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

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a small decision that can have outsized effects on retention, conversion, and customer experience. Shopify merchants face thousands of app choices, and single-purpose tools often promise quick wins but can create maintenance overhead and fragmented data. This comparison focuses on two focused wishlist apps—ESC Wishlist + Save for Later by Eastside Co® and SWishlist: Simple Wishlist by SoluCommerce—to help merchants decide which tool matches their needs.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a basic, single-feature tool that targets merchants who want a simple "save for later" cart-placement and social sharing option for a low monthly fee; SWishlist: Simple Wishlist is a more mature wishlist product with strong reviews, a usable free tier, multi-language support, and deeper customization. For merchants who want wishlist functionality plus retention features that increase lifetime value, an integrated platform like Growave is often better value for money than stacking multiple single-purpose apps.

This post provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and SWishlist: Simple Wishlist. It covers core functionality, customization, pricing and value, integrations, operational overhead, support experience, and recommended use cases. After the direct comparison, the article explains the limits of single-point solutions and introduces an alternative approach that reduces app fatigue and strengthens retention.

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

Deep Dive Comparison

The following sections examine both apps across practical merchant-focused criteria: features, implementation, customization, reporting, integrations, pricing and value, and support.

Features: Core Wishlist Capabilities

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later — Core feature set

ESC positions itself around encouraging more sales with a focused "save for later" placement under the cart and social sharing. The app highlights the following capabilities:

• Unlimited wishlists so customers can categorize products.
• Save items for later visible under the cart to make return-to-purchase friction low.
• Free social sharing of wishlists.
• Broad options for customizing the app's look on the storefront.

This is a narrowly scoped feature set aimed at stores that need a single widget that sits next to the cart and nudges return visits.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist — Core feature set

SWishlist offers a richer wishlist feature set and a clearer product positioning:

• Seamless adding of favorites to a wishlist from product pages and collections.
• Sharing of wishlists with friends.
• Front-end customizations to match the store's visual design.
• Multi-language support depending on plan.
• API support for deeper integrations.

SWishlist emphasizes customer experience, customization, and measurable engagement via saved items. The presence of an API also signals readiness for merchants with custom flows or analytics needs.

Feature comparison — what matters in practice

For merchants deciding which feature to prioritize, consider these operational outcomes:

• If the goal is to reduce friction at checkout and prompt one-click recovery from cart pages, ESC’s under-cart save-for-later placement is purpose-built for that use case.
• If the objective is to increase product discovery, support multi-language storefronts, or tie wishlist activity into marketing flows, SWishlist’s API and customization matter more.
• Social sharing exists in both, but the depth of integration and quality of share outputs often differ—merchants should verify how sharable lists appear on social platforms.

User Experience & Design

Installation and initial setup

• ESC’s installation is positioned as simple and focused. A merchant can expect a small widget inserted near the cart; however, documentation and setup details are limited in public-facing listings.
• SWishlist’s Free plan explicitly lists free setup up to two themes per store, which reduces setup friction and indicates a more guided onboarding for varied theme ecosystems.

Ease of setup affects time-to-value; merchants with highly customized themes will prefer an app that includes setup support or robust documentation.

Front-end behavior and conversion impact

• ESC’s primary conversion mechanism is the saved items appearing near checkout. This reduces cognitive steps for customers who saved items while browsing to re-add them at checkout.
• SWishlist encourages active curation: customers can build lists over time, share them, and return when ready to purchase. That pattern favors discovery and social-driven conversions.

Both approaches reduce cart abandonment but serve different conversion paths: ESC is more checkout-centric; SWishlist is more discovery- and engagement-centric.

Customization & Theming

ESC Wishlist

ESC advertises a "broad range of options for customizing how the app looks on your store" and claims unlimited wishlists. However, with only two reviews and a very low rating, merchants should confirm the depth of customization in a development or staging environment before committing.

SWishlist

SWishlist explicitly offers customization that "perfectly match[s] your store" and supports multiple storefront languages on paid tiers. The Free plan includes setup for up to two themes, and paid plans expand language and analytics capabilities. For merchants who value a consistent brand experience, SWishlist appears better positioned.

Practical recommendation

Merchants with unique visual themes or strict design requirements should request demo environments or test-swatches. Custom CSS hooks, ability to reposition the widget, and theme compatibility checks are critical before launch.

Social Sharing & Viral Potential

Both apps promote social sharing, a common wishlist feature that can drive organic reach when customers share gift lists or wishlists with friends.

• ESC highlights free social sharing and positions wishlists as a way to "increase your brand reach." Confirmation on the share card format and whether Open Graph tags are optimized is important, but not clearly documented.
• SWishlist also supports sharing and tends to position sharing as part of a fuller wishlist experience. Merchants should test how share links render across platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) and whether they include product images and price metadata.

Social sharing moves beyond a simple feature—its effectiveness depends on the share appearance and the call-to-action included in the shared link.

Analytics & Reporting

Tracking wishlist activity is key for turning saved items into marketing opportunities. Merchants want to measure saved items, list share rate, reactivation rate, and conversion from wishlist to order.

• ESC’s public listing does not clearly advertise analytics dashboards or exportable data. That suggests reporting is limited or requires custom tracking.
• SWishlist's Premium tier mentions "unlimited access to all statistics," which indicates built-in analytics for higher-tier customers. The Free and Basic tiers may have more limited reporting.

For merchants that plan to act on wishlist data (email campaigns, abandoned-wishlist flows, retargeting), SWishlist’s clearer analytics offering is a differentiator.

Integrations & API

ESC Wishlist

No formal integrations or API details are listed publicly. For merchants that require data sync with email or CRM systems, the lack of API documentation could be a constraint.

SWishlist

SWishlist explicitly lists "Works With: API," which implies that merchants can programmatically access wishlist data or tie wishlist events into external systems like Klaviyo or custom analytics.

Why API matters

An API enables:

• Triggering automated email flows when items are added or when wishlist items go on sale.
• Feeding wishlist behavior into segmentation for loyalty programs.
• Creating bespoke storefront experiences (for example, wishlist gating for VIP customers).

Merchants with any ambition to personalize marketing or enrich customer profiles should prioritize a wishlist that exposes an API.

Pricing & Perceived Value

Pricing is often decisive. Both apps offer low entry price points, but value is defined by the ratio of features and support to cost.

ESC Wishlist pricing

• Monthly plan: $5 / month.

This single plan is straightforward and low cost. For merchants who only need a minimal save-for-later widget, $5 per month is affordable. However, the lack of visible tiers, trial conditions, and limited public feedback raises questions about long-term roadmaps and support.

SWishlist pricing

• Free: Free — 300 wishlist additions per month, 2 storefront languages, free setup for up to 2 themes, support within 24-48 hours.
• Basic: $5 / month — 7,000 wishlist additions per month, 7 languages, support within 12-24 hours, includes Free features.
• Premium: $12 / month — Unlimited wishlist additions, 20 languages, unlimited stats access, top priority support.

SWishlist’s pricing structure gives merchants room to scale. The Free plan enables testing; Basic suits small stores that still need more capacity; Premium is competitive for high-volume stores that need robust analytics and priority support.

Value for money — practical framing

• ESC offers a single low-cost option for a focused use case. That can be good value for shops that only care about a cart-related save feature.
• SWishlist provides a free tier, progressive scale, and clearer support SLAs. For merchants who value extensibility and measurable activity, SWishlist offers stronger perceived value.

Use-case examples that illustrate value:

• A small store testing wishlist demand can begin with SWishlist Free and evaluate engagement before upgrading.
• A store that wants a minimal widget under the cart and prefers a predictable $5 monthly fee could choose ESC, but should weigh the risk of limited support.

Support, Reviews & Reliability

Reviews and public support indicators reveal more honestly what merchants will experience.

• ESC: 2 reviews, rating 1. That combination is a red flag. Very low review count and poor rating suggest either a very narrow user base, unresolved complaints, or issues with reliability/support. Merchants should treat ESC as higher risk unless build and support assurances are obtained.
• SWishlist: 106 reviews, rating 4.9. High review count and near-perfect average indicate strong user satisfaction. The tiered support response times listed in the app details (24-48h on Free, 12-24h on Basic, fastest on Premium) are also useful for merchants who expect responsive help.

A healthy review footprint is a key reliability signal. Higher review counts with strong ratings typically reflect better product maturity, more frequent updates, and better support processes.

Implementation & Performance Considerations

Performance impacts UX and SEO. Common implementation issues are slow scripts, conflicts with themes or other apps, and checkout compatibility.

• ESC’s smaller user base can make it harder to find troubleshooting resources or community solutions. The app's placement under the cart might require theme edits for visual fit.
• SWishlist’s Free setup for up to two themes suggests hands-on onboarding, which reduces risk of incorrect implementation. API support provides flexibility for performance-conscious merchants who prefer server-side or minimal front-end footprint.

Merchants with high-traffic stores should insist on performance test data and request dev-mode installations to benchmark any wishlist scripts.

Security, Privacy & Data Ownership

Wishlist apps collect product-level and, sometimes, customer-level data. Merchants should understand who owns that data and how it can be exported.

• ESC listings do not highlight data export or ownership policies publicly.
• SWishlist’s API and analytics focus implies better data access, but merchants should confirm export formats, retention policies, and GDPR compliance for EU customers.

Merchants that run targeted campaigns or need to comply with regional privacy laws should verify data export mechanisms and deletion requests prior to installing any wishlist tool.

Pros, Cons, and Ideal Use Cases

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later — Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Low monthly price point ($5 / month).
• Simple, focused "save for later" placement under the cart that reduces friction at checkout.
• Claimed unlimited wishlists and social sharing.

Cons:

• Very low public review count (2 reviews) and a poor average rating (1), which raises reliability and support concerns.
• Limited public documentation on integrations, analytics, and data exports.
• Risk of compatibility issues without clear onboarding support.

Best for:

• Small stores that want a minimal, cart-centric save-for-later widget and are comfortable testing an unproven app.
• Merchants who prioritize a simple, low-cost solution and can absorb support overhead.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist — Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Strong public validation: 106 reviews with a 4.9 average rating.
• Free tier that allows testing (300 wishlist additions/month) and free setup for up to two themes.
• Scalable pricing ($0 → $5 → $12) with higher tiers unlocking unlimited additions, more languages, and analytics.
• API support for integration and automation.

Cons:

• Free tier is capped at 300 additions per month, which might be too restrictive for fast-growing stores.
• Advanced capabilities require upgrading to Basic or Premium tiers.
• Some merchants may prefer an integrated retention suite that includes wishlist plus loyalty and reviews.

Best for:

• Merchants who want a proven wishlist app with good support and scalable tiers.
• Stores that want to test wishlist demand with a free plan and upgrade as wishlist-driven engagement grows.
• Brands that require multi-language support and the ability to export or integrate wishlist data.

Implementation Checklist: What Merchants Should Test Before Launch

• Confirm theme compatibility in a staging environment and request free setup if offered.
• Test share links across platforms to ensure rich metadata and visual fidelity.
• Verify analytics: can wishlist events be exported to email or CRM tools? Is there an API or webhook?
• Confirm support SLA and availability of setup assistance with the chosen plan.
• Measure site performance pre/post-installation; check for script blocking or long load times.
• Clarify data ownership, retention, and GDPR/CCPA compliance procedures.

These checks protect conversion rates and reduce the risk of post-launch surprises.

Cost of Ownership & Tool Sprawl

A wishlist app appears cheap in isolation, but the broader cost of ownership includes maintenance, theme compatibility fixes, and the operational burden of integrating wishlist data into marketing systems. When a store uses separate apps for wishlist, loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers, the total monthly cost and management overhead increase quickly.

For many merchants, a small monthly saving by using a single-function app is outweighed by the time and complexity of stitching together multiple tools.

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

App fatigue is a real operational problem for growing stores. Installing single-purpose apps for every incremental feature creates a fragmented tech stack, duplicated costs, multiple invoices, duplicate JS payloads on the storefront, and scattered customer data. The result is slower development cycles, increased merchant support burden, and reduced ability to run unified retention campaigns.

An alternative approach is to consolidate retention functions—wishlist, loyalty, referrals, and reviews—into a single integrated platform. That approach reduces tool sprawl, centralizes customer data, and accelerates the time it takes to turn behavioral signals (like wishlist additions) into revenue-driving actions.

Growave’s positioning—"More Growth, Less Stack"—is built around this consolidation concept. Growave combines Wishlist with Loyalty & Rewards, Referrals, Reviews & UGC, VIP tiers, and integrations in a single product. For merchants exploring consolidated options, a few practical benefits are worth noting:

• Combine wishlist events with loyalty incentives to turn saved items into reward-driven purchases.
• Feed wishlist activity into referral prompts and review requests to increase LTV.
• Centralized analytics make it easier to measure the combined impact of retention programs on repeat purchase rates.

Merchants considering consolidation can evaluate plans, install from the Shopify App Store, and compare how an integrated suite shortens the path from wishlist to purchase. To explore plan options and how features stack up, merchants can review ways to consolidate retention features or directly install the app from the Shopify App Store.

How integrated features change outcomes

• Loyalty + Wishlist: Grant points for wishlist additions or reward customers who turn wishlist items into purchases, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
• Reviews + Wishlist: Use wishlist data to prompt review requests after purchase—customers that saved and then bought are more likely to leave high-quality reviews.
• Referrals + Wishlist: Encourage customers to share wishlists and reward both the referrer and new customer with points or discounts.

These combined workflows are difficult to replicate when wishlist lives in one app and loyalty lives in another without robust integration.

Growave feature highlights that reduce app fatigue

• Centralized loyalty program creation that pairs with wishlist behavior to increase repeat purchase rates. Merchants can explore how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• Review and UGC tools that automate requests and surface social proof directly on product pages; see how stores collect and showcase authentic reviews.
• Wishlist functionality is part of a broader retention suite, enabling merchants to route wishlist signals into email or in-app campaigns without relying on third-party connectors.
• Product and customer integrations with popular marketing and support tools reduce custom development and maintenance.

For teams evaluating consolidation, compare subscription tiers and evaluate how an all-in-one approach changes the monthly cost and operational load. Merchants can view plan comparisons and feature maps to consolidate retention features or see how an integrated retention suite installs directly from the Shopify App Store.

Practical migration considerations

Switching from a single wishlist app to a unified platform requires planning:

• Data migration: Export wishlist data from the existing app (if possible) and import it into the consolidated platform to preserve customer intent signals.
• Theme integration: Consolidated platforms often provide official theme integrations and developer support to reduce front-end friction.
• Campaign mapping: Translate existing wishlist-based flows (abandoned wishlist emails, re-engagement) into combined loyalty and referral journeys to retain campaign continuity.

Growave offers migration and onboarding resources, and merchants evaluating consolidation can examine plan details to find a level appropriate for store size and order volume. See plan comparison and pricing to evaluate the best fit for store scale at consolidate retention features. For merchants on Shopify Plus, Growave has specific enterprise capabilities and support; view options tailored for larger teams and complex stores at solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Real process improvements when staying integrated

• One billing relationship: Replace multiple invoices and different support channels with a single vendor and SLA.
• Single script footprint: Reduce page payload by using a single vendor’s scripts (wishlist, reviews, loyalty) instead of multiple third-party scripts.
• Unified customer profiles: Centralize loyalty points, wishlist items, referrals, and review histories for consistent segmentation.

Merchants that value streamlined operations will find this approach reduces time spent on integrations and troubleshooting.

Links for deeper exploration

• To review specific plans and pricing tiers: merchants can explore how to consolidate retention features.
• To see the app in the Shopify App Store and check install details: merchants can install from the Shopify App Store.
• To understand loyalty program features and how to pair them with wishlist behavior: see how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• To learn about review automation and social proof: learn to collect and showcase authentic reviews.

Each of these resources helps merchants evaluate whether a consolidated retention suite is a better fit than a piecemeal approach.

Migration & Integration Roadmap (Practical Steps)

For merchants choosing to move from a single wishlist app to an integrated platform, follow these practical steps to minimize disruption:

• Inventory existing tools: List every app touching customer experience (wishlist, loyalty, reviews, referrals).
• Map events: Identify which events are critical (wishlist-add, wishlist-share, wishlist-to-order conversion) and where they must be captured.
• Export raw data: If the current wishlist app allows export, extract wishlist records and customer associations.
• Choose the consolidation plan: Select a plan that covers expected order volume and feature needs; use pricing pages to compare options at consolidate retention features.
• Implement in staging: Install the new suite in a staging environment, test theme compatibility, and run performance audits.
• Migrate campaigns: Recreate or improve existing campaigns using combined signals (e.g., give loyalty points for wishlist purchase).
• Monitor and iterate: Use unified analytics to measure improvement in repeat purchase rate and customer lifetime value.

For merchants on Shopify Plus, there are additional high-scale tools and services available—see dedicated Plus support and features at solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and SWishlist: Simple Wishlist, the decision comes down to specific needs. ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a low-cost, narrowly focused solution that appeals to brands wanting a cart-centric save-for-later widget at $5 per month. However, the app’s very small review sample (2 reviews) and low rating (1) are important warning signs regarding reliability and support.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist provides stronger validation with 106 reviews and a 4.9 rating, a free tier for initial testing, and scalable paid plans that unlock multi-language support, analytics, and priority support—making it a better fit for merchants who want a proven wishlist solution that can grow with their store.

For merchants who want to reduce tool sprawl and build retention more efficiently, an integrated platform that combines wishlist, loyalty, reviews, referrals, and VIP tiers is often better value for money. Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" approach centralizes retention capabilities so wishlist data directly informs loyalty and review workflows. Merchants can compare plans and pricing to evaluate how consolidation affects costs and operational overhead at consolidate retention features, check installation options on the Shopify App Store, and explore how loyalty and wishlist can work together to increase repeat purchases by examining loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and how to collect and showcase authentic reviews.

Start a 14-day free trial to see how a unified retention stack reduces maintenance overhead and turns wishlist behavior into measurable revenue. Compare plans to begin a trial

FAQ

• How do ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and SWishlist: Simple Wishlist differ in reliability and support?
  • ESC shows a very small review set (2 reviews) with an average rating of 1, which suggests limited public validation and potential support or reliability concerns. SWishlist has 106 reviews and a 4.9 rating, indicating broader adoption and generally positive merchant experience. Merchants should prioritize apps with clear setup assistance and published support SLAs.
• Which app is better for multi-language stores?
  • SWishlist explicitly offers multi-language support on paid tiers (2 languages on Free, 7 on Basic, 20 on Premium), making it suited for multi-market merchants. ESC’s listing does not mention multi-language support, so non-English or multi-market stores should validate compatibility before selecting it.
• If budget is the primary concern, which option offers better value?
  • For short-term trials, SWishlist’s Free tier provides a low-risk way to measure wishlist engagement. ESC’s single $5/month plan is inexpensive, but long-term value should be weighed against support and integration capability. For broader retention impact, consolidated platforms may deliver better value by replacing multiple single-purpose subscriptions.
• How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized wishlist apps?
  • An all-in-one platform centralizes wishlist, loyalty, referrals, and reviews to reduce tool sprawl, centralize customer data, and streamline workflows. This consolidation often reduces the total cost of ownership, simplifies integrations, and enables cross-functional campaigns (for example, awarding loyalty points for wishlist purchases). For merchants aiming to increase repeat purchases and LTV, consolidation frequently provides better long-term ROI than stacking separate single-purpose apps. Explore consolidation options and pricing at consolidate retention features.