If you sell products online and you haven’t turned on automated product recommendations, you’re missing sales from customers who already have their wallets out.
You know those “Frequently bought together” and “You may also like” sections on Amazon? That’s an artificial intelligence (AI) recommendation engine at work. It watches what people browse and buy, then suggests complementary products automatically. The good news: you don’t need to build one. Several already exist, and some are free.
If You’re on Shopify, You Already Have One
Shopify’s free **Search & Discovery** app uses AI to generate product recommendations on your product pages and cart pages. It pulls from your customers’ purchase history and browsing behavior — no code, minimal configuration, no monthly fee.
A skincare shop can enable “Frequently bought together” blocks and the recommendations get smarter as purchase data accumulates. You install the app, toggle on the recommendation types you want, add the app block to your theme, and you’re done. Twenty minutes, tops.
If You Want More Control, Paid Tools Start Cheap
The free option works, but if you want smarter cross-sells, post-purchase upsells, or personalized email recommendations, third-party tools give you more to work with:
– **LimeSpot** (limespot.com) — Works with Shopify and BigCommerce. Handles personalized upsell and cross-sell boxes plus audience segmentation. Check their pricing page for current rates, as their plans have shifted over time.
– **Rebuy** (rebuy.com) — Built for Shopify. Adds smart cart features, post-purchase offers, and more sophisticated recommendation logic. Better suited if your store is already doing consistent revenue. Check rebuy.com/pricing for their current plan structure before committing.
Both replace what would otherwise require a developer building custom recommendation logic or someone on your team manually curating “related products” for every single item. If you carry 200+ products, manual curation isn’t realistic. This is where AI automation earns its keep.
*(Note: SaaS pricing shifts often. Always check vendor pricing pages before committing.)*
Selling on Amazon? You Already Have One — Optimize It
Amazon sellers don’t need to build a recommendation engine. Amazon’s AI already powers “Frequently Bought Together” and “Customers who viewed this item also viewed” sections across your listings. You can’t configure it directly, but you can feed it.
Make sure your catalog includes complementary items the algorithm can pair. If you’re Brand Registered, look into Amazon’s virtual bundles feature — it gives the algorithm more product relationships to surface.
Your job isn’t building the engine. It’s making sure your products show up in it.
The Honest Take on Results
You’ll see vendors and marketing blogs claim AI recommendations drive massive revenue increases. Be skeptical of specific percentages — most of those stats come from vendor marketing or older studies, and results vary wildly depending on your store size, product type, and how well you implement things.
What’s not debatable: showing a customer a relevant product at the moment they’re already buying is a better strategy than hoping they browse your entire catalog on their own.
Your One Takeaway
Start with whatever’s free on your platform. Shopify users: install Search & Discovery today. Amazon sellers: audit your catalog for complementary product pairings. If you see results and want more control, check LimeSpot’s current pricing — they’re one of the more affordable options in the space. Don’t pay for sophistication you don’t need yet.