All Essent data below comes from its public Shopify App Store listing, checked on July 17, 2026. Listings change; if something is outdated, tell us and we'll correct it.
At a glance
| ShipsBy | Essent Estimated Delivery Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Leria Technologies | Essential Apps |
| App Store rating | New app (launching 2026) | 5.0 ★ · 770+ reviews |
| Built for Shopify badge | Targeted from V1 | Yes |
| Pricing | Free · $9.99/mo · $24.99/mo (14-day trial) | Free (no paid tiers listed at check) |
| Cutoff countdown | Yes (Growth+) | Yes (countdown timers) |
| Holiday handling | FR/US/UK/DE calendars preloaded + custom (Growth+) | Holiday blocking, manual dates |
| Product / collection / tag overrides | Yes — structured priority system (Growth+) | Per-widget targeting; no documented priority cascade |
| Country zone matrix | Yes, with Shopify Markets geo-detection (Pro) | Geolocation customization |
| Translations bundled | EN/FR/DE/ES + localized date formats (Pro) | Multi-language support |
| Rendering approach | Config in shop metafield — 0 network calls, <15 KB deferred JS | Not documented publicly |
| Buyer data collected | None — settings + aggregate counters only | See their privacy policy |
Where Essent is stronger
- Price: it's free. As of our check there are no paid tiers. If budget is the deciding factor, Essent wins outright.
- Track record. 770+ reviews at 5.0★ and a Built for Shopify badge is the strongest social proof in the category. ShipsBy is new and hasn't earned that yet.
- A suite behind it. Essential Apps runs several popular Shopify apps with a sizeable support team. If you already use their other apps, staying in one vendor's ecosystem is convenient.
Where ShipsBy is stronger
- A real rules engine, not just a widget. Cutoff + processing + dispatch days + holidays + zones + overrides compose predictably, with a documented priority order when rules collide. Stores with made-to-order items or mixed catalogs need this structure.
- Documented, verifiable performance. Config served from a shop metafield, zero network calls to render, under 15 KB of deferred vanilla JS. We publish the mechanism, not just the claim.
- Zones designed for cross-border selling. Per-country transit matrices with automatic zone selection via Shopify Markets, and bundled EN/FR/DE/ES translations with localized date formats — built for European merchants selling across borders.
- Radical privacy posture. ShipsBy collects no buyer data whatsoever — the storefront widget makes no calls to our servers and sets no cookies. Simple to explain in your own privacy policy. Details.
Which should you choose?
Choose Essent if you want a free, well-reviewed widget with a single delivery message and you don't need structured overrides or per-country zone logic.
Choose ShipsBy if your fulfillment has structure — different timelines per product type, multiple destination countries, multilingual storefronts — and you want that logic expressed as maintainable rules rather than manual widget variants. Start free, upgrade when you need the engine.
FAQ
ShipsBy vs Essent Estimated Delivery Date: which is better?
Neither is better for everyone. Essent is free, carries the Built for Shopify badge, and has the largest review base in the category (5.0★, 770+ reviews as of July 2026) — a strong choice for a simple, no-cost widget. ShipsBy is built around a structured rules engine: cutoff countdown, per-product/collection/tag overrides, country zones with Shopify Markets geo-detection, bundled EN/FR/DE/ES translations, and a widget that renders with zero network calls. Stores with differentiated fulfillment typically outgrow a single global rule and are better served by ShipsBy's Growth ($9.99/mo) or Pro ($24.99/mo) plans.
Is Essent Estimated Delivery Date really free?
Yes — as of our check on July 17, 2026, its App Store listing shows the app as free with no paid tiers listed. Essential Apps publishes a suite of Shopify apps, and the free delivery date app is part of that broader suite. ShipsBy also has a free plan (one global rule, basic style); paid features are $9.99/mo (Growth) and $24.99/mo (Pro) with a 14-day trial.
Does either app slow down a Shopify storefront?
For ShipsBy we can state the exact mechanism: under 15 KB of gzipped vanilla JS, loaded deferred, configuration read from a shop metafield that ships with the page — zero network calls to render. We can't speak to Essent's internals, but its Built for Shopify badge means it passed Shopify's performance criteria, and merchant reviews report no slowdown.
Try the rules engine yourself — free plan, 3-minute setup.
Install ShipsBy on the Shopify App Store