Most stores choose to feature only one of the Rubik apps, but really they can serve two different purposes, and it’s a shame to choose only one. They overlap only very roughly, and running both apps in the store would help to sell more of them.
This post explains why most Shopify stores actually require both the Rubik Variant Images and the Rubik Combined Listings apps. scenarios, motivations behind needing both apps. no fluff or marketing hype. the truth about image display on Shopify stores.
Table of Contents
- Two completely different problems
- Real scenarios that need both
- How they work together
- Pricing both apps together
- Setup order
- FAQ
Two completely different problems
Let me draw the line as cleanly as I can.
Rubik Variant Images Displays variant images on the product page. Images are filtered for the selected variant, showing multiple images, such as full view, view from the opposite side, details for Red or details for Olive. This product extension displays details for the selected variant, Red or Olive in this example, and only on the product page.
Rubik Combined Listings does exactly what it says – it can be used to combine separate Shopify products together to list them as one, and it will work except for when you try to filter on product pages. Its main use is to show swatches on collection pages and then show grouped swatches (the picker that allows you to jump from “Red Hoodie” to “Blue Hoodie” as if they were variants of one product) on product pages. It will link the family of products together to show a cohesive unit.
RVI vs RCL: You had that one bullet point, and then you had a bunch of variations of that bullet point. Now you have one range of products, and a bunch of variations of that range of products. Most retail stores have a bit of both going on.
Real scenarios that need both
Apparel store
You sell t-shirts online. Your classic tee comes in 8 colors which makes it one product with 8 variants. The Rubik Variant Images WordPress Plugin does a great job in filtering the gallery so every color variant of your classic tee shows the corresponding shots of the different male models.
You also list some product in a “Limited Edition” format, where each color is given its own product page for SEO and to tell more stories about the product. Without RCL each of those colorways would be invisible, tucked away in an unrelated category. Each one would only be discovered by people who landed on that individual product page. With RCL, those 5 versions can be organized together on the collection page so the viewer can compare them. Each one is a separate Shopify listing. The buyer can click through to the individual product page for the version they like best.
8 requires 8
Furniture store
A sofa with 12 different fabric options all presented as variants of a single product. RVI dynamically updated the gallery on the website to show the different fabric options from different angles as the user clicked on a swatch for the relevant fabric finish.
The sofa is part of a larger “Modular Living Series” that includes matching armchairs, ottomans and side tables – all separate products. By creating a series-level organization, RCL makes it easier for customers to view related products without having to search across the entire family. This way, customers can easily compare a sofa to an armchair or ottoman on the series-level without having to leave the product page. The collection page shows swatches for all the products in the series.
Read the furniture variant images guide for the full setup.
Beauty store
RVI shows each shade’s product photos when picked. Real swatches. Real lip shots. Not gray dots. 30 shades per formula. Lipsticks
You also have product lines (Matte, Satin, Glossy) where each finish type has its own product. RCL groups them as a “Lipstick Collection” family on the collection page. Shoppers can easily view all formulas within all shades in one picker.
See the cosmetics variant images guide for category specific tips.
Jewelry store
3 Rings in gold, rose gold, and silver. Each metal has its own gallery of styles. Ring Shoot for Gold is different from Ring Shoot for Silver, you have to see them.
sell as a set with necklace and earrings. Each piece is a separate item, RCL lists as a set. Read jewelry variant images guide for pattern.
How they work together
Both RVI and RCL are metafield-based and do not conflict or overlap with each other. RVI creates a new variant filtering layer that only shows on the product page when a customer is selecting a variant. RCL creates a grouping layer that is rendered on the collection pages and on the grouped product picker section. Different render zone, no conflict.
Both have shadow DOM isolation (RCL) / scoped CSS (RVI) so styles will not bleed into your theme. Both are Built for Shopify and come with all the features you expect – including support on all plans from Basic to Plus. Both plugins support 7 different page builders including Beae, EComposer, Foxify, GemPages, Instant, PageFly, Replo. Load metafields only – no external API calls are made.
Note that all of these apps cause you to lose one of the benefits of storing data in the Shopify admin, namely storefront speed (i.e. speed of the Storefront API) for both the freezing apps and the apps that wake up external servers. But all of the data is already stored in Shopify so the page render isn’t affected, and page render speed is another Core Web Vital. Check out image optimization.
Pricing both apps together
Here’s the part nobody bothers running the math on. Let me run it.
| Tier | Rubik Variant Images | Rubik Combined Listings | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (1 product) | $0 (5 groups) | $0 |
| Starter | $25 (100 products) | $10 (100 groups) | $35/mo |
| Advanced | $50 (1000 products) | $30 (500 groups) | $80/mo |
| Premium | $75 (unlimited) | $50 (5000 groups) | $125/mo |
$125/month for both features at the highest plan. For comparison, a single Shopify Plus upgrade ($2,300+/mo) would be required to access native Combined Listings, which doesn’t offer the same customization options as Rubik.
Small stores (under 100 products) with few collections (under 100) only pay $35/mo total for the power of Handpick and Compare Very Similar. That’s the cost of a couple of coffees per month for features that will dramatically change the way your customers experience your store. See your profit margins and how little increased conversion needs to be in order to pay for both apps in the following calculator.
Setup order
- Install Rubik Variant Images first. Configure it for your largest product (the one with the most variants). Confirm the gallery filtering works on staging.
- Use bulk assign by image order to fill in the rest of your catalog. Or use AI auto-assign per product if you have unusual gallery structures.
- Install Rubik Combined Listings second. Run AI Magic Fill on your catalog to propose groups for separate listings that should be families.
- Approve groups in batches. Style the swatches with the 70+ CSS variables to match your brand.
- Test both on staging. Test product page filtering AND collection page swatches AND grouped picker.
- Push to live.
I do RVI first, since it’s easier to get a feel for how things are going. RCL second, since it groups things in a very meaningful way and takes more thought. Use the “grouping planner” tool to map out the “families” before you start.
Useful tools
- Grouping planner for mapping product families
- Product page grader to spot weak product pages
- Collection analyzer for collection page health
See the live demo store or the combined listings demo, watch the tutorial video, or read the getting started guide.
FAQ
Do Rubik Variant Images and Rubik Combined Listings overlap?
No. We handle per-variant gallery filtering on the product page. RCL is for grouping separate listings into families, as opposed to RVI. Completely different metafields, and completely different render zones, with no conflict.
Can I run both apps at the same time?
Yes. You can run them together as they are designed to be used together and are both Built for Shopify. Neither product uses external API calls. Both products utilise metafield based code loading.
What plans do they work on?
Every Shopify plan from Basic to Plus. No upgrade required.
Total cost for both at the top tier?
$125 per month combined ($75 RVI Premium + $50 RCL Premium). Annual plans get 17% off RCL.
Which one should I install first?
Rubik Variant Images first. Then Rubik Combined Listings once you’ve figured out your group structure.
Will both apps slow down my store?
Both are metafield based, no external API calls. Page render remains fast.
Do they support page builders?
Both support additional website builders and extensions such as Beae, EComposer, Foxify, GemPages, Instant, PageFly, and Replo with 350+ themes.
