ESC Wishlist vs. Mst: Wishlist + Marketing Flow

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist solution is one of those small decisions that can have outsized effects on conversion, retention, and the number of apps a store must maintain. Shopify merchants must weigh simplicity, customization, integrations, and long-term value when comparing tools that look similar at first glance.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later provides a simple, cart-focused save-for-later feature with a basic customization layer and a low monthly cost, while Mst: Wishlist + Marketing flow offers a richer feature set—multiple wishlists, alerts, and broad integration options—at an even lower sticker price. For merchants who want a single vendor to cover loyalty, reviews, referrals, wishlist, and VIP tiers, an integrated platform may deliver better long-term value than stacking single-purpose apps.

This post provides a feature-by-feature comparison of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Mst: Wishlist + Marketing flow. The goal is to clarify which app is a better fit by business type, technical needs, and growth objectives—then explain why some merchants will prefer a consolidated retention suite instead of multiple point solutions.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs. Mst: Wishlist + Marketing flow: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

This section compares the two apps across features, pricing & value, integrations, implementation, support, and typical use cases. Each subsection explains what merchants should expect and how that affects outcomes like retention, average order value (AOV), and lifetime value (LTV).

Features

Wishlist Basics and Save-for-Later Placement

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later positions the saved items under the cart so that items are visible at checkout. That design is explicitly conversion-focused—when shoppers return, their saved items appear at the moment of purchase decision, reducing friction to convert a future intent into an actual order.

Mst: Wishlist + Marketing flow treats wishlists as a fuller product discovery and re-engagement tool. It supports multiple wishlists per customer, guest wishlists, and a dedicated “My Wishlist” page. That makes it suitable for stores that want wishlists to serve both as personal organization (for the shopper) and as a marketing signal (for the merchant).

What this means for merchants:

• If the immediate goal is to recover near-term intent at checkout, ESC’s cart placement is straightforward and purpose-built.
• If the goal includes using wishlists as a retention signal—triggering price-drop or back-in-stock campaigns—Mst provides more raw data and control.

Multiple Wishlists, Guest Users, and Sharing

ESC lists “unlimited wishlists” and social sharing as features. The app claims customers can categorize products in different lists. However, the public listing shows no details about guest wishlist behavior or API support.

Mst explicitly supports multiple wishlists, wishlist for guest users, and no limits on items or customers. It also highlights sharing options and deeper customization of the My Wishlist page.

Implications:

• Mst is better when shoppers expect sophisticated wishlist behavior—multiple lists, saved collections for events, gift registries, and sharing with friends.
• ESC may be enough for stores that only need a single save-for-later area under the cart.

Notifications: Price Drop & Back-in-Stock

ESC’s public listing does not call out any automated stock or price notifications.

Mst offers built-in Price Drop and Back in Stock alerts via email, SMS, and push. Those automations directly support recovery of wishlist-driven purchase intent. Alerts remove the manual step of monitoring product pages and provide explicit re-engagement touchpoints.

Why notifications matter:

• Back-in-stock and price-drop messages can lift conversion rates on wishlist items because the decision barrier is often product availability or price. Mst’s alerts give merchants tools to convert latent demand into sales without a separate marketing automation platform.

Customization and Theme Integration

ESC promises “a broad range of options for customizing how the app looks on your store,” and positions the saved-for-later area beneath the cart—an unobtrusive placement that can be styled to match a theme.

Mst emphasizes full customization of the My Wishlist page using Liquid, HTML and CSS and notes API and headless support. That is significant for stores using custom themes, advanced UX flows, or headless storefronts.

Recommendations:

• For simple theme setups or merchants who prefer minimal visual change, ESC’s built-in styling options might be enough.
• For stores with custom design requirements, multi-language/multi-currency needs, or headless architecture, Mst’s Liquid/template-level support is a major advantage.

Analytics and Marketing Flow

ESC’s feature list focuses on wishlist functionality without visible details on analytics or marketing hooks.

Mst mentions “Marketing flow” in the app title and shows integrations with Klaviyo and other channels. That indicates the ability to feed wishlist activity into broader lifecycle campaigns (e.g., abandoned wishlist sequences or price-drop flows in email/SMS platforms).

Practical effect:

• Mst enables wishlist events to become a data source for lifecycle marketing, improving segmentation and conversion.
• ESC is likely more limited for marketing automation unless merchants build custom workarounds.

Pricing & Value

Sticker Price

ESC: $5 / month for its single listed plan.

Mst: $2 / month billed monthly for full features.

At face value, Mst is cheaper. But monthly cost is not the only value metric. The real return should consider how each app contributes to retention, AOV, and the number of additional apps or integrations required.

Value for Money

Mst’s lower price combined with richer features (alerts, integrations, API support) yields stronger explicit value for merchants that plan to use wishlist data in marketing. ESC’s $5 price gives a simple cart-level save-for-later widget but lacks visible automation and integrations.

Consider total cost of ownership:

• Using ESC for save-for-later plus a separate marketing automation app (if not already used) or a notifications tool may increase the overall stack cost.
• Mst’s built-in alerts and integration paths can reduce the need for additional micro-apps, lowering both financial and maintenance costs.

Note on billing and limits:

• Mst advertises “one fixed cost for all features” with no limit on items or customers, removing variable usage concerns.
• ESC’s plan sheet is minimal; merchants should verify whether there are store-specific limits or hidden tiers when installing.

Integrations & Ecosystem

Pre-built Integrations

ESC: No public list of supported integrations appears on the app listing provided. That suggests limited out-of-the-box connectors.

Mst: Lists integrations with Klaviyo, PushOwl, SMS/email providers, and other app platforms. It also mentions Shopify Flow compatibility, API support, and headless theme support.

Why integrations matter:

• Wishlist data is most effective when it feeds into lifecycle systems. Mst has clear connectors to popular marketing tools, enabling automated re-engagement.
• ESC may require custom work to connect wishlist events to email or SMS platforms, which can create technical overhead and slower time-to-value.

Technical Compatibility

Mst explicitly supports API and headless themes, multi-language, and multi-currency. Stores running Shopify Plus, headless setups, or multiple storefronts will find this useful.

ESC’s compatibility claims are limited to visual customization and cart placement; merchants with complex technical stacks should test compatibility before committing.

Implementation & Performance

Setup and Onboarding

ESC is described as easy to install with immediate cart placement for saved items. Its simple scope suggests a low setup overhead for most themes.

Mst claims “easy app setup” as well, but its deeper customization options and integrations may require more configuration time—particularly if merchants want to wire alerts into Klaviyo, SMS, or push flows.

Practical trade-off:

• ESC offers faster time-to-live when the goal is a minimal save-for-later element.
• Mst requires more initial configuration to unlock its full marketing potential but provides more persistent value once set up.

Code Impact and Page Speed

Both apps modify storefront templates. ESC’s cart-level element is likely smaller in script footprint if it focuses solely on save-for-later UI.

Mst, due to alerting logic, integrations, and template customization, may have a larger asset footprint. That does not automatically mean slower pages, but merchants should follow best practices: load scripts asynchronously, test performance with and without the app installed, and verify that the app’s scripts do not block rendering.

Headless and API Use

Mst explicitly supports API and headless scenarios; ESC does not advertise this capability. For merchants using Next.js, Hydrogen, or other headless approaches, Mst provides an easier integration pathway.

Support & Reliability

Reviews and Rating Signal

ESC: 2 reviews; rating 1. That is a very small sample and an extremely low rating. It suggests either a small user base or unresolved issues that led to poor experiences for those reviewers.

Mst: 150 reviews; rating 4.7. This is a substantially larger sample with a strong positive rating, which indicates higher customer satisfaction and more real-world validation.

How to interpret ratings:

• A high rating with many reviews suggests consistent performance and support responsiveness.
• A low rating, even with few reviews, is a flag to investigate. Merchants should read recent reviews for patterns (e.g., support delays, bugs, or feature gaps).

Support Channels

Mst’s listing and integration claims imply an active support model—especially since it integrates with major platforms and supplies API documentation.

ESC’s listing lacks visible support detail. Merchants should check whether support is offered by email only, whether response times meet expectations, and whether there are resources like setup docs or live chat.

Long-Term Maintenance

Mst’s larger user base and integration footprint make it likelier to receive ongoing updates and compatibility fixes (e.g., Shopify theme updates, new APIs). ESC’s small review base raises a question: will the app be actively maintained?

Merchants relying on critical UX elements should prefer apps with clear maintenance commitments and active support channels.

Security, Privacy & Compliance

Both apps live inside the Shopify ecosystem and inherit core platform security, but plugins can introduce additional data flows (e.g., wishlist email triggers). For either app, merchants should verify:

• How user data (emails, wishlist IDs) is stored and secured.
• Whether the app shares data with third parties for notifications.
• Compliance with GDPR and other relevant regulations (data subject requests, deletion workflows).
• Where backups and logs are maintained, and the retention policy for wishlist events.

Mst’s integration with marketing platforms raises extra considerations around consent and opt-in for SMS/email. Merchants should ensure double-opt-in flows or explicit consent capture when connecting wishlist alerts to SMS.

Typical Use Cases and Merchant Recommendations

This section outlines who should choose which app based on priorities.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is best for:

• Stores that want a simple cart-level save-for-later feature with minimal setup.
• Merchants with limited developer resources who want a quick drop-in tool.
• Merchants focused on simplifying checkout screens and reminding returning shoppers of saved items.

Mst: Wishlist + Marketing flow is best for:

• Brands that plan to use wishlist events as signals in lifecycle marketing—price-drop, back-in-stock, abandoned wishlist sequences.
• Stores that require multiple wishlists per customer, guest wishlist support, and full customization of the wishlist page.
• Merchants using Klaviyo or push/SMS providers and wanting out-of-the-box connectors.

Situations where neither single-purpose app is ideal:

• Merchants that require loyalty programs, referrals, reviews, VIP tiers, and wishlist functionality under a single administrative roof. Managing several single-purpose apps can create overhead, compatibility issues, and a fragmented customer experience.

Migration & Data Portability

When switching wishlist providers, merchants commonly face these tasks:

• Exporting existing wishlist data and customer associations.
• Mapping product IDs and variants across stores.
• Rebuilding workflows in email/SMS platforms if the previous app stored triggers.

Mst’s API and headless support make migration and data export more straightforward. ESC’s public listing does not mention API support; merchants should ask the developer about exporting wishlists before installing if migration is a requirement.

Pros and Cons Summary

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

Pros:

• Purpose-built cart save-for-later UX.
• Simple setup and visible placement at checkout.
• Low $5/month plan.

Cons:

• Very low rating (1) based on 2 reviews — limited social proof.
• No public list of integrations or notifications.
• Potentially limited for stores that want wishlist-driven marketing.

Mst: Wishlist + Marketing flow

Pros:

• Rich feature set: multiple wishlists, guest support, price-drop/back-in-stock alerts.
• Broad integrations and API/headless support.
• Strong social proof: 150 reviews, 4.7 rating.
• Low $2/month plan with no limits on items/customers.

Cons:

• More configuration required to fully leverage marketing flows.
• Deeper feature set may be overkill for merchants who only want a simple save-for-later option.

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

Single-purpose wishlist apps can be useful, but they also highlight a common problem: app fatigue. Merchants often accumulate multiple tools that individually do a job, but collectively increase complexity, slow maintenance, and fragment customer data. The cost is not only the sum of monthly fees; it’s the time spent on setup, cross-app integration, theme compatibility checks, and troubleshooting inconsistent customer experiences.

An all-in-one retention platform takes several common customer retention functions (wishlist, loyalty, referrals, reviews, VIP tiers) and unifies them under a single interface and data model. That reduces the operational burden and unlocks combined outcomes that are greater than the sum of each point solution.

Growave embraces the “More Growth, Less Stack” approach. It bundles wishlist functionality with loyalty and rewards, referral campaigns, reviews & user-generated content, and VIP tiers. For merchants evaluating ESC or Mst, Growave’s model shifts the question: is isolation of a wishlist feature worth the longer-term cost of multiple apps?

How a Unified Suite Changes Outcomes

A single integrated platform delivers several practical advantages:

• Consolidated customer profiles: Wishlist behavior, loyalty actions, referrals, and review signals are available in one place, which improves customer segmentation and personalization.
• Native cross-feature campaigns: Loyalty points can be awarded for wishlist-driven actions; back-in-stock alerts can coincide with loyalty offers; reviews can be incentivized directly through the same rewards engine.
• Fewer compatibility issues: A single vendor is responsible for cross-feature behavior inside the same product. That reduces breakage from theme updates or conflicting scripts.
• Simplified billing and support: One contract, one support channel, and a single data export model.

Merchants can evaluate the economics of consolidation by comparing the monthly cost of several single-purpose apps plus the time and developer hours needed to integrate them versus the cost of an integrated suite.

Growave’s Positioning and Features

Growave is designed as a retention platform that unifies core features needed to increase customer lifetime value. The platform offers a combination of loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlist functionality that is intended to reduce the need for multiple plugins and provide a cohesive retention strategy for merchants of all sizes.

Growave’s public metrics indicate substantial adoption and positive feedback (1,197 reviews with a 4.8 rating), which is a strong signal compared with single-purpose alternatives. That level of usage suggests active development, ongoing support, and robust integration options.

Growave’s integrated approach enables merchants to:

• Build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• Collect and showcase authentic reviews to improve conversion and social proof.
• Use one dashboard to manage wishlists, referrals, VIP tiers, and review campaigns.

Growave also supports enterprise-level needs and has resources for scaling brands. For stores on Shopify Plus, the platform offers features tailored to high-growth merchants and multichannel experiences. Merchants interested in advanced capabilities can explore Growave’s solutions for solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Examples of Integrated Workflows

A consolidated platform unlocks workflows that require cross-feature awareness. Examples include:

• Rewarding wishlist behavior: Automatically grant loyalty points when a shopper adds items to a wishlist or when they convert from a saved item. That creates a direct incentive pathway to move from intent to purchase.
• Coordinated re-engagement: Trigger a price-drop alert for a wishlist item while simultaneously offering a limited-time reward for converting within 48 hours. That uses scarcity plus incentives in a single coordinated campaign.
• Reviews via loyalty: Prompt customers for product reviews and attach loyalty points automatically upon submission, increasing response rates and generating more user-generated content.

Executing these scenarios with multiple separate apps requires cross-system triggers and often custom middleware. Growave’s suite is built to run these flows natively.

Integrations and Ecosystem Support

Growave integrates with many common merchant tools and platforms. That reduces the friction of keeping lifecycle systems in sync.

Merchants can install Growave from a single app listing or evaluate pricing and plans easily. For an immediate view of plan tiers and feature comparisons, merchants can review how consolidation affects cost by visiting a page that helps them consolidate retention features. Merchants looking for the Shopify listing can view Growave’s unified app experience via a single app listing on the Shopify App Store.

Growave connects to email and automation platforms that merchants already use, which helps to preserve investment in marketing stacks while reducing the number of vendor relationships to manage.

Trial, Pricing Transparency, and Support

Growave provides tiered plans to match merchant size and maturity. A free plan and trial options allow merchants to evaluate the product without committing. For those who want a personalized walk-through, Growave offers options to Book a personalized demo to review how the platform maps to specific retention goals.

For merchants comparing the economics of multiple apps versus a single suite, Growave’s pricing page helps quantify total cost and the benefits of consolidation—merchants can review a breakdown and consider how combining wishlist, reviews, referrals, and loyalty under one provider affects ROI by checking the consolidate retention features.

Why Some Merchants Prefer Consolidation

• Lower operational complexity: One admin, one set of customer records, one support vendor.
• Better cross-sell and upsell mechanics: Data flows allow coordinated campaigns across wishlists, rewards, and reviews.
• Improved customer experience: Customers see consistent branding and behavior across loyalty, wishlist, and referral flows.

Growave’s higher-level positioning and proven track record (many reviews and a strong rating) make it a viable consideration for merchants who expect to scale retention activities rather than run a single campaign.

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

(That sentence is a hard CTA and counts as one of two allowed hard CTAs in this article.)

Switching Considerations: From Single Apps to an Integrated Suite

Before switching to a consolidated solution, merchants should assess:

• Data migration needs: Can wishlists, loyalty points, and review histories be imported automatically or via CSV?
• Feature parity: Which features in existing apps are essential and which are redundant?
• Timeline: Does migration require downtime, or can features be enabled incrementally?
• Staff training: Will the team need new workflows or a change in customer service scripts?

Growave’s documentation and customer success teams typically help with migration, but merchants should clarify scope and timelines when evaluating an integrated move. For those on Shopify Plus, Growave offers tailored resources and onboarding for higher-touch migrations; merchants can explore customer stories from brands scaling retention to see how others handled transition.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Mst: Wishlist + Marketing flow, the decision comes down to scope and long-term plans. ESC is a simple, cart-centric option that may be appropriate for merchants who only need a save-for-later widget without deeper marketing automation. Mst is a more feature-rich wishlisting solution with strong integration capabilities, built-in alerts, and significantly higher social proof—making it a better option for merchants intent on turning wishlist activity into revenue via automated alerts and marketing flows.

However, if the merchant’s roadmap includes loyalty programs, referrals, review collection, VIP tiers, and more advanced wishlist-driven campaigns, an integrated retention platform becomes compelling. Combining multiple single-purpose apps often creates overhead and fragmented data. A unified approach streamlines operations and unlocks coordinated campaigns across loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlist.

Growave’s “More Growth, Less Stack” model is designed for merchants who prefer consolidation. With integrated loyalty and rewards, wishlist, referrals, and reviews all accessible from a single platform—and with extensive third-party integrations—Growave removes a lot of the friction that comes from maintaining multiple apps. For a clear view of how consolidation affects costs and features, merchants can evaluate plans that make consolidation practical by reviewing how to consolidate retention features. Merchants can also see the platform’s Shopify presence and install options by viewing the single app listing on the Shopify App Store.

Start a 14-day free trial to see how a unified retention stack accelerates growth.

(That sentence is the second hard CTA and is placed here in the conclusion.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which app is easiest to install and get live quickly?
A: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is designed to add a save-for-later module beneath the cart with minimal setup, which can make it the fastest option for merchants who only want a cart-level reminder. Mst is also described as easy to set up but includes more configuration options for alerts and integrations, which may increase setup time if those features are enabled.

Q: Which app gives better long-term marketing value?
A: Mst: Wishlist + Marketing flow offers built-in price-drop and back-in-stock alerts and integrates with common marketing platforms. That gives it an edge when wishlist activity needs to feed lifecycle campaigns. ESC’s scope is narrower; merchants that need marketing automation from wishlist events may find Mst provides more durable marketing value.

Q: How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps like ESC or Mst?
A: A unified retention platform removes the need to stitch together multiple apps. That leads to consolidated customer data, fewer compatibility issues, simpler support, and native cross-feature campaigns (e.g., rewarding wishlist actions with loyalty points). An integrated suite can reduce operational overhead and enable coordinated strategies that are harder to execute with separate point solutions.

Q: What should merchants check before installing or switching wishlist apps?
A: Verify integration support (email/SMS providers), review export and import capabilities for wishlist data, test theme compatibility and page speed impact, read recent reviews for support responsiveness, and confirm privacy practices. If considering consolidation, assess migration paths and whether the new platform supports all required features.