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

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is one of the small decisions that can have an outsized effect on conversion and retention. Shopify merchants face thousands of app choices, and picking a lightweight tool versus a fuller-featured wishlist system can change checkout friction, customer experience, and the number of repeat purchases.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a low-cost, focused widget for stores that need a simple "save for later" experience embedded under the cart. Wishlist ‑ Wishify is a more mature wishlist product with a stronger feature set, higher install base, and tiered plans that scale with usage. For merchants that want to reduce app bloat and centralize retention across loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlist features, an integrated platform can deliver better long-term value than piling on single-purpose apps.

This article provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Wishlist ‑ Wishify to help merchants choose the right tool for specific business goals. After the direct comparison, the analysis will explain why consolidating multiple retention touchpoints into one platform often produces more predictable growth and lower total operational overhead.

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

Deep Dive Comparison

Product Positioning & Developer Context

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later (Eastside Co®)

ESC positions itself as a lightweight wishlist and "save for later" solution that sits under the cart. The selling points are simplicity, unlimited wishlists, cart-side visibility, and basic social sharing. The listed price of $5/month suggests the target is merchants who want a single, low-cost wishlist function.

Strengths implied by positioning:

• Minimal friction for installs and basic usage.
• Low monthly cost relative to feature-rich apps.
• Visual customization options to match store design.

Signals that require caution:

• Very low review count (2) and a 1-star rating on the Shopify store suggest limited adoption and potential unresolved issues.
• Lack of published integrations, limited public documentation, and no tiered pricing or visible support tiers.

Wishlist ‑ Wishify (Zooomy)

Wishlist ‑ Wishify targets merchants that want a complete wishlist experience: cross-device persistence, guest wishlists, sharing through common social channels, email reminders, and add-to-cart from the wishlist. Multiple pricing tiers ranging from a Free plan to Advanced show a product built to scale.

Strengths:

• Large user base and social proof (211 reviews, 5-star rating).
• Feature breadth including reminders, sharing, guest lists, export, and reporting.
• Clear tiered pricing aligned to wishlist volume and advanced features.

Considerations:

• Even with high ratings, merchants should validate that the app integrates cleanly with their checkout flow and email stack.
• The Free plan includes limits that may force an upgrade as wishlist usage grows.

Feature Comparison

Below are the core feature areas merchants typically evaluate for wishlist tools and how each app stacks up.

Wishlist Creation & Persistence

• ESC Wishlist + Save for Later: Offers unlimited wishlists so customers can categorize items. Stores wishlists under the cart as a “saved for later” area. Persistence across sessions not explicitly documented — merchants should confirm if saved items persist across devices or only in-session.
• Wishlist ‑ Wishify: Saves favorites across devices and supports guest wishlists. Cross-device persistence and guest wishlist capability are explicitly stated, improving accessibility for customers who shop on multiple devices.

Implication: For stores where customers frequently switch between phone and desktop, cross-device persistence is essential. Wishify explicitly supports this; ESC's support for persistence is unclear.

Shareability & Social Reach

• ESC: Basic social sharing is included to increase brand reach. The app highlights free social sharing as a benefit.
• Wishify: Multiple sharing channels are supported (email, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter) and sharing is a core feature even in lower tiers.

Implication: Both apps support social distribution, but Wishify has clearer multi-channel sharing and stronger evidence of working implementations.

Add-to-Cart & Checkout Flow

• ESC: Integrates wishlists as a saved-for-later area under the cart, so items are visible at checkout; this can shorten the purchase path from saved item to purchased item.
• Wishify: Offers add-to-cart directly from the wishlist to speed checkout. It also lists "Works With: Checkout," indicating attention to compatibility.

Implication: Both aim to reduce friction, but Wishify provides more explicit wishlist-to-cart mechanics and compatibility notes.

Email Reminders & Recovery

• ESC: No documented automated email reminders.
• Wishify: Automated email reminders are part of higher tiers (Advanced plan), which helps recover interest and convert wishlists into purchases.

Implication: For active cart recovery tied to wishlist items, Wishify provides built-in automation; ESC appears limited in this area.

Guest Wishlist & User Accounts

• ESC: Feature set does not explicitly mention guest wishlist or account synchronization.
• Wishify: Includes guest wishlist functionality, allowing shoppers who are not logged in to save favorites and return later.

Implication: Guest wishlist reduces friction for first-time visitors; Wishify gains an advantage for conversion on non-logged-in traffic.

Reporting & Data Export

• ESC: No publicly listed reporting or export capabilities.
• Wishify: Premium plans include full reports and professional plan offers export data.

Implication: Stores that want to analyze wishlist behavior (e.g., popular SKUs, abandoned wishlist recovery rates) get more data from Wishify.

Customization & Design Control

• ESC: Markets a "broad range of options for customizing how the app looks" with the store.
• Wishify: Allows full customization of wishlist button and colors; includes heart icon in header and widget placements on collection pages for higher tiers.

Implication: Both offer visual customization, but Wishify shows more UI placement options (collection page widgets, header icon) that integrate into browsing.

Pricing & Value

Pricing should be analyzed relative to expected volume, feature needs, and lifetime value impact.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later Pricing

• Monthly plan: $5 / month

The single $5 plan is an advantage for stores that only need a basic save-for-later feature and are highly cost-sensitive. However, with no visible free tier, no tiering for usage spikes, and minimal public reviews, merchants must weigh the unknowns versus the low price.

Value considerations:

• Low monthly cost is attractive, but lack of automation, reporting, and integration increases operational overhead if paired with other apps for features like email reminders or analytics.
• If the app does not persist wishlists across devices, conversion benefits may be limited.

Wishlist ‑ Wishify Pricing

• Free Plan: Free (up to 100 wishlist items/month, basic customization)
• Professional Plan: $5.99 / month (1000 items/month, guest wishlist, export, heart icon)
• Premium Plan: $12.99 / month (3000 items/month, full reports)
• Advanced Plan: $29.99 / month (10,000 items/month, automated wishlist reminder emails)

Value considerations:

• Free tier provides a low-risk way to trial core features, but limits capacity.
• Pricing scales with item volume and features like reporting and automated emails, making it suitable for growing stores.
• For stores that expect heavy wishlist usage, higher tiers can become a modest recurring cost but add recovery automation and analytics.

Comparative value judgment:

• ESC promises simplicity at $5/month, but limited transparency around persistence and automation reduces perceived value for growth-focused stores.
• Wishify offers better value for growing stores because automation and reporting can directly contribute to conversion and repeat purchases, turning the monthly fee into measurable revenue uplift.

Integrations & Ecosystem Compatibility

ESC

• No public "Works With" list provided. Absence of documented integrations suggests merchants should perform compatibility tests (checkout, theme compatibility, third-party email apps).

Risk: Theme conflicts, limitations on checkout customization, and friction integrating with email tools could require development time.

Wishify

• Documents "Works With: Checkout" and puts emphasis on functioning across devices.
• Export capabilities and reminder emails imply some level of reporting and connection to email flows, though exact integrations (e.g., Klaviyo) are not listed publicly.

Practical advice:

• Ask both apps for a list of tested themes, checkout compatibility, and sample setups before installing on a live store.
• For stores using POS, subscription checkouts, or headless storefronts, confirm compatibility in writing.

Support & Reliability

ESC

• Very small review base (2 reviews, 1-star) raises concerns about responsiveness, bug resolution, and long-term maintenance. Merchants should test support responsiveness during trial.

Wishify

• Large, positive review base (211 reviews, 5.0 rating) indicates solid support and product stability in many merchant environments.

Considerations for merchants:

• A low-cost app can be appealing, but the cost of developer time to fix theme conflicts or to implement missing features often offsets initial savings.
• Choose an app with documented support SLA or an active review history for reliability.

Installation, Setup, and Developer Overhead

Setup complexity impacts time-to-value.

• ESC: Likely straightforward for stores that only need a cart-based saved section, but the lack of documentation could lengthen setup.
• Wishify: Offers more features, widget placements (collection page widgets, heart icon), and explicit guest wishlist support. More features can mean more initial configuration but also less need for subsequent add-ons.

Checklist for merchants during setup:

• Validate wishlist persistence across browser/device.
• Confirm add-to-cart behavior works with shop's shipping/payment customizations.
• Test wishlist share links and email templates.
• Check for any theme CSS adjustments and mobile responsiveness.

Data & Privacy Considerations

Wishlist tools collect behavioral data and sometimes personal information. Merchants must ensure compliance with privacy policies, particularly if email reminders send customer communications.

• ESC: No clear public statements about data exports or retention.
• Wishify: Offers export capabilities in paid tiers and automated reminders, implying handling of customer contact data.

Action items:

• Request a data processing addendum (DPA) or vendor privacy statement.
• Confirm who owns wishlist data and how to export customer lists if migrating.

Performance & Page Speed

Any storefront widget must be lightweight. Slow third-party scripts can affect conversions and SEO.

• ESC: No public performance diagnostics; minimal feature set may mean smaller footprint, but unknown implementation matters.
• Wishify: With more features, the app may add more assets; however, established apps often optimize for performance. Test using Lighthouse and real store metrics during trial.

Recommendation:

• Install on a staging theme and measure page speed before enabling on production. Pay attention to mobile experiences, as many wishlist interactions start on phones.

Pros, Cons, and When to Choose Each

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later — Pros

• Very low monthly price ($5).
• Simple "save for later" placement under cart can encourage conversion at checkout.
• Claimed unlimited wishlists and visual customization.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later — Cons

• Extremely low number of public reviews (2) and a 1-star rating — strong signal to investigate.
• Limited documentation and unknown integrations.
• No visible automated reminders or export/reporting capabilities.

Best For

• Micro stores seeking a minimal, inexpensive save-for-later feature and willing to accept the risk of limited vendor support.

Wishlist ‑ Wishify — Pros

• Large review base (211 reviews) and high rating (5.0) provide social proof.
• Multi-channel sharing, guest wishlist, add-to-cart from wishlist.
• Tiered plans that include exports, reporting, and automated reminders.

Wishlist ‑ Wishify — Cons

• Free tier limits may require upgrade as wishlist usage grows.
• Additional features mean slightly more setup and monthly cost at higher tiers.

Best For

• Small to mid-size stores ready to invest in wishlist automation, reporting, and cross-device persistence to convert wishlist interest into purchases.

Use Cases and Decision Triggers

Use these decision triggers to map app choice to business goals.

• Goal: Minimal cost and a basic "save for later" visible at checkout.
  • Likely pick: ESC (if merchant validates persistence and support).
• Goal: Recover abandoned interest with automated reminder emails and export wishlist data into CRM.
  • Likely pick: Wishlist ‑ Wishify (Advanced or Premium tier).
• Goal: Feature extensibility, header/collection UI placements, and cross-device support for higher conversion.
  • Likely pick: Wishlist ‑ Wishify.
• Goal: Reduce tools and centralize loyalty, referral, reviews, and wishlist under one vendor.
  • Likely pick: an integrated platform (see next section).

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

Why App Fatigue Matters

App fatigue is the cumulative cost of managing multiple single-purpose apps: monthly fees, integration complexity, data fragmentation, theme conflicts, and increased engineering overhead. Each new app introduces:

• Another recurring invoice to reconcile.
• Another vendor to coordinate for compatibility issues.
• Siloed customer data that makes it harder to build cohesive retention strategies.

For merchants focused on sustainable growth, the operational cost of maintaining multiple single-function apps can erode the returns those apps are supposed to generate. Reducing the number of vendors and consolidating features reduces friction in strategy execution and improves lifetime value metrics.

What "More Growth, Less Stack" Means

"More Growth, Less Stack" is a value proposition that prioritizes delivering the retention and engagement capabilities merchants need without multiplying vendors. The core idea:

• Provide loyalty, referrals, reviews, wishlists, and VIP tiers from a single integrated platform.
• Share data and campaign logic across features to drive compounding lift (for example, rewarding customers for verified reviews and referral actions while using wishlist data to trigger reminder flows).
• Replace multiple subscription costs and compatibility risks with a single contract and consistent support.

Introducing Growave: A Consolidated Retention Platform

Growave bundles loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlist features into one platform designed to increase retention and customer lifetime value. The platform is positioned to help merchants stop assembling toolchains and start executing cohesive retention programs.

Key functional highlights:

• Loyalty and Rewards programs that can be configured to match brand strategy and reward long-term behaviors.
• Referral campaigns designed to drive new customer acquisition from existing customers.
• Review collection and UGC tools to increase trust and conversion.
• Wishlist features to capture customer intent and feed into remarketing and reward flows.
• VIP tiers and custom reward actions to increase customer lifetime value.

Merchants evaluating consolidation should explore how to consolidate retention features and compare pricing across multiple single-purpose apps and one integrated plan. Review options and plan tiers to determine the right match for order volume and feature depth, and verify platform integrations with the store’s email and CX tooling.

• To explore plans that reduce tool sprawl and compare bundled pricing, merchants can review options to consolidate retention features.
• For merchants that care about showcasing product and social proof, Growave enables stores to collect and showcase authentic reviews.
• Stores that want to reward customers for purchases, referrals, and more can build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.

How Consolidation Solves Key Wishlist Shortcomings

• Single dashboard for analytics: Wishlist interactions feed directly into loyalty and email workflows without manual exports.
• Unified customer profiles: Wishlist behavior, review activity, referral performance, and loyalty points live under the same customer record.
• Fewer conflicts and easier theme management: One vendor controlling multiple widgets reduces script collisions and simplifies testing.
• Better lifetime value: Rewarding wishlist-driven purchases through loyalty points or targeted referral incentives scales retention more effectively than disconnected scripts.

Integration & Platform Compatibility

Growave lists a broad set of integrations that matter for scale:

• Email and marketing platforms like Klaviyo and Omnisend.
• Support tools like Gorgias.
• Subscription services like Recharge.
• Page builders like Pagefly and GemPages.

Merchants on Shopify Plus can evaluate Growave’s enterprise-friendly options and headless capabilities through the platform’s solutions for larger merchants. For those evaluating Plus-level needs, Growave offers solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Practical Transition Checklist When Moving From Point Apps to an Integrated Platform

When migrating from ESC, Wishify, or other point solutions, follow this checklist to reduce downtime and data loss:

• Inventory existing wishlist data and exports.
• Export wishlists and associated customer emails from current apps where possible.
• Audit any automations or email templates that reference wishlist content.
• Map loyalty and wishlist events to Growave equivalents.
• Test wishlists on a staging environment for cross-device persistence and add-to-cart flows.
• Schedule a maintenance window for theme script updates.
• Monitor key metrics after launch: wishlist-to-conversion rate, email reminder conversion, and page speed.

Merchants can review customer stories from brands scaling retention to understand typical migration outcomes and success metrics.

Cost Comparison and Long-Term ROI

An apples-to-apples cost comparison must include:

• Monthly subscription fees for each single-purpose app.
• Developer hours spent resolving conflicts or building integrations.
• Opportunity cost of fragmented customer data (e.g., inability to target wishlist owners with loyalty incentives).

In many cases, consolidating several single-purpose tools into one platform becomes better value for money as the store scales. The pricing page provides a clear way to compare bundled capabilities and choose the right plan for order volume and needs: compare plans and pricing.

Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated stack improves retention.

When Consolidation Might Not Be Right

There remain scenarios where a single-purpose app is justified:

• Extremely small stores with constrained budgets that only need one feature and accept vendor risk.
• Stores with highly unique technical requirements that require custom-built wishlist experiences.
• Short-term campaigns where a temporary widget suffices.

Even in these cases, consider the potential migration path and the long-term cost of reassembling retention features in separate apps.

Choosing a Migration Path

• Start by trialing an integrated platform on a staging theme.
• Export data from existing apps and validate imports.
• Run an A/B test for at least one campaign (e.g., reminder emails for wishlist items) to evaluate incremental revenue.
• Shift other retention activities gradually (reviews, referrals, loyalty) to minimize risk.

Merchants can sign up for a trial to validate the fit on real traffic and measure uplift. For plan details and to evaluate which tier will cover loyalty, wishlist, and review needs, see the options to consolidate retention features. The Growave app is also available on the Shopify App Store for quick installation and initial testing: find the app on the Shopify App Store.

Implementation & Measurement Guidance

For any wishlist solution, measurement and iteration determine long-term value.

Metrics to Track

• Wishlist Add Rate: Percentage of sessions that include at least one wishlist add.
• Wishlist-to-Order Conversion Rate: Orders that include items previously saved in wishlists.
• Reminder Email Conversion Rate: Clicks and orders generated from wishlist reminder emails.
• Average Order Value (AOV) change for customers who use wishlists.
• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) lift attributable to wishlist-driven purchases when combined with loyalty rewards.
• Page Speed and Mobile Interaction Metrics after app installation.

Tactical Recommendations

• Place a visible wishlist icon in product lists and on the product page to capture intent earlier.
• Use a guest wishlist option to remove login friction for first-time customers.
• Combine wishlist data with loyalty incentives (e.g., offer points for purchases originating from a wishlist) to increase conversion velocity.
• Use automated reminder emails with tailored subject lines referencing the saved item name to improve open and click-through rates.
• If using separate apps, set up routine exports to unify wishlist, purchase, and customer data in the merchant’s analytics stack.

Example Reminder Email Elements (for merchants to implement)

• Subject line: "The item you saved is back — and waiting in your wishlist"
• Preheader: "Reserve it now and earn bonus points" (if using a loyalty program)
• Body elements: item image, small description, clear “View in store” CTA, and an optional incentive (discount or free shipping threshold).
• Timing options: 24 hours after adding, 7 days after, and 21 days for longer-term reminders. If using automation in Wishify or an integrated platform, test cadence and subject variants.

Migration Risks & How to Mitigate Them

• Data Loss: Always export wishlist data and customer email associations before uninstalling an app.
• Broken Links: Verify shared wishlist URLs remain functional after migration.
• Theme Conflicts: Test on staging and roll back if visual elements break.
• Email Deliverability: If switching the email sender for reminders, validate SPF/DKIM to prevent deliverability issues.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Wishlist ‑ Wishify, the decision comes down to risk tolerance and required features. ESC offers a low-cost, single-plan solution that may be suitable for very small shops seeking a simple save-for-later widget. Wishlist ‑ Wishify provides stronger social proof, richer features (guest wishlist, sharing, add-to-cart), tiered pricing that scales with usage, and automated reminders—making it better suited for stores that want measurable wishlist-driven growth.

Beyond comparing single-purpose apps, consider the long-term benefits of consolidating retention features. Integrated platforms reduce vendor overhead, unify customer data, and allow cross-feature campaigns that compound retention effects. For merchants ready to reduce tool sprawl and centralize loyalty, wishlist, referrals, and reviews, Growave positions itself as an all-in-one alternative built to increase repeat purchases while simplifying operations. Merchants can review bundled options to consolidate retention features and evaluate how loyalty and wishlist data can work together to lift lifetime value. For social proof workflows, Growave lets stores collect and showcase authentic reviews and combine them with rewards and referral campaigns. To see plan choices mapped to order volume and feature sets, compare options to consolidate retention features.

Start a 14-day free trial to experience a unified retention stack.

FAQ

How do ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Wishlist ‑ Wishify differ in terms of reliability and support?

Wishlist ‑ Wishify has a much larger public review base (211 reviews) and a 5.0 rating, which indicates more merchant testing and likely stronger support. ESC has very few reviews (2) and a 1.0 rating, which is a red flag that warrants careful testing of support responsiveness and compatibility before committing.

Which app is better for automated reminder emails that convert wishlists into orders?

Wishlist ‑ Wishify includes automated wishlist reminder emails on higher tiers (Advanced plan). ESC does not document built-in reminder automation, so Wishify is the stronger choice for email-driven recovery out of the box.

Can a merchant rely on a single-purpose wishlist app instead of an integrated platform?

Yes, single-purpose apps can provide a focused capability at a lower entry price. However, merchants should weigh the long-term costs of multiple subscriptions, fragmented data, and increased maintenance. An integrated platform often yields better value for money as stores scale because it centralizes loyalty, reviews, wishlist, and referral functions.

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

An all-in-one platform reduces tool sprawl by centralizing retention features into a single vendor, simplifying theme management, and enabling cross-feature campaigns (for example, rewarding wishlist-driven purchases with loyalty points). This consolidation typically increases operational efficiency and can produce stronger LTV improvements compared with a patchwork of specialized apps. For merchants exploring consolidation options and plan tiers, review choices to consolidate retention features and assess how to collect and showcase authentic reviews alongside loyalty programs.