Essential Upsell & Cross Sell vs Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PROfor Shopify (2026)
Essential Upsell & Cross Sell and Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRO, while both related to checkout and cart customization, cater to drastically different needs of Shopify merchants in 2026. Essential Upsell & Cross Sell focuses on boosting Average Order Value (AOV) through strategic upsells, cross-sells, and product bundles displayed on product pages, cart drawers, and even post-purchase. Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRO, on the other hand, centers on incentivizing customers to spend more by displaying a dynamic free shipping bar that motivates them to reach a specific order value threshold. The primary distinction lies in their core functionality: Essential Upsell & Cross Sell provides a suite of tools for directly recommending additional products and bundles to customers, employing techniques like "frequently bought together" suggestions and product addons. Goalify uses a progress bar visualization to drive a specific behavior – increasing order size to qualify for free shipping – but lacks direct product recommendations. Essential Upsell is more complex, aimed at merchants wanting fine-grained control over upsell and cross-sell strategies. Goalify is simpler, a one-trick pony focused on shipping thresholds.
At a Glance
Essential Upsell & Cross Sell
1,004 reviews
Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRO
26 reviews
Detailed Overview
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 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Rating Essential Upsell & Cross Sell5/5 Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRO5/5 | ||
| Reviews | 1004 | 26 |
Reviews Essential Upsell & Cross Sell1004 Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRO26 | ||
| Core Functionality | Upsell & Cross-sell optimization | Free shipping bar motivation |
Core Functionality Essential Upsell & Cross SellUpsell & Cross-sell optimization Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PROFree shipping bar motivation | ||
| Product Recommendations | Yes (FBT, related products, bundles) | No |
Product Recommendations Essential Upsell & Cross SellYes (FBT, related products, bundles) Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRONo | ||
| Target Merchant | Merchants seeking to actively increase AOV through product suggestions | Merchants seeking to increase order value by incentivizing free shipping |
Target Merchant Essential Upsell & Cross SellMerchants seeking to actively increase AOV through product suggestions Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PROMerchants seeking to increase order value by incentivizing free shipping | ||
| Complexity | Higher - More features & customization | Lower - Simpler configuration |
Complexity Essential Upsell & Cross SellHigher - More features & customization Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PROLower - Simpler configuration | ||
| Value Proposition | Increase AOV through strategic product placement and promotions | Increase order value by motivating customers to reach free shipping threshold |
Value Proposition Essential Upsell & Cross SellIncrease AOV through strategic product placement and promotions Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PROIncrease order value by motivating customers to reach free shipping threshold | ||
| Post-Purchase Upsell | Yes | No |
Post-Purchase Upsell Essential Upsell & Cross SellYes Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRONo | ||
| Discount Promotions | Yes (Automatic) | No |
Discount Promotions Essential Upsell & Cross SellYes (Automatic) Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRONo | ||
Our Verdict
For Shopify merchants in 2026, the choice between Essential Upsell & Cross Sell and Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRO hinges on their specific goals. If the primary objective is to actively suggest and promote additional products to customers, thereby increasing AOV through direct product recommendations and bundles, Essential Upsell & Cross Sell is the clear choice. Its feature-rich approach allows for a more nuanced and strategic upselling strategy.
However, if the goal is simply to increase overall order value by motivating customers to reach a free shipping threshold, and the merchant is seeking a simpler, less involved solution, Goalify: Free Shipping Bar PRO is sufficient. It provides a focused, visual tool to achieve this specific objective without the complexities of product-level recommendations. Goalify is ideal for shops with already well-defined product strategies and clear shipping policies. Given the significant difference in review count, Essential Upsell appears to be a more popular and widely adopted solution, potentially indicating greater satisfaction and reliability among users.
Common Questions
Which app is easier to set up and use?
Based on the description, Goalify is likely easier to set up due to its single feature focus. Essential Upsell, with its wider range of features, will likely require more configuration.
Can both apps be used together?
Yes, theoretically. Goalify focuses on free shipping incentives while Essential Upsell focuses on product recommendations. They address different customer motivations and could complement each other.
Which app is better for a new Shopify store?
Goalify might be a better starting point for a new store as it addresses a fundamental e-commerce practice (free shipping threshold) with minimal setup. Essential Upsell can be added later as the store's product catalog and customer data grow.
Which app will have a bigger impact on AOV?
Essential Upsell & Cross Sell is designed to directly increase AOV through product recommendations and bundles, so it has the potential for a more substantial impact. Goalify's impact on AOV is indirect, relying on customer motivation to reach the free shipping threshold.
Does either app offer A/B testing?
Neither app description mentions A/B testing. It is not possible to determine from the given information whether either app provides this functionality.
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