ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs. K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist: An In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a common pain point for Shopify merchants. A wishlist can boost conversions, capture buying intent, and feed product demand signals into marketing campaigns — but thousands of apps, mixed levels of support, and subtle differences in features make the choice confusing.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a lightweight, low-cost option best suited to merchants who only need a simple save-for-later widget under the cart and a few customization options. K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist is a more polished, battle-tested wishlist tool with richer UI choices, usage tracking, and wider pricing tiers that fit stores that need a flexible wishlist experience. For merchants wanting to reduce tool sprawl and get wishlist functionality as part of a broader retention strategy, a unified platform like Growave will deliver better value for money.

This post provides a feature-by-feature, impartial comparison of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later (Eastside Co®) and K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist (Kaktus). The goal is to help merchants decide which app fits specific store needs — and to explain when a consolidated retention platform is a stronger strategic choice.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs. K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

The following sections compare the two apps across practical merchant-centered criteria: core features, pricing and value, integrations, support and reliability, customization, analytics, implementation effort, and recommended use cases.

Features

Core Wishlist Mechanics

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Offers a save-for-later area that is kept under the cart so customers see saved items during checkout.
• Supports unlimited wishlists allowing customers to categorize items.
• Includes social sharing so customers can share lists with friends.
• Focus is on a simple path back to purchase from the cart.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Provides multiple visible entry points: floating button, header icon, add-to-wishlist button on product pages, and a dedicated wishlist page.
• Offers popup and embedded wishlist types, giving flexibility for different UX patterns (e.g., modal vs. on-page).
• Also includes social sharing and customer wishlists.
• Emphasizes fast setup and no-coding installation.

Analysis

• ESC targets the "save for later" behavior at checkout, which can be effective for closing purchase intent. It is focused and does the job for merchants who want minimal friction and a visible nudge at checkout.
• K Wish List gives more placement flexibility, which is important for stores that want wishlist visibility across the catalog, support gift-giving flows, or enable product comparisons. The floating button and multiple display modes make it easier to capture intent earlier in the shopper journey.

Customization & Branding

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Offers a "broad range of options" for visual customization, but specifics are limited in public documentation.
• Customization appears oriented toward matching labels and general look.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Explicitly advertises fully customizable icons, labels, and colors to match a brand.
• Allows choosing between popup and embedded designs, which impacts visual integration and conversion flow.

Analysis

• K Wish List provides clearer, more visible customization choices. For merchants with a strong brand aesthetic or who rely on design consistency, K Wish List is safer.
• ESC may allow sufficient tweaks but lacks the same level of detail in documentation and social proof that customizations are robust.

Customer Experience & Discovery

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Keeps saved items visible under cart, making a path back to purchase seamless at checkout.
• Unlimited lists allow customers to organize items by type or event.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Multiple entry points increase discoverability across the site.
• Floating buttons and header icons make wishlist functionality visible without relying on the cart experience alone.
• Dedicated page supports sharing and revisiting favorites.

Analysis

• For stores that depend on later-session conversions (e.g., higher-ticket items where customers research and compare), K Wish List's site-wide visibility is superior.
• For stores with short purchase cycles or that want a low-friction checkout nudge, ESC can be effective.

Social Sharing & Virality

Both apps provide social sharing of wishlists to expand reach and help during gift occasions. K Wish List emphasizes sharing for events and gift buying; ESC offers "free social sharing" as well. Effectiveness will depend on how sharing buttons are presented and whether the store promotes the feature.

Reporting & Tracking

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Public information does not make detailed analytics capabilities clear.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Lists "Track wishlist usage to gain insights into customer interest," indicating a basic analytics layer such as saves counts and likely list-level metrics.

Analysis

• K Wish List appears to provide better tracking out of the box. Analytics matter for merchandising and for integrating wishlist data into retargeting and email automation. If analytics are a priority, K Wish List has the edge.

Pricing & Value

Pricing is often decisive. Both apps target affordable pricing, but the structure differs.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Monthly plan: $5 / month (single plan listed).
• Very straightforward pricing for merchants seeking a minimal recurring cost.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Free to install plan with core wishlist features (floating button, header icon, add-to-wishlist button, notifications, social sharing, popup/embedded types, customer wishlists, support).
• Growth plan: $6.70 / month.
• Growth 2 plan: $19.99 / month.

Analysis

• K Wish List's free tier is a compelling value proposition. Merchants can test wishlist functionality without commitment and upgrade only if additional capacity or advanced features are needed.
• ESC's $5/month plan is low cost but does not offer a free trial or free install. For stores unwilling to risk a paid install for an uncertain ROI, K Wish List has better perceived value because of the free entry point.
• When assessing long-term value, consider hidden costs: maintenance, theme conflicts, and whether multiple apps will be needed for loyalty, reviews, and referrals. A single-purpose app may be cheaper monthly but can increase total cost of ownership when combined with other single-purpose tools.

Phrase to consider in purchase decision: better value for money depends on whether wishlist is the only retention feature needed, or if wishlist should be one part of a larger loyalty and retention stack.

Integrations & Compatibility

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Works within standard Shopify storefront and cart; documentation on integrations with email or marketing stack is limited.
• Primary focus appears to be front-end wishlist behavior.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Works with checkout and emphasizes ease of setup without coding.
• May integrate with common storefront flows; specific third-party integrations are not publicly listed beyond checkout compatibility.

Analysis

• Neither app advertises deep integrations to marketing platforms (Klaviyo, Omnisend) or CRM systems in public materials. Merchants that need wishlist events to feed into email flows or automations should verify webhook or data export options before committing.
• For stores using sophisticated marketing automation, an app with documented integrations or open APIs will reduce integration effort.

Support & Reviews

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Shopify listing shows 2 reviews and a rating of 1.0.
• Low rating and very small review count raise caution; they may indicate unresolved issues or that the app has been recently updated with mixed results.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Shows 81 reviews and a 4.7 rating on Shopify.
• Higher rating and larger sample size suggest consistent performance and satisfactory support interactions.

Analysis

• Review counts are an important signal when choosing apps. A high rating with many reviews generally reflects reliable performance and attentive support.
• ESC’s current review metrics indicate elevated risk. Merchants should test installations in a staging environment and validate support responsiveness before committing.

Implementation & UX

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Installation should be straightforward for merchants comfortable with adding simple apps.
• Since the core interaction lives under the cart, implementation may be less intrusive on theme code.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Promises quick, no-code setup and multiple display modes that can be toggled.
• Floating button and header icon require theme placement but are common patterns and typically supported across themes.

Analysis

• K Wish List's no-code claims and multiple placement options reduce the need for development time. ESC’s simplicity also minimizes setup complexity but may require theme tweaks for ideal presentation.
• Merchants with limited developer resources may prefer K Wish List for quick site-wide activation and design consistency.

Performance & Reliability

Key considerations here are load impact and bug frequency.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Limited public telemetry and low install base make it harder to judge runtime performance.
• The under-cart model is typically lightweight.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• With a larger user base and high rating, K Wish List likely has better-tested performance patterns across themes and traffic levels.

Analysis

• For high-traffic stores, selecting an app with a larger user base and proven performance reduces operational risk. K Wish List has a clear advantage in social proof that often correlates with stability.

Data Ownership & Privacy

Both apps operate within Shopify stores where customer and wishlist data live on the merchant’s store. Important questions merchants should ask before installation include:

• How is wishlist data stored and exported?
• Are wishlist events available for use in email automations or analytics?
• Does the vendor collect analytics or personal data beyond the store?

Recommended action:

• Request documentation from app developers on data retention, export formats, and privacy compliance (especially for stores operating in regions with strict privacy laws).

Reporting & Merchandising Use

Wishlist data can be a powerful merchandising input:

• Identify high-intent or frequently saved products for promotions or inventory prioritization.
• Convert wishlist saves into abandoned-wishlist email flows.
• Use saved-item trends to inform assortment decisions.

K Wish List advertises tracking wishlist usage, which is valuable for merchandising. ESC’s documentation does not highlight analytics, which limits strategic use of wishlist behavior unless the merchant builds custom tracking.

Security & Checkout Compatibility

K Wish List explicitly notes checkout compatibility, which reduces friction when items saved for later need to be surfaced to customers at checkout. ESC places saved items under the cart, which is also effective for checkout visibility. Merchants should confirm compatibility with:

• Custom checkout scripts (Shopify Plus)
• External checkout services (Shop Pay, accelerated checkouts)
• Subscription checkouts (Recharge) if subscriptions are part of the store mix

Maintenance & Theme Updates

Single-purpose apps often require maintenance after theme updates or when a store redesigns. K Wish List's larger install base and higher review count indicate active maintenance, whereas ESC's limited footprint raises questions about ongoing developer support.

Practical Use Cases and Recommendations

Below are merchant profiles and which app is likely the best fit for each profile.

• Small boutique with low monthly sales and basic needs:
  • ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is suitable if the priority is a simple save-for-later function under the cart and minimal cost.
  • K Wish List free tier is also an option because it costs nothing to try and offers more display flexibility.
• Mid-size merchant prioritizing discoverability and gifting flows:
  • K Wish List is better due to floating buttons, dedicated wishlist pages, and stronger tracking.
• High-traffic or design-focused brand:
  • K Wish List’s proven track record and customization options are preferable.
• Merchants who need wishlist data to feed into email automation, loyalty programs, and product merchandising:
  • K Wish List’s tracking features are advantageous, but the ideal solution may be a single integrated platform that ties wishlist events into loyalty and review workflows.

Strengths and Weaknesses Summary

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Strengths: Simple, low-cost ($5/month), focused save-for-later placement under cart, unlimited wishlists.
• Weaknesses: Extremely small number of reviews and low rating (2 reviews, 1.0 rating), unclear analytics and integrations, potential risk on long-term support.

K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist

• Strengths: Strong social proof (81 reviews, 4.7 rating), free entry plan, multiple display options (floating button, header icon, popup, page), tracking of wishlist usage, clearer customization claims.
• Weaknesses: Feature overlap with other tools, possible upgrade costs for advanced tiers, may still require custom integrations for deep marketing automation.

When to Pick Which App

• Choose ESC Wishlist + Save for Later if:
  • The wishlist requirement is minimal and focused at checkout.
  • The merchant prefers a single, low-cost recurring fee and is prepared to test support responsiveness.
  • Budget and simplicity outweigh analytics and site-wide visibility.
• Choose K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist if:
  • The merchant needs robust wishlist placement across the catalog, wants a free way to trial wishlist functionality, or relies on wishlist analytics.
  • A polished look and reliable support are important given the store’s traffic or brand positioning.

Pricing Scenarios and Total Cost Considerations

When evaluating pricing, look beyond the sticker price:

• Include the cost of theme tweaks, potential developer time, and long-term maintenance.
• Consider whether wishlist functionality should integrate with loyalty, reviews, or referral programs — adding those separate apps can multiply monthly costs.
• Factor in the opportunity cost of missing integrations (e.g., wishlist saves that don’t feed email flows).

For merchants planning to add loyalty or review features later, consolidate costs by assessing platforms that include multiple retention tools in a single monthly plan.

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

App fatigue — the slow accumulation of single-purpose apps to cover different retention needs — is a common problem. Each app adds a maintenance burden, potential performance impact, monthly fees, and integration friction. The result is often a disconnected customer experience and inefficient retention workflows.

Growave’s solution to this problem is summed up by the "More Growth, Less Stack" proposition: pack loyalty, wishlist, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers into a single, integrated platform so wishlist data, rewards, and reviews work together rather than in separate silos.

What "App Fatigue" Looks Like

• Multiple billing lines for apps that each solve an individual problem.
• Wishlist saves siloed from loyalty systems, requiring manual or custom integrations.
• Conflicting UI patterns across tools that confuse customers.
• Cumulative performance drag on page load times.
• Long vendor list to manage for support and compliance.

How an Integrated Approach Changes Outcomes

• Centralized customer profiles: wishlist behavior, reward points, referral status, and reviews live in the same system.
• Easier automation: wishlist saves can trigger rewards, email flows, or personalized review requests without middleware.
• Reduced maintenance: one vendor, one integration, and coordinated feature rollouts reduce long-term technical debt.
• Better ROI: consolidated analytics make it simpler to measure retention, lifetime value (LTV), and campaign performance.

Growave: One Platform for Retention and Discovery

Growave combines loyalty, referrals, reviews & UGC, wishlist, and VIP tiers into one suite. This reduces the need to stitch together multiple single-purpose apps and streamlines the path from saved items to repeat purchases.

Key points about Growave:

• Significant social proof with 1,197 reviews and an average rating of 4.8.
• Built for growing merchants, including Shopify Plus stores, with enterprise-level features and integrations.
• Offers a free plan and tiered pricing to support different growth stages.

Growave’s product mix directly addresses the typical gaps left when choosing a standalone wishlist app:

• Wishlist saves can feed loyalty actions or trigger targeted review requests.
• Product saves inform merchandising and automated promotions.
• Built-in referral mechanics and VIP tiers increase customer lifetime value.

How Growave Solves Common Wishlist Limitations

• Wishlist data-to-action: Instead of waiting for wishlist exports or custom events, Growave can attach reward incentives to wishlist behavior and automate re-engagement.
• Unified reporting: Compare wishlist saves against loyalty activity and referrals in one analytical context — useful for prioritizing product investments.
• Cross-feature campaigns: Combine loyalty points, wishlist reminders, and review requests into coordinated campaigns that drive retention rather than isolated conversions.

Explore how consolidating retention features can reduce overhead and increase LTV by comparing plans or installing the app directly from the Shopify ecosystem:

• Consider whether it makes sense to consolidate retention features under a single plan to reduce tool sprawl.
• Merchants can also install from the Shopify App Store to try the integration within their store environment.

Integrations and Platform Fit

Growave supports a wide set of storefront and marketing integrations, enabling wishlist events to interplay with existing email and support workflows. Many merchants will value that wishlist saves trigger reward journeys, and that data can flow to tools like Klaviyo or Omnisend without fragile custom work.

For merchants evaluating Growave, review feature-specific pages to see how each capability helps retention:

• Learn about creating loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• See how to collect and showcase authentic reviews.

Growave positions these capabilities as a way to replace multiple single-purpose apps while giving merchants enterprise-grade controls and a cleaner tech stack. For merchants on Shopify Plus, there are tailored solutions that account for high-traffic and custom checkout requirements; view dedicated solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Cost Comparison — Single App vs. Suite

Short-term: choosing a single-purpose wishlist app may seem less expensive. For example:

• ESC: $5/month.
• K Wish List: free entry tier or $6.70 to $19.99/month for growth.

Long-term: combining wishlist with loyalty, reviews, and referrals typically requires three or more apps, with combined monthly fees easily exceeding the cost of an integrated platform. Growave’s entry-level plan (starting at $49/month) bundles multiple features, which can be better value for merchants who plan to use more than one retention tool.

Merchants should evaluate total cost of ownership:

• Number of apps to replace
• Developer time for integrations
• Performance impacts and A/B test overhead
• The revenue lift expected from integrated retention campaigns

Try It or Demo It

For merchants who want a guided tour of how a unified retention stack looks in practice, scheduling a product walkthrough clarifies integration and migration options. Book a personalized walkthrough to see how wishlist, loyalty, and reviews can be orchestrated together: Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack improves retention. (Hard CTA linking to book-a-demo.)

Customer Stories and Proof Points

Growave maintains a library of customer stories that illustrate how consolidated retention programs affect LTV and repeat purchase rate. Reviewing customer implementations helps merchants decide whether moving away from multiple single-purpose apps will improve retention outcomes and reduce operational overhead. Browse customer examples to evaluate fit: customer stories from brands scaling retention.

Security, Compliance, and Growth Support

Growave provides enterprise-grade support tiers, including a Plus plan with dedicated launch support, 24/7 assistance and API access. For merchants concerned about migration, Growave’s scalable plans offer higher touch onboarding to move wishlist and loyalty use cases into one platform without disrupting customer-facing features.

For pricing and specific plan features, consult the plan comparison to see which tier aligns with order volume and required integrations: compare pricing plans and feature tiers.

Migration Considerations

If a merchant decides to move from a standalone wishlist app to an integrated platform, important steps include:

• Audit existing wishlist saves and exports (format, customer linkage).
• Map wishlist events to loyalty triggers and email automations.
• Plan for UX continuity (ensure wishlist placement or behavior remains familiar to returning customers).
• Validate data export/import formats or APIs with the new vendor.

Growave supports migrations and provides onboarding resources for merchants moving multiple single-purpose apps into one platform; this reduces the friction typically associated with consolidating tools. To check migration options or bespoke onboarding, merchants can install from the Shopify App Store or view plan details on the pricing page.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist, the decision comes down to scope and confidence in long-term support. ESC is a low-cost, focused tool for merchants who only need a checkout-focused save-for-later widget, but its very small review base and low rating present risk. K Wish List offers a more complete wishlist experience with multiple display options, stronger tracking, a free tier, and substantially better social proof (81 reviews, 4.7 rating).

Beyond the feature-level comparison, consider the strategic trade-off between stacking single-purpose apps and adopting an integrated retention platform. Consolidating wishlist, loyalty, reviews, and referrals into one platform can reduce maintenance, enable richer automation, and improve lifetime value metrics.

For merchants ready to replace multiple apps with a unified retention stack, Growave provides an integrated alternative that includes wishlist along with loyalty, referrals, reviews & UGC, and VIP tiers. Review plan details to see how consolidating retention features can reduce tool sprawl and increase ROI: consolidate retention features. Install and test the platform by choosing to install from the Shopify App Store.

Start a 14-day free trial to see how a unified retention platform affects repeat purchase rates and LTV. (Hard CTA linking to pricing.)

FAQ

Q: How do ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist compare on price?

• ESC charges a flat $5/month with a single plan. K Wish List offers a free-to-install tier and paid growth plans ranging from roughly $6.70 to $19.99/month. K Wish List’s free tier is useful for testing; ESC’s single low-cost plan is simple but does not allow a free trial.

Q: Which app has better support and reliability?

• K Wish List has a stronger public support signal with 81 reviews and a 4.7 rating, suggesting consistent performance and responsive support. ESC’s listing shows only 2 reviews and a 1.0 rating, which is a red flag and warrants careful testing before deployment.

Q: Does either app provide good analytics or integration with marketing tools?

• K Wish List advertises tracking wishlist usage, making it better for merchandising and analytics. ESC does not clearly state analytics capabilities. Merchants needing deep integrations with email automation or CRM should verify API or webhook support with either vendor or consider a platform that natively connects wishlist behavior to marketing workflows.

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

• An all-in-one platform reduces the number of vendor relationships, simplifies data flows (wishlist saves can trigger loyalty or review actions), and improves the ability to measure retention holistically. Growave, for example, bundles wishlist with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers so merchants avoid stitching together multiple apps and can run coordinated retention campaigns. For stores that plan to use more than one retention capability, an integrated platform usually delivers better value for money and lower operational overhead.