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

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a common but important decision for Shopify merchants. Wishlists can reduce friction, capture demand, and turn saved items into repeat purchases — but not every wishlist solution serves the same needs. Merchants must weigh features, integrations, support, and long-term value when deciding between single-purpose tools or a broader retention platform.

Short answer: Swish (formerly Wishlist King) is a full-featured, enterprise-ready wishlist solution with strong integrations, advanced analytics, and white‑glove onboarding that fits brands focused on personalized automation and scale. Simple Wishlist is a lightweight, no-code option that covers the basics — easy to install and use, but minimal on analytics and integrations. For merchants seeking better value and fewer apps in their stack, an integrated retention platform like Growave often delivers more growth and less complexity.

This post provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of Swish and Simple Wishlist so merchants can choose the right tool for their store, traffic profile, and growth goals. It then explains why consolidating wishlist functionality into a broader retention suite can be a smarter long-term strategy.

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

Deep Dive Comparison

Product Positioning & Target Merchant

Swish (formerly Wishlist King)

Swish positions itself as a feature-rich wishlist solution designed for brands with ambition. It emphasizes customization, analytics, and marketing automation. The product targets brands that want wishlists to be an active conversion tool — not just a UI element — and need integrations with email and analytics stacks. Swish offers free setup and onboarding and provides dedicated support for higher tiers, which aligns with merchants that have conversion and retention teams.

Simple Wishlist

Simple Wishlist is positioned as a straightforward, no-code wishlist solution. The value proposition centers on ease of use and minimal technical overhead: no custom code injected, simple button design adjustments, and a wishlisted products page. Its target audience is small shops or merchants who want a lightweight wishlist without complex features or ongoing configuration.

Feature Comparison

Core Wishlist Functionality

• Swish:
  • Unlimited wishlists and saved items across plans.
  • Wishlist available across the shopping journey (product pages, collection pages, quick view, etc.).
  • Saved items persist across sessions and potentially across accounts (depending on setup).
  • Curated wishlist features and public/private wishlist options can be offered.
  • Supports headless/Hydrogen implementations (Plus plan).
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Single-click add-to-wishlist on product pages.
  • Wishlist page to view saved items.
  • Button design options to match theme aesthetics.
  • No custom code added to stores (claimed), which simplifies deployment but limits deep customization.

Practical takeaway: Swish gives merchants broad control over where and how wishlists appear and how saved items are used. Simple Wishlist covers basic save behavior and a display page with limited customization.

Automation & Notifications

• Swish:
  • Automated wishlist notifications to re-engage customers when items are back in stock or when wishlisted items go on sale.
  • Personalization options in notification flows, which can be used to drive conversion at the optimal moment.
  • Out-of-the-box integrations make it possible to layer wishlist events into email and ad workflows.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • No explicit notification or automated re-engagement features listed in the app description.
  • Designed as a lightweight tool without built-in campaign automation.

Practical takeaway: Brands seeking to convert wishlist signals into measurable sales (e.g., back-in-stock emails, price-drop messages) will find Swish substantially more capable; Simple Wishlist will require supplemental tools or manual approaches.

Analytics & Reporting

• Swish:
  • Advanced analytics and wishlist curation tools.
  • Ability to extract insights from wishlist behavior to identify high-intent products and customer interest trends.
  • Integrations with GA4 help centralize event tracking.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Minimal reporting surfaced in the app description; likely limited to counts visible in the wishlist page or basic admin views.
  • No listed analytics integrations.

Practical takeaway: For data‑driven merchandising and demand forecasting, Swish offers materially better visibility.

Design, Theming & UX

• Swish:
  • Integrates with themes to seamlessly match store aesthetics.
  • Free customization and setup help ensure the wishlist experience feels native.
  • Button placement and behavior can be configured across multiple touchpoints.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Offers button design options and a wishlist display page.
  • No custom code means lower risk of theme conflicts but fewer advanced placement options.

Practical takeaway: Swish is stronger for merchants that demand a cohesive, branded UX. Simple Wishlist works well where simple, consistent UI behavior is sufficient.

Integrations & Ecosystem

• Swish:
  • Explicit integration with Klaviyo, GA4, Meta (better for omnichannel re-engagement).
  • Works with Shopify Checkout, Hydrogen, Customer Accounts, Markets, Search Recommendations.
  • Plus plan supports headless architecture and dedicated support.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • No integrations listed in the app metadata.
  • Simplicity avoids technical dependencies but limits downstream use of wishlist signals.

Practical takeaway: If wishlist data needs to feed email, ads, or analytics processes, Swish has clear benefits. Simple Wishlist is best when wishlist behavior remains an isolated UX feature.

Security, Data Ownership, and Privacy

• Swish:
  • As a more mature app serving larger merchants, Swish is more likely to support secure data flows, compliance considerations, and integrations that respect tracking and privacy frameworks. Headless and Checkout compatibility implies attention to Shopify's security standards.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Lightweight design reduces attack surface but also means less complexity around data exports or integrations. Merchants should confirm what customer data is stored and how it’s accessed.

Practical takeaway: Merchants with strict compliance needs or who require control over wishlisted user data will want to verify specifics with either vendor — Swish's enterprise focus suggests stronger support for these questions.

Pricing & Value for Money

Pricing matters not only in monthly cost but in total cost of ownership: time to implement, number of apps required, and potential revenue uplift from wishlist-driven conversions.

• Swish Pricing Overview:
  • Basic Shopify — $19 / month: For Basic Shopify stores; includes all features, free setup, unlimited wishlists.
  • Shopify — $29 / month: For Shopify plan stores; same inclusions.
  • Advanced Shopify — $49 / month: For Advanced Shopify stores; includes all features.
  • Shopify Plus — $99 / month: Plus plan adds white-glove onboarding, priority support, dedicated account manager, Hydrogen & headless stack support.
• Simple Wishlist Pricing:
  • No pricing listed in provided data. The app description suggests a no-code, low-friction approach; some simple wishlist apps are free or low-cost.

Value considerations:

• Swish charges by Shopify plan tier rather than by feature tier, and includes free setup across all plans. For merchants who want fast, supported onboarding and immediate access to integrations and automation, Swish can deliver ROI by capturing and converting wishlist signals.
• Simple Wishlist’s presumed low cost may look attractive for tiny shops. But the absence of automation and analytics increases the chance that wishlist data will remain unused, potentially reducing the feature’s lifetime value.

Practical takeaway: Swish is better value for merchants who intend to leverage wishlist behavior beyond UI — to re-engage, analyze, and convert. Simple Wishlist is better for stores that want a minimal wishlist affordably and with little setup.

Implementation & Support

• Swish:
  • Free setup and customization across all plans reduces implementation friction.
  • Plus plan includes white-glove onboarding and a dedicated account manager, which often matters for merchants running complex themes or headless setups.
  • The developer-provided onboarding is a differentiator, especially for teams that don’t want to manage theme edits in-house.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • No custom code makes installation straightforward in many cases.
  • Because the product is lightweight, merchant-led implementation is usually quick, but the tradeoff is limited extended support or bespoke customization.

Practical takeaway: Merchants without an in-house developer who prefer guided setup or expect more complex installations (e.g., headless) should prefer Swish. Conversely, stores that value plug-and-play simplicity will appreciate Simple Wishlist.

Scalability & Enterprise Readiness

• Swish:
  • Explicit support for Shopify Plus, Hydrogen, and headless stacks.
  • Priority support and dedicated account managers for Plus customers.
  • Designed to scale across higher traffic volumes with more advanced automation.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • Designed for straightforward usage; not positioned as an enterprise solution.
  • Limited public evidence of handling complex or high-volume scenarios.

Practical takeaway: Large merchants or stores planning growth into complex experiences (progressive web apps, headless storefronts, international expansion) will find Swish’s Plus tier aligned with their needs.

Performance, Theme Conflicts & Code Injection

• Swish:
  • Free customisation and testing across themes reduce risk of layout or performance issues.
  • Apps that add features across the storefront have a higher chance of code conflicts; Swish mitigates this by offering professional setup.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • By not adding custom code, Simple Wishlist claims lower risk of conflicts; however, that may also limit advanced placements (for example, quick-add in collection pages).

Practical takeaway: If merchants want a safe, simple install with limited scope, Simple Wishlist’s no-code approach is attractive. If merchants want deep placement and campaign triggers, Swish’s approach is more flexible but requires careful implementation.

Community Signals and Social Proof

• Swish:
  • 272 Shopify reviews with a 5.0 rating suggests a mature, trusted app with satisfied customers. The volume of reviews provides stronger validation of the product experience and support.
• Simple Wishlist:
  • 2 reviews and a 4.4 rating offer limited social proof. For merchants, a small number of reviews makes it harder to predict real-world performance across varied store setups.

Practical takeaway: Review counts and ratings are useful heuristics: Swish’s higher volume and perfect rating indicate consistent quality and support; Simple Wishlist’s limited review set suggests a riskier unknown.

Pros & Cons Summary

• Swish — Pros:
  • Rich feature set (automation, analytics, integrations).
  • Free setup and customization.
  • Strong review volume and rating.
  • Headless and Plus support for enterprise merchants.
  • Designed to convert wishlist signals into revenue.
• Swish — Cons:
  • Higher monthly cost at Plus tier.
  • More complex — requires proper setup to extract full value.
• Simple Wishlist — Pros:
  • Lightweight, easy to install.
  • No custom code (lower implementation risk).
  • Simple UI with basic wishlist needs met.
• Simple Wishlist — Cons:
  • Very limited integrations and analytics.
  • Small review sample makes long-term reliability unclear.
  • Not designed for automation or enterprise use.

Use Cases: Which App Fits Which Merchant?

• Choose Swish if:
  • Merchants plan to turn wishlists into revenue using notifications and integrations.
  • There is a need for analytics to inform merchandising or inventory decisions.
  • The store uses Klaviyo, GA4, Meta ad workflows and needs wishlist events in those systems.
  • The brand is on Shopify Plus or plans headless/Hydrogen implementations.
• Choose Simple Wishlist if:
  • Merchants want a simple add-to-wishlist UX without technical overhead.
  • The wishlist is an optional convenience feature rather than a growth lever.
  • Budget and simplicity are prioritized over marketing automation and analytics.

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

Many merchants face "app fatigue" — a bloated store with many single-purpose apps handling loyalty, reviews, referrals, wishlist, and VIP tiers. Each added app increases maintenance, creates potential theme conflicts, fragments data, and often multiplies subscription costs. Over time, single-point solutions can limit a merchant’s ability to execute holistic retention strategies that increase customer lifetime value (LTV).

An integrated retention platform addresses those pain points by consolidating multiple tools into one cohesive product that shares data, UI components, and a single admin experience. Growave’s philosophy, summarized as "More Growth, Less Stack," frames retention as a unified discipline: loyalty incentives, referral mechanics, wishlist data, reviews and UGC — all orchestrated from a single system that reduces tool sprawl.

Key advantages of consolidating into an integrated platform:

• Unified customer profiles so wishlist signals, review behavior, and loyalty actions contribute to a single view of customer intent.
• Lower maintenance overhead: one integration point to the store instead of many.
• Consistent design language across widgets (wishlist buttons, reward modals, review widgets).
• Centralized analytics that correlate wishlist activity with loyalty redemptions and repeat purchase behavior.
• More predictable support and roadmap when one vendor owns the retention stack.

Growave’s product suite is an example of this integrated approach. Merchants can combine loyalty and rewards, referrals, reviews & UGC, wishlists, and VIP tiers into one platform. This reduces the number of separate vendor relationships while aligning features to drive repeat purchases and retention.

• For merchants who want to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases, Growave combines automated points, reward catalogs, and VIP tiers that reward repeat behavior.
• To collect and showcase authentic reviews, Growave offers review requests, UGC collection, and display widgets that complement wishlist and loyalty signals.
• To see customer stories and inspiration, merchants can browse customer stories from brands scaling retention.

Consolidating into a single retention suite also simplifies budgeting and vendor management. Instead of multiple subscriptions for wishlist, reviews, and loyalty, a merchant can compare plans and pricing to see the unified cost and the integrated value delivered by a single vendor. Merchants can use plan pages to compare plans and pricing and evaluate the value of an integrated stack versus several single-purpose apps.

Additional benefits Growave provides in the integrated model:

• Enterprise-grade support and features for stores on advanced plans and Shopify Plus.
• Integrations with common marketing and support stacks (Klaviyo, Omnisend, Recharge, Gorgias), enabling a connected experience without bridging multiple vendors.
• Headless and checkout extension capabilities for merchants running complex storefront architectures.

Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack accelerates growth. (This is a direct invitation to schedule, linked to the demo booking page.)

Practical comparison of the approaches:

• Single-purpose apps (Swish or Simple Wishlist) are effective when a merchant needs a focused capability quickly and cheaply. Swish represents the top end of that, offering rich wishlist features and integrations; Simple Wishlist occupies the low-friction end.
• An integrated platform like Growave is the better long-term option when the goal is to increase LTV and simplify operations. The broader set of tools enables cross-functional campaigns (e.g., reward points for sharing a wishlist, or exclusive access to VIP tiers based on wishlist interactions).

To evaluate the financial and operational implications, merchants should:

• Map current apps and recurring fees.
• Identify overlapping features that could be consolidated.
• Estimate the expected revenue impact from retaining customers longer or converting wishlists into purchases.
• Compare the combined cost of single apps to unified plans that consolidate features and support.

For merchants evaluating Growave, it’s useful to explore the app listing and installation options. Stores can install from the Shopify App Store or review pricing and plan details to see which plan aligns with current volumes and future growth ambitions. Merchant teams often start with the Entry plan and expand as their retention programs mature. Merchants can also use plan pages to compare plans and pricing and decide which level of support and feature set makes sense.

Growave supports the specific wishlist use case while also adding complementary features that directly amplify wishlist signal value:

• Use wishlist triggers to send targeted reward offers that nudge high-intent customers to complete purchases.
• Combine wishlists with referral incentives that encourage shoppers to share curated lists with friends.
• Correlate wishlist behavior with review patterns to identify potential product advocates.

For social proof and UGC workflows, merchants can explore tools to collect and showcase authentic reviews, tying those reviews back to loyalty incentives for reviewers and wishlist owners. This cross-feature synergy is difficult to replicate when wishlist capabilities are provided by a separate, single-purpose app.

For merchants on Shopify Plus or with complex enterprise needs, Growave provides a dedicated approach that supports headless, checkout extensions, and custom launch plans. Teams can find examples and resources tailored for larger merchants at the page dedicated to solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Finally, evaluating pricing in context is important. Instead of comparing single-app monthly fees, compare the total cost of ownership of multiple apps against a single integrated plan. For a consolidated perspective on pricing and plan features, merchants should compare plans and pricing. This helps clarify whether consolidating wishlist, loyalty, and reviews into one vendor reduces monthly spend and increases retention-driven revenue.

Secondary feature coverage within the Alternative section

• Loyalty and Rewards: Growave’s loyalty engine enables merchants to configure point accrual rules, custom rewards, and VIP tiers that can directly use wishlist activity as a trigger to award points or priority access. See examples of how merchants configure loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• Reviews & UGC: Growave streamlines review collection and presentation, and pairs review acquisition with loyalty promotions (e.g., points for submitting a review). Merchants can view how to collect and showcase authentic reviews and integrate that output across the storefront.
• Customer examples and inspiration: Merchants evaluating consolidation can review customer stories from brands scaling retention to understand the practical benefits and implementation patterns.
• Where to start: Merchants can compare plans and pricing to find the right entry point and then decide whether to install via the Shopify App Store or to request a tailored demo.

Recommendations & Decision Guide

Choosing between Swish, Simple Wishlist, and an integrated alternative depends on three primary considerations: immediate needs, expected growth, and appetite for consolidation.

• If immediate need is simplicity and near-zero setup time:
  • Simple Wishlist can be sufficient. It provides a quick wishlist experience that works out of the box.
• If the wishlist will be a growth lever and must integrate with email, analytics, and ads:
  • Swish provides the automation, analytics, and integrations necessary to convert saved intent into revenue.
• If there’s an appetite to reduce app sprawl and improve retention holistically:
  • An integrated platform like Growave often delivers greater long-term value by combining wishlist capabilities with loyalty, reviews, referrals, and VIP tiers. Merchants should compare plans and pricing and evaluate the installed app via the Shopify App Store.

Operational checklist to help decide:

• Define the desired outcome for wishlists (pure convenience vs. conversion engine).
• Audit current apps and monthly costs; identify potential redundancy.
• Identify required integrations (email provider, analytics, ads).
• Consider support and implementation needs (do merchants need white-glove onboarding?).
• Model expected revenue from converting wishlist signals and estimate ROI.

Implementation Tips

• For merchants choosing Swish:
  • Use the free setup to align UI behaviors and test across devices.
  • Configure wishlist events to feed GA4 and Klaviyo so wishlist actions become part of lifecycle campaigns.
  • Test automated notifications for back-in-stock and price drops, measuring lift in conversion rate.
• For merchants choosing Simple Wishlist:
  • Keep expectations clear: the app is primarily a UX convenience.
  • Explore how wishlist actions can be surfaced to other tools (manual exports or theme hooks) if re-engagement is needed.
  • Verify behavior for logged‑in vs. guest users and session persistence.
• For merchants considering an integrated approach:
  • Map desired retention flows (for example, points for wishlist shares) and check whether the platform supports these out of the box.
  • Trial the platform on real traffic and monitor cross-feature metrics (loyalty activity, wishlist conversions, reviews collected).
  • Compare the combined subscription costs of current apps against plan prices and potential revenue uplift.

Support & Long-Term Considerations

• App longevity and ongoing development matter. Swish’s review volume and the Plus plan’s concessions for enterprise customers suggest active development and roadmap stability. Simple Wishlist’s smaller footprint suggests either early-stage development or a niche focus.
• Data portability matters. Merchants should confirm how wishlist data can be exported or migrated if switching apps — this is particularly important when wishlists are tied to customer profiles and marketing workflows.
• Monitor performance impacts. Any third-party app should be tested against the store’s performance goals, especially on mobile where speed impacts conversion.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and Simple Wishlist, the decision comes down to scope and ambition. Swish is well-suited for brands that want a wishlist to be an active growth lever: it offers automation, analytics, and integrations that transform saved intent into measurable revenue. Simple Wishlist is a practical, low-friction choice for stores that simply want a basic wishlist without custom code or advanced features.

For merchants looking to go beyond a single wishlist feature and reduce tool sprawl, an integrated retention platform offers a stronger long-term path. Consolidating loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlist into one system reduces maintenance, centralizes customer data, and enables cross-feature campaigns that improve retention and lifetime value. Merchants interested in evaluating that route should compare plans and pricing to see if consolidation fits their budget, and can also install the platform from the Shopify App Store.

Start a 14-day free trial to explore what an integrated retention stack can do for growth and operational simplicity. (This is a direct invitation to sign up and is linked to plan and pricing details.)

FAQ

• How do Swish and Simple Wishlist differ in the way they convert wishlist activity into sales?
  • Swish includes automated notifications, analytics, and integrations (Klaviyo, GA4, Meta) that allow wishlist events to trigger re-engagement campaigns. Simple Wishlist primarily provides the UI to save items without built-in automation, so converting saved items into sales typically requires separate tools or manual workflows.
• Which app is better for enterprise or Shopify Plus merchants?
  • Swish has a dedicated Plus plan with white-glove onboarding, priority support, and headless/Hydrogen support, making it a better fit for enterprise merchants. Simple Wishlist is focused on simplicity and lacks explicit enterprise features.
• Is Simple Wishlist suitable for stores that want zero custom code?
  • Yes. Simple Wishlist advertises that it does not add custom code and offers a simple installation experience. That makes it attractive for merchants who do not want theme edits or technical setup.
• How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized apps like Swish or Simple Wishlist?
  • An all-in-one platform consolidates wishlist, loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers into one system, improving data coherence and reducing vendor overhead. While specialized apps can excel at a single feature (Swish with automation and analytics, Simple Wishlist with simplicity), an integrated solution often provides better long-term value when the goal is increasing LTV and simplifying operations. Merchants can compare plans and pricing and review examples to determine whether consolidation makes sense.