Apparel is the hardest vertical to run on Shopify of all the verticals I’ve worked with. Not only do you have colors and sizes to create variants, but often fits, fabrics, and even a second dimension of color and pattern to create more variants on top of that. A single product can turn into 48 variants before you even finish your lunch. On top of all of that, returns can range as high as 20-30%. Furthermore, when searching for “the best apps for apparel stores”, most results are going to be listicles that go through the best apps to display all of those variants with high quality images.
But if the theme is Best Shopifly Apps for apparel then we will go past swatches for some of these options. I’ve organized them into 6 different categories including some of the most valuable Rubik options (because who needs 2 separate apps when you have 2 separate options?). See below! All REAL apps that actually work. No fakes or overhyping some features that another existing app already does better.
For those that don’t know, if you offer products such as custom t-shirts that come in 8 colours with 5 sizes per style, this means that with 30 different styles, you only have 1,200 variants of that product. Once you start introducing patterns such as stripes, solids, and graphics the numbers are even larger. With Shopify now supporting up to 2,048 variants many of us are well into the new limits. Our Shopify apps better be too.
In this post
- What matters in an apparel app stack
- Comparison table
- 1. Rubik Variant Images + Combined Listings
- 2. Easy Variant Images
- 3. GLO Color Swatch & Bundles
- 4. StarApps Variant Image Automator
- 5. Variant Image Wizard + Swatch
- FAQ
- Related reading
What matters in an apparel app stack
Three things apparel merchants get wrong with image variations. Firstly images of variant colours are optional to display is incorrect (customers may perceive colours they cannot view to be ugly) and secondly selecting an image swatch application is not enough (swatches are useful on product information pages but also required on collection pages). Lastly they underestimate the impact of returns and that optimizing returns is highest ROI. Further, clothing returns are approximately 50% due to image variations not matching the product received.
The checklist: Multiple images per product variant, image and color swatches, swatches on collection pages, Ability to bulk assign in preparation for the 500 product mark, Size charts (or a theme that supports them for you), and a flat price plan so you aren’t penalized for upgrading your Shopify plan. Make sure you have a solid base before adding more features with our Product Page Grader.
Comparison table
| App | Apparel fit | Rating | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubik Variant Images | Excellent (built for color+size) | 5.0 (343) | Free, $25, $50, $75 |
| Rubik Combined Listings | Excellent (collection swatches) | 5.0 (21) | Free, $10, $30, $50 |
| Easy Variant Images | Good | 5.0 (77) | 30-day trial |
| GLO Color Swatch | Good | 4.9 (1,742) | Free, $9.90, $19.90 |
| StarApps Automator | Good (legacy pick) | 4.8 (578) | Trial + paid |
| Variant Image Wizard | Good | 4.8 (343) | Free + paid |
1. Rubik Variant Images + Combined Listings
Most apparel stores end up needing both apps. Rubik Variant Images displays only the “Sand” images when “Sand” is selected, handles multiple images per color, and shows color or image swatches in any size or shape on the product page. Rubik Combined Listings shows color swatches on the collection grid, links separate products as variants, and keeps grouped products together on the collection page. Together they cover the full apparel listing experience.
AI auto-assign is a huge time saving for apparel products when you have many images. For example you can upload 40 new product images all named something like “basic-tee-sand-01.jpg” and can figure out what image goes to what variant. For bulk stores this can use Shopify gallery image-order grouping, taking into account featured images but not filename. And if AI goes wrong you can always drag drop images to their correct products for manual override.
Pricing is very straight forward: $0 for 1 product, $25/mo for 100, $50/mo for 1k, $75 unlimited (we’ve tried to keep it from jumping dramatically for apparel sellers who might be doubling from 30 products to 300 products in a season). Demo here, tutorial here and the docs are on rubikvariant.com and rubikswatch.com.
2. Easy Variant Images
From SpiceGems. 5.0 out of 5 stars. “Easy to use. Automatically groups images by variant using theme gallery, so no need to mess around with code. It does also support video and 3D, which is nice. Assuming your theme gallery is pretty clean (mine wasn’t too bad for the dresses but could have used a bit of a clean up for the bags), this is a no brainer. If your theme gallery is trashed (as apparel often is), you’re better off with Rubik’s AI auto-assign.” – 77 reviews, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
3. GLO Color Swatch & Bundles
Biggest app in the category by review count (1,742 reviews, 4.9 stars). Supports swatches, bundles, out-of-stock hiding, bulk upload. Combined listings features are locked behind the $19.90/mo Gold plan. If your apparel store wants swatches and bundles in one app, GLO is a solid option. For CL first needs, however, Rubik’s free tier is more cost effective.
4. StarApps Variant Image Automator
The old-school pick. Launched in 2017, 578 reviews, 4.8 stars with Shopfy auto-sorting your images into auto-groups based on the gallery order exactly how you have them uploaded on your Shopify store. This drop shooter is trusted, conservative, and hardly touches your website speed in terms of functionality. Many apparel stores have been using this for 5 years plus!
5. Variant Image Wizard + Swatch
ProductWiz Inc. 4.8/5 stars, 343 reviews. You can configure swatches with images for variants, make multiple images for variants, do bulk edits, and more. You can also link separate products as swatches. This app is perfect for large product options (e.g. 4 dimensions: color, size, fit, fabric etc).
FAQ
What’s the best Shopify app for apparel stores?
Rubik Images and Combined Listings. These are used for displaying rubik variants on a product page as well as for creating collections that link in the catalog. The Images module handles product images, and the Combined Listings module handles the creating of the variants on the product details page as well as the listings on the collection page.
Do I need separate apps for swatches and variant images?
No. Rubik Variant Images does both on the product page.
How do I show color swatches on Shopify collection pages?
Use Rubik Combined Listings or read our collection page swatches guide.
Can apparel stores use Shopify native combined listings?
Only on Shopify Plus ($2,300+/mo). Below Plus, you need a third-party app.
How do I reduce clothing returns on Shopify?
Show correct image for colours, include size guide & accurate product description, read how we reduced returns here.
Do these apps work with Dawn, Horizon, and premium themes?
Yes. Rubik supports 350+ themes including Dawn and Horizon.
Does Rubik support multi-language swatches?
Yes. Rubik Combined Listings also supports integration with Shopify Translate & Adapt to enable swatch labels and option names to be translated for multiple languages.
Related reading
- Fashion variant images guide
- Reducing returns with better variant images
- Multiple images per variant
- Color swatches complete guide
- Variant images complete guide
- Color swatch picker setup (RVI)
- Combined listings for custom apparel (Rubikify)
After working with apparel stores for years, I can already predict one person’s response: “you haven’t really looked at our theme”. My point to that person: at apparel stores, theme looks are all important, but variant images are nearly an afterthought. Yet it’s the plumbing that needs to be addressed first, before you worry about making the site look pretty.
