ESC Wishlist vs. PluralCart: In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right app for wishlist, cart-saving, or collaborative ordering is a common crossroads for Shopify merchants. The wrong pick can add technical debt, fragment customer data, and slow growth. This comparison examines two focused apps—ESC Wishlist + Save for Later (Eastside Co®) and PluralCart: Save Carts & Share—so merchants can make a clear, practical decision.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a low-cost, simple wishlist and save-for-later tool best suited to stores that need a lightweight wishlist under the cart and social sharing. PluralCart: Save Carts & Share is a higher-priced, feature-rich solution designed for collaborative, B2B-style ordering and cart management at scale. For merchants who want to avoid juggling multiple single-purpose tools and prioritize retention, Growave presents a higher-value alternative with a consolidated retention stack.

This post provides a feature-by-feature comparison—ratings, features, pricing, integrations, support, UX, scalability, and when each tool makes sense. After a detailed appraisal, the analysis turns to the limits of single-purpose apps and presents an integrated option for merchants who prefer fewer apps and stronger retention outcomes.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later vs. PluralCart: Save Carts & Share: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

This section compares the two apps across multiple merchant-relevant dimensions. Each subsection is framed to help merchants evaluate fit depending on business model, growth stage, and technical resources.

Features

Wishlist & Save-for-Later Capabilities

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Stores saved items directly under the cart so customers see items at checkout.
• Unlimited wishlists let customers categorize items they intend to buy later.
• Social sharing built in so lists can be shared via social channels.
• Broad theme customization options to match storefront styling.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• Save and edit multiple carts simultaneously; each cart is persistent across sessions.
• Share carts with collaborators (useful for group orders and corporate procurement).
• Allow customers to build carts and then hand off to another user for completion.
• Convert carts to draft orders—helpful for merchant workflows that require manual order review.

Practical takeaway: ESC focuses on a simple consumer wishlist and save-for-later flow that nudges checkout conversion. PluralCart builds around multi-cart workflows, collaboration, and draft-order conversion—features that matter for B2B buyers or merchants handling bulk orders.

Checkout & Order Flow Integration

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Integrates visually beneath the cart so saved items surface at the point of purchase.
• Lightweight manipulation of cart items (save/remove), but no support for converting saved lists into draft orders.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• Deeper operational integration: draft order conversion, merchant view of cart contents, and collaborative editing.
• Better suited to stores that need staff to build or audit orders before fulfillment.

Practical takeaway: For conversion nudges and consumer wishlists, ESC is adequate. For workflow-based order management and B2B processes, PluralCart provides more operational control.

Collaboration, Sharing, and Social Reach

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Social sharing for wishlists helps organic reach and gifting use cases.
• Good for DTC marketing where social proof and sharing matter.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• Sharing is collaboration-first: multiple users can add or edit items in a shared cart.
• Useful for procurement teams, corporate gifting, or any workflow requiring multiple buyers.

Practical takeaway: ESC helps drive social reach and discoverability. PluralCart solves collaboration and multi-stakeholder purchasing.

Analytics & Product Insights

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Focuses on front-end behavior (saved items appear at checkout); limited analytics surface.
• No reported rich analytics or SKU-level metrics in the basic offering.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• Offers metrics on products being saved and cart activity.
• Provides operational signals that can inform merchandising and B2B sales strategies.

Practical takeaway: PluralCart provides measurable signals that can be used by merchandising and sales teams. ESC lacks robust analytics, which constrains data-driven optimizations.

Customization & Theming

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Advertised broad customization options to match a store’s look and feel.
• Customization is focused on the widget-level and display under cart placement.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• Customizable behavior around cart saving, sharing, and draft order flow.
• Tailored for functionality over front-end theming, though front-end integration remains necessary.

Practical takeaway: ESC provides easier display customization; PluralCart prioritizes functionality and flows for complex carts.

Pricing & Value for Money

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later Pricing

• Monthly plan at $5 / month.
• Extremely low-cost entry point for small merchants.

Value analysis:

• ESC provides clear value for merchants prioritizing a basic wishlist and save-for-later functionality at minimal cost.
• Lower price means lower expectations around analytics, integrations, and enterprise features.
• Given the app’s Shopify rating (1 from 2 reviews), merchants should ensure the app meets quality and support expectations before committing.

PluralCart Pricing

• Starter: $49 / month (save up to 2,000 carts per month).
• Pro: $99 / month (save up to 10,000 carts per month).

Value analysis:

• PluralCart is priced for merchants who need cart collaboration and higher cart volume handling.
• The price reflects operational features—draft order conversion, multi-cart editing, and metrics—that can justify ROI for B2B or wholesale merchants.
• Higher rating (4.9 from 13 reviews) suggests stronger user satisfaction relative to ESC.

Practical takeaway: ESC offers the best value for very small stores seeking minimal functionality. PluralCart offers better value for merchants who can monetize the collaborative workflows and draft order paths (e.g., higher AOV, large SKUs, B2B clients).

Integrations and Compatibility

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Primarily a storefront-level app; integration scope appears narrow and focused on front-end widgets.
• Less emphasis on connecting with flows, CRMs, or marketing stacks.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• Works with customer accounts and Shopify Flow—useful for automations and staff workflows.
• Designed to play better with operational apps and staff tooling.

Practical takeaway: Merchants with a need to integrate cart behavior into broader automation and workflows gain more from PluralCart.

Setup, UX, and Implementation

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Expected to be quick to install and configure given its narrow scope.
• Simpler UX reduces implementation time but limits control over advanced behavior.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• More features mean a steeper setup curve—configuration of save limits, draft order rules, and collaboration permissions.
• Documentation and onboarding become more important; check for setup support.

Practical takeaway: Businesses with limited developer resources may prefer ESC for rapid deployment, while merchants needing tailored workflows should budget for PluralCart onboarding.

Support & Reliability

• ESC: 2 reviews with an aggregate rating of 1 is a red flag. Even with a low price point, merchants should validate response times, update frequency, and compatibility with the store theme before installing.
• PluralCart: 13 reviews and a 4.9 score indicate strong customer satisfaction and likely better support responsiveness and reliability.

Practical takeaway: Ratings and review counts are imperfect but meaningful signals; PluralCart demonstrates stronger market validation based on the available data.

Scalability & Performance

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Built for small-scale wishlist features; performance should be adequate for low-to-medium traffic stores.
• Less suited to stores with complex SKU catalogs or high concurrent cart-edit scenarios.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• Designed for managing large SKU counts and high cart volumes (evidenced by paid tiers with cart caps).
• Architected for more intensive usage patterns and collaborative scenarios.

Practical takeaway: Fast-growing merchants, B2B sellers, or those handling large SKUs should prioritize PluralCart for performance and scale.

Security & Data Ownership

• Both apps operate within Shopify’s app framework, so security baseline is set by Shopify app permissions.
• Merchants should verify data export options, retention policies, and how saved carts/lists map to customer accounts.
• For merchants concerned about data portability, PluralCart’s ability to export draft orders and metrics may offer better control.

Practical takeaway: Confirm how saved lists or carts are stored (linked to customer accounts or anonymous sessions), and whether data can be exported for CRM or BI use.

Customer Feedback & Reputation

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• 2 reviews, rating 1 — limited sample and poor score.
• The low rating suggests potential issues with reliability, support, or feature fulfillment relative to merchant expectations.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• 13 reviews, rating 4.9 — stronger social proof and a better indicator of product-market fit.
• Reviews should be read to understand what customers praise (e.g., support, feature completeness) and any recurring friction points.

Practical takeaway: When review counts are small, merchants should supplement public ratings with a short trial and direct vendor questions on support SLAs and roadmap.

Use Cases: Which App for Which Merchant

This section outlines practical scenarios to match merchant needs to app capabilities.

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later — Best suited for:

• Small DTC stores that want a low-cost wishlist and save-for-later experience.
• Shops that rely on social sharing and gifting (wishlists used for birthdays, holidays).
• Stores with limited integration needs and tight budgets.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share — Best suited for:

• B2B sellers and wholesale merchants where multiple stakeholders collaborate on orders.
• Stores with frequent large or complex orders that benefit from draft orders and cart audits.
• Merchants who need operational metrics about saved carts and SKU interest.

Use-case nuance:

• If the priority is increasing conversion from browser to buyer via simple saved-items reminders, ESC can be a fast, inexpensive option.
• If the priority is creating a frictionless buying process for procurement teams, or enabling customer service to build carts that convert to orders, PluralCart provides the necessary tools.

Migration, Data Portability, and Implementation Checklist

For merchants considering a switch or an upgrade, these practical steps are useful.

• Inventory saved lists and carts: Know whether saved items are tied to customer accounts or anonymous sessions. This will determine export complexity.
• Export capability: Confirm whether either app provides a mechanism to export saved lists/carts to CSV or directly to orders/drafts.
• Theme compatibility: Test widget placement in a staging environment to avoid layout regressions.
• Automations: If automating reminders or workflows (e.g., recovery emails), ensure app integrates with existing automation tools or supports webhooks.
• Support SLA: Ask for documented response times and onboarding assistance, especially when moving to PluralCart’s more advanced workflows.

Practical checklist (bulleted, not numbered):

• Confirm saved-data storage (account-linked vs session).
• Test export of saved items or metrics.
• Validate theme and mobile display in staging.
• Map app events into marketing automations or Shopify Flow.
• Budget for support and potential customization time.

Metrics and ROI Considerations

When evaluating these apps, merchants should focus on measurable outcomes.

Key metrics to track after install:

• Saved-item-to-purchase conversion rate: Of saved items, how many convert within X days.
• Average order value (AOV) change: Does cart collaboration increase AOV by enabling bulk purchases?
• Time-to-purchase: Does save-for-later reduce abandonment and shorten repeat-visit intervals?
• Operational time saved: For B2B merchants, time saved by converting carts to draft orders for fulfillment or accounting purposes.
• Retention lift: Any improvement in repeat purchase rate tied to wishlist or cart features.

Estimating ROI:

• For ESC: Low monthly cost means break-even is quick even with a modest uplift in conversion from saved items.
• For PluralCart: Higher monthly cost requires a clearer monetization path—higher AOV, larger order frequency, or time saved in manual order processing.

Reliability and Review Interpretation

Ratings matter but require interpretation.

• Low review counts make ratings volatile. ESC has 2 reviews and a rating of 1, which raises concerns but could reflect isolated issues or recent problems.
• PluralCart has more reviews (13) and a high rating (4.9), which indicates more consistent merchant satisfaction.
• Merchants should read recent reviews for hints about support quality, reliability during peak seasons, and upgrade cadence.

Pros and Cons (Quick Reference)

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Pros:
  • Very low entry cost ($5/month).
  • Simple, consumer-friendly wishlist and social sharing.
  • Quick to install and configure.
• Cons:
  • Very limited analytics and integrations.
  • Low public rating (1 from 2 reviews) signals potential quality/support issues.
  • Not built for B2B workflows or draft-order conversion.

PluralCart: Save Carts & Share

• Pros:
  • Strong features for saved carts, collaboration, and draft orders.
  • Metrics on product interest and cart activity.
  • Good public rating (4.9 from 13 reviews).
• Cons:
  • Higher monthly cost (starter $49/month).
  • More complex to set up; may require onboarding.
  • May be overkill for small DTC stores that only need a simple wishlist.

Implementation Recommendations

For merchants deciding between the two, consider the following:

• Start with objectives: Is the priority to nudge checkout conversions or to streamline multi-party ordering and internal workflows?
• Run a short pilot: Use a 30–60 day pilot to measure saved-item conversions or collaborative cart usage before committing long term.
• Validate compatibility: Always test with the store’s theme and major apps (checkout customizations, page builders) in a sandbox environment.
• Consider total cost of ownership: Factor in support time, potential developer hours, and downstream integrations.

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

App fatigue is real. Many merchants accumulate single-purpose apps that each solve a narrow problem—wishlists, reviews, referrals, loyalty, cart sharing—creating a stack that becomes costly to manage, difficult to integrate, and fragmented from a customer-data standpoint. Multiple discrete tools often mean:

• Fragmented customer identities and scattered behavioral data.
• Redundant features and overlapping costs.
• More update cycles, higher theme compatibility risk, and longer troubleshooting windows.
• Challenges building coherent retention strategies that tie loyalty, reviews, and wishlists together.

A different approach is to consolidate retention and engagement tools into a single platform. That reduces tool sprawl and centralizes customer engagement logic.

Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" proposition is built around that idea: combine loyalty, referrals, reviews, wishlist, and VIP tiers into one suite so merchants can focus on retention and lifetime value rather than managing disparate tools. Growave’s platform offers features that cover many of the functional gaps left by single-purpose apps and can reduce the total number of apps on a store.

• To consolidate retention features and compare cost against multiple single-purpose apps, merchants can review Growave’s pricing and plans and see how consolidation affects TCO. Consolidate retention features
• Merchants can also install the integrated app directly when ready to test out combined capabilities. Install the app directly

How Growave addresses common single-app limitations:

• Unified data model: Wishlist actions, loyalty points, referral conversions, and review submissions are all tied to the same customer profiles, making segmentation and targeting far more effective.
• Cross-functional campaigns: Reward customers for leaving reviews or sharing wishlists with built-in referral and rewards cheatsheets—driving repeat purchases and UGC without stitching multiple apps together.
• Enterprise readiness: Features and integrations designed for larger merchants and Shopify Plus stores, including advanced integrations and customization paths.
• Support and scale: Single vendor support and coordinated product updates reduce compatibility surprises.

Practical links to explore relevant Growave capabilities:

• Merchants who want to build programs that actually move repeat purchase metrics can evaluate how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• For stores that rely on social proof, Growave makes it easy to collect and showcase authentic reviews.

To understand real-world outcomes, merchants can read how others have consolidated apps and grown retention in Growave’s customer stories. Customer stories from brands scaling retention

If the merchant is on Shopify Plus and needs enterprise-level support, Growave provides tailored solutions for bigger stacks and complex checkout needs. Solutions for high-growth Plus brands

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

How consolidation translates to outcomes

• Retention uplift: Loyalty programs and wishlist reminders together create multiple touchpoints that convert saved interest into repeat purchases.
• Higher LTV: Centralized reward mechanics and VIP tiers increase average frequency and AOV.
• Lower maintenance cost: Fewer apps to manage, fewer breakages when themes update, and a single support contact for retention issues.
• Improved customer experience: Cohesive messaging across wishlists, referrals, and reviews reduces friction and creates predictable journeys.

Practical migration steps when moving to an integrated stack

• Inventory current apps and map overlapping features (wishlists, loyalty, reviews).
• Identify data you need to migrate (wishlists, existing loyalty balances, review content).
• Plan a staged migration: move wishlist features first, then reviews and loyalty to allow rollback if necessary.
• Communicate to customers if loyalty points or wishlist items will be migrated; transparency preserves trust.

Pricing and first-step options

Merchants evaluating consolidation should compare the combined monthly cost of multiple single-function apps versus a consolidated plan. For many stores, the Entry and Growth tiers offer a levers-based choice to align cost with order volume and required features.

Explore how consolidation impacts TCO and scale by running plan comparisons and experiments: Consolidate retention features. For merchants who prefer to try before committing, Growave is also available to install directly: Install the app directly

Practical Recommendations by Merchant Type

• Solo founders / micro stores with tight budgets:
  • If the only requirement is a simple wishlist and a save-for-later widget, ESC’s $5/month plan may be a reasonable short-term solution—provided merchants confirm reliability and support availability.
  • However, even small stores should consider the long-term cost of adding separate apps for reviews, referrals, or loyalty.
• Growing DTC brands focusing on retention:
  • Consider an integrated retention stack to avoid stitching user journeys together manually.
  • Evaluate whether the incremental cost of consolidation reduces churn and increases LTV more than a $5 wishlist app.
• B2B merchants / wholesale / multi-stakeholder buyers:
  • PluralCart’s collaboration, draft-order conversion, and metrics are strongly aligned to these needs.
  • If collaboration and draft-order workflows are core revenue drivers, PluralCart likely offers better value for money.
• Enterprise / Shopify Plus:
  • Look for platforms that support advanced customization, APIs, and 24/7 support.
  • Consolidation often reduces operational complexity and improves cross-touchpoint analytics; explore solutions designed for scale.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and PluralCart: Save Carts & Share, the decision comes down to function and scale. ESC offers a low-cost, simple wishlist and save-for-later solution that suits small DTC stores wanting a front-end conversion nudge. PluralCart is the better fit for merchants that need multi-cart editing, collaboration, and draft order workflows—particularly B2B sellers and high-SKU stores. PluralCart’s higher rating (4.9 from 13 reviews) and feature set justify its price for those use cases; ESC’s $5 plan makes sense when budget and simplicity are the overriding constraints.

However, single-purpose tools can create app fatigue and fragmented customer data. For merchants looking to reduce tool sprawl and build retention programs that combine loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlist functionality, a consolidated platform often delivers better long-term value. Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" approach unifies those retention primitives in one suite, enabling merchants to link wishlists, loyalty, and reviews into seamless customer journeys while reducing overall maintenance overhead. Merchants can evaluate whether consolidation reduces total cost of ownership and improves metrics by exploring how to consolidate retention features or by installing the combined solution directly from the app listing. Install the app directly

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

FAQ

Q: Which app is better for a small online store that only wants a wishlist? A: For a purely wishlist-focused need on a tight budget, ESC Wishlist + Save for Later provides a low-cost option ($5/month) and simple save-for-later behavior tied to the cart. Merchants should, however, verify recent support responsiveness given the low rating and small review sample.

Q: Does PluralCart support B2B workflows and draft orders? A: Yes. PluralCart is designed to save and edit multiple carts, support collaboration among buyers, and convert carts into draft orders—functionality that suits B2B procurement workflows or wholesale scenarios.

Q: How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps? A: An all-in-one platform centralizes wishlist, loyalty, referrals, and reviews into one system, reducing data fragmentation and simplifying maintenance. This consolidation often yields better retention outcomes because actions (e.g., earning loyalty points for leaving reviews) can be coordinated across features. Merchants can compare the costs and benefits of consolidation by evaluating consolidate retention features and seeing integrated feature demos. Consolidate retention features

Q: If a store needs both wishlist and collaborative carts, what’s the recommended path? A: For stores that require both consumer wishlists and collaborative B2B cart workflows, consider whether a single platform can cover both needs or whether a lightweight wishlist plus PluralCart is necessary. If the merchant prioritizes retention and long-term lifecycle value, evaluating an integrated retention suite that includes wishlist functionality alongside loyalty and reviews can reduce tool sprawl and improve outcomes. For specifics on loyalty and review integrations, compare how to collect and showcase authentic reviews and how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.