ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs. First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards: Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a deceptively important decision for Shopify merchants. A wishlist can lift conversion rates, recover abandoned carts, and feed product insights — but picking an app that fits product mix, traffic scale, and growth goals is essential. Two lightweight wishlist options often surface in searches: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later (Eastside Co®) and First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards (Vellir). Both promise basic "save for later" and list-sharing functionality, but their approaches, pricing, and operational trade-offs differ.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a minimal, low-cost tool that focuses on “save for later” placement under the cart and simple social sharing. First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards offers a free tier and tiered usage limits with more structured “boards” and an admin dashboard for basic insights. For merchants seeking long-term retention and a single integrated platform for loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlists, a unified solution like Growave presents stronger value for money and reduces tool sprawl.

This post provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards. The goal is to give merchants a clear sense of which app fits specific store needs — and then explain when it makes sense to consolidate wishlist functionality into a broader retention stack.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs. First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards: At a Glance

Note on ratings and reviews: Both apps have extremely limited public social proof — ESC shows 2 reviews with a 1-star rating, First Wish has 1 review with a 1-star rating. That limited sample size should be a factor in decision-making; it indicates low marketplace traction or recent launches rather than definitive quality assessments.

How to read this comparison

This analysis breaks features into practical merchant-centric criteria: functionality, setup, customizability, checkout behavior, analytics, pricing and value, integrations, support, and long-term maintenance. After the direct comparison, the article addresses "app fatigue" and explains how a multi-tool retention suite can be a better long-term choice.

Deep Dive Comparison

Features: What each app actually does

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later — Feature breakdown

ESC advertises a focused feature set:

• Unlimited wishlists so customers can categorize products.
• "Save items for later" positioned under the cart so saved items are visible at checkout.
• Free social sharing to expand reach.
• A broad range of options for visual customization.

Strengths in practice:

• The cart-level placement increases visibility at checkout, making the saved item a reminder rather than a distant list.
• Unlimited wishlists are useful for customers who want categories (e.g., "Birthday", "Summer picks").

Limitations:

• No publicized analytics beyond the customer's saved items.
• No claims of cross-device sync for anonymous visitors.
• Very limited marketplace reviews, making reliability and support harder to validate.

First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards — Feature breakdown

First Wish positions itself as a slightly broader wishlist tool:

• Works for anonymous visitors and registered customers; logged-in users can synchronize wishlists across devices.
• Allows creation of curated boards (private or shareable).
• Customers can share boards on social media, email, or messaging apps.
• Admin dashboard provides metrics: best-performing products, activity reports.
• Label customization and translation options.

Strengths in practice:

• Clear device sync for logged-in users reduces friction for repeat shoppers.
• Boards add a discovery and gifting angle (useful for gift registries, lookbooks).
• Free tier is attractive for very small stores or trials.

Limitations:

• Usage limits on adds per month on the free and tiered plans can constrain high-traffic stores.
• Dashboard capabilities likely basic; no indication of deep segmentation, event exports, or integration with analytics tools.
• Limited marketplace reviews and a 1-star rating raise concerns about support or product maturity.

Direct feature comparison — practical implications

• Cross-device sync: First Wish explicitly supports logged-in synchronization. ESC does not declare sync behavior, which can mean lost lists when customers switch devices.
• Sharing & social reach: Both support social sharing, but First Wish’s boards are more structured for curated sharing.
• Cart visibility: ESC’s key differentiator is the placement of saved items under the cart, which can drive incremental checkouts by reminding shoppers at the moment of purchase.
• Admin insights: First Wish offers an admin dashboard; ESC does not promote analytics, which limits post-install optimization.

For merchants prioritizing checkout nudges, ESC’s cart placement may deliver immediate impact. For stores emphasizing curation, gifting, or device continuity, First Wish offers more functionality.

User Experience & Setup

Installation and time to value

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later:

• Promotes an easy install and a number of customization options.
• Because the feature set is narrow, time-to-value is fast for basic save-for-later functionality.
• Potential friction: lack of clear documentation or support given low review counts may slow troubleshooting.

First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards:

• Described as "easy to install" and supports both anonymous and logged-in behavior.
• Includes an admin dashboard which requires a few more steps to configure.
• Free plan lowers friction for testing.

Practical tip: Merchants should test installs on a development theme to confirm placement and avoid cart interference. For stores with heavy theme customization, allocate time for minor template or CSS adjustments.

Customer experience (storefront)

• ESC’s cart-level saved items offer a pragmatic reminder that can reduce friction for returning customers who saved items.
• First Wish’s board UI supports more exploratory behavior (wishlists for events, gifting), which can increase sharing and referral traffic if used well.

Accessibility and localization:

• First Wish claims label customization and translation, which is important for multi-language stores. ESC’s description does not explicitly note translation capabilities.

Customization & Design

Visual integration with store themes

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later:

• Emphasizes customization options to adapt to storefront look and feel.
• Because it places content under the cart, design must ensure no cart layout breakage. Merchants may need to adapt CSS.

First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards:

• Provides customizable labels and the ability to translate UI elements, which helps stores maintain brand voice.
• Boards may include thumbnails and descriptions that need consistent styling across product pages.

Practical guidance:

• For merchants with custom themes or page builders (PageFly, GemPages, LayoutHub), expect some manual CSS or snippets during install. If the app exposes settings for color, button shape, and copy, less code work is required.

Cart & Checkout Integration

How saved items affect conversion

ESC:

• By showing "saved for later" under the cart, ESC maximizes the chance that a saved item is seen during checkout and clicked back into purchase flow. This can reduce friction for customers who were undecided but return to buy.

First Wish:

• Focuses more on list curation and synchronization. Saved items are accessible on profile or wishlist pages and may require navigation back to product pages to add to cart.

Operational differences:

• ESC’s approach is a direct nudge at checkout. It’s tactical and targeted for conversion lifts on the same session.
• First Wish’s approach is strategic, supporting multi-session behavior and gifting use cases.

Recommendation:

• If checkout recovery or short-term conversion uplift is the priority, app placement at checkout (like ESC) can offer measurable benefits. If the goal is to support curated shopping journeys and social sharing, First Wish’s boards provide more value.

Analytics & Reporting

Visibility into wishlist behavior

ESC:

• No explicit mention of admin analytics. Merchants may have to infer behavior via standard Shopify metrics (e.g., adding to cart after viewing wishlist) or implement custom events.

First Wish:

• Offers an admin dashboard with usage metrics and activity reports, including top products and wishlist activity. This can feed merchandising decisions and product selection for marketing campaigns.

Why this matters:

• Wishlist data can inform inventory decisions, product bundling, and email targeting. A wishlist app that exposes raw data or integrates with analytics platforms provides more long-term value.

Recommendation:

• Merchants who want to use wishlist data as a revenue lever should favor apps that provide clear activity reporting or exports. First Wish’s dashboard is a step in that direction; ESC’s lack of visible reporting limits strategic use.

Pricing & Value

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later pricing

• Monthly plan: $5 / month.
• Very low entry cost; attractive for budget-constrained stores needing a single-purpose tool.

Considerations:

• Low cost provides low barrier to testing, but check for hidden costs (custom development, theme fixes, or premium features).
• With only 2 reviews at a 1-star rating, merchants should weigh the risk of limited support against the price.

First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards pricing

• Free plan: Free — includes anonymous + logged-in wishlist, up to 1,000 wishlist adds/month.
• Beginner: $9.90 / month — 5,000 adds/month, unlimited boards, board sharing.
• Advanced: $19.90 / month — 20,000 adds/month.
• Pro: $29.90 / month — 50,000 adds/month.

Considerations:

• Free tier is useful for testing, but the add limits may be reached quickly for high-traffic stores.
• The per-tier add-count model ties cost to usage, which is good for scaling predictably — but merchants should monitor usage to avoid surprise upgrades.

Value-for-money analysis

• ESC offers the lowest monthly price but limited transparency on analytics and support.
• First Wish offers a growth path via tiered usage, which can be better value for stores that will scale wishlist activity.
• Neither app provides the broader retention stack (loyalty, referrals, review collection) that can increase lifetime value without multiple separate integrations.

For merchants comparing value, factor in not only the sticker price but the cost of additional apps required to achieve retention goals. A single-purpose wishlist at $5 or even $29.90/month can be cost-effective for niche stores — but for merchants looking to reduce tool sprawl and drive repeat purchases, an integrated platform can be better value for money.

Integrations & Extensibility

Native integrations

• ESC: No explicit list of third-party integrations published in the provided data. That usually implies limited native integrations.
• First Wish: Mentions dashboard but does not list native integrations.

Why integrations matter:

• Email and CRM platforms (Klaviyo, Omnisend), customer support tools (Gorgias), and analytics suites rely on event-level data to trigger campaigns. Without native integration, merchants must build custom tracking or accept limited automation.

Practical outcome:

• Lack of direct integrations increases maintenance overhead and reduces the ability to use wishlist events for lifecycle marketing (e.g., wishlist abandonment flows).

Recommendation:

• Stores that depend on automation or advanced marketing should verify integration capabilities before installing either app. If native integrations are not available, plan for development resources or consider an alternative that bundles wishlist with marketing integrations.

Support & Documentation

Availability and expected quality

• Both apps show very low review counts and 1-star ratings on the Shopify App Store, which raises questions about support responsiveness and product maturity.
• First Wish mentions an admin dashboard, which suggests at least some level of product development and likely documentation.
• ESC’s limited public feedback suggests verifying support before committing.

Best practice:

• Contact app support with pre-install questions and evaluate response time and helpfulness.
• For mission-critical features tied to checkout behavior, prefer vendors with documented SLAs or responsive support channels.

Security & Data Handling

Customer data and privacy

• Neither app’s provided description lists explicit data-handling practices or compliance details.
• Wishlist apps can store customer identifiers and product preferences; merchants must understand where data is hosted, retention policies, and access controls.

Recommendation:

• Request security and privacy details before installing: ask about data encryption, hosting provider, data export capability, and deletion workflows for GDPR/CCPA compliance.

Maintenance & Performance

Potential impact on storefront speed and reliability

• Any app that injects script into storefront or interacts with the cart can affect page speed.
• ESC’s cart placement could have performance implications at checkout if not implemented with best practices.
• First Wish’s boards and dashboard may include heavier front-end resources.

Best practice:

• Test app performance on a staging theme, measure Core Web Vitals, and monitor any impact on checkout latency after installation.

Use Cases and Merchant Recommendations

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later — Best fit

• Small stores that want an inexpensive, checkout-facing "save for later" reminder.
• Merchants focused on short-session conversions and checkout nudges.
• Stores with limited need for multi-device sync or advanced analytics.

Why choose ESC:

• Low price and checkout placement. For stores that need a minimal "remind at checkout" feature and are comfortable with minimal reporting, ESC is a pragmatic choice.

Caveats:

• Verify support responsiveness and test carefully on a dev theme. The low review count suggests due diligence before rollout.

First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards — Best fit

• Stores that want curated boards and social sharing as part of their marketing strategy.
• Merchants who need cross-device wishlist sync for logged-in customers.
• Stores planning to scale wishlist usage and wanting tiered plans tied to adds per month.

Why choose First Wish:

• Free tier for testing, and a pricing ladder that scales with usage.
• Boards support sharing behaviors useful for gifting and social discovery.

Caveats:

• Confirm dashboard capabilities and export options if the merchant plans to use wishlist data in email automation or merchandising.

When neither is enough

• Merchants who need loyalty programs, referral incentives, reviews, and wishlist functionality alongside integrations with Klaviyo, Recharge, or Gorgias will find single-purpose wishlist apps create tool sprawl and integration overhead.
• Stores that require enterprise capabilities (headless APIs, checkout extensions, priority support) should evaluate platforms built for scale.

The Alternative: Solving App Fatigue with an All-in-One Platform

Why single-purpose wishlist apps can create problems

App fatigue occurs when merchants install multiple single-function apps that each solve one problem but collectively create overhead:

• Increased monthly spend across many vendors without coordinated outcomes.
• Fragmented data across tools, making it hard to run cohesive campaigns.
• Multiple code snippets and scripts degrading storefront performance.
• More vendor relationships to manage, and higher operational complexity.

Wishlist functionality is important, but when it sits in isolation from loyalty, referrals, and reviews, merchants miss opportunities to convert interest into long-term value. For example, wishlist adds are a prime trigger for targeted loyalty incentives or wishlist-abandonment emails, but those automations require integrated data flows.

Growave's "More Growth, Less Stack" proposition

Growave is positioned as a unified retention platform that combines loyalty, referrals, reviews & UGC, wishlist, and VIP tiers into one suite. The idea is to reduce the number of vendors while unlocking cross-functional workflows that increase customer lifetime value.

Key elements of the proposition:

• Consolidation of retention features to avoid data fragmentation.
• Native integrations with popular tools to power automated campaigns.
• Enterprise-ready options for high-growth and Shopify Plus merchants.

Merchants can evaluate Growave to consolidate retention features under one vendor and reduce the fragmentation that comes with multiple single-purpose apps.

How an integrated platform changes outcomes

• Wishlist adds can automatically feed into loyalty workflows: awarding points for adding items, or triggering targeted email campaigns for high-intent lists.
• Reviews and user-generated content (UGC) can be surfaced next to wishlists and product pages to increase trust and conversions. Growave helps merchants collect and showcase authentic reviews alongside wishlist behavior.
• Referral campaigns can turn wishlists into social sharing opportunities that directly drive acquisition and reward both referrer and referee.

For stores on the path to scale, these cross-functional interactions are where a single-purpose wishlist falls short.

Growave feature highlights and relevance to wishlist needs

Loyalty and rewards

Growave offers a fully configurable loyalty engine. That means wishlist actions can become part of the loyalty loop: awarding points, providing bonus incentives for wishlist purchases, and creating VIP tiers that reward consistent engagement. Learn more about how merchants can build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.

Wishlist integrated into a broader stack

Growave’s wishlist is one module within a full suite. That integration enables wishlist events to trigger referrals, loyalty point allocations, or review requests without stitching together separate apps.

Reviews & UGC

Growave supports collecting and showcasing reviews and user content, which complements wishlist-driven merchandising. Merchants can use review content to motivate wishlist conversion and social proof. Growave helps stores collect and showcase authentic reviews while using wishlist signals to target review collection more intelligently.

Built for scale and integrations

Growave integrates with major platforms and services (Klaviyo, Omnisend, Gorgias, Recharge), which reduces manual engineering work needed to link wishlist events to marketing automations. For merchants operating at enterprise level, consider exploring solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Credibility and market traction

Growave lists over 1,197 reviews with a 4.8 rating on the Shopify App Store, a clear signal of market traction and user satisfaction in contrast to the very limited review counts of the two single-purpose apps compared above. Merchants should interpret this as stronger social proof when evaluating vendor reliability and long-term support.

Practical scenarios showing the difference

• Scenario: A customer adds several items to a wishlist and abandons the site. With a unified platform, that behavior can:
  • Trigger a loyalty micro-incentive to nudge the purchase (e.g., 50 points if they return within 7 days).
  • Start a wishlist-abandonment email sequence with product UGC included.
  • Offer an option to convert the wishlist into a referral gift list shared with friends.
• Scenario: A store wants to run seasonal campaigns around curated product boards. A wishlist-only app provides the boards, but a unified platform uses those boards to create VIP curation campaigns, reward creators, and aggregate social proof for marketing.

These orchestration capabilities are what make integrated suites powerful compared to single-purpose tools.

Cost and practical ROI

Consolidation into one platform often appears more expensive at face value, but when measured against the total of multiple apps and the engineering overhead to integrate them, the suite becomes better value for money. Growave’s pricing tiers offer options that scale from entry-level to enterprise needs — merchants can compare plans to determine the right fit and consolidate retention features.

Getting started and evaluation steps

• Trial approach: Start with a free plan or short pilot to validate wishlist behavior and the integrated workflows.
• Map triggers: Identify the wishlist behaviors that should trigger loyalty, referral, or review automations.
• Measure incremental lifts: Track conversion rate on wishlist views, wishlist-to-purchase conversion, and changes in repeat purchase behavior.
• Speak with a product specialist: For stores with specific integrations or checkout requirements, book a personalized demo to see how the suite maps to existing tech stacks.

(Quick reminder: merchants can also install Growave directly from the Shopify marketplace to test in a staging environment and see the integration flow in practice.)

Interlinking and resources for evaluation

Merchants considering consolidation should consult customer stories and examples that show how integrated retention strategies scale. For inspiration, review customer stories from brands scaling retention. To install or trial on Shopify, merchants can install Growave from the Shopify marketplace and review pricing packages to see which tier fits order volume and feature needs at consolidate retention features.

Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack improves retention and reduces vendor overhead: Book a personalized demo.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards, the decision comes down to immediate needs and scale. ESC is a low-cost, checkout-facing solution best suited for stores that want a simple "save-for-later" nudge under the cart and fast time-to-value. First Wish offers a broader wishlist and curation feature set, including cross-device sync for logged-in users and a tiered usage-based pricing structure, which makes it a better fit for stores that want boards, sharing, and growing monthly wishlist usage.

Neither app, however, addresses the broader retention problem space. If the objective is not only to capture wishlist behavior but also to turn that intent into repeat purchases, advocacy, and long-term customer value, an integrated platform is often a better investment. Growave’s unified approach — loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlist in one suite — reduces tool sprawl and enables coordinated automations that single-purpose apps cannot easily replicate. Merchants can review plans and test how consolidation impacts lifetime value by exploring Growave’s pricing and plans: consolidate retention features. Merchants can also install Growave from the Shopify marketplace to trial the app in a staging environment.

Start a 14-day free trial to explore how a unified retention platform can replace multiple single-purpose apps and accelerate growth: Start a 14-day free trial.

FAQ

What are the biggest functional differences between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards?

• ESC focuses on a checkout-level "save for later" experience with an emphasis on cart visibility and basic social sharing. First Wish adds cross-device synchronization for logged-in users, curated boards, and an admin dashboard with usage metrics. First Wish is better for curation and multi-session behavior; ESC is more tactical at checkout.

Which app is more cost-effective for a small store just testing wishlists?

• ESC has a lower entry price ($5/month) and is simple to test. First Wish provides a free tier that allows up to 1,000 wishlist adds/month, which can also be a no-cost way to trial features like boards and synchronization. Evaluate the expected volume of wishlist adds and the value of device sync when choosing.

How important is wishlist data integration with email and CRM platforms?

• Very important. Wishlist events are high-intent signals that work best when they trigger automated email or SMS workflows (e.g., wishlist reminders, promotions). Neither ESC nor First Wish shows robust third-party integration lists in the provided data, so merchants that rely heavily on marketing automation should verify integration options or consider an integrated platform.

How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps?

• An all-in-one platform consolidates wishlist, loyalty, referrals, and reviews into a single vendor, enabling cross-feature automations (e.g., awarding points for wishlist adds, or triggering referral incentives on shared boards). This reduces integration overhead, streamlines customer data, and typically delivers better long-term value for stores focused on retention and LTV. For merchants ready to reduce tool sprawl, explore examples and pricing to compare the total cost and benefits versus multiple specialized apps: customer stories from brands scaling retention and consolidate retention features.