Swish (formerly Wishlist King) vs. Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist

Introduction

Choosing the right apps to drive retention, repeat purchases, and engagement is one of the hardest decisions a Shopify merchant faces. App counts grow fast, budgets tighten, and every new tool adds complexity to engineering, onboarding, and reporting. This comparison evaluates two popular wishlist solutions — Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist — so merchants can decide which fits their goals and tech constraints.

Short answer: Swish (formerly Wishlist King) is a focused, high-quality wishlist tool that delivers strong wishlist functionality and hands-on setup for stores that want a single, reliable wishlist product. Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist is a multi-feature retention platform that includes wishlist capability but extends into loyalty, reviews, referrals, VIP tiers, and other retention levers — making Growave better value for money for merchants who want one integrated stack to increase lifetime value.

Purpose of this post: provide a feature-by-feature, impartial comparison of Swish and Growave across features, pricing and value, integrations, support, customization, and scalability; then explain when a single-purpose wishlist app makes sense and when a consolidated retention platform is a better strategic choice.

Swish (formerly Wishlist King) vs. Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

The following sections compare Swish and Growave across practical merchant-focused criteria. Each section explains what matters, how each app performs, and what trade-offs merchants should consider.

Feature Set: What Each App Offers

Wishlist Core Functionality

Why it matters: A wishlist must be fast, accessible across devices, and simple for customers to add/remove items. It should support guest sessions, account-linked wishlists, and back-in-stock or price-drop notifications to drive conversion.

• Swish:
  • Focused exclusively on wishlist features.
  • Unlimited wishlists and saved items on every plan.
  • Wishlist accessible throughout the shopping journey (product pages, collections, search).
  • Automated, personalised wishlist notifications intended to re-engage customers at the point of intent.
  • Analytics and wishlist curation to surface popular or abandoned wishlist items.
  • Strong theme integration to match store aesthetics.
  • Native integrations for Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta for off-site messaging.
  • Free setup and customization included across plans.
• Growave:
  • Wishlist is one module within a broader retention suite.
  • Back-in-stock wishlist emails and saved-items support on Growth plan and above.
  • Wishlist integrates into a customer’s loyalty/account experience, making wishlists part of the rewards narrative.
  • Works across web, checkout, and accounts when on higher plans with checkout extensions.
  • Wishlist data feeds into the broader reviews, referrals, and loyalty programs to create cohesive campaigns.

Verdict: For raw wishlist capability, Swish is highly focused and will satisfy merchants whose primary need is a robust wishlist. Growave’s wishlist is strong but designed to work within an integrated retention strategy rather than as a standalone product.

Loyalty, Rewards, and VIP Tiers

Why it matters: Loyalty and VIP programs are proven ways to increase retention, average order value (AOV), and repeat purchase frequency.

• Swish:
  • Does not offer a full loyalty suite; focuses on wishlist-driven conversion.
  • Can integrate wishlist events with external loyalty tools via Klaviyo or webhook flows but requires separate systems for rewards.
• Growave:
  • Built-in loyalty and rewards programs, VIP tiers, points actions, and redemption rules.
  • Entry plan already includes a points program; Growth and Plus unlock VIP tiers, custom reward actions, and checkout integrations.
  • Loyalty features can be used to turn wishlist saves or referrals into point-earning behaviors.
  • Designed to increase customer lifetime value (LTV) by combining points with targeted campaigns.

Verdict: Growave is the clear choice for merchants who want loyalty and VIP programs without adding another app.

Reviews & UGC

Why it matters: Authentic product reviews and user-generated content (UGC) are critical for social proof, SEO, and conversion.

• Swish:
  • No native reviews or UGC solution; merchants must pair Swish with a separate review app or platform.
  • Wishlist activity can be used as a signal in analytics to request reviews via external email flows.
• Growave:
  • Includes Reviews & UGC as a core module: collection, moderation, and display tools.
  • Review automation features and integration with Google Shopping Reviews on higher plans.
  • Review attributes and UGC gallery options help convert shoppers and improve content for marketing channels.

Verdict: Growave provides built-in review collection and display, reducing the need for an additional review app and helping maintain a unified experience.

Referrals and Virality

Why it matters: Referral programs can accelerate acquisition at lower CAC when structured around existing happy customers.

• Swish:
  • No native referral program; potential to integrate externally but requires more engineering.
• Growave:
  • Built-in referral program and fraud protection on Entry plan and above.
  • Referral flows are part of the same loyalty ecosystem, which simplifies reward assignment and tracking.

Verdict: Growave provides a turnkey referral solution; merchants using Swish would need another app.

Checkout, POS, and Headless Support

Why it matters: Support for checkout extensions, Shopify POS, and headless architectures matters to scaling merchants and Plus stores.

• Swish:
  • Offers Hydrogen and headless stack support in higher plans; supports Customer Accounts and Checkout integrations.
  • Plus plan includes priority for headless/Plus use cases.
• Growave:
  • Built for Shopify Plus; includes checkout extensions, Shopify POS integrations, and API/SDK for headless experiences on Plus.
  • Growth and Plus plans extend functionality to accounts and POS loyalty flows.

Verdict: Both apps have Plus and headless capabilities, but Growave’s suite offers deeper checkout and POS integration across loyalty and wishlist behaviors.

Customization & Theming

Why it matters: Brand consistency and custom UX are key to preserving conversions after installing third-party tools.

• Swish:
  • Emphasis on integration with any theme; offers free setup and customization service across plans, plus white-glove onboarding for Plus.
  • Highly configurable UI for wishlist placements and styles.
• Growave:
  • Offers branding and customization options across modules; Plus includes custom loyalty page designs and API/SDK for headless customization.
  • Focus on consistent experience across loyalty, reviews, and wishlist widgets.

Verdict: Both offer strong customization, but Swish’s free setup and theme integration is a clear advantage for merchants who value hands-on, quick implementation for wishlist UI.

Pricing & Value

Pricing comparisons are not simply about monthly fees — they must be viewed relative to features delivered and the number of tools avoided.

Swish Pricing Snapshot

• Basic Shopify: $19 / month — includes all features, free setup, unlimited wishlists.
• Shopify: $29 / month — same inclusions.
• Advanced Shopify: $49 / month — same inclusions.
• Shopify Plus: $99 / month — adds white-glove onboarding, priority support, dedicated account manager, and headless/Hydrogen support.

What this means:

• Swish is economical for a focused wishlist solution, and its $19 plan is compelling for stores that need wishlist features without extra retention layers.
• Free setup and full wishlist functionality across all plans removes implementation risk.

Growave Pricing Snapshot

• Free: Free — limited to 100 orders/month (500 total orders), includes basic loyalty, wishlist, and product reviews.
• Entry: $49 / month — advanced rewards, referral program, nudges, review request emails, +1 integration, 24/7 email support.
• Growth: $199 / month — VIP tiers, dedicated loyalty page, POS loyalty QR, back-in-stock wishlist emails, enhanced onboarding and support.
• Plus: $499 / month — checkout extensions, headless API & SDK, unlimited integrations, customer success manager, dedicated launch plan, 24/7 support.

What this means:

• The Free plan enables testing core functionality without immediate spend.
• Entry at $49 per month is a meaningful step up because it includes referrals and review automation alongside wishlist features.
• Growth and Plus are designed for merchants committed to scaling retention across multiple channels.

Value Comparison

• If a merchant only needs wishlist functionality and wants to avoid paying for extras, Swish provides better up-front price-to-feature alignment for that single purpose.
• If a merchant needs multiple retention tools, Growave delivers better value for money by consolidating loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlist into one subscription (reducing duplicate fees and integration costs).
• Consider total cost of ownership (TCO): three separate single-purpose apps often cost more than one multi-module platform and increase operational friction (multiple dashboards, multiple integrations, higher maintenance).

Integrations and Ecosystem

Integrations determine how smoothly wishlist behavior plugs into marketing automation, analytics, and customer support.

Marketing & Analytics Integrations

• Swish:
  • Native integrations for Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta, enabling wishlist data to feed into flows and ads.
  • Integrates with Customer Accounts and recommendations to surface saved items.
• Growave:
  • Extensive integrations: Klaviyo, Omnisend, Gorgias, Recharge, Postscript, Attentive, and more.
  • Direct connectors for synchronizing loyalty and review events into email and SMS workflows.

Verdict: Growave’s broader integration coverage makes it easier to orchestrate omnichannel campaigns without custom middleware.

Platform and Theme Integrations

• Swish:
  • Claimed compatibility with all themes; free customization ensures aesthetic match.
  • Works with Hydrogen and headless stacks on plus-tier.
• Growave:
  • Works with a wide set of page builders and headless setups. Built-in compatibility with Pagefly, LayoutHub, GemPages, Shopney, and Shopify POS.

Verdict: Growave is built to sit within larger architecture stacks and headless experiences; Swish focuses on wishlist alignment across themes.

Implementation, Onboarding & Support

Time-to-value is influenced by onboarding quality, documentation, and responsiveness.

• Swish:
  • Free setup and customization across all plans reduces friction.
  • White-glove onboarding and dedicated AM for Plus merchants.
  • Positive rating (5.0 from 272 reviews) suggests high satisfaction with setup and support.
• Growave:
  • Offers 24/7 email support, live chat, and phone for higher plans; dedicated CSM on Plus.
  • Structured onboarding and in-app documentation; Growth plan includes dedicated onboarding and 5-star onboarding experience claims.
  • Large review base (1,197 reviews, 4.8 rating) indicates broad adoption and generally positive experiences.

Practical takeaway: Both vendors prioritize setup support, but Swish’s free setup across all plans helps smaller merchants start fast; Growave’s extensive support network benefits growing merchants that need hands-on success management.

Data, Reporting & Analytics

Why it matters: Actionable data enables targeted campaigns and measurement of LTV uplift from wishlist, loyalty, and reviews.

• Swish:
  • Advanced wishlist analytics and curation to highlight product-level demand.
  • Exposes wishlist engagement metrics that can be connected to GA4 and Klaviyo.
• Growave:
  • Cross-module analytics that tie wishlist activity to loyalty engagement, review conversions, and referral performance.
  • Reporting designed to show how retention programs impact repeat purchases and LTV.

Verdict: If measuring wishlist behavior in isolation is sufficient, Swish’s analytics are excellent. For cross-program measurement and LTV-focused reporting, Growave’s consolidated analytics provide better directional insights.

Performance, Scalability & Reliability

Performance impacts conversion: widgets must load quickly and not slow pages.

• Swish:
  • Built specifically for wishlist performance and theme integration; paid attention to front-end speed and UI reliability.
  • Offers feature parity across plans — predictable behavior as stores scale.
• Growave:
  • Scales across loyalty and other modules; with broader code surface and features, merchants should verify loading behavior and implement performance best practices. Offers headless and API options for high-performance needs.

Verdict: Both apps can scale; merchants with complex traffic patterns or performance needs should test on staging with real traffic patterns before go-live.

Security and Compliance

Security is table stakes for merchant trust and customer data.

• Swish:
  • Integrates with Shopify’s customer account flows; policies align with typical Shopify app standards. Uses integrations for analytics and messaging.
• Growave:
  • Handles customer PII for loyalty and reviews; supports secure integrations and enterprise-level compliance requirements. Plus plan focuses on enterprise needs.

Merchants should confirm data retention and export policies and request SOC/ISO documentation for enterprise compliance needs.

Use Cases and Decision Framework

This section explains which app is appropriate for common merchant scenarios.

• Use Swish if:
  • The primary need is an excellent wishlist with unlimited saves and polished UI.
  • The merchant wants free setup and rapid theme integration without onboarding fees.
  • The store does not currently need loyalty, referrals, or reviews in the same tool.
  • Budget is limited and a minimal monthly price for wishlist-only is a priority.
• Use Growave if:
  • The merchant wants to consolidate retention features (loyalty, referrals, reviews, wishlist) to increase LTV.
  • There is a plan to scale — add VIP tiers, POS loyalty, or checkout-level experiences.
  • Reducing integration complexity and centralizing customer events is a priority.
  • The merchant prefers a single vendor for retention strategy, onboarding, analytics, and ongoing optimization.
• Consider combining:
  • Some merchants may prefer Swish for best-in-class wishlist UX while using an external loyalty and reviews stack. This is a valid approach but increases complexity, requiring more integrations and maintenance.

Migration, Coexistence and Integration Considerations

Moving from one solution to another or running both in parallel requires planning.

• Data Portability:
  • Verify export capabilities for wishlists, saved items, and customer mappings. Swish and Growave both provide data export options, but formats and ID mappings differ.
  • For loyalty or referral migrations, ensure points balances and referral attributions map correctly.
• UX Consistency:
  • Installing multiple apps can create visual inconsistencies. Swish’s deep theme customization reduces this risk; if pairing Swish with other retention tools, allocate time to harmonize design.
• Email and Automation:
  • Consolidate email triggers to avoid duplicate messages (e.g., both apps sending back-in-stock emails).
  • Use a central ESP (e.g., Klaviyo) to deduplicate event triggers and control cadence.
• Testing:
  • Implement staged rollouts and A/B test key flows (wishlist-to-conversion, loyalty-induced repurchase rate) before a full cutover.

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

Many merchants reach a point where tool sprawl — multiple single-purpose apps stitched together — creates more friction than benefit. This is commonly called "app fatigue": the mounting costs, duplicated integrations, multiple dashboards, and increased maintenance overhead that come with running several specialized apps.

Why app fatigue matters:

• Operational complexity: More apps mean more logins, differing data models, and higher support overhead.
• Integration brittleness: Every new integration is another potential failure point that can break flows and reporting.
• Higher total cost: Multiple monthly fees and hidden integration costs can exceed the price of a consolidated platform.
• Fragmented customer experience: Differing UI patterns and messaging timing across apps dilute brand consistency and can confuse customers.

Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" proposition is designed to address these exact pain points. By consolidating wishlist, loyalty, reviews, referrals, and VIP tiers into a single platform, merchants reduce integration overhead and focus on strategies that increase repeat purchases and customer lifetime value.

• Consolidation reduces TCO:
  • Rather than paying separately for a wishlist, a loyalty app, and a reviews app, Growave groups these into modular plans. Merchants can start with a free plan or Entry plan and scale into Growth or Plus as needs evolve.
  • To review pricing tiers and plan capabilities, merchants can choose to consolidate retention features and consolidate retention features.
• Cross-module orchestration:
  • Wishlists can be directly connected to rewards and referral incentives, enabling campaigns like “Save to wishlist and earn points when the item restocks” without middleware.
  • Review requests can be triggered from purchase and loyalty events in one place, improving conversion without managing separate automations.
• Reduced integration surface:
  • Growave integrates with major marketing and support tools, making it simpler to feed loyalty and review events to email and CRM systems without extra connectors.
  • Merchants can collect and showcase authentic reviews inside the same platform that manages their loyalty and wishlist data.
• Enterprise and Plus readiness:
  • For merchants moving to Shopify Plus or complex, headless setups, Growave offers dedicated checkout extensions, API/SDK support, and a Plus plan that includes a customer success manager and a launch plan.
  • Stores running on Plus can explore solutions tailored for them and solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Contextualizing the links:

• For merchants evaluating whether to move from a mix of single-purpose apps to a consolidated approach, it helps to compare the incremental costs of each additional app vs. the convenience of a single-pane solution. Growave provides transparent pricing and plan details to aid that decision: merchants can evaluate how a consolidated stack reduces maintenance and accelerates growth by visiting the consolidate retention features page.

Interlinking Growave product strengths:

• Growave’s loyalty module empowers teams to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases without adding engineering work across multiple providers.
• Growave’s review tools allow teams to collect and showcase authentic reviews, helping convert hesitant shoppers while keeping UGC and review workflows in the same system used to manage points, referrals, and wishlists.

Hard CTA (demo): Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated stack improves retention and reduces operational complexity by visiting the Growave demo page: Book a personalized demo.

Practical recommendations for merchants considering consolidation:

• Map current retention touchpoints (wishlist, loyalty, reviews, referrals) and identify overlap and duplicated functionality.
• Calculate TCO across current tools, including monthly fees, integration time, and engineering costs for maintenance.
• Pilot a consolidated solution on low-traffic sections or with a subset of customers to measure impact on repurchase rates and helpdesk load.
• Prioritize tools where cross-function data adds the most value (e.g., reward assignment for wishlist saves, review prompts tied to loyalty tiers).

Implementation Checklist: Switching to or Adding a Wishlist/Loyalty App

The transition process can be simplified by following a checklist:

• Export existing data (wishlists, review history, points balances).
• Validate customer identifiers and map user IDs.
• Define email/SMS messaging cadence to avoid duplicates.
• Create brand-compliant templates for widget UI and notifications.
• Stage A/B tests for wishlist placements, back-in-stock messaging, and points-based promotions.
• Monitor performance metrics (wishlist-to-cart conversion, repeat purchase rate, LTV delta).
• Confirm backup and retention policies for customer data and exports.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and Growave: Loyalty & Wishlist, the decision comes down to scope and strategy. Swish is an excellent choice for merchants who need a dedicated, high-quality wishlist product with hands-on setup and strong theme integration. Growave is better for merchants that want to consolidate retention tools — loyalty, reviews, referrals, VIP tiers, and wishlist — into a single platform that simplifies operations and focuses on increasing customer lifetime value.

Selecting a single-purpose wishlist app like Swish can make sense when wishlist behavior is the immediate priority and budget is constrained. Selecting an integrated platform such as Growave is a better value for money for brands that plan to scale retention efforts and reduce app sprawl.

To explore how consolidating retention features can reduce overhead and accelerate growth, review pricing and plan options and consider starting with a free plan or upgrading to the Entry plan to test combined capabilities: consolidate retention features. For merchants who prefer to evaluate through the Shopify ecosystem, Growave is also available to install from the Shopify App Store. For more information about specific retention modules such as loyalty and rewards or reviews, explore how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases or how to collect and showcase authentic reviews.

Final Hard CTA: Start a 14-day free trial to experience a unified retention stack and see whether consolidating wishlist, loyalty, and reviews reduces operational load while increasing repeat purchases: consolidate retention features.

FAQ

• How do Swish and Growave compare on wishlist features?
  • Swish focuses on wishlist UX, unlimited saved items, and personalised wishlist notifications with free setup across plans. Growave includes wishlist functionality but positions it as part of a broader retention suite, so wishlist features are complemented by loyalty, reviews, and referrals.
• Which app offers better value for money for a growing DTC brand?
  • For a merchant that needs multiple retention capabilities, Growave typically offers better value for money by consolidating loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlist into one platform. For a merchant that only needs wishlist functionality, Swish may be more cost-aligned.
• Can Swish and Growave work together?
  • Yes, they can coexist, but running both increases integration and maintenance overhead. If wishlists are kept with Swish while loyalty and reviews are run through other systems, ensure event deduplication and consistent branding to preserve user experience.
• How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps?
  • An all-in-one platform reduces operational friction, centralizes customer data, and often costs less than multiple single-purpose subscriptions once integrated overhead is considered. Specialized apps can offer deeper, dedicated functionality for a single use case and may be preferable when that single feature is mission-critical.