SWishlist vs. First Wish: In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a small decision that can have outsized effects on conversion, retention, and customer experience. Shopify merchants face thousands of app options, and picking a single-purpose tool versus a broader retention platform affects long-term growth, technical overhead, and total cost.

Short answer: SWishlist: Simple Wishlist is a strong choice for merchants who want a lightweight, low-cost wishlist that’s easy to install and customize. First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards offers more built-in list organization and sharing features but shows weaker social proof and lower reliability based on available ratings. For merchants who want to minimize tool sprawl and unlock loyalty, referrals, and reviews alongside wishlists, a multi-function platform like Growave often delivers better value for money.

The purpose of this post is to provide a practical, feature-by-feature comparison of SWishlist: Simple Wishlist (by SoluCommerce) and First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards (by Vellir) so merchants can decide which app fits their goals and constraints. After an objective comparison, the article turns to a broader solution for stores experiencing tool overload: consolidating multiple retention features into a single platform.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist vs. First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards: At a Glance

This snapshot gives a quick way to compare core trade-offs. The next sections drill deeper into functionality, value, and real-world fit.

Features: What Each App Actually Does

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist — Feature Breakdown

SWishlist positions itself as a focused wishlist solution designed to be minimal, fast, and customizable. Core capabilities include:

• Seamless adding to wishlist from product pages and quick views.
• Shareable wishlists so customers can send lists to friends and family.
• Theme-level customization so the wishlist UI can match store branding.
• Multi-language support across tiers (2 languages on free plan, up to 20 on Premium).
• Admin statistics available on paid tiers; unlimited stats on Premium.
• Works with an API for custom integrations.

How that translates to merchant outcomes:

• Faster time-to-value for stores that only need a wishlist.
• Reduced friction in UX because the app is built for one purpose.
• Reasonable free tier for stores with light wishlist activity.

First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards — Feature Breakdown

First Wish aims to extend wishlist functionality with curated lists (“boards”) and sharing, plus some admin analytics. Key features include:

• Wishlist support for both anonymous visitors and registered customers.
• Boards: customers can create multiple curated lists (e.g., “Birthday Ideas”, “Home Office”).
• Social and message sharing for boards and wishlists.
• Logged-in customers get wishlist synchronization across devices.
• Admin dashboard showing wishlist usage metrics, best-performing products, and activity reports.
• Customizable labels and translations.

Outcomes for merchants:

• Better fit for stores targeting social, giftable, or collaborative shopping experiences.
• Boards can increase user engagement and social reach.
• Dashboard metrics provide at least basic insights to merchandising teams.

Head-to-Head Feature Observations

• Wishlist basics: Both apps cover core wishlist functionality—adding items, saving for later, and sharing.
• Advanced list management: First Wish's boards give customers richer ways to organize items. SWishlist focuses on streamlined favorites and sharing.
• Multi-language: SWishlist explicitly tiers language support up to 20 languages on Premium. First Wish includes translations but without the same tiered clarity.
• Analytics: SWishlist gates full statistics behind premium; First Wish offers a dashboard in the app but details on depth and exportability are unclear.
• Integration options: SWishlist lists API support, which is useful if a merchant wants to tie wishlist events into marketing or analytics stacks. First Wish does not list integrations in the provided data.

User Experience and Setup

Installation and Onboarding

SWishlist emphasizes a low-friction install and includes free setup for up to two themes. Its smaller scope typically results in faster live time for stores that only want a wishlist visible and styled to match their theme.

First Wish offers easy installation and device sync for logged-in users. However, the single public review and 1.0 rating raise questions about onboarding quality and responsiveness when problems arise.

Practical takeaway:

• If time-to-live and simplicity matter, SWishlist often wins on setup speed and predictable support windows.
• If the merchant needs curated lists or boards out of the box, First Wish is designed for that, but merchant should verify current support responsiveness before committing.

Front-End UX

Both apps present wishlist buttons and share options at product-level and collection views. SWishlist emphasizes clean, brand-consistent UI that can be customized to match a store’s design system. First Wish places more emphasis on the board experience, which can be more engaging for social sharing and gift lists.

UX considerations:

• Keep wishlist buttons unobtrusive and consistent to avoid confusing customers.
• Boards are useful for social campaigns, but they require clear CTAs to guide customers on how to share or purchase.

Mobile Experience

Mobile matters for wishlists because shoppers often save items during discovery. Both apps claim mobile-friendly behavior, but testing in a staging store is critical to ensure mobile placement and performance are optimal. SWishlist’s lighter footprint suggests it may have fewer performance trade-offs on mobile.

Pricing & Value

Pricing decisions should be based on growth trajectory, wishlist volume, and strategic goals like social sharing or analytics.

SWishlist Pricing Tiers

• Free: 300 wishlist additions/month, 2 front-end languages, free setup up to 2 themes, support within 24–48 hours.
• Basic ($5/mo): 7,000 wishlist additions/month, 7 front-end languages, all Free features, support 12–24 hours.
• Premium ($12/mo): Unlimited wishlist additions, 20 languages, unlimited statistics, top-priority support.

Value notes:

• SWishlist’s pricing is low-cost and predictable. The Premium tier unlocks unlimited adds and robust stats for $12/mo, which is good value for stores that rely heavily on wishlists.
• The free tier is very limited by the 300 adds/month cap; growing stores will likely need Basic or Premium.

First Wish Pricing Tiers

• Free: Wishlist for anonymous and logged-in customers, 1,000 wishlist adds/month.
• Beginner ($9.90/mo): 5,000 adds/month, unlimited boards, board sharing.
• Advanced ($19.90/mo): 20,000 adds/month.
• Pro ($29.90/mo): 50,000 adds/month.

Value notes:

• First Wish exposes stronger limits as plans scale; costs increase accordingly.
• The boards feature is a selling point on paid plans; small stores that want boards may find the Beginner plan reasonable.
• At higher volumes (20k–50k adds), pricing is still modest but higher than SWishlist’s Premium; merchants should weigh board functionality against the cost.

Pricing Comparison: Value for Money

• Small stores on a budget: SWishlist’s Basic plan at $5/mo delivers a generous add allowance and is better value for money for pure wishlist usage.
• Stores that need curated boards/social sharing: First Wish’s Beginner plan introduces boards but at a higher price point.
• Heavy wishlist usage: SWishlist Premium provides unlimited adds for $12/mo, which becomes compelling at scale compared with First Wish tiers.

Non-price overhead:

• Consider customer support responsiveness (ratings suggest SWishlist has better user satisfaction).
• Consider time and developer hours for customization; SWishlist’s API and theme setup offers clarity.

Integrations & Technical Considerations

Integration Support

• SWishlist: Lists "API" as a supported integration route. This can let merchants send wishlist events to email platforms, analytics tools, or CRMs via custom middleware or platform connectors.
• First Wish: No explicit integrations were provided in the data. The lack of listed integrations suggests merchants should query the developer about connecting wishlist activity to marketing tools like Klaviyo or Omnisend.

Integration impact:

• If wishlist events are used to trigger emails (save-for-later reminders, gift suggestions), API or native integrations are critical.
• Merchants that require server-side or headless implementations should confirm compatibility before installing.

Data Portability & Privacy

Wishlist apps store user activity that can be valuable for personalization. Merchants should confirm:

• How wishlist data can be exported (CSV, API).
• How anonymous versus logged-in wishlist data is handled (especially for GDPR/CCPA considerations).
• Whether the app stores customer PII and how it is secured.

SWishlist’s API suggests flexible data access. First Wish’s dashboard implies data exists but export and API access should be confirmed directly.

Analytics & Reporting

SWishlist

• Free tier: basic stats (limits not fully specified).
• Premium: unlimited access to all statistics.
• Expectation: merchants on Premium can analyze saves, shares, and product performance driven by wishlist activity.

First Wish

• Offers an admin dashboard with usage metrics and activity reports.
• The depth of analytics (e.g., UTM tracking, detailed customer-level insights) is not explicit from provided data.

Practical note:

• For merchandising and re-engagement, access to per-product save rates and the ability to export lists for targeted campaigns matter. Confirm the exact reports and, if necessary, API endpoints for automation.

Support & Reliability

Ratings and review counts are a practical signal for expected reliability and support.

• SWishlist: 106 reviews and a 4.9 rating suggest consistent merchant satisfaction and active support. Support SLAs are specified (24–48 hr for Free, 12–24 hr for Basic, top-priority for Premium), which gives merchants predictability.
• First Wish: 1 review and a 1.0 rating raise a red flag. A single poor review can be an outlier, but the lack of multiple positive reviews limits visibility into reliability and responsiveness.

Operational implications:

• Merchants that rely on a wishlist for key campaigns should prioritize apps with consistent support and visible user feedback.
• Backup plan: verify theme compatibility in a staging environment and ensure easy uninstallation if issues arise.

Customization & Branding

Visual Customization

• SWishlist highlights the ability to "Customize everything to perfectly match your store." This is valuable for storefront cohesion and conversion.
• First Wish allows label customization and translations but is more focused on functional features (boards, sharing).

Localization

• SWishlist tiers language support explicitly (2 languages Free, up to 20 Premium), making it a better fit for stores with multilingual audiences.
• First Wish supports custom labels and translations but lacks granular tiered language support in the provided data.

Localization implications:

• Multilingual stores should prioritize explicit multi-language support to avoid manual translation work and poor UX.

Use Cases: Which Merchant Should Pick Each App

Best fit for SWishlist: Simple Wishlist

• Small-to-medium stores that need a lightweight wishlist and want good value for money.
• Merchants who want predictable support SLAs and proven merchant satisfaction (based on ratings).
• Stores with multilingual needs that require explicit language support.
• Teams that want easy, theme-level styling and the option to connect via API.

Best fit for First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards

• Brands that prioritize social sharing, collaborative shopping, and curated boards as part of their marketing and gifting strategy.
• Stores that want customers to create multiple lists and share them externally.
• Merchants who already have a strong support channel and are comfortable validating the app in a staging environment before full deployment.

Pros and Cons: Quick Seller Summaries

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist

Pros:

• High merchant rating (4.9) and substantial number of reviews (106) indicating trust.
• Low-cost tiers with a compelling Premium value (unlimited adds, 20 languages).
• Theme customization and API support.
• Clear support SLAs.

Cons:

• Focused on wishlist only (no built-in loyalty, referrals, or reviews).
• Free tier is limited in monthly adds.

First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards

Pros:

• Boards and curated lists add social and collaborative features.
• Supports anonymous and logged-in customers with device sync.
• Dashboard provides at least basic metrics.

Cons:

• Extremely low review count and rating (1 review, rating 1.0), which raises reliability concerns.
• Pricing climbs with volume and may be less cost-effective than SWishlist for pure wishlist use.
• Integrations and API access not clearly documented in provided data.

Customer Outcomes & Strategic Considerations

• Retention and LTV: Wishlists can reduce abandonment and increase purchase intent, but on their own they deliver limited retention benefits. For measurable LTV increases, wishlists are best combined with targeted re-engagement (e.g., save-for-later emails, wishlist-based promos).
• Tool sprawl: Adding a single-purpose wishlist app may solve an immediate need but increases maintenance and potential conflicts with other apps (themes, analytics, marketing).
• Data activation: The real value comes from exporting wishlist events to email or CRM systems so merchants can trigger personalized messages and product nudges.

That last point is key: merchants should evaluate wishlist apps not only on front-end UX but on how easily wishlist data can be activated across email, SMS, and loyalty programs.

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

Many merchants start by installing a single-purpose app, then add another for referrals, another for loyalty, and another for reviews. That pattern leads to what’s commonly called "app fatigue": more vendor relationships to manage, potential performance slowdowns, duplicated feature sets, and increased monthly costs.

The Cost of App Fatigue

• Operational overhead: Each app requires monitoring, theme compatibility checks, and separate billing.
• Fragmented data: Wishlist events may live in one tool, review data in another, and loyalty points in a third—making unified customer journeys harder to build.
• Technical fragility: More apps increase the surface area for conflicts, broken scripts, and speed issues.
• Diminishing returns: Single-purpose apps add incremental value, but when multiple are stitched together the combined ROI often underperforms an integrated approach.

"More Growth, Less Stack": Growave’s Value Proposition

For merchants ready to consolidate retention features into one platform, Growave presents a different path: combine loyalty, referrals, wishlists, reviews, and VIP tiers under a single roof. The idea is not to replace every best-of-breed tool, but to reduce complexity while unlocking connected features that drive repeat purchases and lifetime value.

• Loyalty and rewards are integrated with wishlist behavior so merchants can reward saves, referrals, or review submissions without separate integrations. Merchants can build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• Reviews and UGC can be tied to loyalty programs and product pages to improve conversion; Growave enables merchants to collect and showcase authentic reviews.
• Consolidated dashboards let merchants act on wishlist activity, referral metrics, and loyalty behavior from a single view, simplifying segmentation and campaign planning.

Growave’s suite is designed to reduce the number of apps a store needs to maintain. For many merchants, that delivers faster execution, cleaner data, and better retention outcomes.

How the Integrated Approach Solves Wishlist Limitations

• Activate wishlist data: Instead of exporting wishlist events to a separate loyalty or email tool, wishlist saves can directly trigger loyalty points or targeted offers.
• Single data model: Customer behavior (saves, purchases, referrals, reviews) is unified, enabling smarter VIP segmentation and personalized campaigns.
• Shared support and SLAs: One vendor relationship reduces friction when troubleshooting cross-feature campaigns.

Growave is available on the Shopify ecosystem; merchants can install Growave from the Shopify App Store if they prefer an app marketplace route.

Feature Highlights Compared to Single-Purpose Wishlist Apps

• Wishlist + Loyalty: Reward customers for saving items or converting wishlists into purchases.
• Reviews + Rewards: Ask for reviews and incentivize submissions directly through the loyalty program.
• Referrals and UGC: Turn wishlists and social sharing into referral loops, amplifying organic reach.
• Enterprise support: For high-growth brands, Growave offers Plus-level support and customization to match complex technical stacks (see solutions for high-growth Plus brands).

Merchants that want to see Growave in action can book a personalized demo to evaluate how consolidating features changes workflows and outcomes.

Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack improves conversion and reduces maintenance overhead. Book a personalized demo

Practical Scenarios: Where a Consolidated Platform Wins

• A merchant running seasonal gift campaigns wants to convert wishlist activity into email flows and reward purchases. With an integrated platform, wishlist saves can automatically enter customers into targeted campaigns and offer loyalty incentives for purchases.
• A store wants to gamify reviews by offering points for submissions and unlocking VIP tiers. Rather than wiring three apps together, a single platform simplifies campaign setup and measurement.
• A Shopify Plus brand needs checkout-level extensions and dedicated launch support. Growave’s Plus plan includes checkout features and a customer success manager for bespoke rollout.

Compare Growave’s plans and see how pricing aligns with order volume on the pricing page. For many merchants, consolidating features can reduce monthly spend and increase conversion through tighter feature coupling.

Integrations and Partnerships

An integrated retention platform still needs to play well with other systems. Growave supports popular tools across email, SMS, customer service, and subscription platforms, offering smoother data flows and fewer custom integrations than stacking multiple apps.

For merchants who prefer the App Store route, Growave is also listed for installation in the Shopify App Store.

Evidence from Peers

Merchants often choose integrated platforms after experiencing the drag of multiple apps. See relevant examples and inspiration from customer stories to understand how others scaled retention without adding dozens of single-purpose apps. For real brand examples, review the customer stories and inspiration.

Implementation Checklist: Choosing Between a Single Wishlist App and an Integrated Platform

When deciding, merchants should compare options against operational and strategic criteria:

• Goals: Is the primary goal a minimal wishlist function or to drive repeat purchases through loyalty and cross-feature campaigns?
• Volume: How many wishlist actions per month are expected? Match that to plan limits and price.
• Data needs: Will wishlist events need to trigger downstream flows in email or loyalty?
• Support expectations: Is timely support critical for product launches or campaigns?
• Technical resources: Are developers available to implement APIs and custom flows, or is a single vendor preferred?

If the focus is a single-purpose wishlist and the store is in early stages, a lightweight app like SWishlist is often the quickest route. If the goal is to increase LTV through connected retention features, a unified platform can reduce friction and deliver better long-term ROI. Merchants can compare plans to decide which path balances cost and capability; see how consolidation could work on the pricing page.

How to Test and Validate Any Wishlist Choice

• Run in staging: Validate how the wishlist integrates with the theme and mobile layout before going live.
• Confirm data access: Request documentation or test API endpoints for event exports and imports.
• Test support responsiveness: Send a support ticket to evaluate real SLA response time and resolution quality.
• Measure conversion impact: Track add-to-wishlist rates, wishlist-to-order conversion, and campaign lift from wishlist-triggered emails or offers.

Testing helps avoid surprises and ensures the chosen solution aligns with ongoing marketing plans.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between SWishlist: Simple Wishlist and First Wish ‑ Wishlist & Boards, the decision comes down to scope and reliability. SWishlist is a polished, low-cost wishlist focused on simplicity, customization, and strong merchant satisfaction (106 reviews, 4.9 rating). First Wish brings curated boards and sharing but has very limited public feedback (1 review, 1.0 rating), which warrants careful validation before adoption.

If a merchant needs only an efficient wishlist and values a proven track record and low cost, SWishlist is often the better fit. If curated boards and social list-sharing are central to the product experience, First Wish may be attractive — but confirm support, reliability, and integration capabilities first.

For merchants trying to avoid tool sprawl and maximize retention across loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlists, an integrated platform can be a stronger long-term solution. Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" approach combines wishlist functionality with loyalty, referrals, and reviews, enabling unified customer journeys and simpler operations. Compare plan features and evaluate how consolidation affects costs and efficiency on the pricing page. Merchants can also explore Growave’s Shopify listing to install or learn more from the marketplace: install Growave from the Shopify App Store.

Start a 14-day free trial to explore how a unified retention stack improves retention and reduces app management overhead. Consolidate retention features with Growave

FAQ

How do SWishlist and First Wish differ in reliability and user feedback?

SWishlist has a significant number of reviews (106) and a high rating (4.9), indicating consistent merchant satisfaction and predictable support. First Wish has only one public review and a 1.0 rating, which raises concerns about reliability and responsiveness; merchants should validate support and test thoroughly before committing.

Which app offers better value for money?

For pure wishlist functionality, SWishlist generally offers better value for money—especially given its $12 Premium plan that allows unlimited wishlist additions. First Wish provides boards and sharing features but becomes more expensive as wishlist volume scales.

Can wishlist activity be used to trigger loyalty or email campaigns?

Not directly in single-purpose apps without integrations. SWishlist lists API support, which enables building triggers into email or loyalty systems. For a built-in way to combine wishlist behavior with loyalty, referrals, and reviews, an integrated platform like Growave simplifies activation and campaign automation—merchants can see how these features fit together on the loyalty and rewards product page and learn about review integration on the reviews & UGC product page.

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

An all-in-one platform reduces the number of vendors and integrations to maintain, centralizes data for better customer segmentation, and simplifies campaign orchestration. It trades some specialization for cohesion and operational simplicity. Merchants seeking a consolidated approach can install Growave from the Shopify App Store or review pricing and plans to evaluate feasibility for their store.