Rubik Combined Listings and G: Combined Listings & Variant (Grouptify) are two of the most popular apps for linking separate Shopify products with color swatches. Both have a 5.0 rating. Both are Built for Shopify. Both start at $0.
But they are built differently. Rubik was designed around AI-powered setup, per-group visual customization, and fast storefront performance. Grouptify has been around longer and has a bigger review base. This post covers every difference so you can pick the right one for your store.
Disclosure: I am the developer of Rubik Combined Listings. All data comes from the Shopify App Store as of March 2026.
In this post
- Quick comparison
- What Rubik Combined Listings does
- What Grouptify does
- Pricing comparison
- Where Rubik is stronger
- Where Grouptify is stronger
- Feature-by-feature table
- Which app should you pick?
- Frequently asked questions
- Related reading
Quick comparison
| Rubik Combined Listings | Grouptify | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5.0 (20 reviews) | 5.0 (308 reviews) |
| Launched | February 2026 | October 2024 |
| Built for Shopify | Yes | Yes |
| AI features | Magic Fill + AI visual assistant | Not mentioned |
| Storefront speed | Metafield/metaobject-based (fast) | Not specified |
| Per-group visual settings | Yes (each group can look different) | Not mentioned |
| Live admin preview | Yes (renders actual products) | Not mentioned |
| Style presets | 11 product page + 8 product card | Not mentioned |
| Shadow DOM | Yes | Not mentioned |
| CSS variables | 70+ | Custom CSS |
| Accessibility | ARIA + keyboard + screen reader | Not mentioned |
| Free plan (live stores) | 5 groups, all features | 5 groups, manual sync, color swatches only |
| Price for 100 groups | $10/month flat | $9.99/month + surcharges |
| Pricing model | Flat rate | Flat rate + Shopify plan surcharges |
What Rubik Combined Listings does
Rubik Combined Listings Swatch groups separate Shopify products and displays them as visual variants with swatches on product pages and collection pages. It was built from the ground up around two ideas: let AI handle the tedious setup work, and give every product group its own visual design.
What sets Rubik apart
- Magic Fill (AI). Add products to a group and click one button. The AI reads product titles and images, fills in option values (“Navy Blue”), and picks swatch colors (#1B2A4A). No typing. No guessing hex codes.
- AI visual assistant. Type “make the swatches round and bigger” in plain language. The AI applies the changes and shows a live preview instantly.
- Per-group visual settings. Your shoe group can use large image swatches. Your t-shirt group can use small color circles. Your hat group can use a dropdown. Each group has its own design, independent from the others.
- Live admin preview. When you create or edit a product group, the sidebar shows exactly how swatches will look on your storefront, using your actual product images. Not placeholder images.
- Fastest loading. Swatch data is stored in Shopify metafields and metaobjects. No external API calls. Swatches arrive with the page itself.
- 7 image sources. First, second, or last product image. Custom uploaded image. Solid color. Dual-color split (4 directions). Auto mode that cascades through sources.
- 70+ CSS variables + Shadow DOM. Full visual control. Shadow DOM prevents your theme CSS from breaking swatch styles.
- 19 style presets. 11 for product pages, 8 for product cards. Pick a starting point and customize from there.
- Swatch click analytics. A custom JavaScript event fires on every click with 15 properties (product ID, option value, price, context). Plug it into Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel. See the swatch event docs.
- Accessibility. ARIA labels, keyboard navigation, screen reader support, 44x44px touch targets.
- 350+ themes + 7 page builders. Dawn, Horizon, Prestige, Impulse, Impact, Focal, Warehouse, Minimog, Ella, plus GemPages, PageFly, EComposer, Instant, Beae, Foxify, Replo. Full list at supported themes.
See it on the demo store. Or watch the tutorial.
What Grouptify does
G: Combined Listings & Variant is a dedicated combined listings app from Tapita (Vietnam). It launched in October 2024 and has built a strong user base with 308 reviews. The app connects separate products with color swatches, dropdowns, or buttons on product pages and collection pages.
Its main strength is its established track record and import/export functionality for managing groups across stores.
Grouptify features
- Color swatches (free plan), image swatches (paid plans)
- Collection page swatches (paid plans)
- Bulk grouping by title patterns and tags
- Auto-sync on paid plans (manual only on free)
- Import/export group configurations
- Multi-language support and translation
- Auto-exclude draft/archived products (Advanced plan, $49/month)
- Custom CSS
Pricing comparison
Rubik Combined Listings pricing (flat rate)
| Plan | Price | Groups | AI credits/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 | 100 |
| Starter | $10/mo ($100/yr) | 100 | 1,000 |
| Advanced | $30/mo ($300/yr) | 500 | 5,000 |
| Premium | $50/mo ($500/yr) | 5,000 | 50,000 |
Every feature on every plan. Annual billing saves 17%.
Grouptify pricing (flat rate + surcharges)
| Plan | Base price | Groups | Key limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 | Manual sync only. Color swatches only (no image swatches). |
| Basic | $9.99/mo | 100 | Auto-sync, image swatches, collection display. |
| Standard | $29/mo | 500 | Developer customization. |
| Advanced | $49/mo | 5,000 | API, real-time inventory, Shopify Markets, VIP support. |
Grouptify adds surcharges on top of the base price based on your Shopify plan: +$5 on Grow, +$15 on Advanced, +$30 on Plus. A store on Shopify Advanced pays $9.99 + $15 = $24.99/month for 100 groups. On Shopify Plus, the same plan costs $9.99 + $30 = $39.99/month.
With Rubik, the price is always $10/month for 100 groups. No surcharges.
Where Rubik is stronger
AI-powered setup
Rubik’s Magic Fill feature analyzes product titles and images, then auto-fills option values and swatch colors for every product in a group. If you add 8 t-shirts to a group, one click fills all 8 option values (“Red”, “Navy Blue”, “Forest Green”) and picks matching hex colors. Grouptify does not mention AI features on its listing.
The AI visual assistant goes further: describe what you want (“make swatches bigger, use rounded corners, add a blue border”) and the AI applies the changes with a live preview. This is unique to Rubik.
Per-group visual settings
With Rubik, each product group has its own independent design. Your shoe group uses large polaroid-style image swatches. Your t-shirt group uses compact color circles. Your accessories group uses a dropdown. Grouptify does not mention per-group visual settings on its listing, suggesting a single global style for all groups.
Live admin preview with actual products
When you edit a group in Rubik, the sidebar shows a real-time preview using your actual product images. You see exactly how the swatches will look before saving. The preview updates instantly as you adjust settings. Grouptify does not mention a live preview feature on its listing.
Storefront speed
Rubik stores all swatch data in Shopify metafields and metaobjects. The data loads with the page. No extra HTTP requests to external servers. In side-by-side comparisons, Rubik’s swatches appear noticeably faster. Grouptify’s data loading method is not specified on its listing.
Free plan: all features vs limited
Both apps give you 5 free groups. But Rubik includes every feature on the free plan: image swatches, auto-sync, AI credits, collection page swatches, per-group styling. Grouptify’s free plan is limited to manual sync and color swatches only. No image swatches. No auto-sync. No collection page display.
Flat pricing (no surcharges)
Rubik costs $10/month for 100 groups regardless of your Shopify plan. Grouptify starts at $9.99 but adds surcharges: +$5 on Grow, +$15 on Advanced, +$30 on Plus. If your store is on Shopify Advanced, Grouptify costs $24.99/month vs Rubik’s $10. On Plus, Grouptify costs $39.99 vs Rubik’s $10.
Out-of-stock handling on all plans
Rubik auto-hides archived and draft products on every plan. You can also hide sold-out swatches or push them to the end of the list. Grouptify’s auto-exclude for draft/archived products is only available on the Advanced plan ($49/month).
Accessibility
Rubik includes ARIA labels, keyboard navigation, and screen reader support. Touch targets meet the 44x44px WCAG minimum. With the European Accessibility Act now in effect, this matters for stores selling to EU customers. Grouptify does not mention accessibility features on its listing.
Where Grouptify is stronger
Larger review base
Grouptify has 308 reviews to Rubik’s 20. Both are 5.0 stars. Grouptify launched 4 months earlier and has had more time to accumulate reviews. A larger review base means more merchants have tested and validated the app.
Import/export
Grouptify offers import/export for group configurations. This is useful for agencies managing multiple stores or merchants migrating between development and production stores. Rubik has JSON-based import/export for visual settings but does not mention group-level import/export on its listing.
API access
Grouptify’s Advanced plan ($49/month) includes API management for developers who want to create and manage groups programmatically. Rubik does not mention a public API for group management.
Feature-by-feature table
| Feature | Rubik Combined Listings | Grouptify |
|---|---|---|
| Color swatches | Yes (solid + dual-color) | Yes (free plan) |
| Image swatches | Yes (7 image sources) | Paid plans only |
| Button/pill swatches | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Dropdown | Yes | Yes |
| Collection page swatches | Yes (all plans) | Paid plans only |
| AI features | Magic Fill + AI visual assistant | Not mentioned |
| Per-group visual settings | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Live admin preview | Yes (actual products) | Not mentioned |
| Style presets | 19 (11 + 8) | Not mentioned |
| Shadow DOM | Yes | Not mentioned |
| CSS variables | 70+ | Custom CSS |
| Storefront speed | Metafield-based (fast) | Not specified |
| Bulk grouping | Title, tags, metafields, product types | Title patterns, tags |
| Auto-sync | All plans (real-time) | Paid plans only |
| Out-of-stock handling | All plans (hide/push/crossed out) | Advanced plan only ($49/mo) |
| Categories/subgroups | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Analytics event | Yes (15 properties) | Not mentioned |
| Accessibility (ARIA) | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Import/export groups | Visual settings only | Yes |
| API access | Not mentioned | Advanced plan ($49/mo) |
| Translations | Built-in | Yes |
| Theme support | 350+ themes, 7 page builders | All themes |
| Free plan features | All features included | Manual sync, color swatches only |
| 100 groups price (Basic Shopify) | $10/mo | $9.99/mo |
| 100 groups price (Advanced Shopify) | $10/mo | $24.99/mo |
| 100 groups price (Plus Shopify) | $10/mo | $39.99/mo |
| Docs / FAQ | Yes | Yes |
“Not mentioned” means the feature is not listed on the app’s Shopify App Store page. The app may still support it.
Which app should you pick?
Rubik Combined Listings is the better choice for most stores. AI-powered setup with Magic Fill saves time that no amount of manual configuration can match. Per-group visual settings let you design each product group independently. Flat pricing at $10/month means your bill stays the same as your business grows. And the free plan gives you every feature for 5 groups, not a stripped-down version.
Grouptify is a reasonable option if you specifically need API access for programmatic group management, or if group-level import/export is important for your agency workflow.
Pick Rubik Combined Listings if:
- You want AI to fill option values and swatch colors automatically
- You need different swatch designs for different product groups
- You want a live preview with actual product images while editing
- You want the fastest swatch loading on the storefront
- You are on Shopify Grow, Advanced, or Plus (Rubik is cheaper)
- You care about accessibility (WCAG, European Accessibility Act)
- You want to track swatch clicks in Google Analytics
- You want a free plan with all features, not just color swatches
Pick Grouptify if:
- You need API access for programmatic group management
- You need group-level import/export for agency workflows
- You are on Shopify Basic and the $0.01 price difference matters
Frequently asked questions
Can I use both apps at the same time?
No. Running two combined listings apps will cause conflicts on the storefront. Both inject swatch components into the product page. Pick one.
Can I switch from Grouptify to Rubik?
Yes. Product groups are stored per-app, so switching means recreating your groups in the new app. If you have many groups, Rubik’s bulk grouping can detect and recreate them from your product titles, tags, or metafields. Magic Fill then auto-fills option values and colors.
Which app loads faster on the storefront?
Rubik. It stores swatch data in Shopify metafields and metaobjects, which load natively with the page. No external API calls. In side-by-side testing, Rubik’s swatches render noticeably faster.
What if I also need multiple images per variant?
Combined listings link separate products. Variant images show multiple images per variant within a single product. These are different features. If you need both, install Rubik Variant Images alongside Rubik Combined Listings. The two apps share the same rendering engine and work together.
Do both apps work with Horizon and Dawn themes?
Yes. Both support Shopify’s free themes. Rubik has dedicated native code for each, including the Horizon collection themes (Atelier, Fabric, Dwell, Heritage, Ritual, Savor, Tinker, Vessel, Pitch) and 7 page builders (GemPages, PageFly, EComposer, Instant, Beae, Foxify, Replo).
Related reading
- 11 best Shopify combined listings apps in 2026, compared (CraftShift)
- Shopify combined listings without Shopify Plus: every option explained (Rubikify)
- What can Rubik Combined Listings do? Every feature explained (CraftShift)
- How to group products into one combined listing with variants (Rubik Variant Images)
