ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs. My Wishlist: An In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app for a Shopify store is deceptively important. A lightweight wishlist can raise conversion rates, reduce cart abandonment, and add signals that power email and social campaigns. At the same time, a poorly chosen app can create maintenance headaches, duplicate functionality, or fail to integrate with the store’s growth tools.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a simple, low-cost tool for merchants who want a basic saved-for-later feature that sits beneath the cart and supports social sharing, while My Wishlist is a pared-down wishlist app with email sharing and reporting at a lower monthly price. For merchants who want an integrated retention strategy—loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlist working together—an all-in-one platform like Growave offers better value for money and reduces tool sprawl.

This article provides a feature-by-feature, practical comparison of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later (Eastside Co®) and My Wishlist (Hubify Apps). The goal is to help merchants pick the right fit for their needs, and then present an alternative approach for merchants who prefer to consolidate multiple retention features into a single platform.

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

Deep Dive Comparison

This section examines the two apps across relevant merchant-centric criteria. The focus is on how each app impacts retention, conversion, site performance, and store operations.

Features

Wishlist Creation & Management

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Offers unlimited wishlists so customers can categorize products. This is useful for stores with large catalogs where customers may want multiple lists (e.g., “Summer”, “Gifts”, “Work”).
• Wishlist interface is placed under the cart as a "saved for later" area. That placement prioritizes conversion by showing saved items at checkout.
• Supports theme-based customization to match store branding.

My Wishlist

• Lets customers create wishlists and add products easily.
• Emphasizes email sharing and includes reporting on wishlist activity.
• Simpler approach to list management; less emphasis on multiple list organization beyond the basic wishlist structure.

Assessment

• ESC provides more flexibility if customers need several organized lists. Placing the wishlist under the cart is a conversion-friendly decision that reduces friction at checkout.
• My Wishlist is functionally sufficient for stores that only need a single, straightforward wishlist with shareability.

Save-for-Later at Cart

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Key selling point: a “saved for later” section appears under the cart so saved items are visible at checkout. This reduces friction for shoppers who deferred purchase and increases the chances of conversion on subsequent visits.

My Wishlist

• Primarily a wishlist function rather than a cart-specific save-for-later implementation. This means saved items are typically accessed through a wishlist page rather than the cart interface.

Assessment

• For stores where cart uplift is the primary objective, ESC’s cart placement is more tactical. My Wishlist is more focused on the wishlist as a standalone feature.

Sharing Capabilities

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Supports free social sharing—customers can share lists with friends via social networks.
• Sharing can help expand reach organically but depends on user behavior.

My Wishlist

• Focuses on sharing via email and includes unlimited reminder emails. Email-based sharing is useful for gift registries or direct recommendations.

Assessment

• Social sharing (ESC) can drive broader visibility, while email sharing and reminders (My Wishlist) can re-engage potential buyers more directly. The best option depends on whether the merchant values broad reach or targeted re-engagement.

Email Notifications & Reminders

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• App description emphasizes social sharing and saved-for-later visibility at checkout. Explicit automated email reminder functionality is not highlighted in the available description.

My Wishlist

• Offers unlimited reminder emails, wishlist sharing via email, and email notifications. This is a notable advantage for stores that rely on email flows to recover interest and drive return visits.

Assessment

• My Wishlist wins on email follow-up out of the box. Merchants who depend on automated wishlist reminders will find this capability valuable.

Reporting & Revenue Attribution

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• The public description does not emphasize analytics or revenue reporting; focus is on UX and placement under cart.

My Wishlist

• Includes wishlist and product reports, and a revenue report. That permits merchants to attribute sales to wishlist activity and to understand wishlist-driven demand.

Assessment

• My Wishlist provides clearer analytics for measuring wishlist impact. ESC may require external analytics or manual tracking to get similar insights.

Customization & Design Control

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Offers a broad range of options for customizing the app’s look on the store. This suggests theme-level adjustments and a design fit with branded stores.

My Wishlist

• Likely supports basic styling to match a store’s theme but does not advertise advanced visual customization.

Assessment

• Merchants who prioritize precise visual integration and who want the wishlist to appear as a native part of the cart UI will prefer ESC. For merchants who prioritize functionality over pixel-perfect design, My Wishlist’s simplicity may suffice.

Mobile & Checkout Compatibility

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Since the app places saved items under the cart, mobile checkout behavior should be examined before install to confirm how it affects cart layout and conversion flows. No explicit mention of checkout extension support is provided.

My Wishlist

• As a separate wishlist page and email-based system, it is unlikely to interfere with native checkout UI but may add pages or modals that require testing on mobile.

Assessment

• Both apps appear lightweight, but ESC’s cart integration requires testing to ensure it behaves cleanly on all device breakpoints. My Wishlist’s email-first approach is less invasive to checkout.

Integrations & Ecosystem

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• No explicit integration list provided. Appears to be a single-purpose wishlist/save-for-later app without plug-and-play integrations with ESPs or CRMs.

My Wishlist

• No explicit integration list provided. Offers reporting and reminder emails—functionality that may be internal to the app rather than integrated with third-party platforms.

Assessment

• Neither app lists deep integrations. This is important: merchants seeking automated flows with Klaviyo, Omnisend, or custom CRMs will likely need additional work or an intermediary connector.

Pricing & Value

Pricing Structure

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Monthly plan at $5 / month. Single plan, low-cost monthly subscription.

My Wishlist

• Standard plan at $3.99 / month. Includes unlimited items, sharing via email, reports, unlimited reminder emails, and revenue reporting.

Assessment

• Both apps are inexpensive monthly options. Pricing alone is not a strong differentiator. Value-for-money depends on which features matter most: cart visibility and social sharing (ESC) versus email reminders and reporting (My Wishlist).

Total Cost of Ownership

Considerations beyond monthly fees:

• Implementation time and developer resources to install and style the app.
• Potential conflicts with other apps or themes that may require fixes.
• If the merchant needs integrations with other retention tools, the cost of additional apps or custom work can escalate quickly.

Assessment

• Although each app is cheap individually, adding multiple single-purpose apps (wishlist + reviews + loyalty + referrals) creates ongoing costs, duplicated data, and additional maintenance. This is where consolidated solutions can offer better value for money.

Installation, Setup, and Maintenance

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Installation is likely straightforward via Shopify App Store. Customization options are available to match store appearance.
• Maintenance burden depends on theme compatibility and how the saved-for-later element interacts with cart and checkout.

My Wishlist

• Installation and setup are expected to be quick. Email reminder settings and reporting require configuration.
• Low maintenance unless merchant needs to integrate email reminders into broader marketing flows.

Assessment

• Both apps are straightforward to install. The real consideration is long-term maintenance—ESC may require more front-end attention due to cart placement.

Integrations & Extensibility

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• No documented integrations with major ESPs, review systems, or loyalty platforms in the public description. This limits how wishlist events can be used in larger retention programs.

My Wishlist

• Provides internal reporting and email reminders but does not advertise connectors to external marketing platforms.

Assessment

• For merchants building sophisticated retention systems (automated emails, loyalty rewards for wishlist actions), both apps will likely need additional tooling to integrate with email platforms or loyalty solutions.

Support & Reviews

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Number of reviews: 2
• Rating: 1 (out of 5)
• Low review count and a low rating are red flags. This may indicate support challenges, feature gaps, or early-stage app issues.

My Wishlist

• Number of reviews: 1
• Rating: 5 (out of 5)
• Very low review count but a high rating could indicate a small user base with a good initial experience. However, a single review is not statistically meaningful.

Assessment

• The limited number of reviews for both apps makes it hard to judge reliability and support quality definitively. Merchants should trial both apps on smaller stores or development themes and evaluate support responsiveness before committing.

Security, Privacy & Data Ownership

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• No explicit public details about data export, GDPR features, or how wishlist data is stored and used.

My Wishlist

• No explicit public details included in the description about privacy or data export.

Assessment

• Lack of explicit privacy and data export information should prompt merchants handling EU customers or complex compliance needs to contact developers directly for clarification. Data portability is important if the merchant later migrates away from the app.

Performance & Code Impact

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Front-end placement under the cart suggests the app injects UI elements into cart templates. This can be done cleanly, but testing is essential to ensure no adverse impact on load times or checkout behavior.

My Wishlist

• Simpler wishlist pages and email flows are unlikely to add heavy front-end code, but the exact implementation matters for speed.

Assessment

• Both apps should be tested with speed tools and on mobile to ensure they don’t slow the site. Lightweight apps usually have minimal impact, but rare cases of script conflicts can occur.

Reporting & Attribution

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Reporting is not emphasized. Merchants who rely on measuring wishlist-driven revenue may need separate analytics approaches.

My Wishlist

• Includes product and wishlist reports and returns a revenue report. Better suited for merchants who want to quantify wishlist impact.

Assessment

• My Wishlist offers an advantage for merchants wanting direct analytics. If attribution matters, built-in reporting is a decisive factor.

Use Cases and Decision Guidance

This section helps merchants match each app to a practical business need.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is best for:

• Stores where cart uplift is the priority and saved items should be visible at checkout.
• Merchants who want multiple wishlists and social sharing directly from the list UI.
• Brands that want control over the visual integration of wishlist elements within the cart.

My Wishlist is best for:

• Small stores seeking a budget-friendly wishlist with email sharing and reminders.
• Merchants who want simple built-in reporting and revenue attribution for wishlist activity.
• Stores that prioritize email re-engagement over social sharing or cart placement.

Situations where neither single-purpose app is ideal:

• Brands that require a broader retention strategy combining loyalty, referrals, automated review collection, and wishlist-triggered rewards.
• High-growth stores on Shopify Plus or stores that need multi-channel integrations (e.g., Klaviyo, Recharge, Gorgias) out of the box.

Pros & Cons Summary

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Pros:
  • Cart-centered saved-for-later placement
  • Unlimited wishlists for categorization
  • Social sharing and flexible design options
  • Low monthly price ($5)
• Cons:
  • Very low review count and low rating in public listing
  • Limited or undocumented analytics and integrations
  • Potential for cart layout conflicts; requires testing

My Wishlist

• Pros:
  • Low monthly price ($3.99)
  • Email sharing and unlimited reminder emails
  • Wishlist and revenue reporting
  • Simpler, lightweight implementation
• Cons:
  • Very small review sample size
  • Limited integrations with other retention or email platforms
  • Fewer customization options for cart placement

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

Single-purpose apps are attractive because they are inexpensive and focused. However, there is a growing operational cost associated with patching multiple one-off apps into a coherent retention strategy. This cumulative cost is often referred to as app fatigue.

What Is App Fatigue?

App fatigue describes the situation where merchants accumulate many specialized apps—each solving a narrow problem—and face increasing friction from:

• Multiple subscriptions and billing cycles.
• Overlapping features across apps with inconsistent user experiences.
• Data fragmentation that complicates reporting and segmentation.
• Higher maintenance costs for theme compatibility and app updates.
• Growing demand for integrations that require custom work or middleware.

In short, app fatigue slows growth and distracts teams from customer-facing initiatives.

Why Consolidation Matters

Consolidating retention functions reduces friction in several ways:

• Single source of truth for customer activity improves personalization and targeting.
• Unified analytics provide clearer attribution and help prioritize successful programs.
• Fewer theme changes and script injections reduce the risk of performance regressions.
• One vendor relationship simplifies support and onboarding.

For merchants looking to consolidate retention features, Growave’s approach is one option to consider.

Growave’s “More Growth, Less Stack” Philosophy

Growave positions itself as a flexible retention platform that combines multiple retention tools—Loyalty & Rewards, Referrals, Reviews & UGC, Wishlist, and VIP Tiers—into a single integrated suite. This is a deliberate alternative to adding separate apps for each retention function.

Key advantages of the consolidated approach:

• Centralized customer profiles linking wishlist behavior, loyalty status, referral actions, and product reviews.
• Built-in integrations with major marketing and support platforms, reducing the need for custom connectors.
• Enterprise capabilities for merchants on Shopify Plus, headless setups, and multi-language stores.

Merchants can evaluate Growave’s plans and compare costs directly to the combined cost of multiple single-purpose apps by visiting a page where pricing and plan features are presented. For a quick estimate of how consolidation can affect monthly spend and capabilities, view how to consolidate retention features.

How an Integrated Suite Replaces Multiple Apps

Growave is designed to deliver retained-value features that commonly require several apps:

• Loyalty and Rewards replaces separate loyalty apps and connects to purchases, reviews, and referrals to power points or discounts. Learn how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• Reviews & UGC replaces standalone review apps while enabling the collection and moderation of reviews and user-generated content. Merchants can explore how to collect and showcase authentic reviews.
• Wishlist functionality is integrated into the same platform, allowing wishlist events to feed into loyalty programs or trigger remarketing activity.
• Referral programs and VIP tiers are part of the same suite, enabling cross-functional campaigns without data handoffs.

This integration provides practical benefits:

• Wishlist activity can directly trigger loyalty points or email reminders without a separate connector.
• Referral performance can be tied to customer lifetime value when loyalty and referral data live in the same system.
• Reviews can be incentivized through loyalty programs and automatically showcased on product pages.

Integrations and Ecosystem Compatibility

Growave supports a range of third-party integrations that merchants commonly need as they scale, reducing the need to stitch together multiple apps manually. Connections exist for email platforms, customer support tools, subscription platforms, and more—an important factor when trying to maintain consolidated customer data.

For merchants on Shopify Plus or those with advanced needs, Growave outlines solutions tailored for larger stores. To see how the platform approaches enterprise demands, explore solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Practical Examples of Consolidation Benefits

• A customer adds items to a wishlist. Those wishlist events automatically feed into loyalty logic that awards points for wishlist creation, which increases customer engagement and increases the likelihood of conversion without adding a separate points app.
• Wishlist reminders and abandoned wishlist emails are handled within the same platform that manages loyalty emails, creating consistent messaging and measurable impact across programs.
• Reviews gathered through the review system can be used to trigger rewards or to segment high-value reviewers into VIP tiers.

Those looking for real-world inspiration can review customer stories from brands scaling retention to see how consolidation reduces tool sprawl and increases LTV.

Cost Comparison Consideration

Consolidation is often a better value for merchants who expect to use multiple retention tactics. While the per-month fee for an all-in-one platform is higher than a single cheap wishlist app, the combined cost of multiple individual apps, plus the time required to integrate and maintain them, often exceeds the single-platform price.

Merchants considering consolidation should:

• Map existing subscriptions and feature overlap.
• Estimate integration and maintenance costs (developer time).
• Compare feature parity and potential lost functionality.

Growave’s pricing and plan breakdown can be reviewed to compare features and limits across Entry, Growth, and Plus plans and to assess the ROI of consolidation. Merchants can review the specific plan features and run scenarios that compare multiple single-app costs with an integrated plan to consolidate retention features.

Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack accelerates growth. (Hard CTA)

Note on App Discovery: Merchants who want to try the platform from the Shopify interface can find and install Growave via the marketplace. For those who prefer app-store-based discovery, see how to install from Shopify’s App Store.

How Growave Covers the Gaps Identified in the Comparison

Gaps identified in ESC and My Wishlist include limited integrations, sparse analytics, and the need for additional apps to support loyalty and reviews. Growave addresses these by:

• Linking wishlist data directly to loyalty and referral logic.
• Providing built-in review collection and UGC features that feed into loyalty incentives.
• Supporting connections to major ESPs and helpdesk tools to embed wishlist and loyalty events into communication flows.

If a merchant’s roadmap includes loyalty programs, referral acquisition, or automated review collection, Growave’s integrated suite eliminates the need to manage separate wishlist, loyalty, and review apps.

Who Should Consider Consolidation vs Single-Feature Apps

Consolidation (All-in-One) is recommended for:

• Merchants planning to use multiple retention channels (loyalty, reviews, referrals, wishlist).
• Growing brands that want reliable integrations with marketing stacks.
• Teams that want to reduce technical maintenance and centralize customer data.

Single-feature apps may still be appropriate for:

• New stores testing product-market fit that need a lightweight wishlist quickly.
• Merchants who explicitly need only one narrow feature with minimal ongoing complexity.
• Stores that have a small catalog and do not expect to scale retention programs in the near term.

For a clear comparison and cost scenario tailored to a store’s order volume and program needs, merchants can evaluate plan options and see how the combination of features compares by reviewing how to consolidate retention features or by visiting the app listing to try the platform on Shopify’s App Store.

Practical Migration & Implementation Notes

If a merchant uses ESC or My Wishlist today and considers switching to an integrated platform, some practical steps help reduce friction.

Data Export and Continuity

• Ask the current app developer about wishlist export options. Merchants should request a CSV or API export of wishlist records, including user emails where available.
• Confirm whether saved items tied to anonymous sessions can be linked to customer accounts during migration.

Theme Integration

• Test in a staging or unpublished theme first. Confirm that wishlist components render correctly on product pages, cart, and checkout preview (if applicable).
• For ESC users, pay special attention to the cart “saved for later” component and how it affects responsive layout.

Email & Automation

• Map existing email reminder sequences. An integrated platform can replace app-specific reminder emails; ensure the merchant replicates or improves the cadence.
• If using Klaviyo, Omnisend, or another ESP, confirm available integrations and the required mapping for events and customer properties.

Loyalty & Rewards

• If migrating to an integrated suite with loyalty, determine how wishlist events will translate into loyalty points or tier progress.
• Establish initial reward structures and test reward redemption in dev mode.

Testing & QA

• Validate the following: wishlist add/remove flow, sharing links, wishlist reminders, loyalty actions triggered by wishlist events, and reporting accuracy.
• Run cross-browser and mobile testing to confirm consistent behavior.

For merchants who prefer guided onboarding, a demo can surface migration best practices and clarify which plan matches the store’s order volume and expected features. Book a personalized demo to evaluate migration planning. (Hard CTA)

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and My Wishlist, the decision comes down to specific priorities: ESC emphasizes cart-centered saved-for-later placement, unlimited lists, and social sharing, making it suitable for stores focused on checkout uplift and list organization. My Wishlist offers email-based sharing, unlimited reminders, and built-in reporting at a slightly lower price point—better for stores that rely on email re-engagement and want wishlist-driven analytics.

Both apps are low-cost, single-purpose solutions that work well for stores with focused needs. However, if a merchant plans to expand retention efforts—adding loyalty, referrals, and review collection—an all-in-one platform avoids the fragmentation and maintenance costs that come with multiple single-feature apps.

Growave presents a higher-value alternative for merchants looking to consolidate retention features under one roof. Combine wishlist capabilities with loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and collect and showcase authentic reviews without adding multiple subscriptions. To evaluate whether an integrated approach is cost-effective for a specific store, merchants can compare plans and scenario pricing to consolidate retention features or explore the app listing to try the platform on Shopify’s App Store.

Start a 14-day free trial to see how reducing tool sprawl impacts retention and lifetime value. (Hard CTA)

FAQ

Q: Which app is better for increasing conversion at checkout: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later or My Wishlist?

• ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is better positioned to increase conversion at checkout because of its “saved for later” section under the cart, making deferred items visible when customers return to purchase. My Wishlist focuses more on email reminders rather than cart-level placement.

Q: Which app provides better analytics and revenue attribution for wishlist-driven sales?

• My Wishlist includes wishlist and product reports along with revenue reporting, which makes it easier to measure the direct impact of wishlist activity. ESC’s public description does not emphasize analytics, so merchants who need attribution will find My Wishlist more immediately useful.

Q: If a store uses Klaviyo, needs loyalty, and wants review incentives, should it use a wishlist app plus separate loyalty and review apps?

• Adding separate apps for each function can work but often leads to duplicated effort and fragmented customer data. An integrated platform that ties wishlist events to loyalty and reviews can reduce maintenance overhead and improve cross-program targeting. Merchants can compare consolidation benefits and plans to consolidate retention features.

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

• An all-in-one platform trades the lowest possible monthly fee for a single app in exchange for centralized data, native cross-feature triggers, and fewer integration headaches. For merchants planning to run multiple retention programs, this usually delivers better long-term value. Explore how to collect and showcase authentic reviews and how loyalty can work in tandem with wishlist events to judge whether consolidation fits the roadmap.