Frequently Bought Together (FBT) is one of the most well-known upsell apps on Shopify, modeled after Amazon's "Frequently bought together" section. The app displays a group of complementary products on product pages, allowing customers to add multiple items to their cart with a single click. It is a simple, proven concept that has helped thousands of Shopify stores increase their average order value.

However, FBT has limitations that many merchants outgrow as their stores mature. The app focuses almost exclusively on product page recommendations and does not capture upsell opportunities at other critical points in the shopping journey. This guide compares FBT with EA Upsell & Cross-Sell, which offers a more comprehensive approach to upselling and cross-selling on Shopify.

Frequently Bought Together Overview

What FBT does: Frequently Bought Together displays a product recommendation widget on your product pages showing 2-3 complementary items. Customers can check or uncheck items and add the bundle to their cart with one click, often with a bundle discount. The app uses purchase history data to generate automatic recommendations or allows manual product pairing.

What FBT does well: The concept is proven and familiar, modeled on Amazon's successful format that shoppers recognize. Setup is simple, the widget is clean, and it integrates well with most Shopify themes. For stores that just want basic "frequently bought together" recommendations, FBT gets the job done.

Where FBT falls short:

Limited to product pages. FBT only shows recommendations on product pages. It does not offer cart page upsells, post-purchase offers, collection page recommendations, or checkout upsells. This means you are capturing upsell opportunities at only one point in the shopping funnel, missing significant revenue at every other touchpoint.

Single recommendation format. FBT offers one format: the Amazon-style "Frequently bought together" widget. There are no volume discount offers, no "Complete the look" layouts, no urgency-based upsells, and no one-click post-purchase offers. Stores with different merchandising needs are constrained to a single approach.

No broader conversion tools. FBT is a standalone upsell app. It does not include email capture, free shipping progress bars, countdown timers, or other conversion tools. Stores using FBT need to install additional apps for each of these functions, adding complexity, cost, and page weight.

Monthly cost for a single feature. At $9.99/month, FBT is affordable, but you are paying for a single feature (product page recommendations) when EasyApps offers this same capability plus many more, all for free.

EasyApps vs FBT: Feature Comparison

Feature EA Upsell & Cross-Sell Frequently Bought Together
Product Page Bundles Yes Yes
Cart Page Upsells Yes No
Post-Purchase One-Click Offers Yes No
Volume Discounts Yes No
Bundle Discount Options Percentage, fixed, BOGO Percentage only
Free Plan Yes Dev stores only
Paid Plan Free $9.99/mo
Additional Conversion Tools 9 more free apps None

Why EasyApps Generates More Upsell Revenue

The fundamental advantage of EA Upsell & Cross-Sell over Frequently Bought Together is coverage across the entire shopping funnel. Here is why this matters:

Not every customer visits product pages. Some shoppers navigate directly to collections, use search, or arrive on specific product pages from ads. They may add items to cart without spending time browsing the product page where FBT shows its recommendations. Cart page upsells catch these customers at their next decision point.

The cart page is a high-conversion upsell moment. When a customer is on the cart page, they have already committed to purchasing. This is the optimal time to suggest complementary items because the psychological barrier to spending has already been crossed. Cart page upsells convert at 8-15%, often higher than product page recommendations.

Post-purchase offers capture final impulse revenue. After completing checkout, customers are in a "buying mood" and receptive to one-click offers for complementary products. Post-purchase upsells convert at 5-12% and do not risk cart abandonment because the primary purchase is already complete. FBT does not offer this feature at all.

Volume discounts drive larger quantities. For products where customers might buy multiples (consumables, accessories, basics), volume discount offers like "Buy 3, save 15%" increase units per order. This is a completely different upsell mechanic that FBT does not support.

Stores switching from FBT to EA Upsell & Cross-Sell typically see 20-40% higher AOV increases because they are now capturing upsell opportunities at four or more touchpoints instead of one.

Product Bundling: EasyApps vs FBT

Both apps offer product page bundling, but EasyApps provides more flexibility in how bundles are presented and discounted.

FBT's approach: A fixed "Frequently bought together" widget showing 2-3 products with checkboxes and a combined add-to-cart button. Discounts are percentage-based (e.g., "Buy all 3 and save 10%"). The format is clean and recognizable from Amazon but offers limited customization.

EasyApps' approach: Multiple recommendation formats including "Frequently bought together," "Complete the look," "Customers also bought," and custom curated collections. Discounts can be percentage-based, fixed dollar amounts, or buy-one-get-one structures. The layout is customizable to match your store's design language and can be placed in multiple positions on the product page.

For stores that want the simple Amazon-style widget, EasyApps replicates this format exactly. For stores that want more creative merchandising approaches, EasyApps provides additional options that FBT does not support.

Cart Page & Post-Purchase Upsells

These are the features that make EA Upsell & Cross-Sell significantly more powerful than FBT for revenue generation.

Cart page upsells: When a customer views their cart, EasyApps shows relevant product suggestions based on cart contents. "Add a screen protector for your new case" or "Complete your outfit with matching accessories" appears at the moment when the customer is reviewing their purchase. These suggestions convert at 8-15% because the customer is already committed to buying.

Post-purchase one-click offers: After checkout, EasyApps presents a special offer on a complementary product. The customer can accept with one click, adding the item to their existing order without re-entering payment information. This frictionless upsell captures 5-12% additional revenue with zero risk of cart abandonment.

These two features alone can generate more incremental revenue than FBT's product page recommendations because they target customers at the highest-intent moments in the shopping journey.

Pricing Comparison

What You Get EasyApps FBT
Upsell & Cross-Sell Free $9.99/mo
+ Email Popup & Spin Wheel Free Need separate app
+ Free Shipping Bar Free Need separate app
+ 7 more conversion tools Free Need separate apps
Total Monthly Cost $0 $9.99 + additional apps

The value proposition is clear: EasyApps provides more upsell features, more upsell touchpoints, and a complete conversion optimization suite, all for free. FBT charges $9.99/month for a single feature (product page bundles) and requires additional paid apps for every other conversion need.

How to Switch from FBT to EasyApps

Switching from Frequently Bought Together to EA Upsell & Cross-Sell is straightforward and takes under 10 minutes.

Step 1: Install EA Upsell & Cross-Sell. Visit the EasyApps partner page on the Shopify App Store and install the Upsell & Cross-Sell app.

Step 2: Configure product recommendations. Set up your product page recommendations, cart page upsells, and post-purchase offers. You can replicate your existing FBT pairings or use automatic recommendations.

Step 3: Set bundle discounts. Configure your discount structure: percentage off, fixed amount, or BOGO. Match or improve upon your current FBT discount strategy.

Step 4: Activate and test. Preview recommendations on product pages, test the cart page upsells, and verify post-purchase offers work correctly.

Step 5: Uninstall FBT. Remove Frequently Bought Together from your Shopify admin. The EasyApps recommendations will immediately take over, providing the same product page functionality plus additional touchpoints.

There is no SEO impact, no URL changes, and no content modifications. The switch is seamless for both you and your customers.

The Full EasyApps Conversion Suite

Switching from FBT to EasyApps gives you access to the full EasyApps suite of 10 free conversion optimization tools:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Frequently Bought Together alternative for Shopify?

EA Upsell & Cross-Sell is the best Frequently Bought Together alternative for Shopify. It offers all the product bundling and recommendation features of FBT plus additional capabilities like cart page upsells, post-purchase one-click offers, volume discounts, and urgency-based upsells. EasyApps also includes a free plan and is part of a larger 10-app conversion optimization suite.

How does EasyApps compare to Frequently Bought Together for AOV?

EasyApps typically generates 20-40% higher AOV increases compared to Frequently Bought Together because it offers upsell touchpoints across the entire shopping funnel, not just on product pages. While FBT shows bundle suggestions on product pages, EasyApps adds cart page upsells, post-purchase offers, and volume discount suggestions that capture additional revenue at every decision point.

Is Frequently Bought Together free for Shopify?

Frequently Bought Together offers a free plan for development stores and a paid plan at $9.99/month for production stores. While affordable, EasyApps offers a more feature-rich free plan that includes not just product recommendations but also email popups, sticky add-to-cart, free shipping bars, and other conversion tools, giving you more value at no cost.

Can EasyApps show "Customers also bought" recommendations like FBT?

Yes. EA Upsell & Cross-Sell displays product recommendations on product pages including "Frequently bought together," "Customers also bought," and "Complete the look" formats. You can configure recommendations manually or let the app generate suggestions based on your product relationships. The display format is customizable to match your store's design.

Does switching from FBT to EasyApps affect my SEO?

No. Switching upsell apps does not affect SEO because both tools operate through JavaScript that search engines typically do not index. There are no URL changes, no content changes, and no structural modifications to your store. The switch is seamless and can be done in under 10 minutes without any SEO impact.

What other features does EasyApps offer beyond product bundles?

Beyond upsells and cross-sells, EasyApps offers nine additional free tools: EA Email Popup & Spin Wheel for email capture, EA Sticky Add to Cart for mobile conversions, EA Free Shipping Bar for AOV growth, EA Auto Free Gift & Rewards Bar for loyalty incentives, EA Announcement Bar for promotions, EA Countdown Timer for urgency, EA Page Speed Booster for performance, EA Accessibility for compliance, and EA Auto Language Translate for international reach.

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