ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs Listr: Wishlist + Reminder — An In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Navigating the Shopify App Store to select the ideal tools for enhancing customer engagement and driving sales can be a complex endeavor for any merchant. With a multitude of single-purpose applications designed for specific functions like wishlists, the challenge often lies in discerning which option genuinely aligns with a store’s strategic objectives, budget, and operational capacity. Choosing the right app is not just about features; it is about selecting a partner that contributes to long-term customer relationships and sustainable growth.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later focuses on a streamlined "save for later" experience within the cart, ideal for merchants prioritizing quick re-engagement for imminent purchases. Listr: Wishlist + Reminder, conversely, emphasizes automated reminder emails and social proof, catering to stores seeking to nurture wishlists into future sales through proactive communication. Both serve distinct needs, but relying on multiple single-function apps often leads to operational complexities and hidden costs, prompting many to seek integrated solutions.

This article provides an objective, feature-by-feature comparison of two prominent Shopify wishlist applications: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later by Eastside Co® and Listr: Wishlist + Reminder by Softpulse Infotech. The aim is to equip merchants with the insights needed to make an informed decision, understanding each app's unique strengths, potential limitations, and ideal use cases.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs. Listr: Wishlist + Reminder: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

To effectively choose a wishlist app, merchants must look beyond surface-level features and consider the deeper implications of each app's design on customer behavior, operational efficiency, and overall business strategy. This detailed comparison breaks down the nuances of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Listr: Wishlist + Reminder across several critical dimensions.

Core Features and Workflows

The primary function of any wishlist app is to allow customers to save products they are interested in for future purchase. However, how each app executes this core function and layers additional capabilities significantly impacts its utility.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

This app positions itself distinctly around the "save for later" concept, integrated closely with the cart experience. Its core workflow is designed to reduce friction for customers who are already in the purchase funnel but decide to defer buying certain items.

• "Save for Later" Integration: The defining feature is the direct integration of saved items directly under the cart. This means that when a customer returns to checkout, their previously saved items are immediately visible, potentially prompting an impulse addition to their current purchase. This is a subtle but powerful re-engagement tactic.
• Unlimited Wishlists: Customers can create an unlimited number of wishlists, allowing for robust categorization of desired products. This feature supports shoppers who might be planning for different occasions, comparing products, or simply organizing their long-term shopping aspirations. For merchants, this can offer insights into product categories that resonate deeply with different customer segments, even if not immediately purchased.
• Social Sharing: The app facilitates social sharing of wishlists, aiming to extend brand reach organically. When customers share their curated lists with friends and family, it acts as a form of user-generated content and personal recommendation, which can be highly effective in attracting new potential buyers. This passive marketing channel leverages the customer's social network without direct intervention from the merchant.

Listr: Wishlist + Reminder

Listr takes a more proactive approach, focusing on nurturing customer interest over time through automated communications and leveraging social proof. It aims to actively convert wishlist interest into sales.

• Automated Reminder Emails: A significant differentiator is the ability to send daily, weekly, or monthly reminder emails for wishlisted products. This automated follow-up mechanism keeps products top-of-mind for customers, reducing the likelihood of forgotten items. For merchants, this is a direct channel to re-engage customers without manual effort.
• Price Drop Emails: The app automatically notifies customers when a wishlisted product's price decreases or goes on sale. This feature is a strong conversion driver, as it directly addresses a common barrier to purchase (price) and creates a sense of urgency. It leverages customer price sensitivity to trigger a sale.
• Social Proof Display: Listr can display how many other customers have added the same product to their wishlist. This form of social proof can significantly influence purchasing decisions, signaling popularity and desirability, which is especially effective for trending or best-selling items.
• Guest Wishlist & Sharable Links: Customers do not require an account signup to add products to a wishlist, reducing friction. Sharable wishlist links also encourage customers to share their lists, similar to ESC's social sharing, but with a potentially more direct link for sharing.

Comparison Insight: ESC focuses on keeping items visible at a critical point (the cart) and enabling customer organization. Listr prioritizes active re-engagement through automated emails and leverages psychological triggers like social proof and price incentives. A merchant prioritizing immediate, cart-adjacent visibility might lean towards ESC, while one focused on sustained, automated nurturing and conversion via email would find Listr more aligned.

Customization and Control

The ability to customize the wishlist experience to match a store's branding and aesthetic is crucial for maintaining a consistent customer journey.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

The description highlights "a broad range of options for customizing how the app looks on your store." While specific details are not provided, this suggests flexibility in design integration. The core functionality, being tied to the cart, implies that its visual impact is focused on that specific area of the store. Without more specific data, it is difficult to detail the extent of UI/UX control beyond basic styling.

Listr: Wishlist + Reminder

Listr offers more explicit customization options as detailed in its description:

• Customizable Wishlist Icon: Merchants can tailor the icon that customers click to add items to their wishlist, ensuring it fits the store's visual theme.
• Customizable Wishlist Page: The dedicated wishlist page can be customized to align with brand aesthetics, offering a consistent experience.
• Customizable Email Templates: A significant advantage for Listr, this allows merchants to brand their reminder and price drop emails, ensuring a cohesive and professional communication style that reinforces brand identity.

Comparison Insight: Listr appears to offer more granular control over the visual and communication aspects of the wishlist feature, particularly concerning the email templates and dedicated wishlist page. ESC's customization, while stated as "broad," is less detailed in the provided information, suggesting a focus on functional integration rather than extensive aesthetic control. For brands with strong visual guidelines or specific email marketing strategies, Listr's explicit customization for emails and pages would be a stronger fit.

Pricing Structure and Value for Money

Understanding the cost implications of an app is vital for budgeting and ensuring a positive return on investment. This section examines the pricing tiers and what they offer.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later offers a single pricing plan:

• Monthly plan: $5 / month. This plan includes "unlimited wishlists," "save items for later at cart," and "social sharing."

Value for Money: At $5 per month, ESC is positioned as a very affordable option. Its value lies in its simplicity and direct integration with the cart. For merchants with a limited budget who prioritize this specific "save for later" functionality and social sharing, it presents a straightforward and cost-effective solution. The unlimited wishlists feature provides good flexibility for customers without increasing the monthly fee. However, the lack of advanced features like email reminders or analytics means its value is tied directly to the effectiveness of its core "cart-adjacent" re-engagement strategy.

Listr: Wishlist + Reminder

Listr offers two distinct pricing plans:

• FREE Plan:
  • Up to 100 Items Added to Wishlist
  • Up to 100 Wishlist Emails
  • Customizable Icons and Link
  • Share Wishlist via Email & Social Media
• PREMIUM Plan: $4.99 / month
  • Everything Unlimited
  • Email Reminders (Daily, Monthly, Weekly)
  • Price Drop Emails
  • Customizable Email Templates
  • Customizable My Wishlist Page

Value for Money: Listr's FREE plan offers substantial value for smaller stores or those testing the waters, providing core wishlist functionality, basic email capacity, and social sharing without any upfront cost. This makes it an excellent entry point. The PREMIUM plan, at $4.99 per month, is competitively priced, slightly lower than ESC's plan, and offers a much broader feature set, including unlimited usage, advanced email reminders (daily, weekly, monthly), price drop emails, and extensive customization for emails and the wishlist page. This makes Listr's premium offering a stronger value proposition for merchants seeking proactive engagement and marketing automation from their wishlist app.

Comparison Insight: Listr clearly offers better value for money, especially with its feature-rich PREMIUM plan being slightly more affordable than ESC's single plan, while also providing a free tier. Merchants seeking email automation and advanced customization will find Listr's pricing more attractive. ESC's fixed $5 plan, while simple, offers fewer direct marketing capabilities for the price point compared to Listr.

Integrations and "Works With" Fit

The ability of an app to integrate seamlessly with other tools in a merchant's tech stack is crucial for a cohesive and efficient operation.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

The provided data does not specify any particular integrations or "works with" partners for ESC Wishlist + Save for Later. Its core functionality is described as being integrated with the Shopify cart, implying native compatibility within the Shopify ecosystem.

Consideration: The absence of explicit integration partners suggests that this app primarily functions as a standalone wishlist tool, relying on Shopify's native capabilities for its operation. Merchants using advanced marketing automation, CRM, or analytics platforms might need to consider how wishlist data (if exposed via API, which is not specified) could be leveraged or if it would remain siloed within the app.

Listr: Wishlist + Reminder

Listr also does not explicitly list third-party integrations in the provided data. However, it specifically states it is "Compatible with product filter apps."

Consideration: The compatibility with product filter apps indicates an understanding of a common merchant need: enabling customers to wishlist items even after applying complex filters. This suggests a foundational level of technical compatibility within the storefront environment. Like ESC, the lack of specified integrations with broader marketing or CRM platforms means merchants should inquire about data export or API access if they plan to use wishlist data for personalized campaigns in other systems.

Comparison Insight: Both apps lack detailed integration lists with major marketing, analytics, or CRM platforms. Listr's explicit compatibility with product filter apps suggests a thoughtful consideration for on-site user experience. For merchants who rely heavily on an integrated marketing stack, both apps might require custom development or manual data handling to truly integrate wishlist data into broader customer retention strategies. This highlights a common challenge with single-function apps, where data can become isolated.

Analytics and Reporting

Understanding how customers interact with wishlists can provide valuable insights into product demand, customer preferences, and potential sales opportunities.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

The provided description for ESC Wishlist + Save for Later does not mention any specific analytics or reporting features. Its focus is on the functional aspect of saving items and social sharing, without detailing how merchants might track or analyze this activity.

Consideration: Without built-in analytics, merchants using ESC would likely rely on other methods to gauge the impact of the "save for later" feature, such as tracking cart abandonment rates or specific product sales that might correlate with items frequently saved. This could make it harder to quantify the app's direct contribution to sales or to identify popular products that are not yet being purchased.

Listr: Wishlist + Reminder

Listr explicitly states it provides "analytics and reports." It also highlights a "Top wishlisted products list."

Consideration: The inclusion of analytics and a "Top wishlisted products list" is a significant advantage for Listr. This provides merchants with actionable data:

• Demand Signals: Identifying which products are most frequently wishlisted can highlight emerging trends, popular items, or products that might benefit from targeted marketing campaigns or inventory adjustments.
• Campaign Optimization: Analytics can inform the effectiveness of reminder emails and price drop alerts, helping merchants refine their re-engagement strategies.

Comparison Insight: Listr's inclusion of "analytics and reports" and a "Top wishlisted products list" makes it a more data-driven option. This is crucial for merchants who want to understand customer behavior and optimize their marketing efforts based on tangible interest signals. ESC, based on the provided data, does not offer this level of insight, which could limit a merchant's ability to fully leverage wishlist data strategically.

Customer Support Expectations and Reliability Cues

The quality of customer support and the perceived reliability of an app are often reflected in its review count and rating. These serve as important trust signals for prospective users.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Number of Reviews: 2
• Rating: 1 star

Consideration: The extremely low number of reviews (2) and a very low rating (1 star) make it challenging to assess the app's long-term reliability or the quality of its support. While a small sample size can be misleading, such a low rating, even with limited reviews, is a red flag that merits caution. Merchants considering this app would need to conduct thorough testing and potentially reach out directly to the developer, Eastside Co®, to understand their support model and any underlying issues reflected in the rating.

Listr: Wishlist + Reminder

• Number of Reviews: 27
• Rating: 4.3 stars

Consideration: With 27 reviews and a solid 4.3-star rating, Listr: Wishlist + Reminder by Softpulse Infotech presents a much more reassuring picture. A higher review count indicates broader adoption, and a strong average rating suggests that the majority of users have had a positive experience with the app's functionality and, implicitly, its support. While 27 reviews is still a modest number compared to some larger apps, it offers a credible baseline for confidence in the app's performance and developer responsiveness. Merchants can reasonably expect reliable core functionality and adequate support, aligning with typical app store performance signals.

Comparison Insight: Listr holds a clear advantage in terms of perceived reliability and customer satisfaction, as indicated by its higher review count and significantly better rating. This makes it a less risky choice for merchants concerned about app stability and developer support. ESC's review profile suggests potential concerns that would require further investigation by any interested merchant.

Performance, Compatibility, and Operational Overhead

Beyond features and price, merchants must consider the operational impact of an app on their store's performance, compatibility with their existing setup, and the long-term maintenance burden.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

The app's description focuses on its integration "under the cart," which suggests a tight coupling with Shopify's checkout process. While this could mean efficient handling within Shopify's native infrastructure, details on its impact on page load speed or its resource consumption are not specified. Its simplicity might imply lower operational overhead, but the low review count leaves questions about its stability under various store conditions or traffic loads. The app is categorized solely under "wishlist," indicating a narrow focus.

Listr: Wishlist + Reminder

Listr's features, especially automated email reminders and social proof displays, suggest a more active role in the store's backend and customer communication. The explicit mention of "Compatibility with product filter apps" is a positive signal for broader storefront integration. However, email automation introduces a new layer of operational considerations: ensuring email deliverability, managing unsubscribe requests, and monitoring campaign performance. While these are managed by the app, they represent responsibilities that grow with usage. Its categorization is also "wishlist," but its broader feature set implies more active components.

Comparison Insight: For a simple "save for later" function, ESC might present lower apparent operational overhead due to its narrow scope. However, the lack of robust review data makes this an assumption. Listr, while offering more advanced features, introduces the overhead of managing email campaigns and monitoring analytics. Both apps, being single-function, inherently contribute to "app sprawl" if a merchant is already using other separate apps for loyalty, reviews, or referrals. This fragmentation can lead to increased management time, potential data silos, and a higher total cost of ownership as the merchant's app stack grows.

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

While specialized apps like ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Listr: Wishlist + Reminder can fulfill specific needs, many growing Shopify merchants eventually encounter "app fatigue." This phenomenon arises from the accumulation of numerous single-purpose applications, each adding its own subscription fee, requiring separate configurations, and often operating in isolation from one another. The consequences of app fatigue are significant:

• Tool Sprawl: Managing multiple logins, interfaces, and settings across dozens of apps becomes time-consuming and inefficient.
• Fragmented Data: Customer data, such as loyalty points, review submissions, and wishlist activity, resides in different silos, making it difficult to gain a holistic view of the customer journey or to execute integrated marketing campaigns.
• Inconsistent Customer Experience: Each app might have its own design language and user flow, leading to a disjointed and less polished experience for the customer.
• Scaling Complexity: As a store grows, the administrative burden of managing an ever-expanding app stack increases, diverting resources from core business activities.
• Stacked Costs: While individual app subscriptions might seem affordable, the cumulative monthly cost of many single-function apps can quickly surpass the cost of a comprehensive, integrated solution, without providing the benefits of data synergy.

This is where the "More Growth, Less Stack" philosophy offered by all-in-one platforms like Growave becomes compelling. Growave integrates essential retention and engagement tools into a single, cohesive suite, designed to streamline operations and enhance customer lifetime value through a unified approach.

Instead of piecing together separate solutions for loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlists, merchants can manage all these critical functions from a single dashboard. This integration ensures that customer data is shared across modules, enabling more intelligent and personalized engagement strategies. For instance, a customer who frequently adds items to their wishlist could automatically receive loyalty points and rewards designed to lift repeat purchases or targeted communications based on their demonstrated product interest, rather than relying solely on generic reminders.

Growave's platform includes robust features that cover and extend beyond the wishlist functionality offered by specialized apps. It includes comprehensive loyalty programs that keep customers coming back, enabling merchants to reward customers for various actions, including adding items to wishlists, making purchases, and leaving reviews. This holistic view of customer engagement helps build stronger relationships and fosters repeat purchases.

Furthermore, an integrated platform simplifies the process of collecting and showcasing authentic customer reviews and user-generated content, which are crucial for building trust and driving conversions. Merchants can leverage social proof not just through "wishlisted by X others" counts, but through a full ecosystem of product reviews, photo reviews, and Q&A, all managed from one system. This cohesive approach contrasts sharply with the need to manually reconcile data or user experiences across disparate apps.

For merchants scaling their operations, especially those on Shopify Plus, an integrated solution reduces the complexity of managing multiple vendors and ensures greater compatibility across the storefront and backend processes. It provides a more coherent understanding of the entire customer journey, from initial interest (like adding to a wishlist) to becoming a loyal, repeat buyer. Teams can benefit from customer stories that show how teams reduce app sprawl and learn from real examples from brands improving retention by adopting a unified platform. This approach not only consolidates tooling costs but also ensures that all engagement efforts are working in concert towards the singular goal of increasing customer lifetime value. If consolidating tools is a priority, start by a pricing structure that scales as order volume grows. This allows merchants to see how an all-in-one solution can offer a more a clearer view of total retention-stack costs over the long term.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Listr: Wishlist + Reminder, the decision comes down to their specific priorities for wishlist functionality and customer re-engagement. ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is best suited for stores seeking a straightforward "save for later" feature that keeps items visible within the cart, appealing to those who prefer a less intrusive, direct path to purchase. Its primary strength lies in its simplicity and direct integration with the checkout process.

Conversely, Listr: Wishlist + Reminder offers a more proactive approach, ideal for merchants who want to leverage automated email reminders, price drop notifications, and social proof to actively convert wishlisted items into sales. Its comprehensive feature set, including analytics and customizable email templates, provides greater control over the customer journey and more opportunities for targeted marketing. Based on the provided data, Listr's significantly higher rating and review count suggest a more robust and widely adopted solution with better perceived reliability and customer support.

While both apps fulfill the core need for wishlist functionality, they represent the common challenge of relying on single-purpose tools. Each adds to the complexity of a store's app stack, potentially leading to fragmented customer data, inconsistent user experiences, and a higher total cost of ownership. As businesses grow and their retention strategies mature, the limitations of disparate systems become more apparent.

An integrated platform like Growave addresses these challenges by consolidating essential retention features—including loyalty and rewards, reviews and UGC, referrals, and wishlists—into a single, unified solution. This approach streamlines operations, ensures data synergy, and provides a holistic view of the customer, fostering more effective retention strategies and ultimately leading to more sustainable growth. Merchants can gain a comprehensive understanding of what an integrated platform can offer by checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals. To reduce app fatigue and run retention from one place, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from.

FAQ

### What are the key differences between a "save for later" and a traditional "wishlist"?

A "save for later" feature, as seen with ESC Wishlist + Save for Later, is often more tightly integrated with the shopping cart, implying a near-term purchase intent where customers move items from their cart to a holding area. A traditional "wishlist," like that offered by Listr: Wishlist + Reminder, serves as a longer-term repository for desired items, often with features like sharing, automated reminders, and price drop alerts designed to nurture interest over time.

### Which app is better for budget-conscious merchants?

For budget-conscious merchants, Listr: Wishlist + Reminder offers a FREE plan with core wishlist functionality and basic email capabilities. Its PREMIUM plan is also competitively priced at $4.99/month, providing extensive features for its cost. ESC Wishlist + Save for Later has a single plan at $5/month, which is also affordable but offers a more focused, less feature-rich solution compared to Listr's premium offering.

### How important are automated email reminders for a wishlist app?

Automated email reminders are highly important for converting wishlisted items into sales. They proactively re-engage customers, reminding them of products they've shown interest in. Features like price drop alerts can be particularly effective, as they leverage urgency and provide a clear incentive to purchase, which is a key advantage of apps like Listr: Wishlist + Reminder.

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

An all-in-one platform, such as Growave, consolidates multiple functions like wishlists, loyalty programs, and reviews into a single system. This reduces "app fatigue" by minimizing tool sprawl, ensuring customer data is synchronized across all engagement touchpoints, and offering a more consistent customer experience. Specialized apps, while excelling at a single function, can lead to data silos, increased integration overhead, and a higher cumulative cost if many are used, requiring merchants to consider selecting plans that reduce stacked tooling costs.