ESC Wishlist vs. Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus: Detailed Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a common decision point for Shopify merchants trying to improve customer retention, reduce cart abandonment, and surface customer intent. Both ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus focus on saving products and shareable lists, but they take different approaches to features, pricing, and target customers.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a simple, low-cost option for merchants who need a lightweight save-for-later or wishlist widget with basic customization. Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus suits stores that need richer list management—multiple lists, CSV imports, and B2B-friendly order forms—but at higher tiers. For merchants who want to reduce tool sprawl and combine wishlists with loyalty, referrals, and reviews, an integrated retention platform can offer better value for money than stitching multiple single-purpose apps together.

This article provides a thorough, feature-by-feature comparison of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus to help merchants choose the best fit. The analysis covers core features, pricing, integrations, customization, usability, support, and likely use cases, followed by a strategic alternative that addresses the limits of single-purpose apps.

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

Deep Dive Comparison

This section evaluates the two apps across areas merchants usually weigh when selecting tools: features and functionality, pricing and value, integrations, customization and UX, analytics and reporting, implementation and performance, and support.

Features and Functionality

Core wishlist capabilities

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later offers the basics merchants expect from a wishlist/save-for-later tool. It places a "saved for later" section under the cart so customers will see saved items at checkout, offers unlimited wishlists, and includes social sharing. That makes it useful for simple intent capture and reminding shoppers about items they liked.

Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus goes beyond the basics. It supports multiple lists per customer (on paid tiers), unlimited items, quick add-to-cart functionality from lists, and sharing options. Notably, its spreadsheet import and B2B order form features enable workflows where buyers or distributors upload lists for quick reordering—features that target both B2C and B2B merchant needs.

Key practical differences:

• ESC focuses on a simple save-for-later + wishlist widget with easy cart visibility.
• Pasilobus includes operational features (CSV imports, order forms) that support bulk reordering and distributor workflows.

Advanced list management and B2B functionality

Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus includes capabilities that serve B2B or hybrid sellers:

• Customer spreadsheet import for bulk list or order creation.
• One-click reordering of entire lists.
• Order form mode for distributors or wholesale buyers.

ESC does not advertise these B2B features and targets conventional DTC wishlist behaviors instead. Merchants selling to wholesale customers or running distributor programs will find Wishlist Pro's workflow features materially valuable.

Save-for-later at checkout and conversion flow

Both apps make saved items visible near checkout. ESC explicitly keeps the "saved for later" section under the cart so saved items are one click away at checkout. Wishlist Pro also supports "save for later" from the shopping cart and allows list-to-cart actions that streamline purchase from saved lists.

In conversion terms, both apps address cart abandonment by making previously saved products easy to buy. Wishlist Pro’s quick add-to-cart and list reordering are slight advantages for conversions when customers manage many wishlisted items.

Sharing, registries, and social features

Social sharing is present in both apps, allowing customers to share lists via social channels or email. Wishlist Pro emphasizes registry creation and shareable registries as part of a social shopping experience; ESC flags free social sharing as a way to increase brand reach.

Practically, social share buttons are table-stakes for wishlists, but Wishlist Pro packages sharing into broader registry features which may help gift-oriented categories (home goods, baby, weddings).

Admin controls and merchant features

Wishlist Pro offers merchant-facing features such as reports in its Plus plan, translations, and more advanced list management. ESC highlights customization of appearance but lacks publicly noted admin reporting capabilities.

Merchants who need admin insights into list behavior or want localized experiences will likely prefer Wishlist Pro’s higher-tier tools.

Pricing and Value

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later pricing

ESC offers a Monthly plan priced at $5 per month. That straightforward price point is attractive for merchants on a tight budget who only want basic wishlist behavior and a save-for-later section under the cart.

Value considerations:

• Very low monthly cost.
• Good for stores that only need a lightweight wishlist widget.
• Limited advanced features; merchants may still need other apps for loyalty, reviews, or B2B ordering.

Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus pricing

Wishlist Pro offers multiple tiers:

• Free: Unlimited list items, single list per customer, sharing.
• Advanced ($14.99 / month): Unlimited list items, unlimited lists per customer, quick add to cart, translations, sharing.
• Plus ($49.99 / month): Advanced features plus B2B order forms, customer spreadsheet import, and reports.

Value considerations:

• Freemium entry point allows basic use without cost.
• Advanced unlocks multi-list and convenience features useful to customer experience.
• Plus targets merchants that need B2B features and reporting; price sits in the mid-range for apps with those capabilities.

Pricing comparison and value-for-money

ESC’s $5/month plan is the cheapest option and may be good value for merchants who need nothing more than a basic wishlist widget. Wishlist Pro’s tiered approach offers a path from free to feature-rich; for merchants who need multi-list management, CSV imports, or B2B order forms, its paid tiers can deliver necessary capabilities that ESC does not.

A straight cost-vs-feature judgment:

• For minimal feature needs: ESC likely offers better value for money.
• For multi-list management, B2B workflows, and reporting: Wishlist Pro delivers more capability per dollar, especially at the Plus tier.

Keep in mind price alone doesn’t capture total cost of ownership. A merchant stitching together multiple single-purpose apps (wishlist + loyalty + reviews) will likely pay more in aggregate and lose integration benefits. Later sections consider that trade-off.

Integrations and Platform Compatibility

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later integrations

ESC functions at the theme/cart level and lists itself under the Wishlist category. The app description emphasizes visual customization and placing saved items under the cart. No additional Shopify Flow or checkout-level integrations are cited. That suggests ESC is a theme-based widget rather than a deeply integrated platform extension.

Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus integrations

Wishlist Pro advertises compatibility with checkout, customer accounts, and Shopify Flow—meaning it supports more native Shopify surface areas and automation. That allows stores to trigger flows or include wishlist actions in automated workflows, which can be useful for scaling marketing or operational automations.

Practical integration implications

Theme-based wishlist widgets are easier to install and less likely to conflict with app-heavy themes. Checkout- or Flow-aware apps can power more advanced automations and richer merchant workflows. Merchants expecting to automate lifecycle emails, segment customers by wishlisted products, or include wishlist actions in flows will find Wishlist Pro’s integrations advantageous.

Customization, Theming, and User Experience

Visual customization and theme fit

ESC advertises a "broad range of options for customizing how the app looks on your store," positioning itself for merchants who want a wishlist UI that matches branding. This can reduce friction and preserve visual consistency.

Wishlist Pro claims quick integration with a Shopify theme and promises to get going in less than five minutes. It also offers translations and multi-list UI choices depending on plan.

Practical note: both apps emphasize easy theme integration, but merchants with heavily customized themes should test both apps in a staging environment to ensure CSS and layout compatibility.

Front-end UX for customers

Key UX considerations include how customers save items, how lists are presented, mobile behavior, and the path back to purchase.

• ESC’s under-cart saved items make saved products highly visible during checkout—this reduces friction to convert interest into purchase.
• Wishlist Pro’s list-to-cart and quick add functionality streamlines ordering when customers manage many saved products. For shoppers who use lists as a buying or gifting tool, this reduces clicks.

Mobile usability is critical for wishlists. Both vendors must be tested on mobile to ensure the add-to-wishlist buttons, modal lists, and share dialogs behave responsively.

Analytics, Reporting, and Customer Insights

ESC does not advertise built-in reports or analytics in the provided description. For merchants prioritizing data—knowing which items are most wishlisted, which lists drive conversions, or which customers maintain registries—ESC may not be sufficient without complementary analytics tools.

Wishlist Pro’s Plus plan explicitly includes reports. Those reports can help merchants measure wishlist activity, track reorder behaviors, and identify product interest signals that feed merchandising and inventory decisions.

If wishlist data is used to prioritize restocking, personalization, or targeted campaigns, having built-in reporting or easy export options becomes important.

Implementation, Reliability, and Performance

Installation and setup

Both apps advertise quick installs. Wishlist Pro highlights a sub-five-minute setup and theme integration, while ESC focuses on customizable appearance under the cart.

Implementation risks in wishlist apps typically involve theme conflicts, JavaScript performance impacts, and checkout or cart template compatibility. Merchants should:

• Test in a staging store or duplicate theme.
• Check for console errors and page load impacts.
• Verify mobile and checkout behavior.

Performance considerations

Lightweight apps designed purely as theme widgets tend to load faster than apps that inject heavy JavaScript or server calls. ESC’s simple functionality suggests a generally light footprint, but the absence of broader integrations may limit cross-channel capabilities.

Wishlist Pro’s additional features (CSV handling, reports, Flow integration) may add back-end complexity. Merchant tests should measure time-to-interact and monitor for any increased latency on product and cart pages.

Support, Documentation, and Community Feedback

Available support channels

Public descriptions do not fully document support SLAs for ESC. Wishlist Pro lists integrations with Shopify Flow and checkout, suggesting a level of platform compatibility and likely support for install questions. For both apps, merchants should inspect the Shopify App Store listing for support response times and contact channels.

Ratings and review volume

App review counts are small across both apps in the provided data:

• ESC Wishlist + Save for Later: 2 reviews, rating 1.
• Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus: 1 review, rating 5.

These low review counts reduce the reliability of aggregate rating signals. A one-star average from two reviews may reflect specific issues or be an outlier, while a single five-star review cannot be generalized.

Merchants should:

• Read the actual review text on the app listing to understand issues.
• Consider contacting the developer with pre-install questions.
• Test on a trial or free tier where available (Wishlist Pro offers a free plan).

Security, Privacy, and Data Ownership

Wishlist tools primarily store customers’ saved product references and lists. Critical questions for merchants include:

• Where are wishlist records stored?
• Are customer lists linked to customer accounts or anonymous cookies?
• Can wishlists be exported or migrated if switching apps?

Wishlist Pro’s spreadsheet import/export capabilities imply greater data portability. ESC’s export/import details are not listed, so merchants should request data access specifics prior to committing.

For stores handling customer data for B2B ordering or registries, ensuring proper access controls and compliance with privacy regulations is important.

Use Cases and Merchant Profiles

Best fit for ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Small DTC brands that need a simple save-for-later and wishlist widget.
• Merchants with limited monthly budgets who want a low-cost wishlist function.
• Stores that value visual customization and a visible saved-items area under the cart.

ESC offers a straightforward path for stores that only need to let customers save items and get a gentle reminder at checkout.

Best fit for Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus

• Brands with both B2C and B2B customers needing list and order form workflows.
• Merchants that want multi-list support, translations, and reporting.
• Stores that want a freemium onboarding option with paid upgrades for advanced features.

Wishlist Pro’s B2B-friendly capabilities and spreadsheet import make it more suitable for stores with repeat bulk buyers, distributors, or registries.

Pros and Cons (Quick Reference)

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Pros:
  • Very low monthly cost ($5).
  • Simple install and visible cart placement.
  • Customizable appearance.
• Cons:
  • Minimal public reviews and a low aggregated rating.
  • Limited advanced features (no CSV import, limited reporting).
  • Potential lack of deep integrations with Shopify Flow or checkout.

Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus

• Pros:
  • Freemium entry point and tiered upgrade path.
  • Multi-list management, CSV import, B2B order forms, reports.
  • Checkout and Shopify Flow compatibility.
• Cons:
  • Some advanced features require higher-paid tiers.
  • Limited public review volume; merchants should validate support responsiveness.

Migration, Exit, and Data Portability

A practical concern for merchants is how easy it is to move wishlist data between apps. Wishlist Pro’s spreadsheet import suggests it also supports exports or at least CSV compatibility, which helps with migration. ESC’s documentation does not highlight export options.

Merchants planning to test multiple apps should:

• Confirm export formats and whether wishlists are tied to customer accounts or anonymous sessions.
• Backup customer lists by asking for CSV exports before uninstalling.
• Validate if saved items persist after theme or app removals.

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

Single-purpose apps solve a focused problem, but too many single-purpose apps create "app fatigue"—fragmented data, overlapping features, and rising maintenance costs. Merchants juggling separate wishlist, loyalty, review, and referral apps often face integration gaps and higher subscription costs. An integrated retention platform can consolidate multiple retention tools, reduce friction, and provide unified analytics.

What is app fatigue and why it matters

App fatigue occurs when merchants accumulate many single-function apps to cover loyalty, wishlists, reviews, referrals, and VIP programs. The consequences include:

• Increased monthly SaaS spend and unpredictable bills.
• Harder-to-maintain theme and app compatibility as each vendor injects scripts and UI.
• Fragmented customer data, making it difficult to build coherent retention strategies.
• Manual workflows and duplicated tasks across platforms.

Reducing app fatigue improves lifetime value (LTV) because cohesive features—loyalty, wishlists, and reviews—work together to retain customers and encourage repeat purchases.

Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" proposition

Growave positions itself as a retention platform that consolidates wishlists with loyalty and rewards, referrals, reviews & UGC, VIP tiers, and integrations. The "More Growth, Less Stack" approach aims to replace multiple single-purpose apps with one integrated suite that shares data and customer profiles.

Key benefits of consolidating with an integrated solution:

• Unified customer profiles that combine wishlist behavior, referral status, and review activity.
• Cross-functional campaigns: reward points for wishlisting, incentivize referrals after adding items to a wishlist, or trigger review reminders for products that were on a wishlist.
• Reduced integration overhead and fewer scripts running on storefront pages.
• Centralized reporting and insights across retention channels.

Merchants considering this route should evaluate whether integration reduces total monthly cost and improves operational efficiency.

Core Growave capabilities relevant to wishlist and retention

Growave bundles multiple retention tools in one platform:

• Loyalty and rewards programs that can increase repeat purchases and raise LTV.
• Built-in wishlist features that tie into loyalty actions.
• Referral campaigns that amplify acquisition through existing customers.
• Reviews & UGC collection and display to boost social proof and conversion.
• VIP tiers for segmentation and prioritized incentives.

Merchants can explore examples and customer stories to see how integrated retention programs perform relative to isolated apps. For those wanting to consolidate, comparing single-app costs and functionality against an integrated plan is a useful exercise.

Merchants can review Growave pricing details and compare plans to determine which bundle best replaces a stack of single apps. Growave’s pricing page outlines plans and included features for merchants evaluating consolidation. Merchants looking for app-store installation can find Growave on the Shopify App Store to check reviews, install options, and store compatibility.

How Growave reduces tool sprawl in practice

Growave ties wishlist activity directly to loyalty and referral mechanics. Examples of consolidated actions:

• Reward customers for creating wishlists or sharing registries.
• Use wishlisted products to trigger personalized email campaigns.
• Convert wishlist intent into targeted offers or loyalty-based discounts.

Because these features live in one system, merchants avoid complex API glue code or multiple duplicated automation rules across apps. Unified data also powers more reliable reports, making it easier to see which retention levers move repeat purchase rates.

Merchants can explore Growave’s loyalty capabilities to understand how wishlists and point-earning mechanics combine to lift retention. Similarly, Growave’s review functionality helps close the loop between social proof and wishlist-driven demand by automating review collection for wishlisted purchases.

Integrations and enterprise readiness

Growave supports a wide set of integrations and platform surfaces—Checkout, Shopify POS, Customer accounts, Shopify Flow, and popular email and support platforms. For merchants on Shopify Plus or those with headless implementations, Growave offers enterprise-level support and customization options to fit complex storefronts.

For merchants evaluating enterprise readiness, Growave maintains specific plans and services for high-growth and Plus merchants with additional support and checkout-level features.

Merchants can compare the costs of replacing multiple apps with a single Growave plan to see where consolidation creates better value for money. The pricing page provides plan comparisons and trial details for a side-by-side evaluation.

Practical considerations when evaluating an all-in-one platform

When comparing a consolidated platform like Growave to single-purpose apps, merchants should assess:

• Feature parity: Does the platform provide the essential wishlist features needed today and the flexibility to scale?
• Migration: Can wishlists, reviews, and loyalty balances be migrated or seeded from existing systems?
• Customization: Does the platform allow theme-level styling and localization?
• Support and SLA: Does the vendor provide timely support and a clear escalation path for Plus or enterprise customers?

Growave lists integrations and capabilities that map to these considerations, and merchants can view customer case studies to validate real-world deployments.

Merchants interested in a tailored assessment can book a demo to see how an integrated retention stack might replace multiple single-purpose apps and improve retention without adding complexity. Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack improves retention.

How Growave’s suite compares to the two apps evaluated

• Wishlist feature parity: Growave provides wishlist functionality comparable to ESC and Wishlist Pro but embedded within a broader retention system so wishlist behavior can directly affect loyalty and referral mechanics.
• Reporting and analytics: Growave’s unified dashboard aggregates loyalty, wishlist, and review metrics—reducing the need for separate reporting tools.
• B2B and enterprise: Growave supports Plus-level merchants and headless setups, with enterprise-grade plans and checkout features for complex workflows.
• Support and scale: Growave’s plans include higher-touch support on premium tiers, which can be more predictable than relying on multiple small vendors.

Merchants comparing ESC and Wishlist Pro should consider the cost of adding loyalty, referral, and review capabilities separately. For many merchants, consolidating can be better value for money and reduce the total number of integrations to manage.

Implementation Checklist: How to Choose and Test

Before selecting a wishlist or an integrated alternative, merchants should run a short checklist to evaluate fit and reduce post-install troubleshooting.

• Confirm feature needs: List the wishlist behaviors that matter (multi-list, CSV import, B2B ordering, registry, shareable links).
• Budget and total cost: Compare monthly fees across wishlist + loyalty + reviews apps against an integrated platform plan.
• Data portability: Ask vendors for export formats and migration assistance.
• Theme and performance testing: Install on a staging theme and test mobile and checkout interactions for speed and conflicts.
• Reporting needs: Validate whether reports include the metrics required for merchandising and inventory planning.
• Support SLA: Check response times and availability for times critical to business operations (e.g., holiday season).
• Trial the product: Use free tiers or trials, simulate typical workflows, and verify that the app supports store policies and tax/shipping flows.

This checklist helps merchants make decisions grounded in operational reality, not just feature lists.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus, the decision comes down to scope and scale. ESC is a low-cost solution well-suited for stores that need a simple, customizable save-for-later and wishlist widget visible at checkout. Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus offers a broader feature set—multi-list management, CSV import, B2B order forms, and reporting—making it a stronger fit for merchants with more advanced list workflows or wholesale distribution needs.

For stores that want to reduce app sprawl, centralize retention data, and combine wishlists with loyalty, referrals, and reviews, an integrated platform delivers better operational value. Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" approach bundles wishlist with loyalty, referrals, and reviews so merchants can consolidate tools and use unified data to drive repeat purchases and improve lifetime value. Merchants can compare plans and start a trial to assess whether consolidating multiple single-purpose apps into one suite saves cost and complexity—start a 14-day free trial to evaluate the impact of an integrated retention stack.

FAQ

Q: Which app is better for a small store with a tight budget? A: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is the most budget-friendly at $5/month and covers basic wishlist and save-for-later needs. Wishlist Pro offers a free tier that can meet basic needs as well, with paid tiers that unlock multi-list and B2B features.

Q: Which app is better for B2B ordering and distributor workflows? A: Wishlist Pro ‑ Pasilobus is designed with B2B workflows in mind—customer spreadsheet import, one-click reordering of entire lists, and order form modes are available on higher tiers. ESC does not advertise those B2B capabilities.

Q: How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps? A: An all-in-one platform consolidates wishlist, loyalty, referrals, and reviews, reducing the number of apps, scripts, and subscriptions. That consolidation can improve data cohesion and campaign flexibility, and may provide better value for money when replacing multiple single-purpose tools.

Q: How should a merchant test these apps before committing? A: Test in a staging theme, simulate customer journeys (wishlisting, sharing, reordering), check mobile and checkout behavior, verify export options for data portability, and evaluate support responsiveness during the trial period. For integrated evaluation, compare the total cost and operational benefits of consolidating features into a single platform.