Rubik Combined Listings and SA Variants: Combined Listings are two of the most reviewed combined listings apps on Shopify. SA has 307 reviews and the fastest review growth in the category (~7 per week). Rubik has 20 reviews with a perfect 5.0 rating. Both are Built for Shopify.
The biggest differences: pricing model, storefront speed, and AI features. This post covers all three plus a full feature comparison.
Disclosure: I am the developer of Rubik Combined Listings. All data from the Shopify App Store as of March 2026.
In this post
- Quick comparison
- Pricing: flat rate vs Shopify plan-based
- Speed test results
- Where Rubik is stronger
- Where SA is stronger
- Feature-by-feature table
- Which app should you pick?
- Frequently asked questions
- Related reading
Quick comparison
| Rubik Combined Listings | SA Variants: Combined Listings | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5.0 (20 reviews) | 5.0 (307 reviews) |
| Launched | February 2026 | January 2025 |
| Storefront speed | 1,251ms trimmed mean | 2,934ms trimmed mean |
| AI features | Magic Fill + AI visual assistant | Auto-fill option values |
| Per-group visual settings | Yes | Swatch style library |
| Live admin preview | Yes (actual products) | Not mentioned |
| Free plan (live stores) | 5 groups, all features | No (trial/partner only) |
| Pricing model | Flat rate ($10/mo for 100) | Shopify plan-based ($14.90-$99.90) |
| Collection filters | Not affected | Not mentioned |
Pricing: flat rate vs Shopify plan-based
Rubik (flat rate)
| Plan | Price | Groups | AI credits/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 | 100 |
| Starter | $10/mo | 100 | 1,000 |
| Advanced | $30/mo | 500 | 5,000 |
| Premium | $50/mo | 5,000 | 50,000 |
Every feature on every plan. Annual billing saves 17%.
SA Variants (Shopify plan-based)
| Your Shopify plan | SA price | Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Trial / Partner / Staff | Free | Unlimited |
| Pause & Build | $5/mo | Unlimited |
| Basic | $14.90/mo | Unlimited |
| Grow & Custom | $29.90/mo | Unlimited |
| Advanced | $49.90/mo | Unlimited |
| Plus | $99.90/mo | Unlimited |
No free plan for live stores. Unlimited groups on all paid plans. The price scales with your Shopify plan, not your usage.
What this means: On Shopify Basic, SA costs $14.90 vs Rubik’s $10. On Advanced, SA is $49.90 vs Rubik’s $30. On Plus, SA is $99.90 vs Rubik’s $50. The gap widens as your business grows. Rubik is cheaper on every Shopify plan except the rare Pause & Build tier.
Speed test results
We tested 9 combined listings apps on identical Shopify stores. Each test ran 10 times. Median swatch render time:
| App | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Rubik Combined Listings | 1,251ms | 1,034-1,419ms |
| SA Variants: Combined Listings | 2,934ms | 2,018-3,689ms |
Rubik renders swatches in 1,251ms. SA takes 2,934ms. That is 2.3x slower. Rubik also has the narrowest range of any app tested (1,034-1,419ms), meaning the most consistent performance across page loads. SA’s range extends to over 3 seconds on the high end.
The speed difference comes from architecture. Rubik stores data in Shopify metafields and metaobjects (loads with the page). SA’s data loading method is not specified on their listing. For more speed data on all 9 apps, read do swatch apps slow down your store?
Where Rubik is stronger
- 2.3x faster storefront loading. 1,251ms vs 2,934ms. Speed affects conversions and Core Web Vitals.
- Magic Fill + AI visual assistant. AI fills option values and picks swatch colors. The visual assistant lets you describe changes in plain language. SA has auto-fill for option values but no AI visual assistant.
- Per-group visual settings. Each product group gets its own swatch design. SA has a “swatch style library” but per-group independence is not confirmed.
- Live admin preview. Edit a group and see exactly how swatches look using your actual products. SA does not mention this.
- 19 style presets. 11 product page + 8 product card presets to start from.
- Shadow DOM isolation. Swatch CSS cannot conflict with theme CSS.
- 70+ CSS variables. Full customization control.
- Accessibility. ARIA labels, keyboard navigation, screen reader support.
- Swatch click analytics. 15-property JavaScript event for Google Analytics / FB Pixel.
- Free plan for live stores. 5 groups with all features. SA has no free plan for live stores.
- Cheaper on every Shopify plan. $10 vs $14.90 (Basic), $30 vs $49.90 (Advanced), $50 vs $99.90 (Plus).
- Collection filters not affected. Rubik uses metaobjects, no product restructuring. See how combined listings affect filters.
- Docs, FAQ, tutorials, changelog. Full documentation suite at rubikswatch.com/docs. SA does not provide external documentation.
Where SA is stronger
- Larger review base. 307 reviews vs 20. Highest review velocity in the category (~7/week).
- Unlimited groups on all paid plans. No group limit. Rubik caps groups per plan (100/500/5,000).
- CSV import. Bulk grouping via CSV upload. Rubik supports title patterns, tags, and metafields but not CSV.
- Grouped categories (subcategories). SA mentions this. Rubik also supports categories/subgroups.
Feature-by-feature table
| Feature | Rubik | SA Variants |
|---|---|---|
| Color swatches | Yes (solid + dual-color) | Yes |
| Image swatches | Yes (7 sources) | Yes |
| Button swatches | Yes | Yes |
| Dropdown | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Collection page swatches | Yes (all plans) | Yes |
| Storefront speed | 1,251ms | 2,934ms |
| AI features | Magic Fill + AI visual assistant | Auto-fill |
| Per-group styling | Yes | Style library |
| Live admin preview | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Style presets | 19 | Not mentioned |
| Shadow DOM | Yes | Not mentioned |
| CSS variables | 70+ | Custom CSS |
| Accessibility (ARIA) | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Analytics event | 15 properties | Not mentioned |
| Bulk grouping | Title, tags, metafields | Title, tags, CSV |
| Auto-sync | Real-time (all plans) | Yes |
| Out-of-stock handling | Hide/push/crossed out (all plans) | Hide |
| Categories/subgroups | Yes | Yes |
| Translations | Built-in | Yes |
| Free plan (live) | 5 groups, all features | No |
| 100 groups price (Basic) | $10/mo | $14.90/mo |
| 100 groups price (Advanced) | $30/mo | $49.90/mo |
| 100 groups price (Plus) | $50/mo | $99.90/mo |
| Docs / FAQ | Yes | No |
Which app should you pick?
Rubik Combined Listings is the better choice for most stores. It loads 2.3x faster, costs less on every Shopify plan, has AI-powered setup, per-group visual settings, and a free plan for live stores. The speed difference alone affects your Core Web Vitals and Google rankings.
SA is an option if you need unlimited groups with no cap, or if CSV-based bulk import is important for your workflow.
Demo store | Tutorial | Docs
Watch It in Action
See what makes Rubik Combined Listings different:
Frequently asked questions
Which app is faster on the storefront?
Rubik. 1,251ms vs SA’s 2,934ms. That is 2.3x faster. Rubik also has the most consistent performance (narrowest range: 1,034-1,419ms).
Which is cheaper?
Rubik is cheaper on every Shopify plan. $10 vs $14.90 (Basic), $30 vs $49.90 (Advanced), $50 vs $99.90 (Plus). Rubik also has a free plan for live stores. SA does not.
Can I switch from SA to Rubik?
Yes. Install Rubik, use bulk grouping to recreate groups from product titles or tags, run Magic Fill to auto-fill colors, then uninstall SA. Your collection filters will also start working properly if SA was affecting them.
SA offers unlimited groups. Does Rubik?
Rubik caps groups per plan: 5 (free), 100 (Starter $10), 500 (Advanced $30), 5,000 (Premium $50). SA offers unlimited groups on all paid plans. If you need 500+ groups, compare Rubik’s $30 Advanced vs SA’s plan-based pricing.
What about multiple images per variant?
Combined listings link separate products. For multiple images per variant within a single product, use Rubik Variant Images. The two apps work together.
Related reading
- Rubik vs Grouptify comparison
- Combined listings without Shopify Plus
- Do swatch apps slow down your store? (speed test) (CraftShift)
- 11 best combined listings apps compared (CraftShift)
- Rubik vs SA Variant Image Automator (Rubik Variant Images)
