TL;DR
- Bold (SC): long-running options app, now owned by Shop Circle, uses legacy OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT (hidden products for upcharges).
- Easify: newer Built-for-Shopify entrant, modern editor, per-option pricing without the hidden-product pattern.
- Bold's advantage: established footprint, many existing stores already on it; staying may be cheaper than migrating.
- Easify's advantage: modern UX, Built-for-Shopify quality bar, cleaner add-on pricing, often cited as polished.
- Migration consideration: leaving Bold means OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT cleanup. Verify current pricing on each listing.
Both options apps — legacy vs modern entrant
Both Bold (SC) Product Options and Easify Product Options are product-options apps — they let customers configure a product through fields and add-on pricing, without showing a live preview. The interesting differences are around era and mechanism. Bold's options app is one of the oldest in the category and now sits in Shop Circle's portfolio (listed as SC Product Options); it carries the legacy OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT pattern for add-on pricing, which works but leaves hidden products in your catalog. Easify is a newer Built-for-Shopify entrant with a modern editor and per-option pricing that doesn't rely on hidden products. So this comparison is more 'incumbent vs modern challenger' than two functionally identical apps.
Where they actually differ
| Dimension | Bold (SC) Product Options | Easify Product Options |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Shop Circle (formerly Bold Commerce) | Easify |
| Era / footprint | Long-running, large installed base | Newer entrant, growing footprint |
| Add-on pricing mechanism | OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT (hidden-product pattern) | Per-option fees without hidden products |
| Built-for-Shopify status | Verify current status on listing | Yes |
| Field-type breadth | Broad option types | 26+ option types |
| Editor UX | Mature; verify current polish on listing | Often cited as a polished, modern editor |
| Migration cleanup | OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT cleanup needed when uninstalling | Standard uninstall (no hidden products) |
| Live design preview | No | No |
For the cleanup angle in detail, see Migrate from Bold Product Options. For Easify positioning, see Easify Product Options Alternative. Confirm current pricing on each Shopify App Store listing.
Which one fits your store?
- You're already on Bold and it works → staying may be cheaper than migrating, especially given the OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT cleanup. Reassess on cost and editor UX, but inertia is rational.
- You're picking an options app fresh and want a modern, Built-for-Shopify experience → Easify is a strong default; the hidden-product pattern isn't something you have to start with.
- You want add-on pricing as clean cart line items without hidden products → Easify is cleaner; for the cleanest result, a personalizer with Cart Transform like PIMW is cleaner still.
- You're running other Shop Circle apps → Bold (SC) is the natural fit for single-vendor support and billing.
- Your products are personalized (text, monogram, photo) → neither shows a live preview; layer in a personalizer.
Skip the hidden-product pattern entirely?
Print It My Way uses Shopify's native Cart Transform for add-on pricing — clean cart line items, no hidden products, and a live design preview on personalized products. Install free and test on one product.
Install Print It My Way — Free See the Bold migration guide →Frequently asked questions
Bold (SC) or Easify — which options app should I pick?
If you're picking fresh, Easify is a reasonable default: it's Built for Shopify, has a modern editor, broad option types, and per-option pricing without the OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT pattern. If you're already on Bold (SC) and it works, the cost of staying is usually lower than the cost of migrating — factor the OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT cleanup into any switch decision. Confirm current pricing on each app's Shopify App Store listing and trial both on a sample product if you're undecided.
What is OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT in Bold?
It's the pattern Bold uses to handle add-on pricing on Shopify: when a customer selects an upcharged option, the app adds a separate 'hidden' product to the cart whose price equals the upcharge, so the total reflects the fee. It works, but the hidden products live in your Shopify catalog and don't go away when you uninstall — you have to clean them up manually. It also makes the cart and order look slightly messier than a single clean line item. Easify uses per-option fees without this pattern. For a full cleanup walkthrough, see Migrate from Bold Product Options.
Is Bold (SC) Product Options still being developed?
Yes — Bold's options app continues under Shop Circle as SC Product Options. Shop Circle has continued operating and developing the app since taking over the relevant product lines, but pricing tiers and direction have evolved. The honest signal of current activity is the listing's last-update date and recent reviews on the Shopify App Store, both of which give a clearer picture than any third-party article. If long-term direction matters to you, factor that signal into the decision.
Can either Bold or Easify show a live preview of the design?
No — both are options apps, not personalizers. Both let customers configure or select options, but neither renders the customer's typed text, chosen font/color, or uploaded photo on a picture of the product in real time before checkout. If you sell personalized products and want a live preview that lifts conversion and reduces 'not what I expected' errors, you need a personalizer like Print It My Way alongside or instead of an options app. For pure configuration without a preview, either Bold or Easify is enough.
Will migrating from Bold to Easify lose past orders?
No. The option selections on past orders are stored on the Shopify order as line item properties, so they remain intact and viewable after you uninstall Bold or install Easify, and your Shopify products are untouched. What you rebuild in Easify is each product's field, logic, and add-on-pricing setup, because configuration doesn't transfer automatically between apps. The extra Bold-specific step is the OPTIONS_HIDDEN_PRODUCT cleanup: those hidden products remain after uninstall and need to be removed manually. Plan a parallel run, document the existing setup with screenshots, and verify pricing flows correctly in Easify before uninstalling Bold.
Is Easify's Built-for-Shopify status meaningful?
It's a useful trust signal — Built-for-Shopify means the app has cleared Shopify's standards for performance, integration quality, theme compatibility, accessibility, and merchant experience. It's not a guarantee of fit for your specific store (no badge can be), but it does mean the app has cleared a bar above the general App Store and is more likely to be a clean theme integration. Bold's options app status on Built-for-Shopify has shifted over time under the Shop Circle ownership — verify current status on the listing.