Essential Free Shipping Upsell vs Shopify Checkout Blocksfor Shopify (2026)
Essential Free Shipping Upsell and Shopify Checkout Blocks serve distinctly different purposes within a Shopify store's checkout flow. Essential Free Shipping Upsell focuses on boosting Average Order Value (AOV) and sales by incentivizing customers to add more items to their cart to qualify for free shipping, offering features like a progress bar, upsells, and cross-sells. It aims to maximize revenue by strategically using free shipping as a motivational tool for customers to spend more. This app targets all Shopify merchants looking to increase their sales and AOV. Shopify Checkout Blocks, on the other hand, centers around customizing the post-purchase experience, specifically the Thank You and Order Status pages. Critically, its core customization features are exclusively available to Shopify Plus merchants, who have access to custom checkout features like content blocks and order discounts. While the app offers some level of custom order and shipping discounts to the Shopify Plus customers, its primary focus is on brand building and customer experience, unlike Essential Free Shipping Upsell's revenue-driven approach. This means the apps target very different problems for their merchants.
At a Glance
Essential Free Shipping Upsell
438 reviews
Shopify Checkout Blocks
127 reviews
Detailed Overview
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.
Shopify Checkout Blocks
Customize your Thank you and Order status pages. Only Shopify Plus merchants can customize checkout.
Key Features
- Customize the Order status and Thank you page with content blocks
- Shopify Plus: Custom Checkout with content blocks, custom fields, & more
- Shopify Plus: Create custom Order & Shipping discounts
- Shopify Plus: Validate address format requirements and set order value limits
- Shopify Plus: Hide, rename, & reorder delivery and payment methods
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Rating Essential Free Shipping Upsell5/5 Shopify Checkout Blocks4/5 | ||
| Reviews | 438 | 127 |
Reviews Essential Free Shipping Upsell438 Shopify Checkout Blocks127 | ||
| Target Merchant | All Shopify Merchants | Shopify Plus Merchants (for full customization) |
Target Merchant Essential Free Shipping UpsellAll Shopify Merchants Shopify Checkout BlocksShopify Plus Merchants (for full customization) | ||
| Primary Focus | Increasing AOV & Sales | Customizing Post-Purchase Experience |
Primary Focus Essential Free Shipping UpsellIncreasing AOV & Sales Shopify Checkout BlocksCustomizing Post-Purchase Experience | ||
| Key Feature | Free Shipping Progress Bar | Customizable Thank You Page |
Key Feature Essential Free Shipping UpsellFree Shipping Progress Bar Shopify Checkout BlocksCustomizable Thank You Page | ||
| Ease of Use (implied) | Likely simpler setup due to broader target audience and simpler goal | Potentially more complex setup, especially utilizing custom checkout features |
Ease of Use (implied) Essential Free Shipping UpsellLikely simpler setup due to broader target audience and simpler goal Shopify Checkout BlocksPotentially more complex setup, especially utilizing custom checkout features | ||
| Value Proposition | Generate more revenue through strategic use of free shipping offers | Enhance brand experience and customer satisfaction post-purchase |
Value Proposition Essential Free Shipping UpsellGenerate more revenue through strategic use of free shipping offers Shopify Checkout BlocksEnhance brand experience and customer satisfaction post-purchase | ||
| Customization Location | Product page, cart page, cart drawer, announcement bar | Order status and Thank you page |
Customization Location Essential Free Shipping UpsellProduct page, cart page, cart drawer, announcement bar Shopify Checkout BlocksOrder status and Thank you page | ||
Our Verdict
For standard Shopify merchants aiming to immediately increase sales and Average Order Value (AOV), Essential Free Shipping Upsell is the clear choice. Its features are accessible to all Shopify plans and directly address the goal of motivating customers to spend more. The high rating and number of reviews suggest a positive user experience and effective results.
Shopify Checkout Blocks is specifically tailored for Shopify Plus merchants who want to deeply customize the post-purchase experience and have access to custom checkout features. If you are not a Shopify Plus merchant, the app has limited application. While enhancing the thank you page is good, the other functions are Plus only. If you have Shopify Plus and want to enhance the post-purchase experience, then consider this app.
Common Questions
Which app is better for increasing sales?
Essential Free Shipping Upsell is specifically designed to increase sales by incentivizing customers to add more items to their cart with a free shipping progress bar and upsells.
Can I use Shopify Checkout Blocks on a standard Shopify plan?
You can install Shopify Checkout Blocks, but the custom checkout and advanced features are exclusively available to Shopify Plus merchants.
Does Essential Free Shipping Upsell work with all Shopify themes?
Yes, Essential Free Shipping Upsell supports Online Store 2.0 themes, indicating broad compatibility.
Which app allows me to customize the checkout page?
Shopify Checkout Blocks *allows Shopify Plus merchants to customize the checkout page* with custom checkout features. Essential Free Shipping Upsell impacts pre-checkout pages to increase the cart value.
Is it easier to translate and use multiple currencies in Essential Free Shipping Upsell or Shopify Checkout Blocks?
Essential Free Shipping Upsell includes built-in support for translations and different currencies, suggesting it's the easier option for internationalization. Shopify Checkout Blocks doesn't explicitly mention these features.
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