AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGY vs Essential Upsell & Cross Sellfor Shopify (2026)
AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGY and Essential Upsell & Cross Sell are both Shopify apps designed to increase Average Order Value (AOV), but they approach this goal with different focuses. AOV.ai emphasizes AI-powered recommendations and a broader range of promotional tactics like BOGO and free gifts. It aims to simplify campaign setup and guide shopper behavior at key moments using various widgets. Essential Upsell & Cross Sell, on the other hand, focuses on more traditional upsell and cross-sell strategies, emphasizing frequently bought together items and related product suggestions displayed on product pages and in the cart drawer. It features one-click upsells, product bundles, and post-purchase upsell capabilities. Their value propositions center on ease-of-use, the AI-driven insights from AOV.ai versus the comprehensive post-purchase upsell features from Essential Upsell.
At a Glance
AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGY
518 reviews
Essential Upsell & Cross Sell
1,004 reviews
Detailed Overview
AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGY
Sell more, do less with AI-powered strategies by Discount Free Gift with Purchase, BOGO, Buy X Get Y
Key Features
- Get started faster with AI that recommends the best campaign based on your goal
- All the promotion tactics: Free Gift with Purchase, BOGO, Buy X Get Y
- Motivate higher spend with milestone rewards, tiered reward box, deal of the day
- Advanced rule: Gift limit, Multiplier, Schedule, Checkout upsell (Shopify Plus)
- Design every widget to match your brand colors with AI-powered theme matching
Essential Upsell & Cross Sell
One click upsell and cross sell. Show frequently bought together product upsell & related products.
Key Features
- Show frequently bought products (FBT), related products, product recommendations
- Post purchase upsell & cross sell: Product addons, bought together bundles
- Automatic discount promotions: Add discounts to upsell & "also bought" products
- Product page upsell: Add one click upsell & cross-sell products & BOGO bundles
- Cart upsell: Add upsell cart app, cross-sell & product add-ons to cart drawer
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 4.9/5 | 5/5 |
Rating AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGY4.9/5 Essential Upsell & Cross Sell5/5 | ||
| Reviews | 518 | 1004 |
Reviews AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGY518 Essential Upsell & Cross Sell1004 | ||
| Primary Focus | AI-powered Gift & BOGO Promotions | Traditional Upsell & Cross-Sell |
Primary Focus AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGYAI-powered Gift & BOGO Promotions Essential Upsell & Cross SellTraditional Upsell & Cross-Sell | ||
| Promotion Types | Free Gift, BOGO, Buy X Get Y, Milestone Rewards | Frequently Bought Together, Related Products, Bundles, Post-Purchase Upsell |
Promotion Types AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGYFree Gift, BOGO, Buy X Get Y, Milestone Rewards Essential Upsell & Cross SellFrequently Bought Together, Related Products, Bundles, Post-Purchase Upsell | ||
| AI Integration | Campaign Recommendations, Theme Matching | Not explicitly mentioned |
AI Integration AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGYCampaign Recommendations, Theme Matching Essential Upsell & Cross SellNot explicitly mentioned | ||
| Post-Purchase Upsell | Checkout Upsell (Shopify Plus Only) | Yes, with Product Addons and Discounts |
Post-Purchase Upsell AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGYCheckout Upsell (Shopify Plus Only) Essential Upsell & Cross SellYes, with Product Addons and Discounts | ||
| Target Merchant | Merchants seeking automated & diverse promotions | Merchants focused on cross-selling related products |
Target Merchant AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGYMerchants seeking automated & diverse promotions Essential Upsell & Cross SellMerchants focused on cross-selling related products | ||
| Shopify Plus Support | Checkout Upsell | Not explicitly mentioned |
Shopify Plus Support AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGYCheckout Upsell Essential Upsell & Cross SellNot explicitly mentioned | ||
Our Verdict
For merchants seeking a hands-off approach with AI-driven campaign recommendations and a broader range of promotional types including free gifts and BOGO offers, AOV.ai: Free Gifts BOGO & BXGY is the better choice. It provides a simplified setup process and helps guide shopper behavior. However, for merchants primarily focused on increasing AOV through traditional upsell and cross-sell tactics, especially those looking to leverage post-purchase upsell opportunities and bundle recommendations, Essential Upsell & Cross Sell is more suitable. The higher number of reviews and perfect rating suggests a strong track record in delivering results in that specific area.
Common Questions
Which app is easier to use?
AOV.ai emphasizes ease of use with AI-powered recommendations, suggesting it may be quicker to set up campaigns. Essential Upsell likely requires more manual configuration.
Which app offers more promotion types?
AOV.ai offers a wider range of promotion types, including BOGO, Free Gift with Purchase, and Buy X Get Y. Essential Upsell focuses on frequently bought together, related products, and bundles.
Which app is better for Shopify Plus merchants?
AOV.ai offers checkout upsell capabilities for Shopify Plus merchants, giving it a slight edge in this segment.
Does Essential Upsell do BOGO?
Essential Upsell offers BOGO *bundles* as part of product page upsell. AOV.ai offers BOGO as a standalone product promotion.
Which app is better for post-purchase upsell?
Essential Upsell is better for post-purchase upsell. It has many product addons and can add automatic discounts.
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