Introduction
Choosing the right wishlist app is an important decision for merchants who want to increase conversions, recover intent, and build repeat purchase behavior. Many Shopify stores add a wishlist app hoping for simple product saves, but the right tool can also feed marketing automation, inform merchandising, and influence long-term customer value.
Short answer: Swish (formerly Wishlist King) is a strong choice for merchants that need a feature-rich, enterprise-ready wishlist with advanced analytics and white-glove onboarding. K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist is better for stores that want a lightweight, fast-to-install wishlist with social sharing and basic customization—especially if budget or simplicity matters. For teams looking to reduce tool sprawl and capture more retention value, an integrated platform that includes wishlist alongside loyalty, referrals, and reviews will usually provide better value for money than adding a single-purpose wishlist app.
This post provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist so merchants can match product capabilities to business needs. After the direct comparison, the piece explains why some merchants prefer to consolidate retention features into a single platform and how that approach changes retention strategy.
Swish (formerly Wishlist King) vs. K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist: At a Glance
| Aspect | Swish (formerly Wishlist King) | K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist |
|---|---|---|
| Core Function | Enterprise-grade wishlist with analytics & integrations | Lightweight wishlist with float button, sharing, and page/popup options |
| Best For | Brands that need personalized automations, integrations (Klaviyo, GA4, Meta), and onboarding | Stores that want quick setup, social sharing, and a free tier to test wishlist behavior |
| Rating (Shopify) | 5.0 (272 reviews) | 4.7 (81 reviews) |
| Key Features | Unlimited wishlists, advanced analytics, curated wishlists, Klaviyo/GA4/Meta integrations, free setup, headless support on Plus | Floating button, header icon, popup/embedded wishlist, social sharing, free plan available |
| Pricing Range | $19–$99 / month (tiered by Shopify plan; Plus includes white-glove onboarding) | Free → $19.99 / month (Growth tiers) |
| Notable Strength | Deep data, onboarding, enterprise support for headless/Hydrogen | Low friction install, free plan, simple UI, social sharing |
| Notable Limitation | Single-purpose app (wishlist only) — needs other apps for loyalty/reviews | Feature depth and integrations are more limited for advanced automations |
How this comparison is structured
The next sections compare features, pricing and value, integrations, design and UX, analytics and measurement, support and onboarding, and real merchant use cases. The analysis aims to be pragmatic and outcome-focused: which app helps merchants retain customers, increase average order value, and reduce friction across the shopping journey.
Deep Dive Comparison
Features & Core Functionality
What each app does best
Swish (formerly Wishlist King)
- Designed as a full-feature wishlist solution that supports unlimited wishlists and saved items.
- Emphasizes personalized, automated wishlist notifications to convert saved items into purchases.
- Provides advanced analytics and wishlist curation to surface which products are being saved and by whom.
- Includes out-of-the-box integrations with Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta, enabling data-driven retargeting and email automation.
K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist
- Focused on fast adoption and simple wishlist interactions: floating button, header icon, add-to-wishlist button.
- Lets shoppers save, share, and revisit saved items via dedicated wishlist pages or popups.
- Social sharing is a highlighted feature to support gifting use cases.
- Offers a fully functional free tier and low-cost growth tiers to experiment with wishlist behavior.
Wishlist types and display options
Swish
- Integrates across the entire shopping journey, enabling saves on product pages, collections, and potentially custom flows.
- Designed to match store aesthetics across themes, including headless setups for Shopify Plus.
K Wish List
- Flexible display options including floating action button, header icon, popups, and dedicated wishlist pages.
- Simpler to implement without code; aims for fast setup and compatibility with most themes.
Signals and automation
Swish
- Stronger focus on converting wishlist signals into automated marketing flows via Klaviyo and Meta. Merchants can send personalized reminders, back-in-stock notifications, and targeted ads based on saved-item behavior.
K Wish List
- Tracks wishlist usage and supports social sharing; can be paired with other email tools manually, but native automation integrations are limited compared to Swish.
Customization and theming
Swish
- Free setup and customization service across plans; Plus plan adds white-glove onboarding and dedicated account manager.
- Built to integrate visually with brand aesthetics; supports advanced customization in stores with bespoke themes or headless architectures.
K Wish List
- Allows customization of icons, labels, and colors. Designed for merchants who want to match brand styling quickly without a deep customization process.
Pricing & Value for Money
Pricing is a major factor when evaluating single-purpose apps versus integrated platforms.
Swish pricing overview (Shopify plan-based):
- Basic Shopify: $19 / month — all features, free setup, unlimited wishlists.
- Shopify: $29 / month — all features, free setup.
- Advanced Shopify: $49 / month — all features.
- Shopify Plus: $99 / month — includes white-glove onboarding, priority support, dedicated account manager, Hydrogen & headless support.
K Wish List pricing overview:
- Free: Free install with core wishlist features (floating button, header icon, add-to-wishlist button, social sharing).
- Growth: $6.70 / month — same core features (likely aimed at stores wanting low-cost support).
- Growth 2: $19.99 / month — same list of features, more stable billing tier.
Value assessment
- K Wish List provides strong value for merchants that only need basic wishlist behavior and want to experiment without investment. The free tier and low-cost growth tiers make it attractive for early-stage stores or stores prioritizing a lean tech stack.
- Swish is priced higher but includes white-glove setup, advanced analytics, and integration options that are meaningful for merchants investing in conversion optimization and data-driven retargeting. For brands using Klaviyo and Meta ads, the out-of-the-box integrations and onboarding can accelerate ROI.
- Neither app includes loyalty, referral, or reviews by default, so merchants focused on broader retention will likely need additional apps, which increases overall monthly spend and complexity.
Practical guidance
- For stores prioritizing immediate cost control and a minimal install, K Wish List offers better short-term value.
- For brands that expect wishlist data to feed into lifecycle marketing and ad audiences, Swish delivers better value for money through onboarding and integration that reduces the work required to operationalize the data.
Integrations & Technical Compatibility
Native integrations
Swish
- Lists Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta as native integrations. These connections matter because wishlist saves become actionable behavioral events that can trigger email flows, audience building for ads, and analytics tracking.
K Wish List
- Works with Checkout. Integration claims focus on simple compatibility rather than deep marketing integrations. Social share functionality is built-in, but native connections to email marketing platforms are not emphasized.
Headless and Plus support
Swish
- Explicitly supports Hydrogen and headless stacks. Plus plan offers dedicated support for headless setups, which is a significant advantage for merchants that use custom storefronts.
K Wish List
- Designed for standard Shopify themes and fast installs; does not highlight headless support.
Developer friendliness and APIs
Swish
- Enterprise plan options suggest API or customization capabilities for advanced flows; dedicated account management for Plus customers aids complex implementations.
K Wish List
- Focuses on plug-and-play features; better suited to merchants who prefer no code and minimal developer time.
Setup, Onboarding, and Support
Onboarding experience
Swish
- Emphasizes free setup and customization across all plans, and white-glove onboarding for Plus. That reduces time-to-value and ensures the wishlist behaves and looks like a native part of the store.
K Wish List
- Prioritizes fast, code-free setup so merchants can implement wishlist behavior in minutes. Support is described as knowledgeable, but the onboarding is more self-service.
Documentation and support channels
Swish
- Higher-tier plans include priority support and a dedicated account manager on Plus. This is valuable when integrating wishlist signals into broader marketing systems.
K Wish List
- Knowledgeable support is listed across plans; expected channels are app store support and documentation. The faster self-serve approach suits stores that have simpler needs.
Response expectations
- Swish’s 5.0 rating across 272 reviews suggests a high level of customer satisfaction with reliability, support, and feature delivery.
- K Wish List’s 4.7 rating across 81 reviews indicates strong satisfaction for many merchants, particularly for those who value the free tier and ease of setup.
Analytics, Reporting & Measurement
What metrics each app exposes
Swish
- Markets advanced analytics and wishlist curation. Likely metrics include: number of saves per product, saved-to-purchase conversion, wishlist abandonment rates, and customer-level saved item histories that can be used to personalize emails and ads.
K Wish List
- Offers tracking of wishlist usage to give insights into customer interest. Metrics are likely at a lighter level: saved counts, shares, and basic usage data. Integration to external analytics or email systems would be required for deeper funnel measurement.
How the data is used operationally
Swish
- With Klaviyo and GA4 integration, saved-item events can trigger lifecycle emails (reminder, back-in-stock) and inform ad retargeting segments. This allows merchants to convert latent intent into measurable revenue.
K Wish List
- The social sharing and save counts inform merchandising and promotional choices, but turning those signals into automated marketing may require manual exports or third-party integrations.
Design, UX & Mobile Experience
Customer-facing UI
Swish
- Aimed at creating a seamless experience that matches store aesthetics; includes curated wishlist features that can be surfaced on collection or product pages.
K Wish List
- Focuses on a lightweight, intuitive UI with floating buttons and popups, which is useful on mobile where quick actions are required. The social sharing capabilities make gift-focused flows easier.
Mobile and performance considerations
- K Wish List’s floating button and minimal code footprint favor fast mobile performance and lower friction for mobile shoppers.
- Swish’s richer features and deeper integrations might require careful implementation, but professional onboarding mitigates performance risks and ensures wishlist behavior is optimized for mobile and desktop.
Security, Data Ownership & Compliance
Both apps operate within Shopify’s app model, which constrains data access and ensures a baseline of security. Key points for merchants to validate:
- Data export capability: Can wishlist data be exported to CRM or analytics tools?
- Data retention: How long are saved-item records stored?
- Privacy compliance: Do the apps support consent flows when sharing wishlist items or collecting emails?
Swish’s enterprise orientation suggests better facilities for data management and integrations. K Wish List’s simpler model reduces the need for heavy data handling and places fewer demands on compliance workflows.
Real-World Use Cases & Which App Fits Which Merchant
Swish is best for:
- Mid-market to enterprise brands that depend on Klaviyo for lifecycle marketing and want wishlist signals to drive personalized automations.
- Stores that require white-glove onboarding, detailed analytics, and support for headless storefronts.
- Merchants that plan to use wishlist data as part of paid media retargeting or to power back-in-stock and abandoned wishlist flows.
K Wish List is best for:
- Small stores or new brands that want to test wishlist behavior with zero upfront cost.
- Merchants that prioritize a quick install and a mobile-friendly floating action button for saves and social sharing.
- Stores that use wishlists primarily for gifting campaigns or to let shoppers compare products without complex automation.
Side‑by‑Side Feature Summary
- Wishlist saves and unlimited lists: Both support customer wishlists, but Swish emphasizes unlimited sessions and saves across all plans.
- Social sharing: Native in K Wish List; available in Swish but with a heavier emphasis on marketing follow-up.
- Automated marketing integrations: Swish has native integrations with Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta; K Wish List focuses on onsite behavior with less emphasis on direct marketing integrations.
- Headless/Hydrogen support: Swish supports headless; K Wish List targets classic themes.
- Onboarding: Swish provides free setup across plans and white-glove services on Plus; K Wish List is self-service with support.
- Pricing: K Wish List offers a free tier and lower-cost growth plans; Swish charges higher monthly fees that include onboarding and enterprise features.
Practical Migration & Implementation Considerations
Before choosing or switching apps, merchants should evaluate:
- How will wishlist events be used? If the plan is to trigger emails or ad audiences, favor apps with native marketing integrations.
- What is the acceptable time-to-live for wishlist signals in marketing campaigns? Apps with direct analytics and integration reduce latency.
- Does the store require accessibility and performance on mobile first? Prioritize lightweight UI patterns like floating buttons.
- How many plugins will be added to the storefront? Each additional app risks theme collisions—enterprise onboarding helps avoid that.
For stores that already use multiple marketing apps, it’s important to map how wishlist data should flow. If the wishlist is only a cosmetic convenience, a free or low-cost solution like K Wish List will suffice. If wishlist saves are a strategic signal for retention and ads, the investment in a service like Swish often pays off.
Costs Beyond Monthly Fees
Merchants should account for:
- Developer time for custom theme work (less with Swish’s setup service).
- Subscription costs for additional apps (reviews, loyalty, referral programs).
- Time for testing and QA across devices and theme versions.
- Paid media adjustments that leverage wishlist data for better audience targeting.
When adding multiple single-purpose apps (wishlist + loyalty + reviews), overhead compounds quickly. That trade-off leads to the next section: understanding app fatigue and the alternative approach.
The Alternative: Solving App Fatigue with an All‑in‑One Platform
What is app fatigue?
App fatigue describes the operational and strategic drag that occurs when merchants rely on many single-function apps to cover different retention needs. Symptoms include:
- Fragmented data across multiple dashboards.
- Increased monthly costs and duplicated features.
- More time spent managing integrations, support tickets, and theme conflicts.
- Slower experimentation because every feature change can cascade across multiple vendors.
Single-purpose wishlist apps solve one problem well—but they rarely solve the broader challenge of turning saved-item intent into long-term customer value without additional tools for loyalty, referral, reviews, and VIP segmentation.
Why consolidate retention features?
Consolidation reduces complexity and increases the probability that behavioral signals get used. Key benefits:
- Unified customer profiles: Wishlist saves, reward points, referral statuses, and review activity live together and can be used by marketing automation in one place.
- Fewer integrations, less maintenance: Instead of managing separate connectors for Klaviyo, ad platforms, and analytics, a single platform streamlines these flows.
- Cohesive program design: Loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlists can be orchestrated so that one program drives both immediate conversion and long-term engagement.
Growave’s “More Growth, Less Stack” approach
Growave positions itself as a retention platform that combines wishlist capability with loyalty and rewards, referrals, reviews & UGC, and VIP tiers. This integration aims to eliminate many of the operational costs of stitching together multiple apps.
Key advantages of an integrated approach:
- Capture wishlist signals and feed them into loyalty actions (for example, awarding points when a wishlist item is purchased or offering reward incentives to convert saved items).
- Use wishlist saves to prompt review requests or follow-up referral campaigns.
- Combine UGC and reviews with wishlist data to surface social proof for the most-saved products.
Merchants considering consolidation can evaluate Growave on several criteria:
- How an integrated stack reduces admin time and support incidents.
- Whether combined analytics produce clearer insights about which activities drive lifetime value.
- How the cost of one integrated platform compares to the sum of multiple single-purpose apps.
Growave resources and demos
- Merchants can explore how to consolidate retention features and compare pricing by reviewing Growave’s plans to understand expected monthly costs and features for different business sizes: consolidate retention features.
- To see the app in the marketplace context, merchants can try the product listing and app details here: try the app directly in the Shopify App Store.
Growave includes built-in loyalty and rewards functionality that helps merchants run points programs, tiers, and custom reward actions; merchants can learn how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and why combining that with wishlist signals can meaningfully increase LTV.
For stores that rely on customer feedback and social proof, Growave’s reviews product helps merchants collect and showcase authentic reviews so wishlist favorites can be surfaced with UGC to boost conversion rates.
Merchants looking for inspiration can also review customer stories from brands scaling retention to see implementations and best practices.
How consolidation changes tactics
- Retain customers: Use wishlist saves + loyalty incentives to nudge saved items toward purchase with rewards or limited-time point offers.
- Increase AOV: Offer bundle incentives or VIP tiers that unlock discounts for customers who hit specific wishlist or purchase behaviors.
- Drive sustainable growth: Convert wishlist behavior into referral campaigns; customers who save items are often influential when sharing gift lists.
If a merchant wants a walkthrough of how these pieces work together in practice, book a tailored walkthrough that demonstrates integrated flows and ROI predictions: Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack improves retention.](https://www.growave.io/book-a-demo)
Cost comparison: many single apps vs. one integrated platform
When adding wishlist, loyalty, reviews, and referrals separately, monthly costs multiply. An integrated solution like Growave bundles these features and reduces recurring costs and integration overhead. Merchants often find the consolidated pricing is better value for money when considering the combined benefits of conversion lift, repeat purchases, and reduced admin time.
To evaluate trade-offs, review Growave’s plans and compare the expected stack cost against existing subscriptions: consolidate retention features. For merchants wanting to install and test quickly, Growave has a Shopify App Store listing that simplifies installation and initial setup: try the app directly in the Shopify App Store.
Feature overlap and transition notes
- Wishlist parity: Growave’s wishlist offers the customer-facing features merchants expect, but with the added advantage that wishlist events become part of the loyalty and review logic.
- Migration: Most integrated platforms provide migration guides or support to import wishlist data and map it into unified profiles; discuss migration with the platform during planning.
- Measurement: With centralized analytics, merchants can measure conversion impact from wishlist-driven campaigns more directly than when data sits in separate apps.
For merchants focused on loyalty and review automation, the Growave platform provides specific modules to consider:
- Learn how Growave’s loyalty tools work to increase repeat purchases and engagement: loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
- See how authentic reviews and UGC can be collected and displayed to support wishlist conversion: collect and showcase authentic reviews.
Deployment Checklist: Choosing and Implementing a Wishlist Strategy
Use the following checklist to choose between Swish, K Wish List, or a consolidated platform:
- Business Priority: Is the wishlist a short-term experiment (choose K Wish List) or a strategic signal for lifecycle automation (choose Swish or an integrated platform)?
- Integrations Needed: Will saved-item signals need to trigger Klaviyo flows, GA4 events, or ad audiences? If yes, prioritize apps with native integrations.
- Theme & Headless: Is the store headless or on Shopify Plus? Prioritize Swish or platforms that support headless.
- Budget & Total Cost: Include monthly subscriptions and expected developer hours.
- Growth Plan: If the merchant plans to add loyalty, reviews, and referrals, consider an integrated platform to reduce tool sprawl.
Conclusion
For merchants choosing between Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist, the decision comes down to scope and intended use. Swish is a strong fit for brands that want advanced wishlist analytics, white-glove onboarding, and native integrations with Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta—particularly useful for merchants investing in lifecycle marketing and headless storefronts. K Wish List‑Advanced Wishlist is a practical and cost-effective choice for stores that need a fast, mobile-friendly wishlist with social sharing and a free tier for experimentation.
If the objective is to drive retention, increase customer lifetime value, and simplify operations, consolidating features into an integrated retention platform often provides better value for money than stacking many single-purpose apps. Growave embraces a “More Growth, Less Stack” philosophy by combining wishlists with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers in one platform. Merchants can compare subscription tiers and expected monthly costs to validate potential savings and benefits by reviewing the available plans: consolidate retention features.
To explore how an integrated approach might change retention strategy and to test Growave’s combined capabilities, start a 14-day free trial and see the consolidated impact across wishlist, loyalty, and reviews.](https://www.growave.io/pricing)
FAQ
Which app is better if the goal is to feed wishlist data directly into email automation tools?
Swish provides native integrations with Klaviyo and GA4, making it easier to convert wishlist signals into automated email flows. K Wish List is simpler and may require manual or additional integration work to achieve the same level of automation.
Is the free plan from K Wish List sufficient for most small stores?
For stores that only need basic wishlist saves and social sharing, K Wish List’s free tier offers strong immediate value. However, if those merchants plan to use wishlist behavior for retention marketing, they may outgrow the free tier and require deeper integrations.
How should a Shopify Plus store approach wishlist selection?
Shopify Plus stores that use headless or Hydrogen stacks should prioritize solutions that explicitly support headless architectures and offer dedicated onboarding—Swish highlights this capability. Alternatively, consider an integrated platform that supports Plus and offers API-level access and bespoke launch support.
How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized wishlist apps?
An all-in-one platform reduces the number of integrations, centralizes customer data, and enables cross-feature tactics (for example, awarding loyalty points when wishlist items are purchased). While specialized apps can excel at a single function, consolidation often improves operational efficiency and long-term retention outcomes.







