BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell vs Essential Free Shipping Upsellfor Shopify (2026)
BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell and Essential Free Shipping Upsell both aim to increase Average Order Value (AOV) on Shopify stores through upselling and cross-selling. However, they differ significantly in their approach and scope. BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell is a more comprehensive solution leveraging AI to personalize offers across various touchpoints like product pages, cart, checkout, and post-purchase. It focuses on building funnels and offers features like Frequently Bought Together bundles and subscription integrations, catering to merchants looking for a sophisticated and automated upselling strategy. It positions itself as a full-fledged upsell/cross-sell platform. Essential Free Shipping Upsell, on the other hand, concentrates primarily on the free shipping incentive. Essential Free Shipping Upsell emphasizes a simpler, more direct approach. It uses a progress bar to motivate customers to add more items to their cart to qualify for free shipping. While it offers some basic cart upselling features, its core value proposition lies in the motivational psychology of the free shipping threshold. Its more suitable for merchants needing a quick way to incentivise larger carts. Because its built using Online Store 2.0 Themes, it promises greater flexibility and ease of install than BOLD AI. The app also claims it requires no manual coding to implement.
At a Glance
BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell
586 reviews
Essential Free Shipping Upsell
438 reviews
Detailed Overview
BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell
Drive sales w/ AI Upsells, Cross Sell & Bundles. Checkout, Pre/Post Purchase, Cart Drawer & Funnels!
Key Features
- SMART AI Upsell, Cross Sell and Frequently Bought Together Product Page Bundles.
- High-converting Checkout Upsell, Cart Drawer, Pre & Post Purchase Upsell offers.
- Create Upsell Funnels, Cross Sells, Order Bumps & Downsell offers to boost AOV.
- Seamless CLTV boosting integration with Bold Subscriptions for recurring revenue
- Easy setup! Upsell Analytics dashboard to track upsells and funnel performance.
Essential Free Shipping Upsell
Increase Profits, AOV & Sales With A Free Shipping Progress Bar Cart Goal and Cart Upsell.
Key Features
- Placed Anywhere: product page, cart page, cart drawer, or as an announcement bar
- Boosts Average Order Value: add product upsells, cross-sells & cart upsell.
- Revenue-Oriented: track additional revenue generated by free shipping bar.
- Highly Customisable: customise cart goal progress bar or use pre-made styles.
- Extras: translations, different currencies and Online Store 2.0 themes support.
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 5/5 |
Rating BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell4.5/5 Essential Free Shipping Upsell5/5 | ||
| Reviews | 586 | 438 |
Reviews BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell586 Essential Free Shipping Upsell438 | ||
| Core Strategy | AI-powered Upselling & Cross-selling | Free Shipping Incentive & Cart Upsell |
Core Strategy BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑SellAI-powered Upselling & Cross-selling Essential Free Shipping UpsellFree Shipping Incentive & Cart Upsell | ||
| Upsell Locations | Product Page, Cart Drawer, Checkout, Pre & Post Purchase | Product Page, Cart Page, Cart Drawer, Announcement Bar |
Upsell Locations BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑SellProduct Page, Cart Drawer, Checkout, Pre & Post Purchase Essential Free Shipping UpsellProduct Page, Cart Page, Cart Drawer, Announcement Bar | ||
| AI/Automation | SMART AI Upsell, Funnel Building | Limited Upsell, primarily manual |
AI/Automation BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑SellSMART AI Upsell, Funnel Building Essential Free Shipping UpsellLimited Upsell, primarily manual | ||
| Complexity | More Complex, Funnel Driven | Simpler, Progress Bar Focused |
Complexity BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑SellMore Complex, Funnel Driven Essential Free Shipping UpsellSimpler, Progress Bar Focused | ||
| Target Merchant | Larger stores, those wanting detailed analytics, and automation | Smaller stores or those seeking a simple AOV boost through free shipping incentive |
Target Merchant BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑SellLarger stores, those wanting detailed analytics, and automation Essential Free Shipping UpsellSmaller stores or those seeking a simple AOV boost through free shipping incentive | ||
| Subscriptions integration | Yes, Seamless CLTV boosting integration | No, Not specified |
Subscriptions integration BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑SellYes, Seamless CLTV boosting integration Essential Free Shipping UpsellNo, Not specified | ||
| Ease of Install | Easy setup in minutes with no coding | Highly Customisable and supports Online Store 2.0 Themes |
Ease of Install BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑SellEasy setup in minutes with no coding Essential Free Shipping UpsellHighly Customisable and supports Online Store 2.0 Themes | ||
Our Verdict
For larger Shopify stores with a diverse product catalog and a desire for sophisticated, AI-driven upselling and cross-selling across multiple customer touchpoints, BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell is the better choice. Its ability to create funnels, offer personalized recommendations, and integrate with subscriptions provides a more comprehensive solution. However, for smaller stores, or those focused on a quick and easy win by incentivizing larger cart sizes through free shipping, Essential Free Shipping Upsell offers a simpler, more targeted approach. Its user-friendly progress bar and straightforward setup makes it ideal for merchants who want a less complex solution.
Common Questions
Which app is easier to set up and use?
Essential Free Shipping Upsell likely offers a quicker and more straightforward setup due to its focus on the free shipping progress bar. BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell, with its AI features and funnel-building capabilities, may require a slightly steeper learning curve.
Which app provides more detailed analytics?
BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell explicitly mentions an Upsell Analytics dashboard to track upsells and funnel performance. Essential Free Shipping Upsell provides revenue-oriented tracking related to the free shipping bar, but likely lacks the depth of BOLD AI's analytics for overall upselling strategy.
Which app is better for increasing customer lifetime value (CLTV)?
BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell, through its integration with Bold Subscriptions and its ability to create personalized upsell funnels, likely provides a more effective means of increasing CLTV by turning one-time buyers into recurring subscribers.
If I only want to focus on improving AOV at the cart level, which app is better?
Essential Free Shipping Upsell is designed to improve AOV at the cart level by offering a free shipping incentive and integrated upsells. BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell can also improve cart level AOV, but offers a broader approach that includes cross selling on the product page and post purchase, making it a more expensive and complex solution if you only care about the cart.
Is BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell or Essential Free Shipping Upsell more suitable for a store with a very limited product catalog?
Essential Free Shipping Upsell is likely more suitable. BOLD AI Upsell & Cross‑Sell relies on product relations and 'frequently bought together' suggestions. With a small catalog, there aren't that many products it can recommend to the customer at a time.
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