Introduction
Shopify merchants face a crowded app marketplace where single-purpose tools promise targeted wins but can quickly bloat a store’s tech stack. Choosing the right wishlist app is about more than a button on product pages—wishlists influence customer retention, recovery of intent, and repeat purchase behavior. This comparison focuses on two popular wishlist apps: Ultimate Wishlist (Config Studio) and SWishlist: Simple Wishlist (SoluCommerce). The goal is an evidence-based, practical assessment that helps merchants pick the right tool for their priorities.
Short answer: Ultimate Wishlist is a strong pick for stores that want a highly customizable wishlist with simple reporting and scalable email reminders at predictable low monthly cost. SWishlist: Simple Wishlist is better suited for merchants who expect heavier wishlist volume, multi-language storefronts, and faster vendor support. For merchants wanting to reduce app sprawl while unlocking loyalty, referrals, reviews, and wishlists from one place, an integrated platform can provide better value for money than adding another single-purpose app.
This post provides a feature-by-feature comparison of Ultimate Wishlist and SWishlist: Simple Wishlist across functionality, pricing, integrations, analytics, support, and real merchant fit. After the comparison, the article explains how a consolidated retention stack can solve app fatigue and presents an alternative path.
Ultimate Wishlist vs. SWishlist: Simple Wishlist: At a Glance
| Aspect | Ultimate Wishlist (Config Studio) | SWishlist: Simple Wishlist (SoluCommerce) |
|---|---|---|
| Core Function | Fully customizable wishlist with guest/registered support and email reminders | Lightweight wishlist focused on favorites, multi-language support and unlimited plans |
| Best For | Stores needing text-level customization, built-in reminder emails, and simple analytics | Stores needing high-volume wishlist capacity, multi-language frontends, and faster support SLAs |
| Rating (Shopify) | 4.9 (34 reviews) | 4.9 (106 reviews) |
| Key Features | Guest + account wishlists; share via social/email; email reminders; dashboard analytics; non-English support | Add-to-wishlist; shareable lists; theme customization; multi-language storefront; unlimited additions on higher plans |
| Pricing Entry | Free (up to 500 wishlist/month) — paid tiers from $4.99 to $14.99 | Free (300 additions/month) — paid tiers $5 and $12 (unlimited) |
| Notable Limits | Addition caps by plan; incremental email reminder quotas | Addition caps on lower tiers; free plan limited languages & support response times |
| Integrations | Facebook pixel on premium; basic analytics in dashboard | API support; storefront localization; theme setup assistance |
Deep Dive Comparison
The following sections analyze capabilities in merchant-focused terms: how each feature impacts retention, average order value (AOV), and repeat purchases.
Feature Set and On-Page Experience
Wishlist Creation: Guests vs. Accounts
Ultimate Wishlist supports both guest wishlists and account-linked wishlists. Guest wishlist capability reduces friction for first-time browsers who are wary of creating accounts, while account-linked wishlists enable cross-device persistence once users log in. This hybrid approach helps capture intent immediately and convert persistent interest into returning visits.
SWishlist emphasizes a streamlined favorites workflow and supports storefront account wishlists through API and theme integration. Its focus is on a simple, fast path to save items, which is ideal for stores prioritizing performance and low-friction UX.
Implications for merchants:
- If cross-device continuity is essential (customers frequently switch devices), Ultimate Wishlist’s clear guest/account model is valuable.
- If speed and a minimal interface are priorities, SWishlist’s simple favorites approach can reduce page weight and cognitive load.
Add-To-Wishlist UI and Customization
Ultimate Wishlist advertises extensive text and appearance customization to match store design, including non-English text support and collection page placement. Merchants seeking pixel-perfect UI alignment and brand-consistent messaging will find these controls beneficial.
SWishlist also allows full customization to match store themes and supports theme setup for multiple themes on the free plan (up to 2 themes). That makes SWishlist easy to apply across stores or multiple storefronts with consistent visual treatment.
Practical takeaway:
- For stores with complex theme setups or strong brand design requirements, both apps offer customization; choose based on the granularity required and the merchant’s comfort with theme edits.
Sharing and Social Features
Both apps allow sharing wishlists via common channels. Ultimate Wishlist lists Facebook, Twitter, and Email as built-in share pathways. SWishlist enables sharing with friends as well and emphasizes a clean sharing flow.
From a retention standpoint, social sharing can boost new customer discovery and return visits when friends engage with shared lists. The difference is minor on capability; implementation and messaging drive results.
Email Reminders and Behavioral Retention Tools
Ultimate Wishlist includes built-in email reminder templates and escalating reminder quotas across paid plans (Basic to Premium). This is an important retention lever: automated reminders can recover intent and prompt purchase when an item restocks or drops in price.
SWishlist does not list built-in reminder emails in the provided feature set. Its focus is wishlist capture and sharing rather than automated re-engagement through email.
Retention implication:
- Merchants who rely on wishlist-triggered email flows to recover intent will find direct value in Ultimate Wishlist’s reminder features, especially on Pro and Premium plans.
- Stores already using an email provider (Klaviyo, Omnisend) can integrate wishlist events into existing flows if the wishlist app exposes events via API or apps integration—this is where integrations become critical (covered later).
Analytics and Reporting
Ultimate Wishlist promotes a "powerful dashboard with analytics of Wishlist add, page view, added to cart." This provides quick, built-in insights into which products attract intent, enabling merchandising and promotional decisions without exporting data.
SWishlist’s Premium plan offers "unlimited access to all statistics" but stores on lower tiers may have limited visibility. For merchants needing immediate analytics in the admin rather than building custom reports, Ultimate Wishlist’s dashboard is an advantage at entry-level plans.
Operational note:
- If analytics are the main reason to add a wishlist app (e.g., to discover high-intent SKUs and adjust inventory/marketing), ensure the chosen app gives the right level of insight at the plan price.
Pricing and Value
Pricing patterns for wishlist apps matter because many merchants add multiple point solutions. Evaluate cost relative to wishlist volume, reminder limits, and support SLAs.
Ultimate Wishlist Pricing (summary)
- Free: Up to 500 wishlist additions/month; guest wishlist; collection page placement; share; customization; non-English support; full reports.
- Basic ($4.99/mo): Everything in Free; up to 1,000 items/month; custom email template; up to 500 email reminders/month.
- Pro ($9.99/mo): Everything in Basic; send reminders to individual users; up to 5,000 items/month; up to 2,000 reminders/month.
- Premium ($14.99/mo): Everything in Pro; up to 10,000 items/month; up to 5,000 reminders/month; Facebook pixel integration.
Ultimate Wishlist’s pricing is inexpensive and scales with email reminder limits as a key differentiator. For stores with moderate wishlist volume and a need for built-in re-engagement, this can be a cost-effective solution.
SWishlist Pricing (summary)
- Free: 300 wishlist additions/month; 2 languages on storefront; free setup up to 2 themes; 24–48 hour support.
- Basic ($5/mo): 7,000 wishlist additions/month; 7 storefront languages; support within 12–24 hours.
- Premium ($12/mo): Unlimited wishlist additions; 20 storefront languages; unlimited statistics access; top priority support.
SWishlist positions value around raw wishlist capacity and localization. The Premium tier unlocks unlimited additions and priority support at a $12/month price point, making it attractive for high-volume stores that need multi-language support.
Pricing Comparison: Value for Money
- For small stores with limited wishlist activity and desire for email reminders, Ultimate Wishlist’s free and Basic tiers may offer better value, especially where in-app reminder capacity matters.
- For stores that expect high wishlist volume or require robust multi-language storefronts, SWishlist’s Premium tier provides better scaling of additions and language coverage for a slight premium.
- Both apps offer free plans, but caps differ (500 vs 300 monthly additions). Merchants should model expected wishlist traffic before choosing.
Overall, SWishlist gives more headroom on additions in paid plans, while Ultimate Wishlist provides more built-in re-engagement tools at low cost—both represent good value depending on the primary goal (volume vs re-engagement).
Integrations and API Access
Native Integrations
Ultimate Wishlist includes a Facebook pixel integration at the Premium tier, which helps feed intent events into ad platforms for retargeting. This is useful when mapping wishlist adds to audiences for paid campaigns.
SWishlist lists API support and free setup for themes, indicating a readiness to integrate into custom storefronts and to emit events to other systems. Merchants relying on a developer to wire wishlist adds into marketing platforms should verify event types and payload details.
Integration implications:
- If ad retargeting based on wishlist actions is a priority, check Ultimate Wishlist’s pixel implementation and whether event parameters match existing audience rules.
- If custom data flows (webhooks, direct API) are required for internal reporting or advanced automation, SWishlist’s API orientation can be a stronger fit—confirm API docs and webhook availability.
Compatibility with Email & CRM Tools
Neither app lists a broad native integration matrix in the provided descriptions. Merchants using Klaviyo, Omnisend, or other ESPs should confirm whether wishlist events can be forwarded or connected via webhooks or third-party middleware.
Merchants who want a seamless path to connect wishlists with loyalty or referral programs need to consider an integrated retention suite (covered in the Alternative section). Integrations reduce manual work and increase the ability to trigger loyalty or win-back campaigns from wishlist behavior.
Setup, Theming, and Implementation Effort
Onboarding and Theme Installation
SWishlist offers free setup for up to two themes on the free plan and faster support response times in paid tiers, indicating a hands-on onboarding model. For merchants who prefer vendor-assisted installs, SWishlist’s model lowers the friction.
Ultimate Wishlist allows customization of text and appearance with non-English support; the level of vendor-assisted installation is less clear from the description. The app appears designed for self-configuration, which can be faster for stores with developer resources.
Practical note:
- Stores without technical resources will value SWishlist’s free setup and quicker support SLAs.
- Merchants with in-house developers or page builders may prefer Ultimate Wishlist’s self-service customization.
Performance & Page Weight
Neither app publishes explicit page weight or performance metrics in the provided descriptions. However, the scope of an app—extra JavaScript, social share buttons, and analytics—can impact product and collection pages.
Advice:
- Test each app on a staging environment; evaluate first contentful paint and interactive time after installing the app. A faster, lighter wishlist encourages usage and reduces bounce risk.
Support, SLAs, and Vendor Reputation
Review Volume and Rating Context
- Ultimate Wishlist: 34 reviews, rating 4.9
- SWishlist: 106 reviews, rating 4.9
Both apps show identical high ratings (4.9), indicating strong user satisfaction among reviewers. SWishlist’s larger review count (106) suggests broader usage or longer time on the market, which can give merchants more confidence in edge-case handling and vendor maturity.
Support Response and Priority
SWishlist explicitly lists support windows: Free plan 24–48 hours, Basic plan 12–24 hours, Premium top priority. Clear SLAs are helpful for stores that need fast turnaround on bug fixes or theme adjustments.
Ultimate Wishlist does not specify support response times in the given data, but it offers customizable email templates and reporting. Merchants should check the app listing for current support policies and response metrics before committing.
Data Controls, Privacy, and Ownership
Wishlists can capture customer preferences and PII when connected to accounts. Merchants should understand how each app stores data, export capabilities, and whether customer wishlist data can be exported for CRM or analytics.
- Ultimate Wishlist provides reporting; verify whether exports include user identifiers and can be pushed to CRM.
- SWishlist’s API suggests programmatic access to wishlist events and data exports, which may be preferable for merchants wanting to centralize data.
Merchants must ensure compliance with privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) and review data retention policies before installation.
Use Cases and Merchant Match
The following sections are practical recommendations for which merchants will benefit most from each app.
When to Choose Ultimate Wishlist
- Priority is on built-in email reminders to recover wishlist intent without building flows in an ESP.
- The store needs guest wishlist functionality with easy account conversion for cross-device persistence.
- The merchant wants an inexpensive entry point with a usable analytics dashboard for product interest.
- Marketing relies on Facebook pixel data from wishlist adds and the merchant wants that integration available.
Ultimate Wishlist delivers these elements at low monthly cost, making it a suitable fit for small-to-midsize stores that want wishlist-driven re-engagement without adding new marketing workflows.
When to Choose SWishlist: Simple Wishlist
- The store anticipates high wishlist traffic and requires a plan that scales to unlimited additions.
- Multiple storefront languages are needed and the merchant expects to serve many locales.
- Fast vendor support and theme setup assistance are important for quick launch across themes.
- The store prefers an API-first approach to route wishlist events into existing systems.
SWishlist is a practical choice for growing or international stores that need localization and higher throughput without complex setup.
Pros and Cons — Quick Summaries
Ultimate Wishlist — Key Strengths
- Strong built-in email reminder capabilities across tiers.
- Simple analytics dashboard for wishlist adds and conversions.
- Guest and account wishlist support for cross-device behavior.
- Very low-cost tiers for small stores.
Ultimate Wishlist — Limitations
- Lower review count (34) compared to SWishlist; less social proof.
- Feature depth tied to plan limits (additions and reminder quotas).
- Support SLAs not clearly stated in provided data.
SWishlist: Simple Wishlist — Key Strengths
- Higher review count (106) suggesting broader adoption.
- Plans favor high-volume additions and broad language support.
- Theme setup assistance on free plan and priority support on premium.
- API access for custom integrations.
SWishlist: Simple Wishlist — Limitations
- No explicit built-in email reminder feature listed.
- Free plan has smaller addition cap (300/month) than Ultimate Wishlist (500/month).
- Merchants relying on automated wishlist re-engagement may need to build additional flows.
Performance, Scalability & Practical Considerations
Handling Growth and Wishlist Volume
Wishlist volume should be forecasted as part of launch planning. A few guidelines:
- Estimate wishlist-add frequency per visitor and multiply by expected monthly visitors. Compare that to the plan limits of each app.
- If wishlist additions approach plan caps, prefer a plan or vendor that offers an unlimited or high-capacity tier to avoid throttling or surprise overage.
- Confirm whether wishlist events are throttled during peak hours and whether the vendor has a documented uptime SLA.
SWishlist has clear tiers oriented toward volume, including an unlimited Premium tier. Ultimate Wishlist scales by defined addition caps and emphasizes email reminder capacity—choose based on whether volume or re-engagement actions are the priority.
Extending Wishlists into Marketing Flows
To turn wishlist intent into purchases, merchants typically:
- Trigger emails when items are added or when items go on sale.
- Segment high-intent users for remarketing ads.
- Offer loyalty points for wishlist actions to increase engagement.
Ultimate Wishlist supports email reminders natively. SWishlist’s API approach lets merchants raise events into the marketing stack if a developer integration is feasible. For merchants who prefer one platform to manage loyalty, reviews, and referrals alongside wishlist behavior, a consolidated solution can simplify event routing and reduce integration overhead.
The Alternative: Solving App Fatigue with an All-in-One Platform
Why App Fatigue Matters
As stores adopt more apps, several frictions arise:
- Increased monthly costs and overlapping functionality.
- Slower page load times as each app injects scripts.
- Fragmented customer data across multiple dashboards and exports.
- More vendors to manage—each with separate support and SLAs.
This "app fatigue" creates operational drag that reduces time available for strategic growth work. Instead of adding another single-purpose app, many merchants benefit from a consolidated retention platform that centralizes wishlist functionality with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP tiers.
How an Integrated Stack Reduces Friction
An integrated retention suite delivers three practical advantages:
- Single source of truth: wishlist adds, referral conversions, review submissions, and loyalty actions are visible in one place.
- Cross-feature campaigns: wishlist behavior can be used to trigger loyalty points, referral nudges, and review requests without glue code.
- Cost and performance efficiency: one vetted integration tends to be lighter and more predictable than many small apps.
For merchants ready to consolidate, the promise is "more growth, less stack": fewer apps, one billing relationship, and cohesive customer journeys.
Growave: One Platform that Covers Wishlists and Beyond
Growave is a retention platform that bundles wishlist functionality with loyalty, reviews & UGC, referrals, VIP tiers, and more. Instead of adding separate plugins for each retention mechanism, merchants can adopt a unified solution to centralize post-purchase programs and pre-purchase intent signals.
- The platform supports loyalty and rewards that drive repeat purchases, enabling points, referrals, and VIP tiers to convert intent into repeat orders.
- It also helps merchants collect and showcase authentic reviews, which leverages social proof alongside wishlist signals to increase conversion rates.
- For merchants evaluating platform suitability, the customer stories from brands scaling retention provide practical examples of consolidated outcomes.
The integrated model reduces the need for separate wishlist apps and lets wishlist actions feed directly into loyalty and remarketing campaigns.
Feature Mapping: How Growave Replaces Multiple Apps
- Wishlist: Native wishlist module with account persistence and sharing features that align with the experience merchants expect from single-purpose apps.
- Loyalty & Rewards: Native ability to award points for wishlist actions and purchases, decreasing time-to-value compared to gluing multiple apps together.
- Reviews & UGC: Automated review collection and display that works together with wishlist and loyalty signals to improve trust and conversion.
- Referrals & VIPs: Turn wishlist-driven engagement into referrals and exclusive VIP experiences without moving data across systems.
These cross-functional capabilities enable merchants to design holistic retention flows—e.g., awarding points for adding to wishlist, incentivizing referrals for purchased wishlist items, and prompting reviews from customers who redeemed loyalty rewards.
Integrations, Reliability & Enterprise Capabilities
Growave supports advanced integrations with tools critical to fast-growing merchants and enterprise users. For merchants on Shopify Plus or with complex checkout needs, Growave provides solutions for high-growth Plus brands and can integrate with checkout and headless setups.
To learn pricing tiers and compare plan features for a consolidated approach, merchants can evaluate how to consolidate retention features versus buying multiple single-purpose apps. For merchants who want a demo, a direct option exists to book a personalized demo.
Book a personalized demo to see how an integrated stack improves retention.
How Growave Compares on Value
- Growave centralizes multiple retention channels into one contract and one dashboard, reducing the need to manage multiple vendors and subscriptions.
- For merchants comparing costs, add up the monthly fees and integration time of separate apps (wishlist + loyalty + reviews + referrals). In many cases, Growave’s bundle is a better value for money because it eliminates duplication and integrates features natively.
- The platform’s native integrations with Klaviyo, Omnisend, Recharge, and helpdesk tools reduce the friction of making wishlist signals actionable across the marketing stack.
Merchants can also install a unified retention app from the Shopify App Store, streamlining procurement and sign-up.
Practical Migration Considerations
For stores considering moving from one or more wishlist apps to a single platform:
- Map existing wishlist data and ensure export capabilities. Confirm how user lists and historical data will be migrated or ingested.
- Test a pilot: run the unified approach on a subset of traffic or a staging environment and monitor conversion, time-to-purchase, and page performance.
- Align loyalty rules with wishlist actions to avoid reward dilution; set clear thresholds and reward values based on predicted impact on AOV and retention.
For merchants evaluating whether consolidation makes sense, compare the combined monthly fees and the time cost of integration against the price and support level of a single vendor.
More on Pricing & How to Evaluate
To make an apples-to-apples evaluation, merchants should:
- Add current monthly fees for wishlist, loyalty, reviews, and referral apps.
- Include estimated developer hours for integrating event flows and webhooks.
- Assess the benefits of unified analytics and the value of cross-feature automation (e.g., wishlist → email reminder → loyalty points).
The Growave pricing page offers a way to compare plan structures and choose what fits store scale and expected monthly orders—see how to consolidate retention features for an immediate cost comparison. Merchants can also install a unified retention app to evaluate the admin experience.
Final Verdict: Which App Is Best For Which Merchant
- Best for stores that want low-cost built-in re-engagement with reminder emails and quick analytics: Ultimate Wishlist (Config Studio).
- Best for merchants who need high wishlist volume, multi-language storefront support, and faster onboarding assistance: SWishlist: Simple Wishlist (SoluCommerce).
- Best for brands that want to minimize app sprawl, centralize retention programs, and tie wishlist actions into loyalty, referrals, and reviews: a consolidated platform such as Growave.
Both Ultimate Wishlist and SWishlist deliver strong wishlist functionality, and both have near-identical ratings (4.9), but differ in focus—Ultimate Wishlist centers on re-engagement and simple analytics, while SWishlist emphasizes scale and localization. For merchants who plan to expand retention programs beyond wishlists, an integrated platform provides superior long-term value and operational simplicity. Merchants can compare pricing options and plans to decide whether consolidation is the right path by reviewing how to consolidate retention features.
Conclusion
For merchants choosing between Ultimate Wishlist and SWishlist: Simple Wishlist, the decision comes down to priorities: Ultimate Wishlist is better for stores that want built-in email reminders and a low-cost entry with analytics, while SWishlist: Simple Wishlist is better for stores that require higher wishlist capacity, multi-language storefronts, and faster setup support. Both apps hold strong ratings (4.9) and will suit stores focused on a single wishlist capability.
For merchants looking to reduce tech complexity while unlocking broader retention outcomes, a unified retention platform replaces multiple single-purpose tools and connects wishlist behavior to loyalty, referrals, and reviews. Growave’s suite centralizes those functions, making it easier to convert wishlist intent into repeat purchases and higher customer lifetime value. Compare plans and evaluate how consolidation improves margins by reviewing how to consolidate retention features. Merchants can also quickly install a unified retention app from the Shopify App Store to test the admin experience.
Start a 14-day free trial to see how a unified retention stack accelerates growth.
FAQ
- How do Ultimate Wishlist and SWishlist differ on re-engagement features?
- Ultimate Wishlist includes built-in email reminder templates and progressive reminder limits on paid plans, enabling merchants to re-engage wishlist owners without building external flows. SWishlist focuses on wishlist capture, sharing, and localization; merchants may need to route wishlist events into an email provider via API or custom integration to recreate the same re-engagement pattern.
- Which app scales better with high wishlist traffic?
- SWishlist’s Premium plan provides unlimited wishlist additions and broader language support, making it better suited for high-volume or multi-locale stores. Ultimate Wishlist offers tiered capacity up to 10,000 items on Premium, which may be sufficient for many stores but requires planning for volume growth.
- How important are integrations when choosing between these wishlist apps?
- Integrations are crucial if wishlist events must trigger loyalty rewards, email flows, or ad retargeting. SWishlist’s API-first orientation is useful for custom pipelines; Ultimate Wishlist offers built-in analytics and a Facebook pixel integration (Premium) for straightforward ad targeting. Merchants should verify webhook availability and event payloads for either app.
- How does an all-in-one platform compare to specialized wishlist apps?
- An all-in-one retention platform bundles wishlist capability with loyalty, referrals, reviews, and VIP programs, enabling cross-feature automation (for example, awarding points when customers add items to a wishlist). This reduces the number of apps to manage, centralizes data, and often provides better long-term value for merchants focused on customer lifetime value rather than a single interaction. For a direct comparison of roles and pricing when consolidating tools, merchants can assess plans to consolidate retention features.








