The short answer: Smart Checkout Widgets is our pick for Shopify Plus merchants who want automatic or customer-choice gifts inside checkout. Gift Box is strong for dedicated cart-led GWP campaigns, Monk combines gifts with cart upsells, CartBot emphasizes auto-add rules, and UpsellPlus suits teams that want gifting inside a broader upsell suite.
Editorial disclosure: This article is not sponsored. No company paid for inclusion, placement, or ranking, and we receive no affiliate commission from the links in this guide. Smart Checkout Widgets publishes this comparison and includes its own product; rankings reflect fit for the stated use cases and are based on current Shopify App Store descriptions. Review pricing, eligibility, and recent merchant feedback before installing. Reviewed September 4, 2026.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Gift approach | Where it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Checkout Widgets | Plus checkout | Automatic or shopper choice | Gifts plus checkout merchandising |
| Gift Box | Dedicated GWP | Auto-add, Spend X, Buy X Get Y | Focused campaign setup |
| Monk | Cart upsells + gifts | GWP and BOGO | Cart conversion toolkit |
| CartBot | Simple auto-add | Auto add to cart | Rule-driven product addition |
| UpsellPlus | Full funnel | Gifts within upsell flows | Testing and many placements |
1. Smart Checkout Widgets — best for gifts inside Shopify Plus checkout
Smart Checkout Widgets supports automatic gifts and customer-choice rewards directly in checkout. It also includes upsells, BOGO and automatic discounts, banners, trust content, and payment customization, which helps agencies keep one campaign’s logic and presentation together.
Best fit: Plus stores that need the shopper to see, understand, or select the reward before payment.
2. Gift Box — best dedicated gift-with-purchase app
Gift Box lists Spend-X, Buy-X-Get-Y, collection conditions, optional automatic addition, scheduling, mobile support, and multiple languages. It is a straightforward candidate when gifting is the primary requirement.
3. Monk — best for combining cart upsells and gifts
Monk Free Gift + Checkout Upsell is positioned around free gifts, BOGO, cart upsells, and conversion offers. Consider it when most campaign interaction should happen before checkout.
4. CartBot — best for auto-adding products
CartBot focuses on automatically adding products or free gifts based on cart rules. It is a useful shortlist option for a simple “when X is present, add Y” promotion.
5. UpsellPlus — best gift feature inside a larger upsell program
UpsellPlus offers free gifts alongside product-page, cart, checkout, post-purchase, and account upsells. Choose it when the team will use targeting, AI recommendations, and experimentation beyond gifting.
Automatic gift or customer choice?
An automatic gift removes a decision and works well when there is one universally useful reward. Customer choice works better when preferences vary—shade, flavor, size, or category—and the available gift inventory is controlled. Do not make shoppers choose among ten items; two to four distinct options are easier to understand on mobile.
How to evaluate a Shopify gift app
- Confirm placement: cart, checkout, post-purchase, or Thank You page.
- Map eligibility: subtotal, product, collection, customer segment, market, and discount combinations.
- Test inventory behavior: out-of-stock gifts, removals, returns, and partial refunds.
- Check mobile clarity: the reward should not obscure payment or create layout shift.
- Measure incrementality: compare AOV, checkout completion, gift cost, and gross margin—not AOV alone.
A practical starting campaign
Set a threshold slightly above your recent median order value, offer one gift with reliable stock, and run the campaign for a complete buying cycle. Add customer choice only after the rule and fulfillment workflow are stable. For BFCM, freeze the configuration before peak week and document a fallback gift.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free gift app for Shopify Plus checkout?
Smart Checkout Widgets is a focused option for automatic and customer-choice gifts shown inside Shopify Plus checkout, with related upsell and trust widgets.
Can Shopify automatically add a free gift?
Yes. Gift apps can use spend, product, collection, and eligibility rules to add a gift automatically or let the shopper choose an eligible reward.
Is a free product the same as a discount code?
No. A gift campaign adds or discounts a specific product, while a discount code changes price according to its configured Shopify rules. Apps may coordinate both mechanics.