King Product Options & Variant vs SM Product Options Comparison
For Shopify merchants selling customizable products—like apparel, accessories, or build-your-own items—Shopify’s native limit of 3 product options and 100 variants can quickly become restrictive. That’s where third-party product options Shopify apps come into play.
Here, we compare two strong contenders:
This in-depth, ~1500‑word analysis will help you understand which app fits your store’s customization, UX, scalability, and pricing needs best.
App Overviews
King Product Options & Variant
King Product Options & Variant lets you add unlimited custom fields—text, dropdown, checkbox, swatches—with support for conditional logic, file uploads, and dynamic pricing. It also helps bypass variant limits by syncing options into new variants for inventory tracking.
- Custom fields: text, number, dropdown, checkbox, date
- Color & image swatches
- Conditional logic and field dependencies
- File uploads for personalization
- Price add‑ons
- Automatic variant creation for fulfillment
SM Product Options
SM Product Options is designed for modern Shopify 2.0 themes. It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, multi-step forms, visual swatches, and deep integration with Shopify features—like discount codes and Functions.
- Live drag-and-drop form builder
- Visual swatches: color, image, button
- Multi-step customization flows
- Conditional logic and modular layout
- Formula-based dynamic pricing
- Edit-in-cart experience, multi-currency, Shop Pay
- Discount code and Shopify Functions support
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | King Product Options & Variant | SM Product Options |
|---|---|---|
| Text, Dropdown, Checkbox Fields | ✅ | ✅ |
| Color/Image Swatches | ✅ | ✅ |
| Conditional Logic | ✅ | ✅ |
| File Uploads | ✅ | ✅ |
| Price Add‑Ons | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto Variant Creation | ✅ | ❌ |
| Multi‑Step Forms | ❌ | ✅ |
| Formula Pricing | ❌ | ✅ |
| Edit‑in‑Cart Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| Shopify Functions & Discounts | ❌ | ✅ |
| Shopify 2.0 Theme Support | ✅ | ✅ |
| Import/Export Option Sets | Limited | ✅ |
Ease of Use & Setup
King Product Options: Functional UI, setup can be slightly technical when using variant sync. Great for merchants needing inventory tracking.
SM Product Options: Ultra-modern drag-and-drop with real-time preview. Simple to use for both non-technical and advanced users.
Use Case Scenarios
| Scenario | Best App |
|---|---|
| Add personalization text | Both |
| Allow file/image upload | Both |
| Use swatches for color/image | Both |
| Track inventory by variant | King |
| Build multi-step custom flows | SM Product Options |
| Apply formula-based pricing | SM Product Options |
| Edit customization in cart | SM Product Options |
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | King Product Options | SM Product Options |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | Free | ✅ (Basic) |
| Starting Price | Free | $10/month |
| Advanced Pricing & Logic | ❌ | $20/month |
| Variant Creation Support | ✅ | ❌ |
Support & Integrations
| Support Feature | King Product Options | SM Product Options |
|---|---|---|
| Email Support | ✅ | ✅ |
| Live Chat | ✅ | ✅ |
| Theme Integration Help | Limited | ✅ |
| Onboarding & Setup | Basic guidance | ✅ |
Performance & Compatibility
King Product Options: Works well on most themes and supports Shopify’s variant limits, but variant sync scripts may intermittently affect performance.
SM Product Options: Optimized for speed, leverages Shopify 2.0, Functions, and works seamlessly for high-traffic stores.
Real Store Example
Custom T-Shirt Business:
Using King Product Options: Customers select shirt color via swatch, upload logo, pick size. Each combination is synced as a unique variant for inventory control.
Using SM Product Options: Customers fill a multi-step form: choose design, add text, select extras; price updates via formulas, and they can edit selections in cart seamlessly.
Merchant Feedback
- King Product Options: 4.8 stars. Highly rated for variant syncing and inventory support, though some customization limitations noted.
- SM Product Options: 5 stars. Users praise modern UI, flexibility, and responsive support.
Final Verdict
Choose King Product Options & Variant if you:
- Need inventory tracking per customization via variant syncing
- Want template-driven option creation
- Are comfortable with a traditional admin interface
Choose SM Product Options if you:
- Want an intuitive drag-and-drop builder with live previews
- Need multi-step workflows, formula pricing, edit-in-cart UX
- Care about Shopify 2.0, discount integration, and scalability
Conclusion
Both apps effectively extend Shopify’s native product capabilities. If you require inventory-level variant tracking, King Product Options & Variant is a strong choice. But for most stores seeking user-friendly customization workflows, long-term scalability, and modern Shopify-native functionality, SM Product Options offers a more future-ready solution.
Evaluate your priorities—inventory sync vs. UX & scalability—and choose the app that aligns best with your store goals.