set is intentionally narrow and optimized. The app is essentially a conversion-path enhancer rather than a full wishlist or loyalty tool. It simplifies workflows where one person prepares the cart and another completes payment, or where a registry-style sharing experience is required.
Practical implications for merchants:
- Useful for stores with frequent gift purchases, family buying flows, or teams using sales-rep-assisted checkout.
- Reduces friction in handoff scenarios; invitees’ checkout step is minimal.
- Short feature list keeps the app lightweight and focused but means other retention needs (loyalty, reviews, referrals) are not addressed.
Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus — Feature Profile
Wishlist Pro aims to cover a broader wishlist and list-management problem space. Key capabilities include:
- Unlimited list items and support for multiple lists per customer on paid plans.
- Quick add-to-cart from lists, making wishlists closer to shopping lists.
- "Save for later" functionality in the shopping cart to recover potential lost sales.
- B2B order forms with CSV import and customer spreadsheet upload for quick reordering.
- Seamless theme integration, with a promise of activation in less than five minutes.
- Sharing via email and social media for lists and registries.
Practical implications for merchants:
- Better suited to stores that need multi-list management, registries, and re-order workflows.
- The CSV import and B2B order forms extend the app’s usefulness for wholesale or distributor relationships.
- Free plan provides a baseline feature set, which is helpful for testing wishlist behavior with minimal cost.
Head-to-Head Feature Notes
- Cart Sharing vs. List Management: Ask to Buy specializes in cart sharing and pre-filled checkouts; Pasilobus specializes in list organization and B2B reorders. These are related but different problems.
- Advanced B2B Support: Wishlist Pro’s CSV uploads and order forms provide stronger support for B2B or wholesale buyers.
- Checkout Experience: Ask to Buy’s invitee landing directly in checkout is a distinct conversion optimization not replicated by wishlist-first tools.
- Save-for-Later: Wishlist Pro explicitly addresses “save for later” on the cart, a feature Ask to Buy does not emphasize.
- Tracking & Metrics: Ask to Buy includes tracking of cart shares and conversions; Wishlist Pro includes reports on paid tiers but may be more focused on list management metrics.
Pricing & Value
Pricing decisions depend on both direct costs and the indirect costs of maintaining multiple apps.
Ask to Buy create & share cart — Pricing Snapshot
- Basic plan: $15 / month (described simply as "basic").
- No multiple pricing tiers provided in the supplied data.
Value considerations:
- For stores that only need cart-sharing functionality, $15 per month is straightforward value if the app drives conversions that would otherwise be lost.
- Because the app covers one narrow use case, merchants will still need other tools for wishlists, loyalty, and reviews.
Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus — Pricing Snapshot
- Free plan: Unlimited list items, single list per customer, sharing.
- Advanced plan: $14.99 / month — Unlimited lists for customers, quick add to cart, translations.
- Plus plan: $49.99 / month — All Advanced features plus B2B order forms, CSV import, and reports.
Value considerations:
- The free tier is attractive for stores testing wishlist behavior.
- The Advanced tier under $15 per month is competitive for merchants wanting multiple lists and quick-add functionality.
- The Plus tier adds B2B functionality; for wholesale customers, the $49.99 price point can be justified if it speeds ordering and reduces manual processing.
Value-for-Money Comparison
- Ask to Buy and Wishlist Pro have similar entry-level costings when Wishlist Pro is on the Advanced plan, but the scope differs. Ask to Buy’s $15 buys a single focused function (cart sharing), while Wishlist Pro’s $14.99 Advanced plan expands core wishlist functionality to multiple lists and faster conversions.
- For merchants who require both cart-sharing and wishlist/B2B features, using both apps would increase cost and introduce overhead. That is where integrated solutions provide better value by consolidating features into one paid product.
Integrations & Ecosystem
Integration breadth affects how well an app plugs into existing stacks for email, SMS, CRM, and headless setups.
Ask to Buy
- Works with Shopify checkout and probably standard Shopify features by design.
- Focused on checkout experience; integrations beyond conversion tracking are not emphasized in the supplied information.
Integration implications:
- Easy to adopt for stores that rely primarily on Shopify’s native checkout.
- Limited integration details mean merchants needing advanced automation or CRM sync may require custom work or additional connectors.
Wishlist Pro
- Works with Checkout, Customer accounts, and Shopify Flow.
- These integrations indicate attention to automation and customer account experiences, which helps with loyalty and reordering flows.
Integration implications:
- Shopify Flow support allows automation triggers for enterprise or high-growth stores on compatible plans.
- Customer accounts integration means wishlists can persist across sessions and be tied to customer profiles.
Implementation, Setup & UX
Ease of setup and the end-customer experience are crucial for adoption and conversion.
Ask to Buy — Setup & UX
- Setup revolves around adding the AskToBuy button and customizing welcome messages for invitees.
- Because the app is focused, the implementation task list is short: button placement, messages, and conversion tracking.
- UX for invitees is streamlined — landing directly in checkout with pre-filled shipping details eliminates steps.
Merchant considerations:
- Minimal setup overhead for stores that want to implement a sharing flow quickly.
- Customization options for buttons may require minor theme adjustments depending on the theme architecture.
Wishlist Pro — Setup & UX
- Promises seamless integration with themes and a <5-minute setup.
- Setup includes enabling lists, configuring list placement, and optionally configuring CSV imports for B2B.
- End-user flow supports multiple lists, sharing, and one-click reordering from lists.
Merchant considerations:
- Short onboarding time for basic wishlist usage, but B2B features or CSV imports will need coordination with customer processes.
- UX differs by plan: free tier limits a single list per customer which can change behavior expectations when upgrading.
Analytics & Reporting
Understanding impact requires measurable metrics: shares, conversions, saved items, reorders.
Ask to Buy
- Tracks cart shares, conversions, and generated revenue. These are direct metrics tied to the app’s core function and easy to interpret for ROI.
Merchant advantage:
- Direct attribution of revenue from shared carts helps justify the app’s cost.
- Good for stores seeking to prove the value of cart-sharing campaigns.
Wishlist Pro
- Includes reporting on the Plus plan. Wishlists and order forms provide signals on customer intent and repeat purchase potential.
- CSV import and B2B reports enable monitoring of distributor activity.
Merchant advantage:
- Better suited for analyzing list behavior, reorder patterns, and B2B order velocity.
- More nuanced view of customer preferences that can feed into merchandising and inventory planning.
Security & Privacy
Both apps operate within the Shopify ecosystem, inheriting many of Shopify’s security standards, but merchants should verify how each app handles customer data and checkout pre-fill accuracy.
Key merchant considerations:
- Apps that pre-fill checkout must ensure data accuracy and compliance with privacy expectations.
- B2B CSV imports and stored lists need secure handling to avoid exposing sensitive customer data.
- Ask vendors about data retention policies, access controls, and whether sensitive fields are encrypted or stored in Shopify only.
Scalability & Customization
Scalability is not only about traffic handling but also about how features evolve as the business grows.
Ask to Buy
- Reasonably scalable for stores that need cart-sharing at scale, but the feature scope can become limiting as retention needs broaden.
- Customizations are likely limited to button style, messaging, and tracking parameters.
Wishlist Pro
- Scales in breadth by supporting unlimited list items and multiple lists on paid plans; Plus tier adds enterprise features like CSV imports and reports.
- Better suited for stores that expect list complexity (gift registries, multiple lists per user, distributor lists).
Support & Documentation
Response times, troubleshooting resources, and clear documentation influence how quickly merchants can resolve issues.
- Ask to Buy’s review volume is low (7 reviews), which makes it harder to draw strong conclusions about support responsiveness from public ratings alone.
- Wishlist Pro has very few reviews (1 review), also limiting public signals.
Recommendation for merchants:
- Test support responsiveness before committing: ask technical questions, request integration examples, and confirm the SLA for urgent issues.
- Verify whether documentation covers theme conflicts, checkout pre-fill edge cases, and CSV import formats.
Pros and Cons Summary
Below are concise pros and cons for quick scanning. Each list emphasizes outcomes — retention, conversions, and operational efficiency.
Ask to Buy create & share cart
Pros:
- Streamlined cart-to-checkout experience reduces friction.
- Direct tracking of shared-cart conversions and generated revenue.
- Useful for gift purchases, parental checkouts, and sales-rep workflows.
Cons:
- Narrow feature scope; does not replace wishlists or loyalty tools.
- Limited public feedback (7 reviews) makes long-term reliability harder to assess.
- Merchants needing multi-list or B2B features will need additional apps.
Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus
Pros:
- Flexible list management with unlimited list items.
- Free plan available to trial basic wishlist behavior.
- B2B-friendly features (CSV import, order forms) on Plus plan.
Cons:
- Very limited public review data (1 review) — hard to gauge broader merchant satisfaction.
- Advanced B2B features require Plus plan, raising costs for distributors.
- Does not provide loyalty or reviews — separate apps needed for retention programs.
Which App Is Best For Which Merchant?
- For brands that primarily need an easy way to let someone else finish checkout (gift purchases, teen-parent flows, sales reps), Ask to Buy create & share cart is a focused, potentially low-friction solution that directly improves conversion in those scenarios.
- For brands that need robust list management, multiple wishlists per customer, "save for later," and B2B order forms with CSV reorders, Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus offers a broader wishlist feature set and B2B readiness.
- For merchants who want to minimize the number of apps and consolidate retention features (loyalty, referrals, wishlists, reviews), neither app is sufficient alone; an integrated retention suite is the better value-for-money option.
The Alternative: Solving App Fatigue with an All-in-One Platform
Specialized apps solve targeted problems quickly, but adding too many single-purpose tools creates what many merchants refer to as "app fatigue." App fatigue manifests as higher monthly costs, overlapping features, inconsistent customer experiences, and a heavier maintenance burden when themes, checkout flows, or third-party integrations change.
Key downsides of stacking many single-point apps:
- Increased monthly cost and billing complexity.
- Conflicting UI/UX patterns across features (e.g., wishlist vs. loyalty widgets look different).
- Greater technical debt during theme updates or Shopify upgrades.
- Fragmented customer data that makes personalized retention campaigns harder.
An all-in-one retention platform reduces these problems by consolidating multiple functions into a single, integrated product and administrative interface. Growave’s philosophy of "More Growth, Less Stack" is an explicit response to the trade-offs caused by app proliferation. Rather than juggling separate tools for wishlists, loyalty, referrals, and reviews, merchants can deploy one integrated suite that shares customer profiles, rewards logic, and analytics.
Growave bundles key retention features that matter for lifetime value:
- Loyalty and rewards programs that incentivize repeat purchases, referrals, and engagement.
- Wishlist functionality that integrates with the broader loyalty and referral ecosystem.
- Review collection and display to build social proof and inform product decisions.
- Referral programs and VIP tiers to reward and segment high-value customers.
Those features are connected, so actions in one area (a wishlist conversion, for example) can trigger experiences in another (reward points or VIP status). Linking these behaviors makes retention programs more effective than isolated tools.
Practical ways an integrated platform reduces friction:
- One place to manage customer incentives, instead of separate dashboards for loyalty points, wishlist conversions, and review queues.
- Unified reporting that ties wishlists, referrals, and rewards to lifetime value and churn.
- Consistent brand experience across widgets and customer emails.
- Fewer apps to maintain during theme and checkout updates.
Merchants considering consolidation can explore options and pricing to evaluate trade-offs. To compare value-for-money and the cost of consolidating retention features, review available plans and trial options. For a hands-on exploration of how a unified stack works in practice, Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated stack improves retention. (Book a personalized demo)
Growave is designed to replace multiple single-purpose apps by bringing together loyalty, wishlists, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers. Below are specific ways Growave’s components address the same merchant needs that Ask to Buy and Wishlist Pro tackle — in a unified environment.
- For wishlists and list management, Growave provides wishlist features that tie directly into loyalty campaigns and customer profiles.
- For cart or checkout conversion flows, Growave’s integration points and loyalty-driven incentives can reduce friction by rewarding actions or enabling personalized follow-ups.
- For B2B and enterprise use, Growave supports Shopify Plus and offers checkout extensions and API/SDK options to build custom flows, making it a contender for merchants who need more advanced customization without proliferating apps.
The platform also connects with common marketing and support tools, allowing merchants to automate post-interaction campaigns and escalate high-value customer events into CRM. For example, Growave integrates with popular email tools and customer service platforms, making it easier to automate follow-ups for wishlist conversions or referral-driven sales.
To assess Fit and ROI:
- Compare the combined monthly costs of specialized apps (wishlists, cart-sharing, loyalty, reviews) against a single integrated plan.
- Consider the operational savings from fewer installs, less troubleshooting, and unified customer data.
- Review customer stories from brands that consolidated retention features to see real-world impact on retention and LTV. For examples of brands that have scaled retention by consolidating tools, browse customer stories that highlight practical results. (Customer stories from brands scaling retention)
Growave’s product pages and app listings help merchants explore features and pricing. Merchants who evaluate consolidation should look at plan tiers to understand where their order volumes and advanced needs (headless setups, API access, dedicated launch plans) fit. For a direct way to compare plans and begin a trial, review options to consolidate retention features and start with an onboarding plan. (consolidate retention features)
Growave on the Shopify App Store is also available for merchants who prefer to install and test via the app listing. Installing from the App Store simplifies billing and integration for many merchants. For merchants preferring the app-store install path, the listing shows user reviews and install stats. (add an integrated retention suite to Shopify)
Growave includes features that directly map to scenarios solved by Ask to Buy and Wishlist Pro:
- Wishlist functionality that supports multiple lists and integrates with loyalty mechanics, effectively covering Wishlist Pro’s scope within a larger retention framework.
- Reward and referral triggers that can encourage users to complete checkout or share carts with family, reducing the need for a separate cart-sharing app.
- Review collection automation that builds social proof for wishlist items and improves conversion rates.
For merchants who want to dive deeper into specific Growave capabilities, the platform provides focused product pages on the core building blocks like loyalty and reviews. For instance, merchants seeking to build a loyalty program can reference the loyalty product page to see how points, tiers, and reward actions work together to increase repeat purchases. (loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases)
Effective social proof requires collecting and displaying reviews in ways that increase conversion. Growave’s review tools let merchants collect, automate, and surface ratings and UGC within product pages and widgets. To learn more about review automation and showcase options, examine how the platform helps merchants collect and display feedback. (collect and showcase authentic reviews)
Install path and pricing references are frequently cited by merchants when evaluating consolidation. For merchants ready to see practical pricing, check the plan comparisons to match order volume and intended feature set. (consolidate retention features)
Growave is also presented on the Shopify App Store for straightforward installation and test-drive. For merchants who prefer the app-store route and want to see app-level reviews, the listing offers an install path and user feedback. (add an integrated retention suite to Shopify)
Implementation Trade-Offs When Consolidating
Consolidation has benefits, but it introduces trade-offs merchants should consider:
- Migration effort: Moving wishlists, customer data, or loyalty points can require careful planning if legacy apps have stored significant history.
- Feature parity: A consolidated platform may not match a very specialized edge-case capability of a niche app. Check specific requirements (e.g., a unique CSV format or a rare sharing flow) before assuming parity.
- Change management: Merchants must plan for front-end changes to widget placement, emails, and customer communications.
Despite these considerations, consolidation tends to yield long-term operational savings and stronger data-driven retention outcomes.
Practical Roadmap to Decide
A practical approach for merchants deciding between specialized apps and an integrated platform:
- Audit current needs: List immediate must-haves (e.g., cart sharing, CSV import) and longer-term retention goals (loyalty, reviews, referrals).
- Calculate consolidation cost: Add monthly costs for each specialized app and compare to a Growave plan that covers the same features.
- Test critical flows: Use free trials or tiered plans to validate B2B imports, cart-sharing flow, and wishlist behavior in a staging environment.
- Verify integrations: Confirm compatibility with email, SMS, and customer service tools to avoid surprises during launch.
- Measure outcomes: Track conversion rate lift, wishlist-to-order rates, and retention metrics to justify ongoing spend.
For merchants who want a tailored walkthrough of consolidation benefits, Book a personalized demo that shows how loyalty, wishlists, and reviews perform together and map to retention KPIs. (Book a personalized demo)
Conclusion
For merchants choosing between Ask to Buy create & share cart and Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus, the decision comes down to the specific problem being solved: Ask to Buy is focused on enabling cart-sharing and invitee landing directly in checkout (a useful conversion play), while Wishlist Pro is designed for multi-list management, "save for later," and B2B order forms with CSV imports. Both tools can be the right choice depending on whether the priority is a simplified handoff-to-checkout experience or richer wishlist and B2B ordering features.
However, single-purpose apps do not address broader retention needs such as loyalty, referral incentives, and review collection. Merchants that value consolidated analytics, lower maintenance overhead, and integrated customer journeys should consider an all-in-one retention platform. Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" approach combines loyalty, wishlist, referrals, and reviews to reduce app sprawl and increase lifetime value with coordinated campaigns and shared customer data.
For merchants ready to try consolidation and measure the impact on retention and LTV, Start a 14-day free trial to experience a unified retention stack. (consolidate retention features)
For merchants preferring to install via the Shopify App Store first, the app listing provides an install path and additional details about features and integrations. (add an integrated retention suite to Shopify)
FAQ
Q: Which app is better for gift registries and family purchases? A: Ask to Buy create & share cart is built specifically to let one customer pre-fill a checkout for another person, which makes it well-suited for family purchases and simple registries. Wishlist Pro supports registries through multi-list sharing, but the checkout handoff and pre-fill flow is Ask to Buy’s unique strength.
Q: Which app is better for B2B ordering and distributor workflows? A: Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus offers CSV wishlist uploads and B2B order forms on its Plus plan, which accommodates one-click reordering for distributors and wholesale customers. Ask to Buy does not emphasize these B2B ordering features.
Q: How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps? A: An integrated platform reduces the number of apps, centralizes customer data, and allows actions in one area (wishlists, for example) to stimulate other behaviors (rewards and referrals). While a specialized app can excel at a single task, an all-in-one solution like Growave provides broader retention capabilities and consistent customer experiences across touchpoints.
Q: If a merchant needs both cart-sharing and multi-list management, what is the recommended approach? A: Evaluate the cost of running both specialized apps against the cost of an integrated retention suite that covers both functions. If long-term goals include loyalty, referrals, or reviews, consolidation often provides better value for money and fewer points of failure. For a live discussion of how consolidation maps to KPIs, Book a personalized demo. (Book a personalized demo)







