Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points
AI-powered personalized search, collection filter, and instant search with advanced analytics.
| BL Story Highlight Menu Bar | Smart Search & Filter | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | ||
| Description | ||
| Screenshots | images | images |
| Languages | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Developer | ||
| Listed | ||
| Last updated |
Add story-style highlight menus to showcase products, collections, and categories in clickable bars.
| Metric | BL Story Highlight Menu Bar | Smart Search & Filter |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 1.0 ★ | ★ 5.0 ★ |
| Total reviews | 1 | ★ 25 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free plan available | Free plan available |
| Built for Shopify | — | — |
| Pricing tiers | 3 tiers | 3 tiers |
| Listed features | 5 | 5 |
| Languages | 3 supported | 1 supported |
| Listed since | Oct 2024 | Nov 2020 |
Based on the data on this page, Smart Search & Filter is the stronger choice for most Shopify App Store merchants — 5.0★ vs BL Story Highlight Menu Bar's 1.0★ is a meaningful gap that usually reflects real product or support quality differences across the user base.
Pricing entry tiers: BL Story Highlight Menu Bar at Free plan available, Smart Search & Filter at Free plan available. Check each app's tier structure for the capacity limits you actually need before deciding — the headline number is the same shape, but the gating shape per tier (seats, usage volume, integrations) varies.
Recommended by size: small/early-stage merchants who need fast install and low risk should default to Smart Search & Filter; mid-market and enterprise merchants with specific feature requirements should evaluate both — BL Story Highlight Menu Bar's 1-review base may include the workflow context that matches your specific use case better than Smart Search & Filter's broader-but-shallower coverage.
This verdict is generated from the live marketplace data on this page — rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position all refresh from the canonical Shopify App Store listing every 24 hours. AppRanks does not accept payment to influence comparison outcomes; the methodology is documented on the About page and applies identically to every pair on the site.
Read each app's audit: BL Story Highlight Menu Bar audit • Smart Search & Filter audit
| — |
| Keyword | BL Story Highlight Menu Bar | Smart Search & Filter |
|---|---|---|
| smart search | Not ranked | #5 |
| search filter | Not ranked | #12 |
| search discovery | Not ranked | #20 |
No tracked changes.
Both BL Story Highlight Menu Bar and Smart Search & Filter offer paid plans only. BL Story Highlight Menu Bar starts at Free plan available; Smart Search & Filter starts at Free plan available. Compare the per-tier features in the Pricing section above before committing.
Smart Search & Filter has the higher average rating (5.0★ from 25 reviews) compared to BL Story Highlight Menu Bar (1.0★ from 1 reviews). Both are tracked daily by AppRanks, so the figures here update each refresh cycle.
Smart Search & Filter holds the higher average rating (5.0★ vs 1.0★). That is the one dimension AppRanks can separate them on here — read both apps' detail pages for the feature breakdown and recent listing changes.
Both apps are one-click installs from the Shopify App Store. Smart Search & Filter has the deeper published review base (25 vs 1), which often — though not always — accompanies better-tested setup docs. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly: read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for user-reported install experience.
BL Story Highlight Menu Bar typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (1 reviews). Smart Search & Filter typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (25 reviews). A larger review base generally means the app has been exercised at scale — relevant if you are processing high volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.
Migration support varies by app and category. BL Story Highlight Menu Bar and Smart Search & Filter both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from BL Story Highlight Menu Bar" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.
