SWishlist vs Keep on Hold Wishlist: In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist app is a small decision that can have outsized effects on customer experience, cart recovery, and repeat purchase rates. Shopify merchants face hundreds of single-purpose apps; the right pick depends on functionality needs, technical constraints, and long-term retention strategy.

Short answer: SWishlist: Simple Wishlist is a polished, lightweight wishlist app with an accessible pricing ladder that makes it a strong choice for stores that need multilanguage support, simple sharing, and predictable usage limits. Keep on Hold Wishlist focuses on save-for-later behavior and cart-to-wishlist workflows, making it useful for merchants who want to capture items consumers abandon in the cart. For merchants who want to reduce tool sprawl and run loyalty, reviews, referrals, and wishlists from a single system, Growave represents stronger value by combining those retention features into one platform.

This article provides a detailed, feature-by-feature comparison of SWishlist: Simple Wishlist (SoluCommerce) and Keep on Hold Wishlist (Orchard Digital Solutions Inc) to help merchants select the best fit—and explains when a multi-tool consolidation strategy is the better investment.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist vs. Keep on Hold Wishlist: At a Glance

Deep Comparison: Functionality, Value, and Fit

This section compares the two apps across key merchant concerns: features, implementation, performance, analytics, pricing, support, and strategic fit. Each subsection addresses practical outcomes—customer retention, average order value (AOV), and lifetime value (LTV)—that merchants care about.

Features

Wishlist Mechanics and Behavior

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist

• Adds a dedicated wishlist function that can appear on product pages and elsewhere.
• Supports sharing wishlists with friends, which can drive referral-style behavior and social proof.
• Designed to let customers create personalized collections of favorites.
• Multilanguage storefront support (depending on plan) helps global stores present wishlists natively to international shoppers.

Keep on Hold Wishlist

• Adds both a product-page “Add to Wishlist” button and a "Save for Later" button in the cart.
• The save-for-later feature is purpose-built to convert items removed from the cart into actionable wishlists—this reduces the risk that removed items are forgotten.
• Optional login integration means wishlists can persist across devices when customers are signed in.

Analysis

• SWishlist focuses on persistent wishlists and social sharing, which works well for browse-driven discovery and gifting use cases.
• Keep on Hold prioritizes cart-driven recovery flows; its strength is converting near-purchase intent into delayed purchases.
• If a merchant wants explicit sharing and curated lists (e.g., gift registries, product collections), SWishlist provides built-in features for that. If the goal is to reduce cart abandonment and recapture items that shoppers remove, Keep on Hold targets that gap directly.

Multi-Device and Account Persistence

• SWishlist supports API-based integrations and appears to rely on standard persistence mechanisms; higher plans offer expanded capabilities and statistics.
• Keep on Hold offers optional Shopify login integration, which explicitly enables wishlist persistence across devices for logged-in customers.

Analysis

• Account-based persistence matters when customers switch devices. Keep on Hold highlights this integration; SWishlist covers similar ground but positions value in language and translation support.
• Merchants that have many guest checkouts may gain more immediate value from Keep on Hold’s save-for-later cart retention since it converts cart items regardless of user login status (though persistent cross-device sync usually requires login).

Display and Customization

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist

• Emphasizes customization to match store themes and style.
• Offers free setup for up to two themes, reducing friction for non-technical merchants.

Keep on Hold Wishlist

• Promises fast installation and compatibility with most themes.
• Focuses on adding buttons in strategic places (cart and product pages) with minimal styling conflict.

Analysis

• Both apps advertise theme compatibility; SWishlist explicitly offers design customization and assisted setup in lower-tier plans, which may reduce merchant engineering time.
• Keep on Hold is positioned as a lightweight, plug-and-play option where merchants want minimal UI disruption.

Sharing and Social Behavior

• SWishlist directly supports sharing wishlists, which can lead to referral traffic, gift purchases, and higher conversion when friends buy items from a shared list.
• Keep on Hold does not emphasize social sharing; its value is later-stage recovery rather than social-driven acquisition.

Analysis

• Sharing is a distinct growth lever. For B2C brands selling gifts, fashion, or lifestyle goods, shareable wishlists have direct utility. If that is a priority, SWishlist is better-aligned to merchant needs.

Analytics and Reporting

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist

• Premium plan includes unlimited access to statistics. Lower tiers offer reduced reporting.
• Provides metrics on wishlist adds; may expose top wishlist items and usage patterns.

Keep on Hold Wishlist

• Offers reports of cart and wishlist transactions and which products appear in wishlists.
• Tracks adds/removes in the cart, enabling merchants to see which SKUs are frequently saved for later.

Analysis

• Both apps provide analytics oriented to their core use case: SWishlist shows wishlist adoption and drift; Keep on Hold ties activity to cart transactions.
• Feature parity on raw reporting exists at a basic level, but SWishlist’s premium reporting and access tiers suggest deeper visibility is available at higher price points.

Implementation & Setup

Time to Launch

• SWishlist: Marketing copy promises free setup for up to two themes and 24–48 hour support on the free plan, faster for paid tiers. This suggests a quick launch with assisted theme integration.
• Keep on Hold Wishlist: Advertised as fast to install and compatible across themes, with simple enablement in “a few minutes.”

Analysis

• For merchants with small development resources, both apps are low-friction. SWishlist may offer more hands-on setup for design alignment; Keep on Hold is attractive for immediate deployment.

Technical Footprint

• SWishlist supports API access, making it extensible for stores that want to pull wishlist data into custom dashboards or marketing automations.
• Keep on Hold works with Shopify login for persistence and tracks cart transactions; it likely uses Shopify APIs and cart scripts to operate.

Analysis

• If an engineer plans to integrate wishlist data into a CRM or email flows, SWishlist’s API focus is an advantage. If the merchant wants a fast, non-technical solution that works without custom integration, Keep on Hold’s simpler integration model is suitable.

Performance & Theme Compatibility

• Both apps claim broad theme compatibility. Keep on Hold emphasizes speed and compatibility as core selling points. SWishlist lists theme customization and setup support as benefits.
• Merchants should test on staging themes to ensure button placements, popups, and CSS do not clash with custom scripts or page load times.

Practical checklist before install:

• Test app on a duplicate theme.
• Confirm button placement on product and cart templates.
• Run Lighthouse or GTmetrix before-and-after to measure any front-end performance impact.
• Confirm mobile layout for wishlist UI.

Pricing & Value for Money

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist (public tiers)

• Free: 300 wishlist additions/month; 2 storefront languages; free setup up to 2 themes; 24–48 hour support.
• Basic ($5/month): 7000 wishlist additions/month; 7 storefront languages; includes Free features; 12–24 hour support.
• Premium ($12/month): Unlimited wishlist additions; 20 storefront languages; unlimited access to statistics; top-priority support.

Keep on Hold Wishlist

• No pricing listed on the public app summary (merchants must contact the developer or check the app listing for specifics).

Analysis

• SWishlist’s transparent tiering makes it easy for merchants to benchmark usage and cost. The free tier can be useful for low-traffic stores or to test behavior.
• Absence of a public pricing structure for Keep on Hold introduces uncertainty; merchants may need to request a quote or rely on hidden costs, which complicates budgeting.
• Relative value depends on volume: SWishlist offers straightforward scaling and predictable costs. If Keep on Hold's unknown pricing ends up similar or higher, SWishlist may represent better value for money for stores needing multilanguage support and clear limits.

Integrations & Extensibility

• SWishlist: Works with API, which supports custom integrations and can feed wishlist data into marketing or analytics tools indirectly.
• Keep on Hold: Integrates with Shopify login; its reporting allows merchants to follow up with customers but does not show external integration claims.

Analysis

• Merchants with email automation tools or CRMs will prefer apps that can export or push wishlist events. SWishlist’s API is an advantage for custom flows.
• Neither app advertises deep, out-of-the-box integrations with major ESPs or loyalty systems, which is an important consideration for merchants building a broader retention stack.

Support, Reviews & Developer Reputation

• SWishlist: 106 reviews with a 4.9 average rating. The review volume and high score indicate consistent merchant satisfaction and likely proactive support. Support SLA varies by plan (24–48 hrs free, faster for paid).
• Keep on Hold Wishlist: 5 reviews and a 4.3 rating. Lower review volume makes it harder to draw firm conclusions about long-term reliability. The app’s feature set is narrower and support expectations are less clearly tiered.

Analysis

• Higher review count and a strong average rating are strong indicators of product maturity and developer responsiveness. SWishlist’s 106 reviews and 4.9 rating suggest it has a steady user base.
• Keep on Hold’s small review sample means merchants should rely on direct testing and support response checks before committing.

Security, Data Ownership, and Privacy

• Both apps operate inside Shopify stores and will have access to product and cart data as required to function.
• Merchants should confirm:
  • How wishlist data is stored (Shopify metafields vs external database).
  • Whether wishlist exports are available for marketing usage.
  • Privacy handling if wishlists are shared publicly.

Best practice: Request documentation from the developer about data retention and export formats.

Use Cases and Merchant Recommendations

The following profiles help merchants decide which app fits specific operational goals.

• Merchants prioritizing social sharing, gift-giving, or multilanguage storefronts
  • Best fit: SWishlist: Simple Wishlist.
  • Why: Built-in sharing, multilanguage tiers, and predictable pricing.
• Merchants focused on cart abandonment and recovering near-purchase customers
  • Best fit: Keep on Hold Wishlist.
  • Why: Save-for-later directly converts cart removals into recoverable wishlist items.
• Merchants wanting the easiest possible install with minimal customization
  • Best fit: Keep on Hold Wishlist.
  • Why: Emphasizes quick setup and theme compatibility.
• Merchants looking for transparent pricing and support SLAs
  • Best fit: SWishlist: Simple Wishlist.
  • Why: Clear tier structure and support timelines.

Pros and Cons (Quick Reference)

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist

• Pros:
  • Clear, low-cost pricing ladder including a functional free tier.
  • Multilanguage support scaled by plan.
  • Shareable wishlists that drive social behavior.
  • Strong review count and high average rating (106 reviews, 4.9).
  • API access for custom integrations.
• Cons:
  • Core focus is wishlist-only—additional retention tools require other apps.
  • Some advanced analytics and features gated behind higher-tier plans.

Keep on Hold Wishlist

• Pros:
  • Captures save-for-later behavior directly from the cart.
  • Quick install and broad theme compatibility.
  • Optional Shopify login persistence for cross-device sync.
  • Transaction reporting for cart and wishlist activity.
• Cons:
  • Low review volume and lower average rating (5 reviews, 4.3) reduces confidence in scalability.
  • No public pricing increases friction for procurement.
  • Limited marketing integrations and no broader retention suite included.

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

Single-function apps can be efficient for a narrow problem—but they quickly create "app fatigue." This is the operational and financial drag that comes from managing multiple vendor relationships, conflicting scripts, duplicated functionality, and fragmented data sources. The result: duplicated costs, higher development overhead, and inconsistent customer experiences.

App Fatigue: Why It Matters

• Fragmented data: When wishlist events live in one app, review data in another, and rewards in a third, it becomes difficult to orchestrate cohesive retention campaigns or measure combined impact on LTV.
• Increased maintenance: Each app requires updates, compatibility testing with themes, and potential conflict resolution with other scripts.
• Rising marginal cost: Single-purpose apps may be inexpensive individually, but the cumulative monthly spend and integration time add up.
• Diminishing returns: New features launched across multiple apps are harder to combine into a unified journey for customers.

Merchants aiming to move beyond growth-by-acquisition and toward sustainable retention need a strategy that reduces tool count while increasing orchestration power.

Growave: More Growth, Less Stack

Growave positions itself as a retention platform that consolidates wishlist, loyalty & rewards, referrals, reviews & UGC, and VIP tiers into one system—minimizing the number of vendors while increasing the ability to run coordinated retention programs. The product is particularly attractive for stores seeking to raise repeat purchase rates, boost average order value with rewards, and close the data loop between reviews and loyalty.

Key capabilities include:

• Loyalty and Rewards program building with custom actions and VIP tiers.
• Referrals and virality features to turn existing customers into acquisition channels.
• Reviews and social proof workflows to collect and display authentic content.
• Wishlist functionality that integrates with loyalty and lifecycle automation.
• Enterprise features for Plus merchants and headless setups.

Growave’s platform is built to integrate with major marketing and customer support tools. Merchants can consolidate event flow from the wishlist into email automations, loyalty triggers, and review requests.

Relevant product paths and resources:

• Merchants can compare plans or consider a trial to assess consolidation benefits by visiting Growave’s pricing page under a phrase like consolidate retention features.
• For merchants focused on loyalty mechanics, learn how to build loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• To see how reviews can boost conversion and social proof, review guidance on how to collect and showcase authentic reviews.

Growave’s presence in the Shopify App Store provides a quick inspection of capabilities and installation options via the phrase available on the Shopify App Store.

How Growave Solves the Gaps Left by Single-Purpose Apps

• Unified data model: Wishlist adds, review events, and reward redemptions feed into the same customer profile, enabling more accurate lifecycle segmentation.
• Cross-feature automation: Points can be awarded for wishlist actions, referrals can boost VIP status, and review requests can be triggered after wishlist-driven purchases.
• Reduced script conflicts: One well-maintained integration replaces multiple third-party scripts, lowering the likelihood of theme-level breakage.
• Centralized analytics: Performance impacts across loyalty, referrals, and wishlists are visible in one place, simplifying ROI calculations.

Merchants interested in seeing how these features tie together can consolidate retention features and explore specific integrations through Growave’s App Store listing by visiting available on the Shopify App Store.

Practical Trade-offs: When to Consolidate vs Keep a Best-of-Breed App

Consolidate when:

• The merchant wants single-pane-of-glass reporting for retention metrics.
• Engineering resources are limited and ongoing integration maintenance is a significant cost.
• The goal is to run cross-feature campaigns (e.g., reward wishlist adds, incentivize review submissions after wishlist purchases).

Keep a best-of-breed app when:

• A single app’s unique capability materially outperforms consolidated features (e.g., enterprise-grade product recommendations or a specialized analytics vendor).
• A short-term A/B test requires a lightweight, disposable integration with minimal onboarding.

For many merchants, the middle path is to use an all-in-one retention platform as the primary system while keeping one specialized app only if its unique technical capability cannot be replicated. Growave is positioned to be that primary system.

Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated retention stack improves retention. (Book a personalized demo)

Integrations and Store Readiness with Growave

Growave supports a range of integration points to reduce development friction and maximize automation:

• Email and messaging tools (Klaviyo, Omnisend) for lifecycle campaigns tied to loyalty and wishlist events.
• Customer service tools (Gorgias) to surface loyalty status and wishlist information during support interactions.
• Commerce extensions and headless capabilities to embed loyalty and wishlist features in custom storefronts.

To learn more about Growave’s loyalty mechanics and integrations, merchants can read about loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and how to collect and showcase authentic reviews.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between SWishlist: Simple Wishlist and Keep on Hold Wishlist, the decision comes down to the specific retention problem to solve. SWishlist: Simple Wishlist (SoluCommerce) is an excellent choice for stores that need a simple, shareable, and multilingual wishlist with affordable and transparent tiers—backed by a strong review profile (106 reviews, 4.9). Keep on Hold Wishlist (Orchard Digital Solutions Inc) is better suited to brands that prioritize save-for-later behavior and cart recovery via a quick, lightweight install—though its smaller review base (5 reviews, 4.3) and lack of public pricing increase evaluation risk.

However, for stores that plan to scale retention—tying wishlists to loyalty, referrals, and review collection—choosing an integrated platform reduces complexity and often provides stronger long-term value. Growave offers that consolidation: loyalty programs, referral campaigns, review and UGC collection, wishlists, and VIP tiers in a single system. Merchants who want to reduce tool sprawl and improve retention should consider the benefits of a unified retention stack and can consolidate retention features to measure improved LTV and retention.

Start a 14-day free trial to experience how combining wishlist, loyalty, reviews, and referrals can simplify operations and accelerate repeat purchases. (consolidate retention features)

For quick reference:

• Best for shareable, multilingual wishlists and transparent pricing: SWishlist: Simple Wishlist.
• Best for lightweight cart recovery and save-for-later workflows: Keep on Hold Wishlist.
• Best for consolidating retention features and reducing app fatigue at scale: Growave (consider exploring loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and ways to collect and showcase authentic reviews).

FAQ

How do SWishlist and Keep on Hold differ in terms of long-term retention impact?

SWishlist improves the discovery and social sharing pathways, which can increase referral-driven purchases and gift-oriented conversions. Keep on Hold improves recovery of near-purchase behavior by converting cart removals into actionable wishlists. Long-term retention impact depends on whether the store relies more on social sharing and curated collections (SWishlist) or on recovering high-intent cart abandoners (Keep on Hold). For consistent, multi-channel retention impact, a platform that ties both behaviors to loyalty and lifecycle automation will typically deliver higher LTV.

Which app is better for multilingual stores?

SWishlist explicitly scales multilingual support by plan and lists storefront languages prominently in its pricing tiers (2 languages on Free, up to 20 on Premium). That makes SWishlist a clearer fit for merchants targeting multiple language markets. Keep on Hold does not advertise multilanguage support prominently in the app summary.

How does support and reliability compare between the two apps?

SWishlist has a larger review base (106 reviews) and a very high average rating (4.9), suggesting consistent support and product stability. Keep on Hold has fewer reviews (5) and a lower average rating (4.3), which increases the importance of direct testing and support checks before committing. Merchants should validate SLAs and response times directly with each developer.

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

An integrated retention platform consolidates wishlist, loyalty, referrals, and reviews so that data flows between features and campaigns run with shared context. This reduces engineering overhead and makes it easier to execute cross-feature strategies (e.g., reward wishlist adds or trigger review requests after wishlist-driven purchases). For merchants with limited engineering resources or who prioritize coordinated retention, an all-in-one platform usually offers superior long-term value for money. To compare options and see how consolidation could work in practice, merchants can explore how to consolidate retention features and read about creating loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.