Swish (formerly Wishlist King) vs. Simple Wishlist: An In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is an important decision for Shopify merchants focused on retention and conversion. Wishlists can reduce friction, capture buyer intent, and create automated touchpoints that convert saved items into purchases. However, the market includes both focused, single-feature apps and broader suites that bundle wishlist functionality with loyalty, referrals, and reviews. Picking the wrong tool can create costly app sprawl or leave key capabilities missing.

Short answer: Swish (formerly Wishlist King) is a feature-rich, fully supported wishlist solution tailored to merchants that want a polished, configurable wishlist experience with advanced integrations and onboarding. Simple Wishlist is a lighter, low-friction option that works for merchants who need a basic wishlist button without custom code. For merchants who want a higher-value, consolidated approach that reduces tool bloat and boosts retention across loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlist, Growave offers a single integrated platform that often delivers better long-term value.

This article provides a detailed, feature-by-feature comparison of Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and Simple Wishlist. The objective is to help merchants decide which app fits their current needs and growth plan, and to show when a unified retention platform makes more strategic sense than a single-purpose app.

Swish (formerly Wishlist King) vs. Simple Wishlist: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

Product Positioning and Target Merchant

Swish (formerly Wishlist King): Feature-Rich Wishlist for Ambitious Brands

Swish positions itself as a fully customizable, feature-rich wishlist solution for merchants with ambition. The core message emphasizes free setup and customization across plans, advanced analytics, and automated wishlist notifications. This positioning targets merchants who want more than a single button — stores that need integrated marketing triggers, analytics, and a wishlist that feels native to the brand’s store.

Strengths in positioning:

• Emphasis on onboarding and customization makes Swish attractive for merchants that prefer hands-on setup.
• Integrations with Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta imply the app is built to feed data into broader marketing stacks.
• Pricing is tiered to match Shopify plan levels, simplifying the decision for merchants already tracking their Shopify subscription.

Simple Wishlist: Low-Friction, Minimalist Wishlist

Simple Wishlist is framed as a no-code, easy-to-use wishlist solution focused on the basics: a clean button and a product display page for wishlisted items. The developer emphasizes that no custom code is added, aiming to reduce implementation risk and make the feature available quickly.

Strengths in positioning:

• Minimal implementation overhead; attractive for merchants that do not want to touch theme code.
• Straightforward UX for shoppers: single-click wishlisting.
• Likely to be a low-maintenance choice for smaller stores or merchants testing the wishlist concept.

Key Features Compared

Core Wishlist Functionality

• Swish:
  • Unlimited wishlists and saved items across plans.
  • Wishlist creation across the shopping journey (product pages, search, recommendations).
  • Public and private wishlist controls (depending on implementation).
  • Save-to-account behavior that integrates with customer accounts and checkout flows.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Single-click "add to wishlist" button.
  • Customizable button design and a simple wishlist display page.
  • No custom code added to stores.

Practical outcome:

• Swish gives merchants more control and features suitable for conversion campaigns and lifecycle automation.
• Simple Wishlist delivers the core behavior with lower complexity, suitable for proof-of-concept or stores with modest needs.

Notifications and Automation

• Swish:
  • Automated wishlist notifications are a highlighted feature; these can be personalized and timed to prompt purchase when shoppers revisit or when price/stock changes occur.
  • Native integrations with email platforms increase the ability to run personalized re-engagement flows.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • No explicit automation or notification features described in the provided data.
  • Merchants would likely need additional apps to trigger email alerts or cart recovery based on wishlists.

Practical outcome:

• If converting saved items via automated touchpoints is a priority, Swish has a clear advantage.

Analytics and Data Insights

• Swish:
  • Offers advanced analytics and wishlist curation to surface which products are most saved and which lists drive purchases.
  • Built to feed data into GA4 and other analytics platforms.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • No advanced analytics described; likely limited to internal wishlist page data or basic event tracking.

Practical outcome:

• Merchants seeking to derive merchandising or inventory decisions from wishlist data will find Swish more useful.

Design, Theming, and UX Integration

• Swish:
  • Integrates with all themes to match store aesthetics, plus free setup and customization ensures look-and-feel consistency.
  • Supports Hydrogen and headless stacks (important for headless implementations, Shopify Plus).
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Emphasizes no custom code being added and the ability to change button design and wishlist page layout.
  • Lower implementation risk but potentially less polished integration in complex themes.

Practical outcome:

• For a branded, seamless experience across touchpoints, Swish provides more design control and support to align the wishlist with brand standards.

Integrations & Compatibility

• Swish:
  • Explicitly lists Klaviyo, GA4, Meta, Checkout, Hydrogen, Customer Accounts, Recommendations, Search.
  • Designed to feed data into common marketing and analytics tools.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • No integrations listed in the provided data. The lack of stated integrations suggests limited out-of-the-box connectivity.

Practical outcome:

• If wishlist events need to trigger flows in marketing automation tools or be tracked in analytics, Swish is the better fit.

Implementation and Onboarding

• Swish:
  • Offers entirely free setup and customization across all plans. Plus plan includes white-glove onboarding and a dedicated account manager.
  • This is valuable for merchants that prefer vendor-led setup to ensure features work across complex themes.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • No custom code and presumably a minimal install. The simplicity can be an advantage for merchants on restricted timelines.

Practical outcome:

• Swish reduces internal engineering time through vendor setup, while Simple Wishlist minimizes vendor involvement and technical footprint.

Pricing and Value for Money

Swish Pricing Overview

• Pricing is clearly stated and aligned to Shopify plan levels:
  • Basic Shopify — $19/month
  • Shopify — $29/month
  • Advanced Shopify — $49/month
  • Shopify Plus — $99/month (includes white-glove onboarding, priority support, dedicated manager)
• Each plan lists unlimited wishlists, unlimited sessions, and free setup.

Value assessment:

• Swish’s pricing is predictable and places the app in an affordable bracket for stores that value onboarding and integrations.
• The Plus tier’s higher price is justified for larger merchants requiring a dedicated manager and headless/Hydrogen support.

Simple Wishlist Pricing Overview

• Pricing data is not provided in the supplied information.
• The absence of published pricing can be a red flag for merchants evaluating total cost of ownership or budgeting.

Value assessment:

• Simple Wishlist may be low-cost or free; however, unclear pricing makes direct value comparisons difficult. Merchants should request pricing transparency before committing.

How to Assess Value for Money

• Consider the cost of additional apps if choosing a minimalist wishlist. A basic wishlist may require separate email automation, analytics setup, and loyalty tools to replicate what a richer solution provides.
• Swish’s monthly fee can represent better value where integrated notifications, analytics, and vendor-led setup remove the need for an additional email or analytics engineer.

Integrations and Ecosystem Fit

Marketing Automation and Analytics

• Swish’s Klaviyo integration is a major plus for merchants that rely on segmented email flows. Direct GA4 integration simplifies analytics tracking and attribution reporting.
• Simple Wishlist lacks listed integrations; merchants will need to rely on Shopify events or custom webhooks for integration.

Impact:

• Integrations determine how useful wishlist data is operationally. Swish makes wishlist data actionable within marketing stacks out of the box.

Headless and Shopify Plus Readiness

• Swish supports Hydrogen and headless stacks and offers Plus plan exclusives aimed at larger merchants.
• Simple Wishlist’s no-code approach might not address headless or advanced Plus needs.

Impact:

• For stores on Shopify Plus or planning headless architectures, Swish is purpose-built to support those stacks.

Cross-App Compatibility

• Swish lists compatibility with Checkout, Customer Accounts, Search, and Recommendations systems, enabling wishlist events to impact product discovery and checkout behavior.
• Simple Wishlist’s compatibility is unclear from provided data, which can complicate workflows that rely on cross-app triggers.

Impact:

• Better cross-app compatibility reduces friction when using multiple Shopify apps and gives merchants more options to monetize wishlist data.

Support, SLAs, and Longevity

Swish

• Free setup and onboarding are included across plans, with elevated support for Plus customers (priority support and dedicated account manager).
• The higher review count (272) with a perfect rating (5.0) suggests consistent satisfaction among merchants who left feedback.

Assessment:

• Strong onboarding and high review volume indicate reliability and a clear support model.

Simple Wishlist

• Small review footprint (2 reviews, 4.4 rating) and minimal publicly described support features.
• No mention of onboarding or SLA in provided data.

Assessment:

• The low review count limits confidence in consistent support quality. Merchants with limited internal resources may find the support model insufficient.

Security, Privacy, and Data Ownership

Both apps operate within Shopify’s ecosystem and must comply with Shopify’s data handling policies. Still, a few practical points matter:

• Swish’s integration with analytics and email platforms means that wishlist events are transmitted outside Shopify. Merchants should confirm how personally identifiable information (PII) is handled and whether GDPR/CCPA practices are documented.
• Simple Wishlist’s minimal footprint may imply less data sharing by default; however, merchants should confirm event capture and privacy practices before installation.

Recommendation:

• Ask vendors for data-processing documentation and ensure integrations are configured to meet regional privacy requirements.

Developer Friendliness and Customization

• Swish:
  • Free customization and theme integration indicate a vendor that will manage custom work for merchants.
  • Developer APIs or advanced customization for headless implementations are supported on the Plus plan (Hydrogen & headless stacks).
• Simple Wishlist:
  • No custom code is added; the approach reduces the need for developer time but can also limit deep customization.

Practical outcome:

• Brands that frequently need bespoke UX work or headless integrations will find Swish has a clearer path. Brands that want a plug-and-play solution and minimal development overhead may prefer Simple Wishlist.

Performance and Reliability

Performance considerations include front-end load times, script efficiency, and event processing reliability.

• Swish:
  • Built to integrate with themes and includes vendor-led implementation, which typically reduces runtime issues from mismatched theme code.
  • No public performance metrics in provided data, but higher review counts and onboarding imply a mature product.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Lightweight approach can be faster at runtime due to minimal features, but lack of vendor-managed integration could lead to edge cases depending on theme structure.

Recommendation:

• For high-traffic stores, vendor-managed onboarding and performance testing (as offered by Swish) reduce the risk of errors during peak periods.

Migration and Exit Considerations

Merchants should always consider how easy it is to export wishlist data or migrate to another solution.

• Swish:
  • With analytics and integration features, data portability is likely available, but merchants should confirm export options and data retention policies at install time.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Minimal data footprint simplifies migration, but confirmation of data export formats is still necessary.

Action:

• Before installation, confirm export capabilities and whether wishlists can be migrated to customer accounts or other apps.

Pros and Cons Summaries

Swish (formerly Wishlist King)

Pros:

• Rich feature set: unlimited wishlists, automated notifications, analytics.
• Strong integrations with Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta.
• Free setup and customization across plans, plus white-glove onboarding for Plus.
• Explicit support for Hydrogen and headless implementations.
• High review count (272) and 5.0 rating indicate customer satisfaction.

Cons:

• Multiple plans may add monthly overhead compared to a basic, single-feature app.
• Advanced features may be unnecessary for stores just testing wishlists.

Simple Wishlist

Pros:

• Minimal implementation: no custom code added.
• Easy to use for merchants needing a single-button wishlist.
• Simple UI and wishlisted product page.

Cons:

• Limited feature set; lacks built-in automation and analytics.
• No integrations listed; data portability and marketing activation may require extra development or third-party apps.
• Small review base (2 reviews) and less public evidence of long-term support.

Use Cases and Recommendations

When to Choose Swish

• The store values automated wishlist notifications and marketing integrations to drive conversions.
• The merchant wants vendor-led setup to ensure consistent branding and theme integration.
• The shop is on Shopify Plus or planning headless architecture and needs Hydrogen support.
• The decision-maker wants reliable analytics to inform merchandising and inventory decisions.
• The business prefers predictable pricing that aligns with Shopify plan level.

When to Choose Simple Wishlist

• The merchant needs a fast, low-friction wishlist button and wants to avoid code changes.
• The store is experimenting with wishlists and does not require automation or advanced analytics.
• The budget is extremely constrained and the merchant prefers minimal features for now (after confirming pricing).
• There is an intent to keep the tech stack minimal and internal resources prefer simple UI tweaks.

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

Understanding App Fatigue

App fatigue occurs when merchants accumulate multiple single-purpose tools to solve discrete problems (e.g., one app for wishlist, another for loyalty, a separate tool for reviews, and yet another for referrals). This approach can cause several issues:

• Fragmented data across vendors, making it hard to build coherent customer profiles and lifecycle programs.
• Increased recurring costs and administrative overhead for updates, support, and billing.
• Integration gaps that require engineering time or middleware.
• Inconsistent UX for shoppers when retention features look and behave differently.

The two wishlist apps compared earlier illustrate the trade-offs: a focused app like Simple Wishlist minimizes complexity but lacks activation and analytics; a richer app like Swish adds capability but still leaves gaps if merchants also need loyalty, referrals, and reviews. For many merchants, an integrated approach reduces friction and drives better retention outcomes.

Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" Philosophy

Growave promotes a strategy of consolidating key retention tools into a single platform that covers Loyalty & Rewards, Referrals, Reviews & UGC, Wishlist, and VIP Tiers. This reduces tool sprawl while preserving advanced capabilities.

Important practical benefits:

• Unified customer profiles across loyalty, wishlist, and review events make personalized campaigns easier to execute.
• Shared integrations mean fewer middleware connections to maintain; marketing automation and analytics see structured, consistent events.
• Centralized reporting helps merchants measure retention metrics like repeat purchase rate and customer lifetime value without stitching dashboards together.

Merchants interested in the platform can review pricing and plan details to evaluate trade-offs and savings when consolidating tools to consolidate retention features. For merchants on Shopify who prefer the app store experience, it is possible to install Growave from the Shopify App Store to get started quickly.

How an Integrated Platform Replaces Multiple Point Solutions

An integrated retention platform reduces or eliminates the need for separate wishlist, loyalty, review, and referral apps by providing:

• A built-in wishlist module that links directly to loyalty points or incentives.
• Referral campaigns that reward advocates with loyalty currency, tracked on the same customer record.
• Reviews and UGC collection that ties directly into loyalty incentives and marketing workflows.

For example, merchants can set rules to reward points when customers leave product reviews, or to automatically trigger an email to shoppers who saved items after a price drop — all within one ecosystem. This cross-functional capability reduces the need for manual exports, multiple API connections, and repeated implementation cycles.

Explore how consolidated features can simplify growth operations and reduce monthly app costs by checking the pricing page to consolidate retention features.

Feature Parity: What Growave Brings Relative to Swish and Simple Wishlist

• Wishlist: Growave includes wishlist capabilities that cover saved items and shopper intent, and those events are stored alongside loyalty data to enable targeted campaigns.
• Loyalty & Rewards: Growave provides customizable loyalty programs, VIP tiers, and custom reward actions, which most single-purpose wishlist apps cannot deliver.
  • Merchants can design loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and tie wishlist behavior to reward triggers.
• Reviews & UGC: Built-in review collection and moderation tools reduce dependence on a third-party review app.
  • Growave helps merchants collect and showcase authentic reviews while incentivizing review submissions through loyalty programs.

Each of the above product areas is designed to work together. For merchants evaluating single-purpose wishlist apps, the question becomes whether the marginal cost of adding a wishlist to a suite outweighs the complexity of running multiple apps independently.

Integrations and Plus-Grade Support

Growave lists integrations with common marketing and service tools, including Klaviyo and Omnisend for messaging, Recharge for subscription billing, and Gorgias for customer support, which helps reduce integration overhead across the retention stack. Merchants on higher tiers receive additional customization and dedicated support that mirrors the white-glove offerings of specialized providers.

To compare platform compatibility with existing tech stacks, merchants can install Growave from the Shopify App Store or review detailed plan options to consolidate retention features.

When an All-in-One Platform Makes Strategic Sense

• The merchant is scaling and needs to reduce the number of vendors to simplify data flows and reporting.
• The store wants to tie wishlist behavior directly into loyalty incentives or review campaigns without custom engineering.
• The business prefers to invest monthly in a single, integrated platform rather than multiple apps with overlapping costs.
• The organization values centralized vendor support and a single roadmap for retention features.

Merchants who want to explore how a unified retention stack can accelerate growth should consolidate retention features and compare costs and outcomes with the current multi-app approach.

Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack reduces churn and increases customer lifetime value.

Migration, Implementation, and Next Steps

If Choosing Swish

• Confirm which Shopify plan the store is on to select the appropriate Swish tier ($19–$99/month).
• Schedule the offered free setup and customization to ensure theme consistency and correct integration with Klaviyo or GA4.
• Define desired automated workflows (e.g., price-drop alerts, abandoned wishlist reminders) and map them to the marketing platform.

Checklist before install:

• Clarify data export and retention policies.
• Confirm the specifics of Klaviyo and GA4 integration.
• Ensure the Plus plan is selected if headless/Hydrogen or a dedicated account manager is required.

If Choosing Simple Wishlist

• Verify pricing and any hidden costs.
• Test wishlist behavior across a representative set of themes and product templates.
• Plan for how to activate saved-item marketing (e.g., using Shopify Flow or a separate email tool if necessary).

Checklist before install:

• Confirm event tracking for wishlist clicks (for analytics).
• Identify what additional apps will be needed for notifications and reviews, and calculate total monthly cost.

If Moving to Growave

• Compare current monthly app spend for wishlist, loyalty, reviews, and referrals with Growave’s plan tiers.
• Pilot the platform with a small program (loyalty + wishlist) to measure incremental LTV gains.
• Migrate wishlist data if needed and consolidate review incentives into loyalty campaigns.

Merchants can see plan options and features to determine ROI from consolidation by visiting the pricing page to consolidate retention features. To see the platform in action, merchants may also install Growave from the Shopify App Store.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and Simple Wishlist, the decision comes down to scope and future plans. Swish is a strong choice for stores that need a feature-rich wishlist with analytics, automated notifications, and vendor-led setup — especially for mid-size and enterprise merchants that want integrations with Klaviyo, GA4, and headless stacks. Simple Wishlist fits merchants who want a fast, low-friction wishlist button with minimal setup and no custom code.

Beyond the two single-purpose options, an integrated retention platform often delivers stronger strategic value by reducing app sprawl, consolidating customer data, and enabling cross-functional programs that increase repeat purchases and lifetime value. Growave’s “More Growth, Less Stack” approach combines wishlist, loyalty, reviews, referrals, and VIP tiers into one suite so merchants can reduce complexity and focus on growth. Merchants interested in evaluating consolidated options and cost trade-offs should review plan details to consolidate retention features.

Start a 14-day free trial to see how a unified retention stack can simplify operations and accelerate growth.

FAQ

What are the biggest functional differences between Swish and Simple Wishlist?

• Swish provides advanced features such as automated wishlist notifications, analytics, integrations with Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta, and vendor-led setup. Simple Wishlist focuses on a minimal, no-code wishlist button and a wishlisted products page. The main difference is scope: Swish is purpose-built for activation and data, while Simple Wishlist is a lightweight UI feature.

How should a merchant decide between a single-purpose wishlist app and an integrated platform?

• Evaluate the desired outcomes: if the goal is to convert saved items via email automation, derive merchandising insight, or tie wishlists into loyalty programs, an integrated platform or a feature-rich wishlist like Swish is preferable. If the goal is to test wishlist demand with minimal cost and complexity, a lightweight app may suffice. For many scaling merchants, consolidating tools to consolidate retention features offers better long-term value.

Does Swish integrate with marketing and analytics tools out of the box?

• Yes. Swish lists integrations with Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta and is designed to feed wishlist events into marketing and analytics systems. This makes it easier to build personalized flows that convert saved items.

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

• An all-in-one platform reduces the number of vendors, centralizes customer records, and enables cross-feature programs (e.g., awarding loyalty points for reviews or wishlist actions). This can lower total app costs, reduce engineering overhead, and improve retention metrics by making behavioral data actionable across rewards, referrals, and reviews. Merchants can review platform tiers to understand potential savings and feature parity when they consolidate retention features.