ES Back in Stock Notify Me! vs Essential Announcement Barfor Shopify (2026)
ES Back in Stock Notify Me! and Essential Announcement Bar are both Shopify apps designed to enhance the customer experience and boost sales, but they address fundamentally different needs. ES Back in Stock focuses on recovering lost sales due to out-of-stock items by providing AI-powered email and SMS notifications to customers who want to be alerted when products are restocked. It also provides on-site components to capture customer interest. In contrast, Essential Announcement Bar aims to increase sales by highlighting promotions, discounts, and important announcements through eye-catching, customizable banners and bars on the storefront. While both apps technically fall under the 'Notifications' category on Shopify, their functionalities, target audiences, and intended outcomes are vastly different.
At a Glance
ES Back in Stock Notify Me!
474 reviews
Essential Announcement Bar
948 reviews
Detailed Overview
ES Back in Stock Notify Me!
Recover sales with AI inventory alerts(email & SMS), popups, forms, and product page sections.
Key Features
- AI-powered automatic email/SMS notifications reach customers at the right time
- Show button and popup on out-of-stock product & collection pages
- Edit email template freely in block section
- Multiple languages templates
- Inventory alert per warehouse / location
Essential Announcement Bar
Sell more with these announcement bar banner types: carousel, scrolling, sliding, rotating & sticky!
Key Features
- Sticky Announcement Bar: Create a fixed position announcement header bar
- Scrolling Announcement Bar: Create moving banner announcement bar (Marquee)
- Rotating Announcement Bar: Create multiple sliding announcement bars
- Animated Announcement Bar: Scrolling banner, sliding & marquee announcement bars
- Create multi announcement discount bars and promote flash sale
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 4.9/5 | 5/5 |
Rating ES Back in Stock Notify Me!4.9/5 Essential Announcement Bar5/5 | ||
| Reviews | 474 | 948 |
Reviews ES Back in Stock Notify Me!474 Essential Announcement Bar948 | ||
| Primary Function | Back in Stock Notifications | Announcement Banners |
Primary Function ES Back in Stock Notify Me!Back in Stock Notifications Essential Announcement BarAnnouncement Banners | ||
| Key Feature 1 | AI-powered Email/SMS Alerts | Scrolling/Rotating/Sticky Announcement Bars |
Key Feature 1 ES Back in Stock Notify Me!AI-powered Email/SMS Alerts Essential Announcement BarScrolling/Rotating/Sticky Announcement Bars | ||
| Target Merchant | Merchants with frequent stockouts | Merchants running promotions/sales |
Target Merchant ES Back in Stock Notify Me!Merchants with frequent stockouts Essential Announcement BarMerchants running promotions/sales | ||
| Value Proposition | Recover lost sales from out-of-stock items | Increase visibility of promotions and offers |
Value Proposition ES Back in Stock Notify Me!Recover lost sales from out-of-stock items Essential Announcement BarIncrease visibility of promotions and offers | ||
| Notification Type | Personalized (specific to product restock) | Generic (promotional, general info) |
Notification Type ES Back in Stock Notify Me!Personalized (specific to product restock) Essential Announcement BarGeneric (promotional, general info) | ||
| On-Site Components | Popups, forms, sold out badges | Announcement bars (top bar, section) |
On-Site Components ES Back in Stock Notify Me!Popups, forms, sold out badges Essential Announcement BarAnnouncement bars (top bar, section) | ||
Our Verdict
The choice between ES Back in Stock Notify Me! and Essential Announcement Bar hinges on the specific needs of the merchant. If a merchant frequently experiences stockouts and wants to recapture potentially lost sales by notifying customers when items are back in stock, then ES Back in Stock Notify Me! is the clear choice. Its AI-powered features are designed to optimize these notifications for maximum impact. However, if the merchant is focused on driving sales through promotions, highlighting discounts, or making important announcements, Essential Announcement Bar is the better option. Its variety of announcement bar styles and call-to-action buttons are geared towards grabbing customer attention and directing traffic to key pages.
Common Questions
Which app is easier to set up?
Without further data, it is difficult to say conclusively. However, the description of ES Back in Stock mentions 'quick setup', suggesting ease of use, while Essential Announcement Bar's complexity may depend on the variety of banners used.
Which app is better for a store that rarely runs out of stock?
Essential Announcement Bar is better suited as ES Back in Stock primarily focuses on managing out-of-stock notifications.
Which app is better for seasonal sales?
Essential Announcement Bar is better because it's designed to highlight specific promotions, such as seasonal sales, directly on the storefront.
Do both apps offer customization options?
Yes. ES Back in Stock allows customization of email templates and widgets, while Essential Announcement Bar allows customization of banner styles and call-to-action buttons.
Which app has better customer support?
ES Back in Stock states that it has '24/7 live chat support', whereas there is no explicit mention of support options for Essential Announcement Bar.
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