SWishlist vs SE Wishlist Engine: In-Depth Comparison

Introduction

Choosing the right wishlist solution is a surprisingly consequential decision for Shopify merchants. Wishlists are not just a convenience; they gather signals about demand, reduce friction in repeat purchases, and create opportunities for targeted re-engagement. With dozens of wishlist apps available, picking the tool that balances features, integrations, and value for money takes careful comparison.

Short answer: SWishlist: Simple Wishlist is an excellent choice for merchants who want a focused, easy-to-install wishlist with a very low price point and simple customization. SE Wishlist Engine fits stores that need richer automation (like price-drop and restock alerts), deeper email actioning, and broader native integrations. For merchants who want to consolidate multiple retention tools into one coordinated platform — loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlist — Growave provides better value for money by combining these capabilities into a single suite.

This post provides a detailed, side-by-side look at SWishlist: Simple Wishlist and SE Wishlist Engine. It covers features, pricing and value, integrations, support, implementation considerations, and real-world use cases so merchants can decide which app matches their priorities — and why an integrated retention stack may be a smarter long-term investment.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist vs. SE Wishlist Engine: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

The following sections compare the two apps across multiple practical criteria. Each section highlights what the capability means to merchant outcomes like retention, conversion, average order value (AOV), and lifetime value (LTV).

Features

A wishlist app can be judged by what it enables beyond simply saving an item. This section compares the two apps’ functional surface and how each can turn saved intent into revenue.

Adding & Saving Items

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist focuses on simplicity. The interface emphasizes easy "add to wishlist" actions and seamless favorites management across product pages and collection listings. Its Free tier caps wishlist additions at 300 per month, and paid tiers scale to large or unlimited additions, so merchants can start small and scale if user engagement grows.

SE Wishlist Engine supports unlimited wishlist items on paid plans and includes variant change detection on product pages (notable on Free and Basic tiers). That makes it practical for stores selling products with many variants where customers expect the wishlist to track a specific variant rather than a generic product page link.

Impact for merchants:

• If the store frequently uses variants and customers expect precise variant saves, SE Wishlist Engine offers better fidelity out of the box.
• For stores where the wishlist is primarily a lightweight bookmarking tool, SWishlist provides the essentials with lower entry cost.

Sharing, Guest Wishlist, and Social Reach

Both apps support sharing wishlists, but the mechanics differ.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist explicitly markets wishlist sharing with friends and social options plus multi-language storefront support. It’s tuned for customers who want a shareable list with straightforward design matching.

SE Wishlist Engine includes social sharing and a guest wishlist feature (customers can save items without logging in). Guest wishlists reduce signup friction and capture more anonymous intent, which can be converted later using email prompts or retargeting.

Impact for merchants:

• Guest wishlist support often produces higher adoption because it removes the login friction point. SE’s support for guest lists is a competitive advantage for conversion-focused merchants.
• SWishlist is strong for stores prioritizing localization and visual consistency in sharing workflows.

Email Alerts, Price Drops, and Restock Notifications

This is a major differentiator.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist emphasizes core wishlist features and does not advertise advanced automated alerts as a headline capability. Merchants relying on wishlist-to-email conversions may need to build custom flows or connect external tools.

SE Wishlist Engine’s Advanced and Premium plans include wishlist reminders, low-stock alerts, price-drop and restock notifications, and customizable unlimited emails. It also integrates with common marketing stacks (e.g., Klaviyo), enabling automated lifecycle flows around wishlist events.

Impact for merchants:

• SE Wishlist Engine is the stronger option for converting wishlist saves into sales through timely automated messaging. That capability can directly move saved items into purchased items, reducing lost demand and abandoned carts.
• SWishlist will be sufficient when the wishlist’s role is mainly to improve UX and social sharing, not driver-led conversion via automated alerts.

Analytics & Insights

Understanding which products are saved most often is critical for merchandising and inventory planning.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist includes analytics at higher tiers (Premium offers unlimited statistics). It covers basic insights and internationalization metrics.

SE Wishlist Engine provides basic and advanced insights depending on the plan and offers product-level reports that show who saved which items. Advanced plans add export/import capabilities, which help with off-platform analysis and CRM enrichment.

Impact for merchants:

• For basic insights to inform merchandising, both apps can deliver usable data; SE offers deeper, action-ready insights aligned to its email automation features.
• Stores needing raw data exports and merging wishlist data into CRM flows will appreciate SE’s import/export and Klaviyo integration.

Customization & Design

Theme matching and UI customization matter when the wishlist needs to feel native to the store.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist touts “customize everything to perfectly match your store,” and the Free plan includes setup for up to two themes. Paid tiers increase language support and priority in setup response time. That focus on visual fit makes SWishlist friendly for merchants who want a small visual footprint aligned to brand without heavy dev work.

SE Wishlist Engine allows customizing buttons and icons and hides branding on paid plans. The app provides wishlist page and popup layouts. Advanced design controls and multi-language email template support appear at higher tiers.

Impact for merchants:

• SWishlist’s straightforward theming and setup assistance can accelerate launch for small stores.
• SE’s ability to hide branding and customize email templates is valuable for stores that treat wishlists as an owned channel for email conversion.

Performance & Scalability

Performance factors include load time impact, how the app handles very high wishlist volumes, and the ability to operate across languages and multi-currency stores.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist has a Free tier for small usage and Premium tiers designed for unlimited wishlist additions and broader language support (20 languages). This suggests the app can scale horizontally when wishlist volumes rise.

SE Wishlist Engine’s paid tiers support unlimited wishlist items, multi-language and multi-currency on Premium, and explicit support for variant detection and inventory-based alerts — capabilities that indicate the app is built to support more complex catalogs and larger traffic.

Impact for merchants:

• Merchants scaling to high wishlist activity should evaluate both apps for performance impact on storefronts — particularly at seasonal peaks.
• Both apps offer paid plans that remove limits on saves; SE’s advanced alerts give an edge for catalogs with inventory dynamism.

Integrations & Ecosystem

A wishlist should plug into the broader martech stack for maximum ROI. Evaluate native integrations and API access.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist lists API compatibility. That allows custom integrations, but requires developer resources to connect wishlist events to marketing automation or CRM systems.

SE Wishlist Engine advertises direct integrations with Klaviyo, PageFly, and Shopify customer accounts. Klaviyo integration is particularly important for ecommerce email flows, and PageFly compatibility helps stores built with that page builder.

Impact for merchants:

• Brands using Klaviyo for lifecycle email will get faster time to value with SE Wishlist Engine’s native integration.
• Stores that prefer a custom integration approach and have dev resources may find SWishlist’s API sufficient and cost-effective.

Pricing & Value for Money

Pricing should be evaluated not just on monthly cost but on expected ROI and the degree to which the app reduces other tool needs.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist pricing tiers:

• Free — 300 wishlist additions per month, 2 storefront languages, free setup for up to 2 themes, support within 24–48 hours.
• Basic ($5/mo) — 7,000 wishlist additions per month, 7 languages, faster support.
• Premium ($12/mo) — Unlimited wishlist additions, 20 languages, unlimited statistics, top-priority support.

SE Wishlist Engine pricing tiers:

• Free — up to 100 wishlist items, basic customization, variant detection, wishlist page & popup.
• Basic ($7.99/mo) — Unlimited wishlist, hide branding, more customization.
• Advanced ($14.99/mo) — Wishlist reminders, price drop & restock alerts, product recommendations, unlimited emails, Klaviyo integration.
• Premium ($21.99/mo) — Adds multi-language & multi-currency, advanced insights, product recommendation.

Value considerations:

• SWishlist’s Premium plan at $12/mo delivers unlimited saves and significant language support at a lower price than SE’s top tiers, making it better value for merchants primarily seeking scale in saves and localization.
• SE Wishlist Engine’s Advanced plan ($14.99) or Premium ($21.99) unlocks automation, integrations, and alerting that can directly drive additional sales. For merchants who can convert wishlist signals into purchases via email automations, SE’s higher-tier plans can deliver outsized ROI.
• Neither app includes loyalty, referrals, or reviews. Merchants chasing broader retention programs should factor in the added cost of separate tools.

Phrase to note: "better value for money" should be used where applicable — SE delivers better value for merchants prioritizing automation, while SWishlist delivers better value for stores focused on simplicity and localization at a low monthly cost.

Support & SLA

Support quality affects time-to-launch and problem resolution.

SWishlist: Offers support windows that vary by plan — Free users receive 24–48 hour support, Basic gets faster (12–24 hours), and Premium gets top priority. Basic setup assistance is included for up to two themes.

SE Wishlist Engine: Support details are not listed in the provided data, but feature tiers include advanced controls and integrations that often require more onboarding. SE’s approach to support is likely to vary with plan level; merchants should confirm response times and SLAs before selecting a tier.

Impact for merchants:

• Stores with limited development support will benefit from clearer onboarding and faster response times — SWishlist documents those windows explicitly.
• For SE, a merchant that relies on Klaviyo integration should verify the onboarding assistance provided, especially for automations.

Security and Compliance

Neither product listing explicitly details security or privacy certifications within the provided data. Merchants handling PII and consented email flows should validate whether each app follows Shopify’s security best practices and data handling rules, especially if syncing wishlist contact info to external CRMs.

Implementation & Migration

Moving from zero to a wishlist takes design, testing, and possibly data migration.

Implementation factors to check:

• Theme compatibility and whether setup is manual or assisted (SWishlist offers setup for themes).
• If migrating wishlist data from another app, SE’s import/export features are convenient on higher tiers.
• For any custom flows (e.g., variant-level wishlist saves feeding Klaviyo), examine whether native integrations exist or an API project is needed.

Recommendation:

• Small stores without existing wishlist data will get launched fastest with SWishlist.
• Stores migrating from another wishlist tool or needing CRM sync will appreciate SE’s import/export and Klaviyo integration.

Use Cases: Which App Fits Which Merchant

This section translates the feature comparison into real merchant archetypes so decision-makers can match needs to the app.

• Small independent brand with limited tech support and multi-language storefront needs: SWishlist is a solid fit. The Free and Basic plans allow inexpensive scale and straightforward setup with theme assistance.
• Boutique store that relies on gifting and social sharing: SWishlist’s sharing focus and easy design matching are well-suited.
• Mid-market brand using Klaviyo as its primary lifecycle tool and seeking to convert wishlist intent into sales via automated emails: SE Wishlist Engine is the better fit because of its native Klaviyo integration and alerting features.
• High-growth store with a large catalog and variant-driven SKUs that needs precise variant saves and inventory-aware messages: SE’s variant detection and restock/price-drop alerts provide clear value.
• Merchants who want to consolidate multiple retention features (loyalty, referrals, reviews, wishlist) to reduce app sprawl: neither single-purpose app will do that alone; an integrated platform is the more strategic choice.

Pros and Cons

Below are concise lists of tradeoffs for each app to aid fast decision-making.

SWishlist: Simple Wishlist

• Pros:
  • Very affordable entry and low monthly cost options.
  • Clear language and setup support tiers.
  • Good multi-language coverage at paid levels (up to 20 languages).
  • High rating (4.9) across 106 reviews suggests a positive user experience.
• Cons:
  • Limited native automation (price-drop or restock alerts not listed).
  • Integrations appear limited to API, requiring development work to connect to CRMs or email platforms.
  • Free plan cap (300 additions/mo) may be constraining for growing stores.

SE Wishlist Engine

• Pros:
  • Broader feature set with automated alerts (price drop, restock, low stock).
  • Native Klaviyo and PageFly integrations; guest wishlist support reduces friction.
  • Advanced plans include product recommendations and import/export features.
  • Large review base (249 reviews) with a 4.9 average rating indicates strong market trust.
• Cons:
  • Highest-tier pricing is notably higher than SWishlist’s Premium plan.
  • Merchants only needing a basic wishlist may overpay for features they won’t use.
  • Multi-language & multi-currency are reserved for the top tier.

Practical Recommendations Before Installing

• Map out the wishlist’s role: Is it primarily a UX convenience, a social sharing tool, or a conversion pipeline for email triggers? Choose the app that aligns with that role.
• Check email platform compatibility: If the store already uses Klaviyo, prioritize SE Wishlist Engine for quicker integration.
• Evaluate traffic and wishlist volume projections: If expecting high save volumes or extensive multi-language support, choose the plan that avoids monthly caps.
• Budget for total retention tooling: If the store will add loyalty, reviews, and referral functionality later, calculate the combined monthly cost of adding those specialized apps versus a consolidated platform.

Migration Considerations

• Export capability: SE’s import/export features simplify migration from another wishlist app; SWishlist may require API-based migration.
• Data mapping: Inventory-aware alerts require variant-level mapping; confirm each app’s data schema before migration.
• QA testing: Test variant detection, share links, and email triggers in a staging environment to avoid customer confusion.

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

Many merchants eventually confront “app fatigue” — the operational drag of managing multiple single-purpose apps that each take time to configure, maintain, and reconcile with analytics. A wishlist, loyalty program, review engine, and referral tool are all retention levers, but stitched together from separate vendors they create duplicated admin work, inconsistent UX, and potential integration gaps.

An alternative approach is an integrated retention platform that bundles core features into one product. Growave pursues that path with a "More Growth, Less Stack" philosophy: instead of multiple stand-alone tools for wishlists, loyalty, referrals, and reviews, Growave combines those capabilities into a single suite. That reduces the number of vendor relationships, centralizes customer data, and allows cross-functional campaigns that drive retention and LTV.

Key benefits of consolidating features into one platform:

• Single customer profile for loyalty, wishlists, and reviews — enabling more precise personalization.
• Unified reporting across channels so merchants can see how wishlists interact with rewards and referral programs.
• Reduced technical overhead because fewer apps mean fewer theme edits, less API maintenance, and fewer integration points to monitor.

Growave’s integrated components address the gaps left by single-purpose wishlist apps:

• Loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases: Growave’s loyalty engine enables points, tiered VIP programs, and custom reward actions that tie directly to wishlist behaviors. Merchants can create campaigns where wishlist saves earn small incentives or where reward points are used to nudge saved items into purchase. Learn how loyalty programs can increase repeat purchase rates by exploring Growave’s approach to loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases.
• Collect and showcase authentic reviews: Platform-native review tools cut down reliance on separate review apps and improve the conversion power of social proof. For stores that value customer feedback as a conversion lever, it’s useful to collect and showcase authentic reviews within the same system that captures wishlist intent.
• Centralized wishlist capability: Rather than a single wishlist app disconnected from loyalty and referrals, Growave’s wishlist module works within the same customer lifecycle ecosystem — enabling flows like “customers who saved X receive a points offer” without separate API glue.

Practical linkages and capabilities:

• Consolidate retention features across loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlists in a single billing and settings console so staff spend less time toggling dashboards and more time optimizing campaigns. Merchants evaluating consolidation can view plan structures and compare options by deciding to consolidate retention features into one platform.
• For brands using Klaviyo and other ESPs, Growave supports integrations that reduce duplication of data and minimize complex workarounds. Merchant stories and implementations can be a useful reference; see customer stories from brands scaling retention for examples of how a unified approach impacts repeat purchase rates.
• For merchants on Shopify Plus or planning for enterprise scale, Growave offers dedicated support and headless capabilities; review the options for solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Multiple contextual links to pricing and installers:

• Merchants comparing the cost of multiple apps versus a single integrated suite should consider how subscription overhead and integration time add up. View plan options to evaluate total cost over time and decide whether to consolidate retention features into one platform.
• Growave is available on the Shopify App Store for fast installation, simplifying adoption and trial. Many merchants find it convenient to install directly from the Shopify App Store when testing an integrated stack.
• For merchants who prefer to evaluate ROI before committing, the pricing page provides plan comparisons and trial options so stores can compare Growave plans and trial options.

Why consolidation often wins over best-of-breed single features:

• Integrated reward triggers: A wishlist save can automatically trigger loyalty points or progress toward a VIP tier without separate syncing.
• Unified customer journeys: A single customer ID across wishlist, referral, and review activities enables more reliable segmentation and attribution.
• Reduced theme and performance risk: Each installed app can add scripts and requests; fewer apps reduce potential performance regressions.

How Growave specifically maps to wishlist-driven outcomes:

• Use wishlist data to fuel targeted rewards campaigns: reward customers who save high-value items with points to nudge purchase.
• Turn saved items into social proof: combine wishlist popularity with review amplification to highlight products with high intent.
• Automate cross-promotions: when a saved product restocks, the platform can prompt referral offers or reward-based discounts in a single coordinated flow.

For retailers that are still curious about whether an all-in-one approach fits their roadmap, explore how Growave’s bundles compare to purchasing multiple separate apps by reviewing how to consolidate retention features into one platform. Retailers on Plus or scaling teams should evaluate enterprise guidance by reviewing solutions for high-growth Plus brands.

Additional contextual resources:

• Merchants interested in integrating reviews and UGC with wishlist insights will find it useful to collect and showcase authentic reviews that increase confident purchases.
• For an up-close walkthrough of the platform’s consolidated features, merchants can find implementation stories and inspiration that demonstrate how integration reduces tool sprawl in practice at customer stories from brands scaling retention.

Pricing Comparison: Total Cost of Ownership

Comparing sticker price is only part of the decision; total cost of ownership (TCO) includes the time spent integrating, maintaining multiple apps, and the opportunity cost of fragmented customer data.

• SWishlist: lowest monthly outlay for a wishlist feature. Expect to spend additional monthly fees if loyalty, reviews, or referral features are required via other apps.
• SE Wishlist Engine: higher monthly price when advanced alerts and multi-language features are required; still requires separate tools for loyalty and reviews.
• Growave: higher baseline cost than a standalone wishlist app but consolidates multiple features (loyalty, referral, reviews, wishlist). The TCO often becomes favorable once the merchant adds a loyalty program or a review engine separately.

To compare the practical economics, merchants should lay out:

• Expected conversion rate lift from wishlist-to-email automation.
• Monthly costs of additional apps (loyalty, reviews, referrals).
• Internal maintenance and theme editing hours saved with consolidation.

See detailed plan options to evaluate how consolidation shifts monthly totals by reviewing the choice to consolidate retention features into one platform.

Implementation Checklist

Before installing any wishlist app, follow this checklist:

• Define primary business objective for the wishlist (drive sales, reduce abandoned carts, improve social sharing, etc.).
• Audit existing marketing stack (ESP, CRM, page builders) for integration needs.
• Estimate monthly wishlist additions to select proper tier.
• Confirm multi-language and multi-currency needs.
• Budget for integration and QA hours.
• If consolidating multiple retention tools, calculate total cost of separate apps vs integrated plans and review pricing details.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between SWishlist: Simple Wishlist and SE Wishlist Engine, the decision comes down to priorities: SWishlist is a very cost-effective, simple, and well-rated wishlist solution for stores that want quick deployment, multi-language support at a low price, and theme assistance. SE Wishlist Engine is better suited to stores that want wishlist-driven automations, email conversions, and native integrations with ESPs like Klaviyo.

Beyond that choice, many merchants face ongoing overhead from running multiple single-purpose apps. For businesses that want to reduce tool sprawl and align retention activities (wishlists, loyalty, referrals, reviews), an integrated retention platform is a compelling alternative. Growave’s "More Growth, Less Stack" approach bundles wishlist functionality with loyalty and rewards, reviews and UGC, referrals, and VIP tiers — helping merchants capture wishlist intent and convert it into repeat purchases through coordinated campaigns. Shop owners can evaluate whether consolidation reduces total cost and improves LTV by reviewing Growave’s plans and trial options to consolidate retention features into one platform.

Start a 14-day free trial to see how a unified retention stack reduces app bloat and increases customer lifetime value. (Start a 14-day free trial: Start a 14-day free trial to see how a unified retention stack reduces app bloat)

For more reading on how Growave integrates loyalty with wishlist signals, explore how merchants use loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and how the platform helps stores collect and showcase authentic reviews. Merchants who prefer trialing via the Shopify marketplace can also install directly from the Shopify App Store.

FAQ

What are the main functional differences between SWishlist: Simple Wishlist and SE Wishlist Engine?

• SWishlist focuses on a lean wishlist experience with easy theming and multi-language support at a low monthly cost. SE Wishlist Engine includes more conversion-oriented features such as price-drop/restock alerts, variant detection, and native Klaviyo integration that help convert saved items into purchases.

How do the two apps compare on integration with email platforms like Klaviyo?

• SE Wishlist Engine provides direct Klaviyo integration on higher tiers, making it straightforward to build lifecycle flows triggered by wishlist events. SWishlist exposes API access, which can be used to integrate with Klaviyo but typically requires development work.

Which app offers better value for money?

• It depends on merchant priorities. SWishlist offers better value for money for stores wanting a simple, low-cost wishlist with fast setup and language options. SE Wishlist Engine offers better value for merchants who prioritize automation and direct conversion of wishlist signals into sales.

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

• An all-in-one platform reduces the number of apps to manage, centralizes customer data, and enables cross-functional campaigns (e.g., using wishlist saves to trigger loyalty rewards or review requests). That consolidation often lowers the total cost of ownership and improves retention outcomes because customer behavior can be acted on across channels without heavy integration work. See how merchants can consolidate retention features into one platform and evaluate integrated approaches to loyalty and reviews through loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases and collect and showcase authentic reviews.