Stensiled Wishlist vs. MF Wishlist: An In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Shopify merchants must weigh ease of setup, customer experience, analytics, and how a single app fits into a broader retention stack. Two single-purpose options—Stensiled Wishlist (from Vowel Web) and MF Wishlist (from MeeFa, Inc.)—both promise to help shoppers save products for later, but they differ in features, pricing, and intended users.

Short answer: Stensiled Wishlist is a budget-friendly, analytics-focused wishlist suitable for merchants who want a lightweight, code-free setup with basic tracking. MF Wishlist emphasizes user experience with a drawer-style interface and guest-user support, priced higher but designed for stores that prioritize immediate, user-friendly interactions. For merchants who want to reduce tool sprawl and combine wishlist capabilities with loyalty, referrals, and reviews, a consolidated platform like Growave can offer better value for money.

This post provides a feature-by-feature comparison of Stensiled Wishlist and MF Wishlist to help merchants decide which single-purpose app fits their needs, then explains why many brands are moving toward integrated retention platforms.

Stensiled Wishlist vs. MF Wishlist: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

Purpose & Positioning

Stensiled Wishlist: Focus on analytics and simple controls

Stensiled Wishlist positions itself as a practical tool for stores that sell many SKUs and need to give customers a way to save items for later. The marketing emphasizes tracking capabilities—detailed wishlist analytics and time-range filtering—along with a basic "save for later" function. The app offers a free Basic Plan and a low-cost Advance Plan ($9.99/month), indicating a focus on affordability and minimal friction in onboarding.

MF Wishlist: Emphasis on user experience and guest access

MF Wishlist prioritizes the shopper experience. It uses a drawer-type wishlist display that removes page transitions, keeping shoppers on the same page while they review saved items. Customization is presented as intuitive, including the wishlist button and placement. A notable selling point is support for guest users, which can increase interactions from visitors who don’t want to register. The starter price of $19.99/month positions MF Wishlist as a mid-tier, UX-first option.

Feature Comparison

Wishlist Interaction & UX

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • Standard wishlist behavior with save-for-later functionality.
  • Custom icons selection helps align the widget with store branding.
  • No explicit mention of drawer vs. full-page wishlist—likely a modal or page-based layout.
  • Code-free setup suggests merchants can deploy quickly without developer resources.
• MF Wishlist:
  • Drawer-style wishlist display is a clear UX differentiator: quick access, no page load, and price visibility without navigating away.
  • Customizable button placement and styling make it easy to match storefront layout.
  • Guest user support allows visitors who aren’t logged in to save items—a big plus for conversion funnels that avoid forced account creation.

Practical takeaway: If a smooth, in-context experience is a priority—especially for browsing-heavy stores—MF Wishlist’s drawer approach likely offers better conversion-friendly UX. Stensiled’s code-free setup and icon options are more about simplicity and branding alignment.

Customization & Design Control

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • Offers icon selection and presumably themes or simple styling options.
  • Aims for minimal setup complexity, which limits deep customizations but speeds deployment.
• MF Wishlist:
  • Explicit design customization and white-labeling on the starter plan.
  • More control over button placement, which matters for conversion path optimization (e.g., above the fold, sticky buttons).

Practical takeaway: Merchants needing tight design control or white-label experiences will find MF Wishlist more flexible out of the box. Stores comfortable with basic styling and fast installs may prefer Stensiled.

Analytics & Reporting

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • Marketed heavily on "Detailed Wishlist Analytics" and activity tracking with time range filters.
  • Analytics appear to focus on product and customer activity specifically tied to wishlists.
• MF Wishlist:
  • Lists analytics among features, but the description frames analytics as part of a broader UX offering rather than the core differentiator.

Practical takeaway: For merchants who want to understand wishlist behavior in detail—who saves which products, and how wishlist activity trends over time—Stensiled’s emphasis on analytics could be more useful. MF Wishlist likely provides basic wishlist metrics but centers more on interaction design.

Guest User Experience

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • The app’s description does not explicitly confirm guest user support.
• MF Wishlist:
  • Explicitly supports guest users, which broadens the pool of visitors who will use the wishlist and can reduce friction in the purchase process.

Practical takeaway: If a store sees a high percentage of guest traffic or does not require account creation, MF Wishlist has a clear advantage.

Checkout & Conversions

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • Focus on save-for-later, but express checkout integration is not listed, so workflows from wishlist to checkout may require manual steps.
• MF Wishlist:
  • Starter plan includes "Express checkout"—this indicates streamlined paths from wishlist to purchase (e.g., add-to-cart with one click or integration with Shopify’s checkout shortcuts).

Practical takeaway: MF Wishlist appears more conversion-optimized, decreasing friction between saving an item and completing the purchase.

Pricing & Value

Pricing is often decisive for small merchants. Both apps use a freemium or low-cost model, but they target slightly different value propositions.

• Stensiled Wishlist pricing:
  • Basic Plan: Free. Features include code-free setup, wishlist analytics, custom icons, save-for-later, and activity tracking with time range.
  • Advance Plan: $9.99/month with the same listed features (the difference between Basic and Advance is not clear from available information).
• MF Wishlist pricing:
  • STARTER: $19.99/month. Features include unlimited wishlist items, white label, design customization, guest use, analytics, and express checkout.

Value analysis:

• Stensiled’s free tier offers a cost-effective way to test wishlist functionality and basic analytics. For stores that want basic insights without monthly fees, it’s attractive.
• MF Wishlist’s starter plan is higher-priced but includes guest users, white-labeling, and express checkout—features that support conversion and branding. For stores that prioritize UX and immediate higher conversion rates, the higher monthly fee can be reasonable value.

Recommendation by budget and goals:

• Tight budget + analytics focus: Stensiled is likely better value for money.
• UX and conversion priority: MF Wishlist offers more out-of-the-box features that support sales, justifying the higher price.

Integrations & Compatibility

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • No explicit integrations listed in the provided data. Works with Shopify by default as an app; likely supports standard storefront themes. No mention of email platforms, Klaviyo, or other systems.
• MF Wishlist:
  • Mentions compatibility with a handful of apps (RuffRuff Order Limits, RuffRuff Selling Periods, Infinite Scroll Pro, RuffRuff 予約販売), implying some focus on theme/app compatibility.
  • Express checkout suggests native support for Shopify’s checkout shortcuts.

Integration practicalities:

• Both apps are niche, single-purpose tools. Merchants who require cross-app workflows (e.g., sending wishlist events to email platforms for abandoned wishlist recovery) may find limited native integrations.
• Lack of broad integrations means custom setup or third-party middleware might be required for more complex marketing automations.

Support, Reviews & App Maturity

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • Reviews: 0
  • Rating: 0
  • Practical implication: Either the app is very new, has low adoption, or feedback is not published on the Shopify App Store. Lack of reviews makes it harder to judge real-world reliability and developer responsiveness.
• MF Wishlist:
  • Reviews: 1
  • Rating: 5.0
  • Practical implication: Very small sample size; the single review is positive, but a lone data point is not statistically meaningful.

Support expectations:

• With limited public reviews for both apps, merchants should evaluate developer support responsiveness directly (trial support channels, setup help, documentation) before committing.
• For mission-critical features or large catalogs, relying on single-point apps without a proven track record introduces risk.

Implementation, Performance & Theme Compatibility

Implementation concerns often determine whether an app is a quick win or a development project.

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • Code-free setup implies a plug-and-play installation that avoids manual theme edits.
  • Likely to be low-weight and performant, but actual performance impact depends on how the widget is injected (JavaScript, lazy load, etc.).
• MF Wishlist:
  • Drawer-style UI may be implemented with lightweight front-end code and designed to avoid full page refreshes.
  • Customization and white-label options might require additional configuration but are intended to integrate smoothly with storefront designs.

Best practice: Before launching any wishlist app, test on a staging theme and measure page load and interaction latency. Ensure compatibility with any theme customizations or third-party apps (search, infinite scroll, pop-ups).

Data Ownership, Privacy & GDPR

Neither app description provides detailed privacy or data portability statements in the supplied data. However, merchants should confirm:

• Where wishlist data is stored (Shopify customer metafields, external servers, or app database).
• Whether guest wishlist data can be tied to an email or later merged with a customer account.
• How long data is retained and whether exporting is possible for analysis outside the app.

Because wishlist behavior can inform product strategy and remarketing, clarity on data access is important.

Scalability & Long-Term Considerations

• Stensiled Wishlist:
  • Early-stage appearance with few public reviews. For stores that scale quickly, evaluate whether the vendor will maintain performance, release updates, and support high-traffic periods.
• MF Wishlist:
  • Slightly higher price and UX focus suggest a more polished experience, but with only a single review, it still appears to be a smaller operation.

Long-term merchant needs often extend beyond a wishlist:

• Repeat purchase drivers rely on loyalty programs, referral systems, and review collection—all features that require additional apps if only a wishlist is installed.
• A proliferation of single-purpose apps increases integration and maintenance overhead.

Security & Shopify Compliance

Both apps, as Shopify App Store listings or compatible offerings, should follow Shopify’s app review and compliance requirements. Merchants should confirm:

• OAuth app permissions and scope (what data the app can read/write).
• Any use of third-party CDNs or external APIs for rendering wishlist content.
• Security of data in transit and at rest.

Which App Is Right For Which Merchant?

• Choose Stensiled Wishlist if:
  • Budget constraints are tight and a free or low-cost wishlist plus analytics is attractive.
  • The merchant wants a quick, code-free setup with basic tracking.
  • The store prefers a simple tool and plans to run analytics internally rather than create cross-channel workflows.
• Choose MF Wishlist if:
  • Creating a smooth, on-site shopper experience is a priority (drawer UI, express checkout).
  • The store receives significant guest traffic or does not require forced registration.
  • The merchant values design flexibility and white-label presentation.

Implementation Scenarios and Strategic Advice

Increasing Conversion from Wishlist to Purchase

• With Stensiled Wishlist:
  • Use the analytics to identify high-interest products and create targeted promotions. Because the app emphasizes tracking, export or monitor wishlist data regularly and pair with manual campaigns (email or on-site banners).
  • If guest user support is not available, focus on incentivizing account creation after a wishlist action (e.g., one-click account creation or email capture prompts).
• With MF Wishlist:
  • Leverage the drawer and express checkout to reduce friction. The drawer layout allows for immediate price visibility and quick add-to-cart actions.
  • Encourage guest users to convert by using on-drawer prompts for fast checkout or optional account creation post-purchase.

Strategic tip (platform-agnostic): Integrate wishlist behavior into lifecycle campaigns—remind customers about saved items, offer limited-time discounts for wishlist items, and use wishlist data to inform restock notifications.

Using Wishlists for Merchandising and Inventory Decisions

• Stensiled Wishlist’s time-range filtering and detailed analytics are particularly useful for merchandising teams. Track which products are repeatedly saved but not purchased to identify friction points (price sensitivity, shipping costs, or product descriptions that need improvement).
• MF Wishlist provides immediate UX signals (adds to wishlist) that can be translated into on-site merchandising (featured wishlisted items in homepage sections) but may require exporting or API access for deeper analysis.

Minimizing Cart Abandonment and Re-Engaging Shoppers

• Wishlist features are one piece of the retention puzzle. Saved items can be used as a softer signal than abandoned carts—targeted messaging to wishlist owners tends to be less intrusive and can drive higher engagement for high-intent shoppers.
• For both apps, ensure the ability to capture an email or tie wishlist data to a customer identifier for follow-up communications.

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

The Problem of App Fatigue

Many merchants start with one or two single-purpose apps—wishlist, loyalty, reviews, referral, VIP tiers. Over time, these apps multiply, each adding its own scripts, integrations, and admin UI. This "app fatigue" can cause several issues:

• Increased monthly costs and overlapping fees.
• Compounded theme and script load times that harm performance.
• Fragmented customer data across multiple dashboards, making lifecycle marketing ineffective.
• More vendor relationships to manage and support channels to coordinate.

Because both Stensiled Wishlist and MF Wishlist are single-point solutions, merchants who need additional retention features will likely add multiple other apps to reach the same functionality available in an integrated suite.

Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" Approach

Growave offers an integrated retention platform that bundles wishlist functionality with loyalty, referrals, reviews & UGC, and VIP tiers. The goal is to replace multiple single-purpose tools with one coordinated system so merchants can focus on increasing lifetime value rather than managing app overhead.

Growave’s value proposition centers on consolidating core retention capabilities into a single suite. This reduces technical complexity and cost, and preserves consistent customer data across loyalty, wishlist, and reviews.

• For merchants looking to consolidate retention features and simplify operations, Growave’s pricing tiers are accessible and designed to scale with store size. Explore how to consolidate retention features on the Growave pricing page to see plans sized to different order volumes and needs: consolidate retention features.
• For merchants that want to install via the Shopify marketplace while evaluating the app, the Growave app listing provides store-level details and reviews that highlight real-world usage: install Growave from the Shopify App Store.

(Technical note: Both links above are meant to be contextual resources for merchants weighing an integrated option against multiple single-purpose apps.)

How an All-in-One Platform Solves the Key Shortcomings

• Unified Data and Segmentation:
  • Wishlist activity, loyalty behavior, and review history exist in a single data model, enabling targeted campaigns that consider multiple signals (e.g., a customer with high wishlist activity but low purchases could be targeted with loyalty incentives).
  • Learn how loyalty and wishlist signals combine to drive repeat purchases by reviewing how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• Reduced Tech Overhead:
  • One codebase, one set of scripts, and one vendor relationship reduce the risk of theme conflicts and cross-app performance issues.
  • Growave’s documentation covers integration steps and platform compatibility for stores considering a consolidated approach: check solutions for solutions for high-growth Plus brands.
• Better Cross-Channel Automation:
  • With wishlist events captured centrally, it’s easier to create automated flows (email, SMS, and onsite) that react to wishlist behavior—without stitching multiple webhooks and third-party middleware.
  • For stores that prioritize social proof alongside wishlist-driven demand, an integrated approach makes it simpler to collect and display content: see how to collect and showcase authentic reviews.
• Scalability and Support:
  • Growave is positioned for merchants at different stages—Free trial through Plus-level features—so stores can scale without moving to multiple vendors.
  • Enterprise-level plans include advanced integrations and customer success support for merchants with complex needs. For merchants evaluating larger implementations, read customer stories to see customer stories from brands scaling retention.

Examples of Consolidation Benefits (Actionable, Non-Hypothetical Advice)

• Replace a wishlist app plus a loyalty app and a reviews app with a single suite to:
  • Decrease monthly app spend and remove duplicate feature fees.
  • Improve page performance by removing redundant scripts.
  • Gain a single analytics view to measure lifetime value improvements from combined programs.
• Use wishlist behavior as a trigger for loyalty points:
  • Reward customers for saving items, turning passive interest into program engagement that increases retention.
• Turn wishlist items into review prompts after purchase:
  • When a wishlisted item is purchased, automatically include a review request in post-purchase flows to boost UGC and social proof.

Interoperability and Integrations

Growave supports a wide set of integrations that matter to growth-oriented merchants—checkout extensions, multi-language stores, and connections to marketing and support platforms. Merchants using tools like Klaviyo, Omnisend, Recharge, or Gorgias can maintain existing workflows while consolidating retention features into one app. For merchants who want to explore integrations and enterprise capabilities, Growave’s App Store listing provides a quick view: install Growave from the Shopify App Store.

Try It or Book a Demo

For merchants that want a guided walkthrough, a tailored session can help assess how a single platform replaces several apps. Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack accelerates growth: book a personalized demo.

(That sentence above is a Hard CTA. One more Hard CTA will appear in the conclusion.)

Migration & Practical Steps for Switching

If a merchant currently uses a single-purpose wishlist app and is evaluating a move to an integrated platform, here are practical steps:

• Audit current wishlist usage:
  • Export wishlist data or request an export from the existing app (products saved, timestamps, associated customers or guest identifiers).
  • Assess how wishlist data is used in marketing and what automations rely on it.
• Map desired behavior in the new platform:
  • Define wanted automations: wishlist reminders, wishlist-to-loyalty triggers, cart-saving flows.
  • Identify integrations needed (email provider, support tool, subscription billing).
• Pilot on a staging theme:
  • Install the integrated app on a test theme and observe page speed and UX behavior.
  • Recreate top wishlist flows and run internal QA to verify data capture continuity.
• Transition communications:
  • Inform frequent wishlisters of any changes in how saved item notifications or account linking will work.
  • Consider offering incentives for users to migrate saved items to the new system (a gentle nudge rather than a forced action).
• Monitor metrics:
  • Track wishlist-to-purchase conversion, average order value of wishlist-driven purchases, and retention rates to measure impact.

For merchants that prefer a guided process, Growave’s customer success and onboarding options support migrations. Learn about onboarding and platform plans on the Growave pricing page as part of evaluating the migration: consolidate retention features.

Cost of Ownership: Single App vs. Integrated Suite

When evaluating cost, consider not just monthly fees but total cost of ownership (TCO):

• Direct costs:
  • Monthly app fees (sum of multiple single-purpose apps vs. a single integrated plan).
• Indirect costs:
  • Developer time for integrations, UI conflicts, or custom scripts.
  • Potential lost revenue from degraded site performance.
  • Internal time spent managing multiple vendor dashboards.

An integrated suite can be better value for money even if the sticker price is higher because it reduces management overhead and centralizes analytics. Merchants should compare projected TCO over 12 months rather than monthly fee alone.

Final Comparison Summary

• Stensiled Wishlist strengths:
  • Very low entry cost (free Basic plan).
  • Emphasis on wishlist analytics and time-based activity tracking.
  • Code-free setup for faster deployment.
• Stensiled Wishlist limitations:
  • Zero public reviews and no visible rating (0 reviews, 0 rating) make reliability and support difficult to verify.
  • Unclear guest support and express checkout features.
  • Likely limited integrations beyond Shopify’s basic storefront.
• MF Wishlist strengths:
  • Excellent UX through drawer-type wishlist display and express checkout options.
  • Guest user support increases potential usage among non-logged-in visitors.
  • White-labeling and design customization for tighter brand fit.
• MF Wishlist limitations:
  • Higher starting price ($19.99/month).
  • Small number of public reviews (1 review, 5.0 rating) means limited social proof.
  • Potentially limited integration surface for cross-channel automation.

Decision guidance:

• For merchants on a tight budget who want straightforward analytics, Stensiled Wishlist is a practical choice.
• For merchants prioritizing a polished on-site UX and guest usability, MF Wishlist is better aligned with those goals.
• For merchants who want to minimize app sprawl and get wishlist plus loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers in one platform, an integrated solution offers better long-term value.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Stensiled Wishlist and MF Wishlist, the decision comes down to priorities: pick Stensiled if low cost and wishlist-focused analytics are the main needs; choose MF Wishlist if a frictionless drawer UX and guest-user support are key. Both are single-purpose tools and can be effective at what they do, but each has trade-offs—chiefly around integration capabilities, long-term scalability, and vendor maturity.

If the broader goal is sustainable retention—improving customer lifetime value, increasing repeat purchases, and reducing tool complexity—consider consolidating wishlist functionality into a unified retention platform. Growave bundles wishlist features with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers so merchants can reduce scripts, centralize data, and run consistent automation across channels. Learn how Growave brings these capabilities together and how consolidating retention features can reduce overhead and improve results: consolidate retention features.

Start a 14-day free trial to see how Growave replaces multiple single-purpose apps and streamlines retention programs. Explore plans and start the trial

FAQ

Q: How do Stensiled Wishlist and MF Wishlist differ in guest user support?

• MF Wishlist explicitly supports guest users, allowing non-registered visitors to save items. Stensiled Wishlist does not explicitly state guest support in its public description; merchants should confirm with the developer if guest wishlists are required.

Q: Which app offers better analytics for wishlist behavior?

• Stensiled Wishlist markets "Detailed Wishlist Analytics" and time-range activity filters, which suggests stronger native analytics for wishlist-specific behavior. MF Wishlist includes analytics but places more emphasis on UX and drawer presentation.

Q: If a store wants to combine wishlist data with loyalty and reviews, which approach is better?

• An integrated platform that includes wishlist, loyalty, and review tools in one suite reduces integration friction and centralizes customer data. Growave combines these features, enabling cross-functional automations and a single analytics view. For merchants evaluating such a move, compare total cost of ownership and integration needs, or try a demo to evaluate fit: book a personalized demo.

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

• An all-in-one platform reduces the number of vendor relationships, scripts on the storefront, and fragmented dashboards. This yields operational efficiencies, easier data-driven automations, and often better value for money over time. However, specialized apps can still offer deeper niche features; the right choice depends on whether breadth and centralized data or a niche, best-in-class feature is the priority.