ESC Wishlist vs. Wizy Wishlist: In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a small decision with outsized impact: the right tool can recover abandoned intent, nudge repeat purchases, and give marketing teams product demand signals. For merchants weighing narrow, single-purpose wishlist apps, the choice often comes down to trade-offs between price, customization, analytics, and long-term value.

Short answer: ESC Wishlist + Save for Later is a very basic, low-cost option for stores that need one simple “save for later” component under the cart, while Wizy Wishlist offers tiered plans and more wishlist capacity and customization. For merchants focused on retention, however, both single-purpose apps can create tool sprawl; an integrated retention platform like Growave is often a better value for stores that want wishlists plus loyalty, referrals, and reviews in one place.

This article provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Wizy Wishlist. The goal is to make the strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases of each product explicit so merchants can choose the app that fits current needs and growth plans.

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

Deep Dive Comparison

Product Positioning and Target Merchant

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later (Eastside Co®)

ESC Wishlist positions itself as a compact tool that sits under the cart and lets customers save items for later. The emphasis is on simplicity: unlimited wishlists, shareable lists, and design customization options. With a single monthly plan at $5, ESC appears aimed at merchants who want a light, affordable save-for-later solution that adds minimal overhead.

Strengths in positioning:

• Clear, focused feature set.
• Low monthly cost, minimal commitment.

Notable weaknesses:

• Extremely limited social proof on the Shopify store (2 reviews, rating 1), which raises questions about ongoing support, reliability, or merchant satisfaction.
• Very basic pricing and unclear roadmap for advanced features.

Wizy Wishlist (PATH)

Wizy Wishlist bills itself as a wishlist app with more flexibility: page or pop-up presentation, customization of buttons and pages, control panels, and analytics. The developer offers multiple pricing tiers that scale with wishlist counts, allowing stores to pick a plan that matches expected user activity.

Strengths in positioning:

• Flexible presentation (pop-up or page) that fits a wider set of themes and UX flows.
• Clear tiered pricing that maps to wishlist capacity.
• Built-in statistics and demand-tracking feature.

Notable weaknesses:

• No reviews in the app listing (0 reviews, rating 0), which makes evaluation harder and increases perceived risk.
• Reliance on wishlist capacity limits may require upgrades as the store scales.

Features Comparison

The following subsections compare core and advanced features merchants typically evaluate when choosing a wishlist app.

Basic Wishlist Mechanics

ESC Wishlist:

• Adds a save-for-later section under the cart; saved items appear near checkout to reduce friction.
• Unlimited wishlists per customer (per the description).
• Social sharing to amplify reach.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Offers a dedicated wishlist page and a pop-up option for on-product or on-category flows.
• Add/remove items and one-click move to purchase.
• Free and guest wishlist support (members and non-members can save items).

Analysis:

• ESC’s under-cart placement is effective for conversion-focused recovery (saved items are visible at checkout). This is a tactical win for stores that want wishlists tied directly to purchase flows.
• Wizy’s pop-up or page approach is better for discovery and for stores that want a branded wishlist area that lives independently of the cart. That is useful for larger catalogs where wishlist browsing can become an on-site experience.

Customization and UX

ESC Wishlist:

• Mentions a “broad range” of customization options for how the widget looks on store pages.
• Simpler, cart-adjacent UI likely requires some theme alignment but minimal configuration.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Customizable wishlist button and page; stores can choose pop-up or page-based UX.
• Different plans imply varying degrees of flexibility, but the listing claims straightforward styling options.

Analysis:

• Wizy provides clearer UX configuration choices (pop-up vs. page), which is useful when the wishlist needs to match a theme’s design language.
• ESC seems focused on plug-and-play with some styling options. For merchants without developer time, ESC’s simplicity can be an advantage. For brands that prioritize on-site branding consistency, Wizy’s flexibility is preferable.

Wishlist Limits and Scalability

ESC Wishlist:

• Lists “unlimited wishlists” in the description; no tiering or caps communicated beyond that statement.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Explicitly tiered: Standard (500 wishlists), Pro (1000), Advanced (5000), Enterprise (10000).
• Pricing scales with wishlist capacity, which makes expected costs predictable as usage increases.

Analysis:

• ESC’s stated unlimited wishlists sounds attractive, but the lack of merchant feedback and reviews creates uncertainty about actual performance under scale.
• Wizy’s explicit capacity tiers help merchants forecast costs and choose a plan aligned with expected customer behavior. For stores that anticipate high wishlist activity, Wizy offers predictable scaling.

Conversion Paths: Save-to-Cart and Checkout Flow

ESC Wishlist:

• Keeps saved items under the cart so customers can add them back to cart at checkout with minimal friction.
• This approach is conversion-first: it reduces the steps needed to convert saved intent into orders.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Supports instant purchase from the wishlist. That suggests a one-click add-to-cart flow from saved items.
• With page or pop-up options, the wishlist can become an intentional step in the customer journey.

Analysis:

• Both apps support converting saved items into purchases; the difference is where that conversion happens. ESC helps at checkout, improving last-step recovery. Wizy provides a direct on-list conversion which is useful for browsing sessions where customers return to their list later.

Sharing and Social Viral Potential

ESC Wishlist:

• Includes free social sharing for wishlists to friends—useful for group gifting and social reach.

Wizy Wishlist:

• The app description does not emphasize social sharing; it focuses more on accessibility and analytics.

Analysis:

• ESC explicitly lists social sharing as a feature; this can help brand reach at low cost. Merchants prioritizing social or gifting scenarios may prefer ESC for that reason.

Analytics, Demand Tracking, and Admin Controls

ESC Wishlist:

• Limited detail on analytics in the app description. Given the small review count, the depth of reporting remains unclear.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Highlights a “control panel with powerful statistics” and the ability to track customer demand and requests.

Analysis:

• If demand signals and analytics matter, Wizy appears to deliver more focused reporting. ESC may require external tools or manual tracking to measure wishlist-driven demand.

Pricing & Value

Pricing is a core metric for merchants deciding between a focused low-cost tool and a more scalable, feature-rich option.

ESC Wishlist Pricing

• Monthly Plan: $5 / month.

Value proposition:

• Very low entry price. For merchants with tight budgets who only want a cart save-for-later section, ESC represents low friction and low cost.

Caveat:

• Low price can mean limited support, slower feature development, and potential technical debt. The app’s 2 reviews and rating 1 suggest merchants should validate stability and support responsiveness before committing.

Wizy Wishlist Pricing

• Standard: $4.99 / month — Customizable; pop-up or page; 500 wishlists.
• Pro: $9.99 / month — Customizable; pop-up or page; 1000 wishlists.
• Advanced: $39.99 / month — Customizable; pop-up or page; 5000 wishlists.
• Enterprise: $79.99 / month — Customizable; pop-up or page; 10000 wishlists.

Value proposition:

• A clear tiered model that aligns cost to volume. Small stores can start very low, while fast-growing stores can pay for capacity.
• The range of plans supports growth without forcing immediate migration.

Caveat:

• The listing lacks public merchant reviews to validate support quality and reliability of analytics. Merchants should test on a staging site before long-term adoption.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Considerations

When comparing cost, merchants should include:

• Monthly subscription fees.
• Implementation time and developer costs for theme integration.
• Potential future costs for analytics, email automation, or A/B testing that a single-purpose app may not cover.
• The operational cost of managing multiple apps (e.g., syncing wishlists with loyalty, CRM, or marketing platforms).

Analysis:

• ESC has the lowest sticker price, but limited app ecosystem may force merchants to invest in additional tools.
• Wizy scales with usage and provides a clearer growth path but can become costly for very high wishlist volumes.
• For many merchants, a single integrated platform that includes wishlist plus loyalty and reviews can lower TCO over time by consolidating functionality.

Integrations & Compatibility

Theme and UX Compatibility

ESC Wishlist:

• Works as a cart-adjacent widget; compatibility may depend on cart implementation and theme structure. Minimal external integration needs.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Offers pop-up or page options that typically work across more theme types. May require some theme adjustment for ideal styling.

Practical advice:

• Test each app on a development or duplicate theme to confirm compatibility with custom carts, headless setups, and page builders.

External Tool Integrations (Email, CRM, Automations)

ESC Wishlist:

• No public listing of integrations on the Shopify page. This absence suggests merchants should assume minimal direct integrations and plan for workarounds via tags or custom events.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Controls and statistics imply some ability to export or view demand data; however, public integration details are limited.

Analysis:

• Neither app advertises robust pre-built integrations with major ESPs (e.g., Klaviyo), customer service tools, or subscription platforms. Merchants who rely on automated lifecycle email flows may need to forward wishlist events via custom scripts or use a broader retention platform to connect those signals.

Analytics & Reporting

ESC Wishlist:

• The app description emphasizes a simple experience; analytics capabilities are not prominently listed or detailed.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Claims a “control panel with powerful statistics” and instant demand tracking.

Analysis:

• Wizy at least promises analytics that can inform merchandising and inventory decisions. ESC’s lack of visible reporting calls for caution if demand tracking or campaign attribution is a priority.

Support, Documentation, and Reliability

ESC Wishlist:

• Only 2 reviews and a rating of 1 on Shopify. A low review count and poor score are red flags and should prompt merchants to request response time SLAs and to test support responsiveness pre-install.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Zero reviews in the storefront listing. Absence of user feedback provides no public validation of support quality.

Practical steps before installing either app:

• Contact the developer with implementation questions and measure response quality and timing.
• Ask for references or case studies if available.
• Run the app on a staging theme to confirm compatibility before launching.

Implementation, Maintenance, and Developer Overhead

ESC Wishlist:

• Generally low complexity given the single-widget focus. Likely quick to install with minimal configuration.

Wizy Wishlist:

• Slightly more involved because of page vs. pop-up options and tiered setup. Installation still likely manageable without extensive development resources.

Analysis:

• For stores without developer time or budget, ESC’s simplicity is attractive. For stores wanting to maintain a branded wishlist experience and extract data, Wizy requires a bit more setup but will be more flexible.

Data Privacy & Security

Neither Shopify app listing provides extensive public detail about data residency, handling of personally identifiable information (PII), or compliance certifications. Merchants must ask developers:

• How is wishlist data stored and associated with customers (guest vs. logged-in)?
• Are exported reports secured?
• How are consent and data deletion requests handled?

Recommendation:

• Treat wishlist data as customer data. For merchants who operate in stricter privacy jurisdictions or who need strict data control, prioritize vendors that explicitly document data practices.

Use Cases & Merchant Profiles

To help merchants decide, the following profiles outline who benefits most from each app.

ESC Wishlist — Best for:

• Very small stores that need a simple save-for-later widget immediately under the cart.
• Merchants on a tight month-to-month budget who want a minimal feature set.
• Stores where conversion lift from checkout-visible saved items is the primary goal.

Wizy Wishlist — Best for:

• Stores that want more than cart-adjacent saving — a branded wishlist page or pop-up for browsing and return visits.
• Merchants who expect higher wishlist volumes and want predictable, tiered pricing.
• Teams that need basic analytics to inform merchandising and demand planning.

When neither app is sufficient:

• Merchants that want wishlists plus integrated loyalty, referrals, or review collection should consider an all-in-one retention platform that reduces tool sprawl and consolidates customer signals.

Pros and Cons Summary

ESC Wishlist + Save for Later

• Pros:
  • Very low monthly price ($5/month).
  • Simple, conversion-focused placement under cart.
  • Social sharing capability.
• Cons:
  • Very limited reviews and low Shopify rating (2 reviews, rating 1).
  • Sparse integration and analytics detail.
  • Potential risk around long-term support and development.

Wizy Wishlist

• Pros:
  • Flexible UI options (pop-up or page).
  • Clear tiered pricing for different wishlist volumes.
  • Control panel and built-in analytics.
• Cons:
  • No public reviews (0 reviews, rating 0).
  • Costs can grow as wishlist volume increases.
  • Integration detail and real-world performance unknown without testing.

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

Many merchants reach a similar crossroad: a single-purpose app solves an immediate need, but additional growth needs—loyalty, referrals, reviews, VIP tiers—soon demand more tools. This creates app fatigue: the operational overhead from installing, integrating, and maintaining many single-feature apps. The costs and complexity rise in ways that are easy to underestimate.

App fatigue manifests as:

• Multiple dashboards and data silos, making it hard to connect wishlist signals to loyalty actions or email flows.
• Repeated theme edits and app conflicts that consume developer hours.
• Higher combined monthly fees compared to a consolidated solution.

An alternative approach is a single platform that consolidates retention features—wishlists, loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers—so merchants can reduce TCO and accelerate growth.

Growave’s “More Growth, Less Stack” philosophy presents that integrated path. Rather than stitching together multiple single-purpose apps, merchants can consolidate retention features and preserve a unified customer data model that powers smarter automation and higher LTV.

Key advantages of a consolidated retention platform:

• Unified customer profiles: wishlist activity, reward balances, referral status, and review history live in one place.
• Cross-feature automation: trigger loyalty points when a wishlist item is purchased, or send review requests to customers who redeemed a referral reward.
• Centralized analytics: measure retention metrics like repeat purchase rate and lifetime value with consistent attribution.

For merchants evaluating alternatives, consider the following Growave resources that highlight product fit:

• For stores looking to consolidate retention features into a single plan, review the pricing plans to compare consolidated cost vs. multiple point solutions and to understand which plan fits current order volume. See how a simple consolidation can reduce monthly app spend and support growth by checking consolidate retention features.
• For merchants who want wishlist features plus loyalty, explore how Growave enables loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• For teams needing social proof and user-generated content, review how Growave helps merchants collect and showcase authentic reviews.
• To see how other brands applied an integrated retention approach, read customer stories from brands scaling retention.

Growave bundles wishlist capability with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers, which solves multiple problems at once:

• Instead of paying separately for a wishlist app and a loyalty app, merchants get a combined feature set that shares data and automations.
• Instead of exporting wishlist demand data to a separate analytics tool, all customer behavior is available in one place for segmentation and campaign triggers.

Practical comparison points between the single-purpose wishlist apps and an integrated platform:

• Data signal continuity:
  • Single-purpose wishlist apps often trap wishlist events in separate silos unless additional development integrates them into email or loyalty systems.
  • An integrated platform natively connects wishlist behavior to loyalty and lifecycle campaigns, providing immediate utility for marketing automation and personalized incentives.
• Operational simplicity:
  • Managing updates, theme compatibility, and service subscriptions is easier with fewer vendors.
  • Consolidation reduces the number of integrations to test and maintain, lowering development and QA burden.
• Cost predictability:
  • A single monthly fee for a multi-feature product can be more predictable than multiple subscriptions that scale independently.
  • Reviewing consolidated pricing helps determine whether combined value delivers better long-term ROI than adding separate wishlist, loyalty, and review apps.

If a merchant wants to see how a unified retention stack could work for its store, it is useful to experience the product flow directly. Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack improves retention. (This is an actionable step to validate fit and implementation specifics.)

Additional Growave resources for decision-making:

• For merchants on Shopify Plus or those approaching enterprise requirements, there are targeted capabilities and launch support for higher-growth brands—explore solutions for high-growth Plus brands.
• Install an all-in-one retention app from the Shopify App Store if a merchant wants to trial before committing to a paid plan; the store listing provides app-specific install and review details for quick testing. See how to install an all-in-one retention app.
• For quick proof points and comparisons with multiple apps, the pricing page helps merchants compare consolidation benefits and pick the plan that matches order volume and feature needs; merchants can evaluate consolidated cost at consolidate retention features.

Why an integrated approach matters for wishlist-driven merchants:

• Wishlists are intent signals. When saved items sync with loyalty and email automation, merchants can run targeted campaigns (e.g., offer points to users who save and later purchase the saved item). This is harder to achieve when wishlist data lives in a silo.
• A single customer record across features enables better segmentation and LTV forecasting. For example, identify customers who repeatedly save high-ticket items and target them with VIP offers or tailored financing messages.

Two more practical resources:

• See examples of how brands used multi-feature retention to scale engagement by reviewing customer stories from brands scaling retention.
• For merchants assessing integration and launch support, check out the app listing and install flow to determine how quickly the product can be implemented on live stores: install an all-in-one retention app.

By consolidating wishlist, loyalty, referrals, and reviews, the platform reduces the need for separate wishlist upgrades or analytics exports and aligns retention tactics across customer touchpoints.

Decision Framework: Which Option to Choose

This framework helps merchants choose the best path based on current needs and growth goals.

• If a store needs a single, inexpensive save-for-later widget with minimal configuration and little expectation of advanced analytics, ESC Wishlist is a fitting short-term tool. It appeals to very small stores that prioritize near-term cost savings and simple checkout lift.
• If a store needs a branded wishlist experience, expects higher wishlist volume, and wants demand analytics, Wizy Wishlist is more appropriate. The tiered plans enable predictable scaling and the pop-up/page options provide UX flexibility.
• If the merchant expects to invest in retention channels (loyalty, referrals, review-driven social proof), or wants to reduce app sprawl and centralize customer signals, an integrated platform is the more strategic choice. Consolidation reduces long-term costs, supports cross-feature automation, and simplifies management.

How to Evaluate Before Installing

The following checklist helps merchants validate each vendor before installation:

• Confirm support responsiveness:
  • Send a few implementation questions and track reply time.
  • Ask about SLA for bug fixes and compatibility issues.
• Test on a staging theme:
  • Confirm that the widget or page displays correctly across templates and on mobile.
  • Verify that add-to-cart and checkout flows remain intact.
• Ask about data handling:
  • How are guest wishlists handled?
  • How can customers delete wishlist data or request exports?
• Validate analytics and export capability:
  • Can wishlist events be sent to an ESP or analytics tool?
  • Are reports available for demand and conversion from wishlist to purchase?
• Measure total monthly costs:
  • Sum subscription fees plus any expected developer time and integrations.
  • Compare that to a consolidated platform that includes wishlist plus other retention tools.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between ESC Wishlist + Save for Later and Wizy Wishlist, the decision comes down to use case and growth expectations. ESC Wishlist is a sensible, low-cost option for stores that want a simple save-for-later widget immediately visible at checkout. Wizy Wishlist is better suited for brands that need a branded wishlist page or pop-up, clearer capacity planning, and built-in analytics. Both choices have trade-offs: neither app has meaningful public review coverage, which raises due-diligence requirements around support and real-world performance.

For merchants aiming to scale retention without multiplying single-purpose tools, a consolidated platform reduces complexity and unlocks cross-feature automation and a unified customer dataset. Growave positions itself as that alternative through the “More Growth, Less Stack” approach—combining wishlist capability with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers into a single product. For merchants comparing TCO and looking for centralized retention features, review how consolidation can lower monthly overhead and improve campaign effectiveness by checking consolidate retention features. Install and test an integrated retention product directly from the store listing to evaluate fit: consider install an all-in-one retention app.

Start a deeper conversation with the team to align feature needs and implementation timelines. Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack accelerates growth.

If the next step is hands-on, merchants can explore plan options and pricing details to match current order volume and feature needs: consolidate retention features.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How do ESC Wishlist and Wizy Wishlist differ in core functionality? A: ESC Wishlist focuses on a cart-adjacent save-for-later experience that surfaces saved items at checkout to drive conversion. Wizy Wishlist provides a fuller wishlist experience with page and pop-up options, tiered wishlist capacities, and a control panel for analytics.

Q: Which app is better for a store expecting high wishlist volume? A: Wizy Wishlist offers explicit tiered plans that scale to thousands of wishlists, making costs and capacity predictable as volume grows. ESC’s “unlimited wishlists” claim is attractive but lacks supporting public reviews and telemetry, so merchants should validate real-world performance prior to relying on that claim.

Q: How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized wishlist apps? A: An integrated retention platform consolidates wishlist data with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers, enabling cross-feature automations and unified customer profiles. This reduces tool sprawl and can lower total cost of ownership while providing richer segmentation and lifecycle campaigns. Review how consolidation affects costs and capabilities by looking at consolidated pricing and features such as consolidate retention features. For loyalty-specific needs, explore platforms that combine wishlists with loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases. For review collection and social proof, consider tools that allow merchants to collect and showcase authentic reviews.

Q: What should merchants test before installing a wishlist app? A: Validate support response time, compatibility with the current theme on a staging store, how wishlist events are recorded or exported, GDPR/CCPA compliance and data deletion procedures, and confirm how the app converts wishlist activity into measurable sales or marketing triggers. If considering consolidation, read merchant examples in the customer stories from brands scaling retention.

For a quick way to evaluate whether consolidating wishlist, loyalty, and reviews is the right move for the store, compare combined app costs with a unified plan to see potential savings and operational benefits: consolidate retention features.