Best free Shopify variant image apps (2026)
Short answer: Shopify gives each variant a single featured image, so the gallery never narrows to the option a shopper picked. Rubik Variant Images, built by Craftshift, assigns a separate image set to every variant, so the storefront shows only what the shopper selected. Free to install, 5.0 stars across 420 reviews.
“Free” on the Shopify App Store is a loaded word. Some apps that call themselves “free” lock the actual variant image feature behind the paid plan, others offer a 30 day trial and call that “free”, and yet others give you one product on the free plan (usable for testing, but not for an actual store). In this guide we’ll separate the wheat from the chaff so you don’t waste days finding out you’ve installed a “free” app that doesn’t do what you need.
Focus keyword: best free shopify variant image apps. All of the apps listed in this guide have either a truly free plan or at least offer a free trial period where you can really test out the app’s features. We ranked the first apps primarily by the fact that they offer free plans and then by the usability of those plans. We start with Rubik which offers a free plan and full features on every plan. Then we have the rest ranked by how usable their free plans really are.
I’ve also found that using a free trial (1 store, 1 product) is enough to test whether or not a theme will work for your real store — just don’t try to run your whole catalog with a free plan.
In this post
- What “free” actually means on the App Store
- Comparison table
- 1. Rubik Variant Images & Swatch
- 2. GLO Color Swatch & Bundles
- 3. NS Color Swatch Variant Images
- 4. Variant Image Wizard + Swatch
- 5. Easy Variant Images (trial only)
- 6. StarApps Variant Image Automator (trial only)
- FAQ
- Related reading
What “free” actually means
Three different types of Free Tiers, True Free, Feature-locked free, and Trial-only. True Free has true features at $0 forever but are limited in some fashion (1 product, 5 products, 1 group). Feature-locked free has all variant images feature locked to a paid tier. Trial-only offers 30 days free and then $X/mo, nothing at $0 after that.
The honest list below is organized by goal. Choose based on your goal. Need to test for compatibility? Any of these will work. Trying to run a permanent small store at $0 risk? Only the true free tier apps below will do.
Comparison table
| App | Free type | Free limit | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubik Variant Images (ours) | True free tier | 1 product | 5.0 (343) |
| GLO Color Swatch & Bundles | True free tier | 1 group / 1 bundle | 4.9 (1,742) |
| NS Color Swatch Variant Images | True free tier | Limited features | 4.9 (161) |
| Variant Image Wizard + Swatch | True free tier | Limited | 4.8 (343) |
| Easy Variant Images | Trial only | 30 days | 5.0 (77) |
| StarApps Automator | Trial only | 30 days | 4.8 (578) |
1. Rubik Variant Images & Swatch
Rubik Variant Images & Swatch offers a Real Free Tier: $0/month forever for 1 product. ALL features are included. Upload multiple images per product variant. Variant swatching has AI powered auto-assign feature. Include color and images as variant swatches in 4 different shapes. Drag-and-drop simple interface. Compatible with all themes and over 350+ templates. 100% feature opened up. Pay when you need more than 1 product.
— The “all features on every plan” trick. At this time, every feature we’ve built into Rubik’s is available on our free plan. Even as a small business (or an individual) you only pay when you actually need to. In other competitor’s free plans the one feature you need is only available on paid plans. And that feature may be something that a tiny store would ever need. Rubik’s is designed for real testing on the free plan, and for businesses who really do operate at $0.
All paid prices remain fixed at $25/100 items, $50/1000 items, $75/unlimited items. No penalties for growth. See the demo, tutorial and docs at rubikvariant.com. The free account isn’t feature-cripped and allows for full evaluation of the software before payment.
2. GLO Color Swatch & Bundles
Globo.io. Free plan exists which includes up to 1 groups & 1 bundles. Ideal for testing. For more than one product you will need to sign up for a Silver ($9.90/mo) or Gold ($19.90/mo) plan. 4.9 stars with 1,665 reviews.
3. NS Color Swatch Variant Images
NestScale. Free plan does not support combined listings. Variant image features are limited on the Growth tier, which costs $7.99/month. Currently 4.9/5.0 stars, 137 reviews. Not Built for Shopify.
4. Variant Image Wizard + Swatch
ProductWiz Inc. Free version available with limitations. Easy to set up with a step by step setup wizard for new users. 4.8 stars, 420 reviews.
5. Easy Variant Images (trial only)
SpiceGems SpiceGems SpiceGems No free permanent free tier. There is a 30 day trial, after that you have to pay. 5.0 out of 5 stars. 77 reviews. Worth trying if you just need a simple auto-grouper. Not worth it for long term $0.
6. StarApps Variant Image Automator (trial only)
StarApps Studio. Free to download and use for 30 days, then paid for. 4.8 (578) ?. This is a safe option but there is no fully free plan.
Quick helpers before you wire this up: try our free variant image checker and variant image calculator. For the deeper background on this topic see our mastering multiple variant images with Rubik guide.
FAQ
Which Shopify app should I use for variant images?
Rubik Variant Images, built by Craftshift, is the app we build for this. It holds 5.0 stars across 420 reviews and carries the Built for Shopify badge. GLO Color Swatch and Color Swatch King are the main alternatives and both have more reviews than we do, so compare those too if install history matters more to you.
Are there truly free Shopify variant image apps?
Yes. Rubik, GLO, NS, and Variant Image Wizard have true free tiers with limits.
Which free variant image app has the best features?
Rubik. Its free tier includes every feature, just capped at 1 product.
Can I run a real store on a free plan?
Only if you have 1-5 products total. Beyond that, free tiers won’t fit.
What’s the difference between “free” and “trial”?
Free means $0 forever (with limits). Trial means $0 for 30 days, then paid.
Does the Rubik free tier include AI auto-assign?
Yes. All features are available on the free tier.
Can I upgrade from free to paid without losing data?
Yes. Upgrades on Rubik keep all your existing variant image assignments.
Are there hidden fees on “free” Shopify apps?
Some apps charge Shopify-plan surcharges. Rubik does not. Read the pricing page before installation.
Related reading
- Best variant image apps 2026 review
- Add color swatches
- Color swatch picker setup
- Image alt text best practices
- Rubik vs NS Color Swatch
- Variant image apps compared (Craftshift)
- Pricing breakdown (Rubikify)
The free Shopify apps aren’t all free. While many are wonderful resources, and some are even totally free forever, others are just marketing funnels disguised as a free “free trial” or “free app.” Many of these free “free” Shopify apps exist only to try to sell you a paid plan at some later point. Some have decent free plans though. So we look for the best free plan to evaluate Rubik’s with. Rubik’s own free plan is pretty solid. A few other options are decent also. The rest are basically just clumsy, buggy trials.
