Table of Contents
Using the correct search feature in your Shopify store could mean customers either find what they are looking for quickly or leave without finding anything at all. Many merchants start looking for a better search experience after discovering that Shopify’s default search does not meet e-commerce consumers’ expectations nowadays. In order to help merchants compare the three most common search options available today in Shopify, we will be comparing the three most commonly used search solutions: ExpertRec, Boost Commerce, and Searchie.
| Feature | ExpertRec | Boost Commerce | Searchie |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI-Powered Search | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Easy Shopify Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Search Ranking | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Merchandising Controls | Yes | Advanced | Basic |
| Fast Setup | Yes | Moderate | Easy |
| Affordable for Growing Stores | Yes | Can Become Expensive | Moderate |
| Conversion-Focused Features | Strong | Strong | Moderate |
All three platforms provide improved methods of product discovery, but it will come down to which one has the most balanced combination of performance level, customization options, and value to the Shopify Merchant.
Why Site Search matters more than ever
Customers using your site’s search function typically have a defined interest in a product and simply want to search for that product within your online store. If they cannot find what they are looking for in a few seconds, there is a strong possibility that they will leave your site to purchase from another website.
For successful Shopify stores to offer the best possible experience to shoppers, they incorporate multiple advanced site search features that allow the store owner to better understand shoppers’ intentions, correct misspellings, provide product recommendations that would be relevant to the shopper, and streamline shoppers’ ability to complete the purchase process. Before a shopper begins the checkout process, your site’s search must provide them with a great experience.
The hardest aspect of implementing an exceptional site search experience for your e-commerce store is selecting the appropriate provider for your site’s search functionality.
ExpertRec vs Boost Commerce: Which is better for growing Shopify Stores?
Boost Commerce has been one of the most popular applications available on the Shopify App Store. It offers excellent filtering and merchandising solutions, as well as customising the search results for your customers. Merchants love the extensive range of features that are offered within Boost, but as a large merchant, your catalog grows, and your business becomes more complex, the costs of these features will begin to add up significantly.
In addition to this, many merchants using Boost have found the amount of configuration time to be restrictive, preventing them from fully utilising the power of the product.
In contrast to Boost, ExpertRec has created a product with an entirely different approach to search and recommendations. Rather than creating an overwhelming product with many complicated features to configure, and an overwhelming number of features (such as boosting the entire catalog), ExpertRec’s main aim is to provide merchants with an intelligent search that generates high conversion rates by offering relevant product recommendations based on how users have behaved in the past. Therefore, the overall experience for customers shopping at stores using ExpertRec is considered to be much better, and they spend less time managing their catalog configuration than merchants using Boost.
Quick Quiz: Is Your Current Search Costing You Sales?
To determine if your current search is causing you to lose sales, answer the following questions:
If you answered “Yes” to two or more of these questions, there’s a high likelihood that your current search is costing you revenue.

AI-Powered Shopify Search That Converts More Visitors Into Customers
Boost Shopify Sales With Smarter Search
ExpertRec helps Shopify merchants improve product discovery with intelligent autocomplete, typo correction, personalized recommendations, merchandising controls, and AI-powered search built for higher conversions.
Shopify Ready • No Coding Required • Setup in Minutes
How Does Searchie Compare?
So, searchie has become a highly preferred choice for online shopping as it has a great reputation as being simple to use, and being easy enough to set up that even most users will have no trouble using it. For small companies selling only a few types or offering only limited function capabilities, Searchie likely will be able to provide a more effective solution than the built-in search capabilities provided by Shopify. However, when retailers move from selling a small number of items to selling a larger volume of those same products, then they will require more sophisticated search features such as AI-based ranking algorithms; we’ll call that “ranking” and merchandising, as well as analytics, synonym control, and personalized recommendations will actively support them.
In this context, ExpertRec was built with the intent to provide a competitive advantage to merchants (not unlike what you will see from other retailers) by helping consumers find items that are most likely to be purchased. As a result, when consumers use ExpertRec, their “purchase path” has been enhanced, and they are more likely to convert into actual customers.
Why Shopify Merchants are switching to ExpertRec
ExpertRec has so many customers who have moved from Shopify due to the growing need and demand for an easier and more effective way to search for products without having to deal with multiple solutions added to their site.
Through ExpertRec, stores can search accurately, handle spelling mistakes, give more visibility to the most important products, and allow products to be found across more than one catalog. ExpertRec uses AI to search “behind the scenes,” allowing customers to quickly find what they are looking for.
This combination of an easy-to-use, but powerful, complete solution is what has resulted in such a large following for ExpertRec from both new and established businesses.
The Bottom Line
Boost Commerce has many features, but Searchie has made it easier to search than Boost Commerce has. Therefore, the majority of Shopify retailers want a solution that includes all four characteristics (Intelligence, Usability, Scalability, and Affordability). ExpertRec can deliver these four attributes by assisting its customers in finding products quickly and providing its merchants with higher conversion rates.
If you are a Shopify merchant who is searching for a search solution that will grow alongside your business as it continues to develop and provide ease of management, ExpertRec would be a suitable option for you.



