Shopify's built-in search is keyword matching. A customer types "navy summer dress" and gets a Navy Seal poster, a summer sausage kit, and a dress shirt. That's the search experience most Shopify stores are running right now, and it's costing them money.
Up to 30% of ecommerce visitors use site search, and those visitors convert at 4-6x the rate of browsers. But 10-15% of searches on a typical Shopify store return zero results. Every zero-result page is a customer with money in hand walking into a dead end.
An AI search app fixes this by understanding what customers actually mean. Typo tolerance, synonym matching, semantic understanding, personalized results. The question is which one to pick.
We build one of these apps, so we know what to look for and where each competitor does well. This guide covers six search apps worth evaluating, with honest breakdowns of pricing, search quality, and what each one actually delivers.
Quick Comparison
PersonalizerAI | Boost Commerce | Searchanise | Doofinder | Fast Simon | Algolia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $29.99/mo + commission | $29/mo | Free (25 products) | $99/mo | Free plan | Free (10K requests) |
Pricing Model | Performance-based | Fixed monthly | Fixed monthly | Request-based tiers | Custom/quote-based | Per-request ($0.50/1K) |
Semantic Search | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Visual Search | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Product Recommendations | Yes (11+ types) | Yes (basic) | Yes (basic) | Yes (carousels) | Yes (basic) | Yes (basic) |
Typo Tolerance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Shopify Rating | 4.7 (1,575) | 4.7 (1,196) | 4.7 (753) | 4.8 (348) | 2.6 (40) | |
Best For | Stores wanting search + full recs in one app | Large stores wanting filters + merchandising | Budget stores under 7,500 SKUs | Multi-language international stores | Mid-size stores wanting no-code setup | Developer-heavy teams with custom needs |
1. PersonalizerAI
Best for: Stores that need AI search and product recommendations working together in a single app, without paying for two subscriptions.
Most search apps do search. Most recommendation apps do recommendations. PersonalizerAI does both, powered by the same AI layer. The search engine is trained on each merchant's specific catalog, so it understands product relationships, synonyms, and customer intent in context. When a customer searches "mid-century modern coffee table," it knows what that means for your catalog specifically.
Pricing: $29.99/month base plus a commission on AI-attributed revenue (5% on the first $1,999, tiering down to 2% above $10,000). You pay for results, not for search volume. There's no per-query charge and no penalty for high traffic.
Search capabilities: Semantic search with natural language understanding, typo tolerance, smart autocomplete, personalized results based on browsing behavior, and visual search. Zero-result searches drop by up to 40%. Search conversion increases 10-25% based on merchant data.
Where it falls short: PersonalizerAI is newer to the market than Boost Commerce or Searchanise. If you need a search app primarily for advanced collection filtering and product filter trees (think: 15+ filter options on a category page), Boost Commerce has deeper filter customization. If you're running stores in 10+ languages, Doofinder's 30+ language support is more mature.
What makes it different: The combined search + recommendations engine is the differentiator. When search and recommendations share the same AI, they reinforce each other. A customer who searches for "running shoes" then sees personalized recommendations that account for that search intent instead of generic bestsellers. Every other app in this list is either search-only or bolts on basic recommendations as an afterthought. Attribution is click-only, verified in Shopify analytics.
2. Boost AI Search & Filter
Best for: Large Shopify stores that need powerful product filtering and merchandising alongside search.
Boost Commerce is the most established search app on Shopify by review count (1,575 reviews, 4.7 stars). They've built their reputation on product filters and collection page merchandising as much as search itself.
Pricing: Plans range from $29/month to $699/month, scaling with product count and feature access. The entry plan covers basic search and filtering. Premium plans add AI-powered search, merchandising rules, analytics, and priority support. Compared to other apps on this list, Boost's pricing is straightforward: fixed monthly, no per-query charges, no surprises.
Search capabilities: AI-powered search with autocomplete, spell check, synonym matching, and stop-word handling. The real strength is on the filtering side: custom filter trees, multi-select options, color swatches, price range sliders, and the ability to build different filter sets for different collections. Visual merchandising tools let you pin, boost, or hide products in search results.
Where it falls short: The AI search layer is solid but not as deep on semantic understanding as some competitors. Boost built its reputation on filters and merchandising, and search came second. There's no visual search. The recommendation engine is basic compared to dedicated recommendation apps. If your primary problem is "customers can't find what they're looking for because search doesn't understand intent," rather than "my collection pages need better filters," other apps in this list may be a better fit.
Who should consider Boost: Stores with 1,000+ SKUs that need advanced filtering on collection pages and want search bundled in. Particularly strong for fashion, apparel, and home goods stores where multi-faceted filtering (size, color, material, price, brand) is how customers navigate.
3. Searchanise
Best for: Smaller stores on a budget that want smart search without a big monthly commitment.
Searchanise has 1,196 reviews and a 4.7-star rating. Their free plan (25 products) and low entry pricing ($19/month for up to 1,500 products) make them one of the most accessible search apps on Shopify.
Pricing: Free for up to 25 products (dev stores get unlimited products on the free plan). $19/month for up to 1,500 products, $39/month for up to 7,500 products, $49/month for Shopify Plus stores (up to 1,500 products). All paid plans include a 14-day free trial. Features include unlimited queries on every plan, which is a meaningful difference from per-request pricing models.
Search capabilities: Instant search widget with autocomplete, voice search, advanced filters, AI personalization, and real-time catalog sync. The search is responsive and fast. Searchanise also includes basic product recommendations and merchandising tools. Analytics let you see what customers are searching for and where they're dropping off.
Where it falls short: The product cap per plan is the main limitation. At $39/month, you're capped at 7,500 products. Stores with 10,000+ SKUs either need to contact sales or look elsewhere. The AI layer is functional but not as deep on semantic understanding as PersonalizerAI or Doofinder. Visual search isn't available. The search works well for standard queries but can miss nuanced intent on complex catalogs.
Who should consider Searchanise: Stores with under 7,500 products that want reliable, affordable search with good filters. The free plan is useful for testing, and the paid plans offer strong value for smaller catalogs. If you're doing under $100K/month and search isn't your #1 priority but you know Shopify's default isn't cutting it, Searchanise is a solid upgrade.
4. Doofinder
Best for: International stores selling in multiple languages that need strong semantic search.
Doofinder supports 30+ languages out of the box, which sets it apart from every other app on this list. For merchants selling across the EU, LATAM, or Asia, the multi-language support alone can be a deciding factor.
Pricing: Growth plan at $99/month, Advanced at $349/month, Enterprise at custom pricing. Doofinder uses request-based pricing: every search query, autocomplete keystroke, and indexing action counts as a request. They offer a free trial with unlimited requests so you can estimate your actual usage before committing. Annual billing saves 10%.
Search capabilities: Semantic search with natural language processing, typo tolerance, voice search, image search, and dynamic filtering. The recommendation engine includes AI-powered carousels on search results and product pages. Doofinder also offers a product quiz feature for guided discovery. The multi-language search is their strongest differentiator: it understands queries in each supported language natively, not through translation layers.
Where it falls short: The request-based pricing can get expensive for high-traffic stores. Every keystroke in autocomplete counts as a request, so a store with heavy search traffic could blow through request limits quickly. At $99/month for the entry plan, Doofinder is more expensive than Searchanise or Boost's entry tier. The Shopify App Store reviews (753 reviews, 4.7 stars) are solid, but some merchants have noted that setup requires more configuration time than simpler alternatives.
Who should consider Doofinder: International Shopify stores selling in 3+ languages. If you're running Shopify Markets across multiple regions and need search that works natively in Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and beyond, Doofinder is the strongest option here. Also worth evaluating for stores that want voice and image search as part of the core search experience.
5. Fast Simon
Best for: Mid-size stores wanting AI search with merchandising tools and a no-code setup.
Fast Simon (4.8 stars, 348 reviews) positions itself as an AI-powered search and merchandising platform. They combine search, filters, visual discovery, and merchandising optimization in one product.
Pricing: A free plan is available through the Shopify App Store. Beyond the free tier, Fast Simon uses a quote-based pricing model. Their website lists Starter, Essential, Growth, and Enterprise plans, but all require requesting a quote or starting a 14-day free trial. This lack of transparent pricing is a drawback if you're trying to compare costs before committing.
Search capabilities: AI-powered search with autocomplete, "Did You Mean" suggestions, synonyms, and analytics. Fast Simon also includes collection filters, visual discovery (shop-the-look), product finder quizzes, and personalization features. The merchandising tools let you create landing pages and apply merchandising rules across search results and collections.
Where it falls short: The opaque pricing makes it hard to evaluate. You can start with a free plan, but the jump from free to paid is unclear without talking to sales. The app has fewer reviews (348) than Boost or Searchanise, which means less community validation. Some merchants prefer knowing exactly what they'll pay before installing.
Who should consider Fast Simon: Stores that want a combined search + merchandising platform with visual discovery features. The free plan makes it low-risk to test. Best for merchants who don't mind a sales conversation to get pricing and who value merchandising tools alongside search.
6. Algolia
Best for: Developer-heavy teams that want to build custom search experiences from a powerful infrastructure layer.
Algolia is the biggest name in search technology. Stripe, Slack, and Twitch all use Algolia's search infrastructure. On paper, that pedigree should make their Shopify app excellent. In practice, it's a different story.
Pricing: Free tier includes 10,000 search requests/month. Beyond that, Algolia charges $0.50 per 1,000 additional search requests on the Build plan. Grow, Grow Plus, and Elevate plans scale up from there with additional AI features and support. The per-request model means your bill scales directly with traffic. A store processing 100,000 searches/month would pay around $45/month in search requests alone, before any premium features.
Search capabilities: Algolia's underlying technology is fast and powerful. Sub-50ms query responses, typo tolerance, faceted filtering, AI-powered ranking, and the ability to handle massive product catalogs without performance degradation. For developers, the API is well-documented and flexible enough to build highly customized search experiences.
Where it falls short: The Shopify app has a 2.6-star rating from 40 reviews. That's the lowest on this list by a wide margin. The gap between Algolia's enterprise infrastructure and its Shopify app execution is significant. Merchants have reported integration issues, limited Shopify-specific features, and a setup process that assumes developer resources most Shopify merchants don't have. If you're not building a custom storefront with a dev team, the Shopify app experience doesn't match the brand's reputation. Per-request pricing also creates cost unpredictability for stores with variable traffic.
Who should consider Algolia: Shopify Plus brands with in-house developers who want to build a custom search frontend on top of Algolia's API. If you have engineering resources and need the flexibility to build something tailored, Algolia's infrastructure is among the strongest available. But if you're looking for a plug-and-play Shopify search app that works out of the box, the 2.6-star rating tells you what to expect.
How to Choose the Right Search App
What's your budget? Searchanise ($19/month) and Boost ($29/month) have the lowest entry points. PersonalizerAI's performance-based model means you pay $29.99 base and only more if search drives revenue. Doofinder ($99/month) and Fast Simon (quote-based) cost more upfront. Algolia's per-request model depends entirely on traffic volume.
Do you sell internationally? If you operate in 3+ languages, Doofinder is the clear winner with native support for 30+ languages. Most other apps handle English well but treat other languages as secondary.
Do you need search only, or search + recommendations? If you're already paying for a recommendation app and just need better search, Boost or Searchanise can handle it. If you want both working together from the same AI, PersonalizerAI is the only app in this list that does it natively. Paying for two separate apps (search + recs) when one handles both costs more and creates a worse customer experience.
How important are collection filters? If your main frustration is collection page filtering (size, color, material, brand), Boost Commerce has the deepest filter customization. If your frustration is that search doesn't understand what customers mean, focus on semantic search quality instead.
Do you have developers? Algolia is powerful but requires engineering resources. Every other app on this list is designed for merchants who want to install, configure, and go live without writing code.
The Bottom Line
Shopify's default search costs you revenue every day it stays active. Replacing it pays for itself quickly, especially for stores with 100+ products.
For smaller catalogs on a budget, Searchanise gives you the best value. If your main need is advanced filtering and merchandising across large collections, Boost Commerce has the deepest toolset. International sellers operating in multiple languages should look at Doofinder first. Fast Simon is worth testing through their free plan if you want merchandising tools bundled with search. And Algolia? Powerful infrastructure for dev teams, but the 2.6-star Shopify app tells the story for everyone else.
PersonalizerAI is what we built for merchants who don't want to pay for search and recommendations separately. When both are powered by the same AI layer trained on your catalog, the search experience is better, the recommendations are smarter, and you're paying one bill tied to actual results. That's our bias, and the performance-based pricing means we have to prove it every month.
Want to see how your search is actually performing? Start your free trial and compare your zero-result rate before and after. You'll be live in 30 minutes.