Best Also Bought Alternative for Shopify (2026)

Also Bought (sometimes called "Who Bought This Also Bought" or similar variations) is a category of Shopify apps that replicate Amazon's recommendation engine on a smaller scale. These apps analyze purchase history data to identify products that are frequently purchased together and display those recommendations on product pages. The concept is proven: Amazon attributes 35% of its revenue to product recommendations.

However, the Also Bought approach has significant limitations when applied to a Shopify store. The recommendations only appear on product pages, missing the cart page, checkout, and post-purchase moments. The algorithm requires substantial purchase history to generate good recommendations, leaving newer stores with poor suggestions. And the monthly cost, while modest, pays for only one feature. This guide compares Also Bought with EA Upsell & Cross-Sell, which provides a more comprehensive and cost-effective approach to product recommendations on Shopify.

Also Bought Overview: What It Does and Its Limitations

How Also Bought works: Also Bought apps analyze your store's order history to find products that customers frequently purchase together. When a visitor views Product A, the app displays a section like "Customers who bought this also bought..." showing Products B, C, and D. The recommendations improve over time as more purchase data accumulates.

What Also Bought does well: The algorithmic recommendation approach provides data-driven suggestions that can surface product relationships you might not have manually identified. For stores with substantial order history (1,000+ orders), the recommendations can be surprisingly accurate and relevant. The format is familiar to shoppers from Amazon, reducing friction in understanding the recommendation intent.

Where Also Bought falls short:

Cold start problem. New stores or stores with limited order history get poor recommendations because the algorithm has insufficient data. Manually curated recommendations often outperform algorithmic suggestions until a store has significant order volume. Many Shopify stores install Also Bought expecting Amazon-quality recommendations but are disappointed by the initial results.

Single touchpoint limitation. Also Bought only displays recommendations on product pages. There are no cart page cross-sells, no post-purchase offers, no collection page suggestions, and no checkout upsells. For every visitor who skips the product page recommendation, the upsell opportunity is lost entirely. Studies show that cart page and post-purchase upsells often convert at higher rates than product page recommendations because the customer is further along in their buying decision.

Passive recommendation style. Also Bought shows recommendations, but it does not actively encourage purchases through bundle discounts, volume pricing, or urgency elements. A "Customers also bought" carousel is informational rather than motivational. Active upsell strategies that include discounts, limited-time bundles, and "Add for X% off" messaging generate significantly more incremental revenue.

No integration with broader conversion strategy. Also Bought is a standalone recommendation app that does not coordinate with email capture, free shipping goals, or promotional messaging. A comprehensive conversion strategy requires these tools to work together, and having separate apps for each function creates complexity and potential conflicts.

EasyApps vs Also Bought: Feature Comparison

Why EasyApps Generates More Cross-Sell Revenue

The core advantage of EA Upsell & Cross-Sell over Also Bought is the number of opportunities it creates to increase order value. Here is the math:

Product page recommendations (both apps): Product page cross-sells typically convert at 3-8%. For 10,000 monthly product page views, that is 300-800 additional items added to carts. Both Also Bought and EasyApps capture this revenue.

Cart page cross-sells (EasyApps only): Cart page recommendations convert at 8-15% because customers are already committed to purchasing. For 3,000 monthly cart page views (typical for a store with 10,000 product page views), that is 240-450 additional items. Also Bought misses this entirely.

Post-purchase offers (EasyApps only): Post-purchase one-click offers convert at 5-12%. For 1,000 monthly purchases, that is 50-120 additional items with zero cart abandonment risk. Also Bought misses this entirely.

Bundle discounts (EasyApps only): Discounted bundle offers ("Buy these 3 together, save 15%") convert 40-60% higher than passive recommendations without discounts. Also Bought shows products without incentive pricing.

When you add up all touchpoints, EasyApps captures 2-3x more upsell and cross-sell revenue than Also Bought, translating to 25-45% higher AOV increases for the same store with the same products.

Product Recommendations: Approaches Compared

Also Bought's algorithmic approach: Also Bought relies on purchase history data to generate automatic recommendations. This is effective for stores with 1,000+ orders but underperforms for newer stores. The algorithm surfaces correlations in buying behavior, which can be genuinely insightful for discovering product relationships. However, it provides no control over which products are recommended, meaning low-margin or out-of-stock items may be suggested.

EasyApps' hybrid approach: EA Upsell & Cross-Sell offers both automatic recommendations based on product relationships and manual configuration for precise control. This hybrid approach lets you:

• Control margin optimization: Manually recommend higher-margin accessories alongside popular products to maximize revenue per recommendation.
• Ensure inventory alignment: Only recommend products that are in stock and ready to ship, avoiding the frustration of suggesting sold-out items.
• Create strategic bundles: Curate "Complete the look" or "Everything you need" bundles that tell a merchandising story rather than relying purely on algorithmic correlation.
• Test and iterate: A/B test different recommendation strategies to find which product pairings generate the most revenue for your specific store.

The combination of algorithmic intelligence and manual curation consistently outperforms pure algorithmic recommendations because it adds strategic intent to data-driven suggestions.

Beyond Product Page Recommendations

The biggest gap in Also Bought's offering is everything that happens after the product page. EA Upsell & Cross-Sell fills these gaps:

Cart page intelligence: When a customer adds multiple items to their cart, EasyApps analyzes the cart contents and suggests complementary products that work with the entire selection, not just individual items. "You are buying a camera and a lens; add a memory card and camera bag" is more relevant and compelling than a single product's recommendation carousel.

Urgency-enhanced upsells: EasyApps can add urgency elements to cross-sell offers: "Add this camera strap for 20% off (today only)" creates a time-sensitive incentive that passive "also bought" recommendations do not provide. Urgency-based upsells convert 30-50% higher than standard recommendations.

Post-purchase expansion: After checkout, EasyApps presents targeted one-click offers that customers can accept without re-entering payment information. This captures final impulse revenue at zero cart abandonment risk. Post-purchase offers are particularly effective for accessories, consumables, and protection plans.

Volume incentives: For products where buying multiples makes sense (consumables, basics, gifts), EasyApps offers volume discount tiers: "Buy 2, save 10%; Buy 3, save 20%." This upsell mechanic does not exist in Also Bought but can significantly increase units per order for the right product categories.

Pricing Comparison

How to Switch from Also Bought to EasyApps

The transition from Also Bought to EA Upsell & Cross-Sell is seamless and takes under 10 minutes:

Step 1: Install EA Upsell & Cross-Sell from the Shopify App Store.

Step 2: Configure product page recommendations. Replicate your Also Bought product pairings or set up new recommendation rules. Add cart page and post-purchase upsells for additional revenue touchpoints.

Step 3: Set up bundle discounts if desired. Configure percentage or fixed-amount discounts for recommended product bundles.

Step 4: Preview and test across desktop and mobile. Verify recommendations display correctly and add-to-cart functionality works.

Step 5: Uninstall Also Bought from your Shopify admin. EasyApps takes over immediately with no downtime and no SEO impact.

The Full EasyApps Conversion Suite

Switching from Also Bought to EasyApps gives you access to 10 free conversion optimization tools:

• EA Email Popup & Spin Wheel: Gamified email capture with 10-18% opt-in rates.
• EA Sticky Add to Cart: Persistent purchase button increasing mobile conversions 8-15%.
• EA Upsell & Cross-Sell: Full-funnel product recommendations increasing AOV 15-35%.
• EA Free Shipping Bar: Progress bar driving AOV increases of 15-25%.
• EA Auto Free Gift & Rewards Bar: Gift-with-purchase incentives increasing AOV 20-30%.
• EA Announcement Bar: Site-wide promotional messaging.
• EA Countdown Timer: Urgency timers boosting conversions 25-40%.
• EA Page Speed Booster: Performance optimization improving conversions 12-20%.
• EA Accessibility: ADA compliance tools.
• EA Auto Language Translate: Automatic translation for international customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Also Bought alternative for Shopify?

EA Upsell & Cross-Sell is the best Also Bought alternative for Shopify. It provides the same "customers also bought" recommendation functionality plus cart page upsells, post-purchase one-click offers, volume discounts, and bundle deals. EasyApps offers a free plan and is part of a 10-app conversion optimization suite that includes email popups, free shipping bars, and more.

How much does Also Bought cost for Shopify?

Also Bought typically costs $9.99/month for its standard plan. While affordable, this only covers product page recommendations. EA Upsell & Cross-Sell offers more recommendation touchpoints (product pages, cart, post-purchase) plus access to 9 additional conversion tools, all for free. Over a year, switching saves $120 while providing better functionality.

Does EasyApps use purchase history for recommendations like Also Bought?

Yes. EA Upsell & Cross-Sell can generate product recommendations based on purchase patterns and product relationships, similar to Also Bought's approach. You can also manually configure recommendations for precise control over which products are suggested together, which is useful for strategic merchandising like "complete the look" bundles or margin-optimized cross-sells.

Can I show Also Bought-style recommendations on the cart page?

Yes, and this is a key advantage over Also Bought. EA Upsell & Cross-Sell displays recommendations on both product pages and cart pages. Cart page recommendations are particularly effective because customers have already committed to purchasing, resulting in 8-15% click-through rates on cart page cross-sells. Also Bought is limited to product page recommendations only.

Will switching from Also Bought to EasyApps affect my store?

The switch is seamless and takes under 10 minutes. There is no impact on SEO, URLs, or store content. Simply install EA Upsell & Cross-Sell, configure your recommendations, and uninstall Also Bought. Customers will see the same style of product recommendations in the same positions on your product pages, plus new recommendations on cart pages and post-purchase.

Does Also Bought slow down my Shopify store?

Also Bought adds JavaScript that increases page load time by 100-200ms. While not the heaviest app, this impact compounds with other installed apps. EA Upsell & Cross-Sell is optimized for minimal page speed impact, typically adding less than 50ms. For stores already struggling with page speed from multiple apps, switching to lighter alternatives like EasyApps can meaningfully improve Core Web Vitals scores.