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

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a small decision on the surface and a strategic one underneath. With hundreds of Shopify apps that promise better conversion and higher average order value, merchants must weigh features, integrations, costs, and long-term impact on retention. A wishlist may feel like a small part of the stack, but it touches product discovery, remarketing, email capture, and customer experience — so picking the right tool matters.

Short answer: Swish (formerly Wishlist King) is a feature-rich wishlist focused on deep customization, white-glove onboarding, and enterprise-facing options; Wishlist Hero offers an accessible, budget-friendly path to wishlist functionality with strong reminder automation and a capable free tier. For merchants aiming to reduce app sprawl and build retention across loyalty, reviews, referrals and wishlists, a multi-feature platform like Growave often delivers better value for money and more strategic uplift.

Purpose: This article provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and Wishlist Hero to help merchants choose a wishlist solution that aligns with immediate needs and long-term growth goals. After a fair comparison, the piece evaluates the trade-offs of single-purpose apps and presents an integrated alternative that reduces maintenance overhead and improves lifetime value.

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

Deep Dive Comparison

Feature Set

Core Wishlist Functionality

Swish positions itself as a fully customizable wishlist that integrates visually with store themes and supports a shopper-centric experience across product pages, quick views, and collections. It emphasizes unlimited wishlists and saved items across plans, which removes friction for merchants who expect high wishlist volume.

Wishlist Hero delivers the expected wishlist basics—add to wishlist from product and collection pages, guest wishlists, social sharing—and prioritizes straightforward tracking and reminder flows. The app stands out for enabling email reminders when a wishlisted product drops in price or goes into low stock.

Key takeaways:

• Swish focuses on unlimited volume and a tailored experience for brand expression and enterprise needs.
• Wishlist Hero focuses on accessible functionality, quick deployment, and conversion-driving reminder automation.

Reminder & Automation Capabilities

Reminder automation is central to wishlist value because timely messages convert interest into purchases.

• Swish supports highly personalized, automated wishlist notifications and highlights integration with Klaviyo, GA4, and Meta. That combination enables event-driven flows based on wishlist activity and richer segmentation.
• Wishlist Hero includes price-drop and low-stock email reminders on paid tiers, multi-currency support, and pixel/GTM compatibility for on-site event tracking. The platform offers both REST and JavaScript APIs for custom triggers and integrations.

Practical difference:

• If segmentation depth and advanced Klaviyo flows are priorities, Swish’s focus on personalization and analytics may be preferable.
• If out-of-the-box price/stock reminders at a low price point are the primary goal, Wishlist Hero delivers that quickly.

Analytics & Reporting

Data from wishlists can be a high-value signal for merchandising and remarketing. Swish advertises advanced analytics and wishlist curation that can turn wishlist trends into merchandising choices. Wishlist Hero provides detailed reports on wishlist activity as well, especially valuable for small teams that need quick reads.

Merchants who need to regularly export or act on wishlist-derived insights should examine:

• How data surfaces in each app’s dashboard (granularity, filters).
• Whether event-level data flows to analytics or email platforms (both support GA4 and Klaviyo integrations).

Customization & Visual Integration

Swish highlights theme integration and free setup for customization to match a store’s aesthetic. This is more than cosmetic—consistency in UI/UX reduces friction and helps wishlists feel native to the storefront.

Wishlist Hero emphasizes one-click installs and code-free setup for rapid deployment, plus custom branding on paid tiers. That trade-off benefits teams that need speed over deep customization.

APIs & Developer Tools

Both apps provide developer-facing options:

• Swish offers REST and JavaScript APIs to support custom flows and integrations with headless stacks.
• Wishlist Hero exposes REST API and JavaScript API, enabling event pushes and custom UI interactions.

For headless implementations or custom storefronts, Swish’s explicit Hydrogen and headless support on the Plus plan is a notable advantage.

Pricing & Value

Pricing matters not just in monthly cost but in overall value and how the app interacts with growth.

Swish pricing tiers are aligned to Shopify plan tiers:

• Basic Shopify: $19/month with all features and free setup.
• Shopify: $29/month.
• Advanced Shopify: $49/month.
• Shopify Plus: $99/month with white-glove onboarding, priority support, and headless compatibility.

Wishlist Hero is usage-tiered and budget-oriented:

• Free: Up to 500 wishlist additions/month, basic reporting, social sharing.
• Silver: $4/month up to 1,000 additions, custom brand, pixels, low-stock/on-sale reminders.
• Gold Plus: $17/month up to 5,000 additions, REST API, SendGrid/Klaviyo.
• Platinum: $29/month up to 10,000 additions.

Value analysis:

• Swish provides unlimited wishlists and sessions across all tiers. For stores with higher wishlist volume, Swish avoids bumping into usage ceilings.
• Wishlist Hero is very cost-effective for small stores or those testing wishlist functionality, with a free tier that reduces upfront risk.
• For merchants who expect to use wishlists as a core retention channel with high volume and want white-glove onboarding, Swish can be better value for money in the mid-to-large segment.
• For merchants with limited wishlist activity or budget-conscious operations, Wishlist Hero offers a clear path to test and scale.

Practical notes:

• Wishlist Hero’s usage caps make cost forecasting straightforward, but merchants should monitor additions/month to avoid plan upgrades.
• Swish’s feature parity across plans simplifies decision-making; the main differences are premium support and headless features at the top tier.

Integrations & Ecosystem Compatibility

Integrations determine how wishlist signals become revenue-driving actions.

Swish integrations:

• Klaviyo, GA4, Meta (out-of-the-box).
• Works with Checkout, Hydrogen, Markets, Customer Accounts, Search Recommendations.
• Emphasizes compatibility with third-party analytics and ad platforms.

Wishlist Hero integrations:

• Klaviyo, GA4, Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, SendGrid, Omnisend.
• Works with several theme and quick-view providers (Boost Commerce Quick View, Secomapp, Searchanise, etc.).
• Provides REST and JS APIs for custom integration.

Practical difference:

• Both apps integrate with the major email and analytics players. Swish’s explicit mention of Hydrogen and headless readiness is a significant point for Plus merchants or headless implementations.
• Wishlist Hero’s integration list emphasizes compatibility with common Shopify apps and marketing stacks, making it friendly for typical small-to-mid setups.

Onboarding & Customer Support

Swish advertises free setup and customization across all plans and white-glove onboarding and dedicated account management at the Plus tier. That level of service is important for brands that treat wishlist as a strategic conversion channel and need support to tailor UI and flows.

Wishlist Hero emphasizes automated installs for popular themes and responsive support, with the free plan offering code-free setup. Its accessible onboarding is aligned with fast time-to-value for small teams.

Support comparison:

• Swish: free setup, potential for dedicated support depending on tier, good for merchants who need assistance integrating complex themes or headless stacks.
• Wishlist Hero: quick install, responsive support, best for merchants who want minimal implementation effort.

Performance, Scalability & Reliability

Wishlist features must be fast and non-blocking. Both apps are designed for Shopify and claim theme compatibility. Key considerations:

• Impact on page load: merchants should test both apps under production-like traffic because dynamic scripts can vary in performance.
• Data volume and scalability: Swish’s unlimited sessions and wishlists remove concerns about hitting volume caps; Wishlist Hero’s limits require planning for growth.
• Headless and Plus: Swish’s Plus plan includes Hydrogen and headless support, which is relevant for scale and modern storefront architectures.

Data Ownership, Privacy & Compliance

Both apps support GDPR compliance and standard privacy needs. Wishlist data often includes email or identifiers if users sign in or input contact info, so merchants should verify:

• How wishlist data is stored and exported.
• Whether the app supports guest wishlists without PII unless the customer opts in (Wishlist Hero supports guest use).
• How the apps integrate with email providers for consented marketing (both integrate with Klaviyo, SendGrid, Omnisend).

Merchants should confirm data retention policies, deletion workflows, and whether webhooks or exports can be purged on request to meet regulatory requirements.

Use Cases & Recommended Merchant Profiles

Swish is best for:

• Fast-growing brands that need unlimited wishlists and white-glove onboarding.
• Stores planning headless or Hydrogen storefronts and enterprise-level integrations.
• Merchants that want deeper segmentation and personalized wishlist notifications tied to Klaviyo/GA4.

Wishlist Hero is best for:

• Independent brands and SMBs testing wishlist functionality with minimal friction.
• Merchants on tight budgets who want effective price/low-stock reminders without high monthly fees.
• Stores with predictable wishlist volumes that fit within the app’s tiered allowances.

Pros & Cons Summary

Swish (formerly Wishlist King)

• Pros:
  • Unlimited wishlists and sessions across plans.
  • Free setup and customization included.
  • Strong analytics and advanced personalization options.
  • Headless/Hydrogen support on Plus plan.
  • 5.0 rating from 272 reviews suggests high satisfaction among adopters.
• Cons:
  • Monthly cost scales with Shopify plan; perceived premium for enterprise-ready features.
  • Feature set may exceed needs for small stores seeking simple wishlist basics.

Wishlist Hero

• Pros:
  • Generous free tier for testing (up to 500 wishlist additions/mo).
  • Low-cost paid plans with clear usage limits.
  • Targeted reminder functionality (price drops, low stock) that drives conversions.
  • 4.7 rating from 359 reviews indicates strong user satisfaction and broader adoption.
• Cons:
  • Usage caps require monitoring and potential upgrades.
  • Less emphasis on white-glove customization or enterprise onboarding.
  • Merchants hitting higher volumes will need to upgrade.

Implementation & Maintenance Considerations

When evaluating any wishlist app, merchants should budget for:

• Setup and visual integration: Swish offers included customization for a polished UI; Wishlist Hero trades deep customization for faster installs.
• Monitoring: Track wishlist additions and conversion rates to justify the investment. Wishlist signals are useful for both merchandising and lifecycle email flows.
• Upgrade paths: Understand when wishlist usage pushes the store into a higher subscription tier (Wishlist Hero) or when enterprise features are needed (Swish Plus).

Decision Framework: How to Choose

Use the following criteria to decide which app fits best:

• Expected wishlist volume: High-volume stores lean toward Swish’s unlimited model; low-to-moderate volumes are fine with Wishlist Hero.
• Need for personalization and deep integrations: Swish is stronger for intricate Klaviyo flows and enterprise setups.
• Budget and testing strategy: Wishlist Hero’s free tier reduces risk for experimentation.
• Long-term retention strategy: If wishlists are part of a broader retention playbook (loyalty, referrals, reviews), consider the total number of apps needed and the cost and complexity of maintaining integrations.

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

The Problem: App Fatigue and Tool Sprawl

App fatigue is the cumulative cost of adding single-purpose apps over time. Each app introduces:

• Another subscription to manage.
• Additional scripts and potential performance impacts.
• Integration work and maintenance across analytics, email, and storefronts.
• Fragmented customer data that lives in multiple places, complicating segmentation and reporting.

Merchants often start with a focused tool like Swish or Wishlist Hero to solve a single need. Over time, growth brings new priorities — loyalty programs, referral campaigns, reviews, VIP tiers — and merchants layer multiple single-purpose apps to fill each gap. That stack creates complexity and drains time and budget.

The Alternative Approach: Consolidate Retention Features

Instead of adding more single-point tools, merchants can consolidate core retention needs into one platform. An integrated approach centralizes customer lifecycle data, reduces scripts on the storefront, and simplifies automation across channels. For merchants evaluating consolidation, it’s useful to look at platforms that combine wishlist functionality with loyalty, referrals, and reviews.

Growave follows a “More Growth, Less Stack” philosophy that bundles wishlist with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers. This reduces app count while enabling cross-functional programs that amplify lifetime value.

• To compare cost and plans, merchants can explore ways to consolidate retention features.
• Merchants looking for a single app listing can find options to find Growave on the Shopify App Store.

What an Integrated Approach Delivers

An all-in-one retention platform brings several advantages over separate wishlist and retention apps:

• Unified customer profiles: Wishlist actions, rewards earned, referral status, and reviews are visible in one customer timeline, enabling richer segmentation.
• Cross-program automation: A wishlist signal can automatically trigger points in a loyalty program or a targeted review request after purchase.
• Reduced operational overhead: One billing relationship and one support contact replace multiple vendor interactions.
• Faster experimentation: Adding a referral incentive tied to wishlist conversions becomes a configuration, not a new app install.

Merchants interested in deeper loyalty features can review resources on how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases. For reputation management, platforms that allow merchants to collect and showcase authentic reviews consolidate social proof and UGC.

How Growave Maps to Common Wishlist Needs

Growave’s wishlist functionality is built into a broader retention suite, which helps stores meet wishlist objectives while unlocking additional growth levers.

Relevant capabilities:

• Wishlist creation and reminders integrated with loyalty actions (reward points for adding items).
• Centralized analytics that connect wishlist behavior to repeat purchases and referral conversions.
• Multi-language and multi-currency support for global expansion.
• Integrations with Klaviyo and other ESPs to maintain advanced flows without adding extra apps.

Merchants running larger operations or on enterprise plans can evaluate solutions for high-growth Plus brands and learn from customer stories from brands scaling retention.

Cost & Value Considerations

Comparing costs requires looking beyond monthly app fees to the total cost of ownership:

• Multiple single-purpose apps create recurring licenses and integration overhead.
• An integrated platform that includes wishlist, loyalty, referrals, and reviews can be more efficient because it replaces several subscriptions.

Merchants can directly explore pricing plans to understand how a consolidated solution compares to the cumulative cost of separate apps.

Implementation & Migration

Moving wishlist functionality into an integrated platform reduces the number of scripts and unifies data. Typical migration considerations:

• Mapping wishlist events and historical data to the consolidated platform.
• Retesting flows with Klaviyo or other analytics after migration.
• Rolling out loyalty incentives tied to wishlist behavior gradually to measure lift.

Merchants who prefer a guided evaluation can Book a personalized demo. This helps determine the exact migration path and potential ROI.

Real-World Outcomes from an Integrated Model

When wishlist data is combined with loyalty and review signals, several outcomes emerge:

• Higher conversion from wishlist reminders when the message includes an incentive from the loyalty program.
• Increased repeat purchase rate as rewards motivate shoppers who previously only bookmarked items.
• Easier attribution of value to wishlists because the same platform records the conversion event, rewards issued, and subsequent referral or review actions.

Merchants who want a closer look at how this works for stores of different sizes can review customer stories from brands scaling retention and compare program templates.

When a Standalone Wishlist Still Makes Sense

There are situations where a single-purpose wishlist app is still the right move:

• When the goal is to test the wishlist concept quickly without committing to a broader platform.
• When budget constraints favor a free or very low-cost entry plan (Wishlist Hero’s free plan).
• When the storefront architecture is specialized and requires a vendor with headless/Hydrogen support—though some integrated platforms now offer Plus-level support too.

If testing is the objective, start small with a cost-effective option, then evaluate the benefits of consolidation as wishlist volumes and retention strategies mature. For merchants ready to consolidate, comparing cumulative costs and potential LTV uplift will clarify the case for an integrated solution. To review consolidated plan options and trial availability, merchants can explore pricing plans or find Growave on the Shopify App Store.

Practical Recommendations and Migration Checklist

For merchants choosing between Swish and Wishlist Hero, or evaluating consolidation, here are practical steps to reduce risk and maximize impact.

• Define measurable goals:
  • Desired uplift in conversion rate from wishlists.
  • Target wishlist-to-order conversion within X days.
  • Loyalty and referral engagement metrics if consolidation is considered.
• Run a short pilot:
  • Use Wishlist Hero’s free tier or Swish’s lowest tier to collect baseline data.
  • Track wishlist additions, reminder open rates, and conversions.
• Measure integrations:
  • Verify data quality in Klaviyo and GA4 for wishlist events.
  • Confirm attribution for price-drop and low-stock reminders.
• Assess total cost of ownership:
  • Calculate current spend on apps covering wishlist, loyalty, reviews, and referrals.
  • Compare to consolidated pricing to estimate savings and potential incremental revenue from unified programs.
• Plan for migration:
  • Export wishlist data if switching platforms.
  • Schedule a phased rollout and regression testing on key flows.
• Monitor performance:
  • Track page speed impact, reminder deliverability, and customer complaints.
  • Iterate creative and incentive strategies based on real behavioral data.

If the outcome of the checklist leads to a decision to consolidate, merchants can review consolidated plans to evaluate trial options and implementation support by visiting the platform’s pricing page or arranging a walkthrough with the vendor via Book a personalized demo.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Swish (formerly Wishlist King) and Wishlist Hero, the decision comes down to scale, depth of integration, and long-term retention strategy. Swish is the better fit for brands that require unlimited wishlist volume, white-glove onboarding, and enterprise or headless readiness. Wishlist Hero is the better fit for merchants who want a low-friction, budget-friendly wishlist with strong reminder automation and a generous free tier.

For teams focused on growing customer lifetime value and reducing tool sprawl, an integrated retention platform can offer stronger long-term value. Growave packages wishlist functionality alongside loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers, helping merchants reduce overhead and connect wishlist signals to revenue-driving programs. Merchants can compare plans and trial options to assess the fit by exploring how to consolidate retention features and by viewing the app listing to find Growave on the Shopify App Store.

Start a 14-day free trial to test Growave's unified retention stack and see how reducing app count can improve retention metrics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do Swish and Wishlist Hero differ in their core value?

• Swish emphasizes unlimited wishlists, deep customization, white-glove onboarding and enterprise-ready features, making it suitable for larger or growth-stage brands. Wishlist Hero emphasizes low cost, quick install, and actionable reminder automations useful for small to mid-size merchants.

Q: Which app is better for headless or Hydrogen storefronts?

• Swish explicitly supports Hydrogen and headless stacks at its higher tier, making it the stronger choice for merchants using modern storefront architectures. Wishlist Hero offers APIs for customization but does not highlight headless/Hydrogen readiness as a primary selling point.

Q: Can wishlist signals be used together with loyalty and referrals?

• Yes. Wishlist actions are valuable behavioral triggers for rewards, targeted incentives, and referral prompts. Consolidating wishlist, loyalty, referrals and reviews into one platform reduces integration work and enables cross-program automation that often lifts LTV more than isolated wishlist reminders alone.

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

• An all-in-one platform reduces the number of scripts and subscriptions, centralizes customer data, and enables cross-functional automation. Specialized apps may offer deeper capabilities in a narrow area and can be appropriate for rapid testing or when specific advanced features are required. For many merchants, the efficiency and cross-channel benefits of a consolidated platform provide better value for money.