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

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app for a Shopify store is deceptively important. Wishlists do more than save items — they capture intent, surface demand, recover sales through reminders, and feed customer data into retention workflows. With dozens of wishlist options on the Shopify App Store, merchants must weigh features, integrations, support, and long-term value.

Short answer: Swish (formerly Wishlist King) is an excellent choice for merchants who want a highly customizable, premium wishlist experience with strong onboarding and support, while Wishlist Hero is a compelling option for shops prioritizing a low-cost entry point, easy setup, and straightforward wishlist reminders. For merchants wanting to reduce tool sprawl and get wishlist functionality alongside loyalty, reviews, referrals, and VIP programs, an integrated retention platform such as Growave often delivers better value for money and simpler operations.

This post provides a feature-by-feature, impartial comparison of Swish and Wishlist Hero, with practical guidance about which app fits which merchant profile. After the direct comparison, the article explains how an integrated platform can reduce app fatigue and improve retention outcomes.

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

Key Differences — Quick Summary

• Swish emphasizes customization, white-glove onboarding, and Plus/headless support; pricing aligns with that positioning.
• Wishlist Hero emphasizes accessibility, a free tier, and straightforward reminder flows; its pricing targets small-medium stores.
• Both integrate with common analytics and email tools, but Swish positions itself as a higher-touch partner for larger brands.
• For merchants who want wishlists plus loyalty, referrals, and reviews from the same provider, an integrated platform can reduce complexity and improve lifetime value.

Deep Dive Comparison

Features

Wishlist functionality and user experience

Swish:

• Provides a fully customizable wishlist that can be added from product pages, collection pages, quick views, and more.
• Offers unlimited wishlists and saved items across plans, enabling long-term tracking of customer preferences.
• Supports guest wishlists and customer account integration, so both logged-in customers and guests can save items.
• Focus on matching store aesthetic; free setup includes styling to ensure the wishlist looks native to the storefront.

Wishlist Hero:

• Covers core wishlist interactions: add from product, collection, and quick views, guest use supported.
• Emphasizes code-free setup for non-technical merchants and a one-click install for many themes.
• Built-in reminders for price drops and low stock are central features even on paid tiers.
• Good usability for stores that want quick activation without extensive customization.

Practical takeaway: Choose Swish when brand presentation and full customization matter. Choose Wishlist Hero when speed of deployment and basic wishlist functionality are the priority.

Notifications, reminders, and automation

Swish:

• Focus on highly personalized and automated wishlist notifications.
• Integrations with Klaviyo and other analytics platforms allow brands to trigger tailored email flows based on wishlist behavior.
• Advanced analytics and wishlist curation enable teams to build segmented campaigns and re-targeting strategies.

Wishlist Hero:

• Built-in email reminders for price drops and low-stock alerts are straightforward and effective.
• Integrates with Klaviyo, GA4, Facebook/TikTok pixels for tracking; JS and REST APIs enable custom automation.
• Reminder capabilities are available across paid tiers; the free tier has limits on usage.

Practical takeaway: For simple, reliable reminders that recover sales, Wishlist Hero provides an efficient solution. For brands planning complex, personalized lifecycle campaigns based on wishlist activity, Swish’s analytics and out-of-the-box integrations can make automation easier to orchestrate.

Analytics and reporting

Swish:

• Emphasizes advanced analytics and wishlist curation — not just counts, but insights into which items are most wished, who is wishlisting, and how wishlists convert.
• These analytics are useful for merchandising, stock planning, and personalized marketing.

Wishlist Hero:

• Offers detailed reports that cover additions, shares, and reminders performance.
• Report granularity is solid for most merchants, but deeper segmentation may require exporting data to external analytics platforms.

Practical takeaway: Both apps provide meaningful reporting. Swish leans toward deeper analytics for merchandising and lifecycle teams; Wishlist Hero addresses core reporting needs affordably.

Theme compatibility and front-end behavior

Swish:

• Claims integration with all themes and offers free setup and customization to match brand aesthetics.
• Supports Hydrogen and headless stacks and offers specialized support for Shopify Plus merchants on higher plans.

Wishlist Hero:

• Advertises automated installs for popular Shopify themes and free help for other themes.
• Works well with most themes and quick views; however, ultra-custom themes or heavily headless storefronts may require extra development.

Practical takeaway: Swish is the safer bet for headless, Plus, or enterprise-level storefronts where compatibility and tailored styling are priorities. Wishlist Hero is straightforward for standard themes and faster deployments.

APIs and developer tooling

Swish:

• Provides REST and JavaScript API options and supports integrations with major analytics/email platforms.
• Offers white-glove onboarding for higher plans that can include technical help during implementation.

Wishlist Hero:

• Offers REST API and JavaScript API to enable developers to extend functionality.
• Good for teams that want to implement custom interactions or feed wishlist activity into external systems.

Practical takeaway: Both apps provide APIs. Swish’s higher-tier support can reduce implementation friction for complex setups.

Pricing & Value

Pricing is more than a monthly fee — it’s about how an app scales with business needs, what support it includes, and the value delivered in recovered revenue and customer insights.

Swish pricing overview

• Basic Shopify: $19/month — All features, free setup/onboarding, unlimited wishlists & saved items.
• Shopify: $29/month — All features, free setup.
• Advanced Shopify: $49/month — All features, free setup.
• Shopify Plus: $99/month — Plus exclusives: free white-glove onboarding, priority support, dedicated account manager, Hydrogen & headless stacks.

Notable pricing characteristics:

• Unlimited wishlists on all plans is a strong signal of value for stores with high traffic and long-term saved-item behavior.
• The higher Plus plan includes dedicated account management and headless support, which appeals to enterprise merchants.

Wishlist Hero pricing overview

• Free: Free — Up to 500 wishlist additions/month, share via email/social, detailed reports.
• Silver: $4/month — Up to 1,000 wishlist additions/month, custom branding, Klaviyo/GA4/FB/TikTok pixel, low stock/on sale reminders, JS API.
• Gold Plus: $17/month — Up to 5,000 additions/month, SendGrid/Klaviyo/OmniSend integration, REST API.
• Platinum: $29/month — Up to 10,000 additions/month, higher volume support by contact.

Notable pricing characteristics:

• Extremely accessible pricing with a free tier allows merchants to test wishlist impact.
• Pricing tiers are capped by wishlist additions per month; high-volume stores may need higher tiers or custom arrangements.

Value comparison: which delivers better value for money?

• Smaller stores and new merchants will likely find Wishlist Hero to be better value for money given the free tier and very low-cost Silver plan. It covers basic wishlist needs and essential reminders without significant cost.
• Growing stores that need unlimited lists, deeper analytics, and dedicated support will find Swish a better fit in terms of long-term operational value, even though monthly fees are higher. The inclusion of free setup across plans makes Swish cost-effective relative to implementation expenses from outsourced developers.
• For merchants who plan to scale and require loyalty, reviews, and referral mechanics in addition to wishlists, a multi-tool platform reduces the total cost of ownership when compared to multiple single-feature apps.

Integrations and ecosystem compatibility

Swish:

• Integrates with Klaviyo, GA4, Meta, and emphasizes compatibility with Hydrogen/headless and Shopify Plus.
• Works with Checkout, Hydrogen, Markets, Klaviyo, Customer Accounts, Search Recommendations.

Wishlist Hero:

• Integrates with Klaviyo, GA4, FB/TikTok pixel, SendGrid, Omnisend, and several quick view and search apps (Boost Commerce, Quick View, Searchanise).
• Designed for easy connection to marketing stacks used by small to mid-size merchants.

Practical takeaway: Both apps connect to core analytics and email platforms. Swish is positioned for enterprise stacks; Wishlist Hero focuses on accessibility with common third-party tools.

Onboarding, support, and developer assistance

Swish:

• Stresses free setup and customization across all plans, with white-glove onboarding and dedicated account managers for Plus.
• High-touch support is valuable for stores with unique themes, heavy customization, or headless storefronts.

Wishlist Hero:

• Highlights one-click installation for many themes and helpful support for other themes.
• Fast, responsive customer care is a selling point; paid tiers add more integration capabilities.

Practical takeaway: If reliable onboarding and a service-oriented setup are required, Swish offers more inclusive, high-touch assistance. For merchants comfortable with onboarding themselves or with simpler themes, Wishlist Hero’s support is efficient and cost-effective.

Security, privacy, and compliance

Swish:

• Offers GDPR-compliant features and supports guest wishlists and email-driven reminders, which must be configured with privacy regulations in mind.
• Data handling is tailored for integration with analytics platforms—merchants should review data-sharing policies with their legal teams.

Wishlist Hero:

• Also emphasizes GDPR compliance and guest wishlist capabilities.
• Integrations with email platforms and tracking pixels require merchants to manage consent and data collection appropriately.

Practical takeaway: Both vendors note GDPR-compliance. Merchants must ensure their store’s cookie consent and privacy policies reflect wishlist activity and marketing integrations.

Scalability and headless support

Swish:

• Explicitly supports Hydrogen and headless architectures and offers Plus plan features suitable for enterprise scaling.
• Offers dedicated technical assistance for complex builds.

Wishlist Hero:

• Provides APIs that support custom implementations, but headless support may require more development effort compared with Swish’s Plus plan offering.

Practical takeaway: For merchants moving toward headless or enterprise needs, Swish reduces friction. Wishlist Hero can scale but may require more in-house development.

Real-world use cases and recommended fits

Swish is best for:

• Brands that require a branded, integrated wishlist experience across a complex storefront.
• Merchants on Shopify Plus or headless stacks who need robust support and dedicated account management.
• Teams that plan to use wishlist analytics for merchandising, product planning, and personalization at scale.

Wishlist Hero is best for:

• New and small merchants looking for a low-friction, low-cost way to capture wishlist intent.
• Stores that want simple, effective reminder emails for price drops and low stock without heavy customization.
• Merchants testing wishlist features before committing to a more integrated or higher-cost solution.

Pros and cons (concise)

Swish — Pros:

• Unlimited wishlists on all paid plans.
• Free setup and high-touch onboarding.
• Strong integrations and headless support.
• Designed for brands with ambition and customization needs.

Swish — Cons:

• Higher entry price compared with Wishlist Hero’s free/Silver plans.
• May offer more capability than some small merchants need.

Wishlist Hero — Pros:

• Free tier and very low-cost paid plans.
• Easy installation and fast setup for standard themes.
• Reliable reminders and tracking integrations.

Wishlist Hero — Cons:

• Usage limits (wishlist additions per month) can require upgrades as stores grow.
• For headless/Plus merchants, additional development may be needed.

Implementation Considerations

Measuring success: KPIs to track after installation

• Wishlist adds per session: indicates adoption of the feature.
• Conversion rate of wishlisted items: measures direct revenue impact.
• Recovery rate from reminders: percentage of reminders that convert.
• Average order value (AOV) and lifetime value (LTV) of users who use wishlists.
• Email open and click-through rates for wishlist reminders (if using built-in or Klaviyo flows).
• Wishlist share rate: indicates social or gift-giving interest.

Both apps can feed data to analytics platforms; merchants should instrument events (wishlist_add, wishlist_share, wishlist_remove, wishlist_reminder_sent, wishlist_reminder_converted) and align them with revenue tracking.

Migration and coexistence

• Replacing a wishlist app requires careful migration of saved items if that data is business-critical. Swish’s free setup service may help with migration; Wishlist Hero supports exports and APIs to recreate wishlists.
• Running multiple wishlist apps concurrently can break front-end UX and lead to conflicting events; avoid overlapping implementations.

Cost of ownership beyond subscription

• Implementation and customization: Swish includes free setup; Wishlist Hero automates installs but may require developer time for advanced styling.
• Data infrastructure: integrating wishlist events into CRM/analytics may require third-party or developer time.
• Stack complexity: multiple single-purpose apps lead to more maintenance, billing complexity, and potential for conflicts.

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

App fatigue and its hidden costs

App fatigue occurs when merchants accumulate many single-function apps to cover features like wishlists, loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers. Hidden costs include:

• Increased monthly subscriptions and administrative overhead.
• Multiple integration points and duplicated data flows.
• Longer time-to-value due to stitching together automation and tracking across tools.
• Higher risk of theme conflicts and slower storefront performance.

Reducing the number of apps can lower costs, simplify reporting, and improve the customer journey by keeping loyalty, wishlist, and review data in one place.

Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" approach

Growave positions itself as a unified retention platform built for merchants who want wishlists plus loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers without assembling multiple single-purpose tools. The approach focuses on consolidating core retention capabilities so teams can execute cross-functional programs from a single dashboard.

Merchants can compare plans and see how consolidating retention features reduces overhead by visiting the Growave pricing page: consolidate retention features.

Growave combines a wishlist with loyalty and other retention features, which reduces duplication of customer profiles and makes it easier to build cohesive campaigns across channels. For example, wishlist behavior can trigger loyalty points, special review requests, or VIP base promotions — actions that require complex integrations when apps are siloed.

What Growave includes and how it maps to wishlist needs

• Wishlist: Built-in wishlist and saved-item mechanics that work with loyalty and referrals.
• Loyalty & Rewards: Fully customizable programs that drive repeat purchases and increase LTV; merchants can learn more about building loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• Reviews & UGC: Tools to collect, moderate, and display customer reviews and photo/video content; this capability helps increase conversion by showcasing authentic feedback — see how to collect and showcase authentic reviews.
• Referrals & VIP tiers: Referral programs and VIP segmentation that reward high-value customers and turn wishlists into advocacy channels.

These components are designed to share data natively. Wishlist events can contribute points in a loyalty program or trigger review requests, for example, avoiding the need for middleware or custom API wiring.

Integrations and platform compatibility

Growave supports key integrations and enterprise needs including Klaviyo, Omnisend, Recharge, and headless/Plus workflows. This reduces friction for merchants migrating from single-purpose wishlist apps and allows teams to maintain existing marketing infrastructure while consolidating retention tools.

Merchants can check compatibility and install Growave through the Shopify App Store to evaluate the app directly: install from the Shopify App Store.

Use cases where an integrated approach outperforms single-purpose apps

• A store that wants wishlist behavior to automatically grant loyalty points and move customers into a VIP tier benefits from an integrated platform; wiring this across separate apps requires manual automation and maintenance.
• When wishlisted items trigger personalized review and post-purchase campaigns, having wishlist events inside the same retention suite simplifies campaign logic and reporting.
• For merchants on Shopify Plus or scaling fast, consolidated tools reduce the complexity of headless implementations and lower dependency on multiple vendor SLAs.

Merchants can explore pricing to estimate ROI and compare plans to see how consolidating tools affects total cost of ownership: consolidate retention features.

Customer examples and proof points

Growave highlights customer stories and inspiration that illustrate how brands reduced tool sprawl and increased repeat purchase rates. Merchants interested in similar outcomes can review these customer stories for ideas and measurable outcomes: customer stories from brands scaling retention.

How Growave helps avoid migration headaches

Because Growave bundles multiple retention features, migrating wishlist functionality into Growave often involves fewer integration steps and less risk of losing contextual customer data. For teams considering migration, Growave’s documentation and onboarding options help plan a staged rollout that preserves customer experience and historical insight.

If a merchant prefers a guided walkthrough before committing, Growave offers the option to book a personalized demo to evaluate how an integrated retention suite can replace multiple single-purpose tools and improve retention outcomes.

Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack improves retention and reduces operational complexity. (Hard CTA)

Migration Checklist: Moving From a Single App to an Integrated Platform

• Audit current usage: identify wishlist event volume, reminder performance, and any customizations.
• Export existing wishlist data where possible; determine whether historical wishlists need to be imported.
• Map event names and data fields to the new platform to retain reporting continuity.
• Plan phased rollout: enable wishlist functionality in test and then BETA environments before wide release.
• Update privacy and consent policies to account for new integrated tracking and marketing automation.
• Leverage onboarding and support to style and test the wishlist across themes and devices.

Making a Choice: Decision Framework

When choosing between Swish, Wishlist Hero, and an integrated platform like Growave, consider these questions:

• Is brand-level customization and white-glove support a requirement? If yes, Swish is the logical fit.
• Is time-to-deploy and low upfront cost the priority? If yes, Wishlist Hero offers immediate value with its free tier.
• Are loyalty, referrals, and reviews a strategic priority that must work tightly with wishlist behavior? If yes, evaluate an integrated platform that reduces tool sprawl and enables cross-feature automation.
• What is the expected growth trajectory? If the store is scaling toward headless or Plus, prefer solutions with enterprise support and guaranteed compatibility.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and Wishlist Hero, the decision comes down to priorities: Swish is best for brands that need deep customization, enterprise-level support, and headless/Plus compatibility; Wishlist Hero is best for merchants who want a budget-friendly, fast-to-install wishlist with reliable reminders and tracking. Both are solid choices within their target segments, each with clear strengths and trade-offs.

For merchants looking to reduce monthly overhead, simplify integrations, and improve long-term retention through combined loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlist mechanics, an integrated platform can be a higher-value alternative. Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" approach consolidates these retention capabilities and makes it easier to orchestrate cross-channel programs without managing multiple apps. Compare plans and see how consolidating retention features could reduce complexity and accelerate growth: consolidate retention features. Merchants can also install the app directly via the Shopify App Store to evaluate it in their store: install from the Shopify App Store.

Start a 14-day free trial to test how an integrated retention stack reduces app fatigue and drives repeat purchases. (Hard CTA)

FAQ

How do Swish and Wishlist Hero differ in terms of support and onboarding?

Swish emphasizes free setup and customization across all plans and offers white-glove onboarding and dedicated account management on its Plus plan, which is tailored to merchants with complex themes or headless stacks. Wishlist Hero focuses on fast, code-free installs and responsive support that gets most stores running quickly with minimal configuration.

Which app is better for small stores that want to test wishlists?

Wishlist Hero is generally the better fit for small stores or merchants wanting to trial wishlist functionality because of its free plan and low-cost Silver plan. It provides basic reminders, multi-currency support, and simple analytics without a significant monthly commitment.

How does Growave compare to these specialized wishlist apps?

An all-in-one platform like Growave combines wishlist functionality with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers. This reduces the number of vendor integrations and simplifies cross-feature automation (for example, awarding points based on wishlist behavior). For merchants aiming to grow LTV and streamline operations, that integrated approach can be better value for money than stitching together several single-purpose apps. Explore how loyalty and wishlist can work together in one platform: loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and learn how authentic social proof is handled within the same suite: collect and showcase authentic reviews.

If a merchant is on Shopify Plus or using headless architecture, which option is safer?

Swish specifically highlights Hydrogen and headless support and includes Plus-exclusive services at its higher price point. Growave also lists support for Shopify Plus capabilities and headless patterns, which makes either Swish (for wishlist-focused needs) or an integrated platform (for holistic retention requirements) viable options. Merchants should confirm technical compatibility and onboarding support before committing. For enterprise-focused information and examples, see solutions for high-growth merchants available through the app store: install from the Shopify App Store.