Top 5 Multiple Variant Image Apps on Shopify (2025)

Displaying multiple images per product variant is essential for a professional, conversion-optimized Shopify store. By showing shoppers only the images relevant to the selected variant (e.g. only the blue variant’s pictures when “Blue” is selected), you create a cleaner, less confusing experience. This clarity helps customers focus on their choice without distractions, which can boost conversion rates and even reduce returns. In 2025, several Shopify apps make it easy to assign multiple images to variants and display only those pertinent images. Here, we’ll look at the top 5 multiple variant image apps – their features, pricing, pros and cons – to help you choose the best solution for your store.

1. Rubik Variant Images

Rating: 5.0/5 ⭐ (average)
Pricing: Free plan (for 1 product); paid plans from $15 to $50 per month (Starter $15 for 100 products, Advanced $25 for 1000 products, Premium $50 for unlimited products).

Rubik Variant Images is a Shopify-built solution that meets Shopify’s highest standards for speed and ease of use. It allows you to assign unlimited images to each product variant and ensure that only the relevant images show when a variant is selected. This keeps product pages tidy and focused, which streamlines decision-making for customers. The app’s interface is directly inside Shopify’s admin, making it very intuitive with no steep learning curve or external dashboard needed.

Key Features: Assign multiple images per variant; display only images for the selected variant; supports common images that stay visible for all variants (e.g. a size chart); handles complex products with multiple options (you can set images for specific variant combinations like Color + Size); optimized for fast loading (uses Shopify metafields for performance); works with all popular Shopify themes and integrates with page builders like GemPages and PageFly out-of-the-box.

Pros:

• Easy, no-code setup: Simply assign images to variants via a click-based interface in Shopify admin. No coding or manual tagging required.
• Clean & smart image gallery: Shows only relevant variant images, plus allows shared images across all variants for general shots. This provides a clean user experience and reduces confusion.
• Supports multi-option variants: Perfect for products with several attributes (e.g. color, size, style); you can handle variant intersections easily.
• Broad compatibility: Works with the latest themes and popular apps. Supports GemPages, PageFly, and other page builders, so the variant image feature works even on custom landing pages.
• Performance & support: Built for speed (asynchronous loading) and backed by responsive customer support. Merchants report the interface is very user-friendly and the support team is proactive and helpful.

Cons:

• Free tier limitation: The free plan is limited to 1 product, so you’ll need a paid plan for multiple products (though a free tier is useful to test the app’s functionality).
• Manual assignment required: You do need to assign images to each variant (though the interface makes it easy). If you prefer completely automatic grouping, another app might be more suitable – however, Rubik’s manual approach offers more precise control.

2. SA Variant Image Automator (StarApps)

Rating: 4.9/5 ⭐ (average)
Pricing: 30-day free trial; paid plans $9.90/month (Starter), $24.90/month (Established), $49.90/month (High Volume) depending on store plan. (No limit on products in each plan; free for dev/staff stores, and custom theme setup is included.)

StarApps’ Variant Image Automator is a popular solution that automates the variant image assignment process. Instead of manually selecting images for each variant, you can simply arrange your product photos by variant in Shopify, and the app will automatically group them for you. It preserves your theme’s existing image gallery and layout – no new gallery widget is injected – which means it maintains the look and feel of your product page and avoids slowing it down.

Key Features: Automatic grouping of variant images (no manual tagging needed); displays multiple images for the selected variant to enhance UX and conversions; preserves theme gallery & zoom – integrates with your theme’s existing image viewer and zoom features; supports all media types (images, videos, 3D models) and even works with color swatches and image zoom apps; compatible with all themes and even landing page builder apps, with support available for custom theme adjustments.

Pros:

• Hands-off automation: Saves time by auto-assigning images to variants based on your product media order. This is great for large catalogs – just upload images in variant order and the app does the rest.
• Maintains design and speed: Unlike some apps, it does not replace your theme’s gallery. It works within the native gallery, so your design stays consistent and there’s minimal impact on page load speed.
• Feature-rich: Supports advanced setups – you can have multiple images per variant, use with swatch selectors, image zoom, videos, or 3D models without issues.
• Good support and integration: Merchants praise its seamless integration and the developers’ quick assistance with theme integrations or custom code tweaks. A 30-day free trial is also generous for fully testing the app.

Cons:

• Pricing by Shopify plan: The cost increases for higher-tier Shopify plans (Basic vs. Plus). While functionality is the same, larger stores will pay more – though $9.90 for Basic stores is quite affordable, the $49.90 for Plus stores is on the higher end.
• Initial setup knowledge: Fully automatic grouping works best if your product images are named or ordered in a clear variant order. If not, you might need to rearrange images in admin. It’s not difficult, but it relies on the merchant organizing images upfront.
• Custom themes require contact: The app supports all themes, but for very custom themes you might need to reach out to support for setup (they offer free setup for custom themes). This is a minor inconvenience mitigated by their responsive support team.

3. NS Color Swatch Variant Images (by NestScale)

Rating: 4.9/5 ⭐ (average)
Pricing: Free plan available (with basic swatch features); Growth plan $7.99/month; Professional plan $14.99/month – both paid plans come with a 7-day free trial. (Advanced features like multiple images per variant are unlocked in Professional.)

NS Color Swatch Variant Images is a versatile all-in-one variant presentation app. It combines variant image management with powerful color swatches and product option customizations. With this app, you can add color or image swatch pickers to your product pages (and even collection pages), and display multiple images for each variant when selected. It even allows you to group separate products as variants or conversely show variants as individual products on collection pages – useful for merchandising. The app is no-code and mobile-responsive, with lots of design customization for the swatches (shapes, borders, tooltips, etc.).

Key Features: Color, image, and text swatches for product options; display swatch selectors on both product and collection pages; multiple images per variant (shows only images specific to the selected variant); option to auto-use variant images as swatches (saves time creating swatch images); group products as a single product with variants (combine related products); or split variants into separate products for collection listings; customizable swatch styles (shape, color, size, shadow, etc. to match your brand); supports multi-language (translate variant names); quick-view support for variants on collection pages.

Pros:

• Comprehensive solution: Combines variant image galleries and swatches in one app. You don’t need a separate swatch app – NS covers swatches, buttons, dropdowns, etc., along with variant-specific images.
• Enhances product browsing: Shoppers can see swatches on collection pages and switch variants there, which can increase engagement. When they pick a variant, the product page (or quick view) will show the exact images for that variant. This creates a very polished shopping experience.
• Flexible variant management: The ability to group distinct products as variants of one (and vice versa) is a unique feature. It helps if you initially set up variants as separate products and later want to consolidate, or if you want certain variants to appear individually in listings.
• Value – Free plan and affordable upgrades: The free plan covers unlimited variants with basic swatch features, which is great for trying out. The paid plans are relatively low-cost (under $15) considering the breadth of features.
• Customization and support: You can deeply customize how your swatches look to match your theme. Users report the app is easy to install and set up, and the 1:1 support is very helpful in ensuring smooth theme integration.

Cons:

• Multiple images in top plan only: To use the multiple variant image gallery feature, you need the Professional plan. The Growth (mid-tier) plan covers swatches and grouping, but not the variant image gallery. This means stores that need the variant images feature will likely end up on the $14.99 plan – still reasonable, but something to note.
• Many features = learning curve: Because it offers swatches, variant linking, image galleries and more, the app has a lot of settings. It’s not overly complicated, but merchants who only want a simple variant image tool might find it more than they need. (If you only need the image switching without swatches or extras, a simpler app might suffice.)
• Occasional theme tweaks: As with most variant apps, a bit of theme tweaking may be required for perfect integration (e.g. ensuring the swatches display nicely on your particular theme). The developer offers support for this, but it may require reaching out.
• No bulk assign for images: Unlike some apps, there isn’t an emphasis on automatic image assignment here – you will assign images to variants manually if using the image feature. The focus for automation is more on using images as swatches. For very large catalogs, setup could be time-consuming (though you can start on free plan and upgrade as needed).

4. Easy Variant Images (by Spice Gems)

Rating: 5.0/5 ⭐ (average)
Pricing: 21-day free trial; then tiered by Shopify plan – $7.50/month (Basic Shopify), $14.50/month (Shopify/Advanced), $19.50/month (Shopify Plus). (All plans include the same features; pricing is just based on store plan.)

True to its name, Easy Variant Images focuses on doing one thing well: letting you assign multiple images to each variant and show the correct images when a customer selects that variant. The app extends Shopify’s default behavior (which normally links only one image per variant) to support multiple images per variant. When a shopper switches variants (e.g. chooses a different color), the gallery will automatically update to show that variant’s images and hide others. Easy Variant Images uses your theme’s existing image section, and setup is straightforward – you may just need to select your theme from a list in the app for it to integrate.

Key Features: Assign several images to each variant (beyond Shopify’s one image per variant default); automatically show only the selected variant’s images on the product page; compatible with most Shopify themes out-of-the-box; minimal configuration needed (plug-and-play functionality); focuses on a single core function to improve product image presentation without extra bloat.

Pros:

• Simplicity and ease of use: This app has a very clear, focused purpose, which makes it extremely easy to set up and use. Merchants often mention it “works perfectly” and is one of the easiest apps they’ve used. If you’re not looking for swatches or complex options and just want variant image switching, the simplicity is a big plus.
• Seamless variant switching: It improves the user experience by instantly swapping images based on the variant chosen. Your product page will only show relevant images, reducing clutter and boosting conversions with clearer presentation.
• Uses theme’s native gallery: Easy Variant Images typically works with your existing theme’s image gallery/slideshow. This means the design remains consistent, and it’s likely to support any zoom or lightbox your theme has. (The app provides an option to select your theme for integration, making it compatible with most setups.)
• All features on all plans: You don’t have to worry about feature tiers – even if you’re on the Basic Shopify plan paying $7.50, you get the same functionality as Plus stores. There’s also a generous 21-day free trial to ensure it meets your needs.
• Reliable performance: Because it’s a lightweight app focusing only on image assignment, it runs without much overhead. Stores with many variants have reported smooth performance and no noticeable slowdowns.

Cons:

• No free plan (only trial): After the 21-day free trial, there isn’t a permanent free tier. This is understandable given the one-time setup nature of the app, but if you have a very small or hobby store, you’ll need to budget at least $7.50/month.
• Lacks advanced features: This app doesn’t provide extras like color swatches, variant grouping, or fancy option customizations. It’s purely for variant image switching. If you later need features like swatch buttons or product bundling, you’d need additional apps. (However, this is by design – it stays simple and focused.)
• Theme compatibility step: While it works with most themes, you might have to tell the app which theme you use (as shown in their setup) and possibly do minor adjustments if your theme is very custom. Support from Spice Gems is available, but immediate auto-integration might not cover 100% of themes without a quick manual check.
• Manual image assignment: As with many apps, you will manually choose which images belong to each variant in your product admin. There’s no bulk auto-assign here (since it’s aiming for simplicity). For stores with hundreds of variants, the initial setup could take some time, but once done, it’s set-and-forget.

5. Variant Image Wizard + Swatch (by ProductWiz)

Rating: 4.9/5 ⭐ (average)
Pricing: Free plan available (for up to 5 products, Shopify free themes only); Starter $4.99/month (unlimited products, free themes); Pro $7.99/month (unlimited products, all themes supported, plus advanced features) – all with 14-day free trial.

Variant Image Wizard (often just “Variant Wizard”) is a feature-packed app that offers both variant image management and a robust swatch customization tool. It’s similar in scope to the NS app, but with its own strengths like an advanced swatch configurator for customizing option displays and a very slick drag-and-drop interface for assigning images. With Variant Wizard, you can create image swatches or color swatches for your variants, link each swatch to multiple images, and bulk-edit variant image assignments to save time. It’s built to declutter product pages by only showing relevant images, thereby minimizing shopper confusion and returns.

Key Features: Highly customizable swatch display (buttons, colors, images, with optional tooltips, titles, etc.); assign multiple images per variant and show only those on selection; link images to swatches so that clicking a swatch updates the gallery; elegant drag-and-drop admin UI for configuring variant images; bulk edit feature to manage images for many variants quickly; supports video and 3D media for variants; works with a wide range of themes (free and paid, once on Pro); also allows grouping separate products as swatch options (“group products as swatches”) to link related products together.

Pros:

• All-in-one swatches + images: You get a powerful swatch tool and variant image gallery in one. This app lets you present product options with image swatches or color swatches and tie them to variant images seamlessly. It’s great for a polished, interactive product page.
• User-friendly admin: The drag-and-drop interface for assigning images makes setup intuitive. Merchants find it easy to organize and update variant images using the app’s UI, which reduces the hassle especially if you have many images.
• Advanced customization: You can fine-tune how your variant options appear – add custom labels, tooltips, even alerts on variants (e.g. “Low stock” messages). This level of customization can enhance UX and match your branding perfectly.
• Bulk editing & efficiency: The Pro plan’s bulk edit feature is a time-saver for large catalogs, letting you modify variant image assignments in batches. Also, the ability to group products as variants is a plus for store merchandising (similar to NS’s grouping feature).
• Free plan for small stores: The free plan (up to 5 products) is handy for merchants with a very small catalog or who want to test the app’s capabilities long-term. Even the paid plans are low-cost ($4.99 or $7.99), making this one of the most affordable options given its rich feature set.
• Great support and reviews: Users frequently praise Variant Wizard for improving conversion by showing relevant images and for the responsive support team that helps with custom theme issues quickly. It’s a well-reviewed app that many say is “worth every penny” for the functionality it provides.

Cons:

• Free plan limitations: The free plan only supports Shopify’s free themes and is capped at 5 products. This is fine for testing or very small stores, but most merchants will move to a paid plan. Additionally, on the Starter $4.99 plan, support is still limited to free themes – if you use a paid or custom theme, you’ll likely need the Pro plan for full compatibility.
• Initial setup effort: With many features comes a bit more setup time. Configuring swatch styles and assigning images variant-by-variant (especially if not using bulk edit) can take some effort initially. The process is made easier by the UI, but it’s not as “automatic” as something like StarApps Automator.
• Potential for overkill: If you only need simple variant image switching and don’t care for swatches or design customizations, Variant Wizard might be more app than you need. Its strength is in its comprehensive features, which might be overkill for very basic needs (in such cases, a simpler app like Easy Variant Images could be a better fit).
• Learning curve for advanced features: While basic usage is straightforward, utilizing the more advanced features (like product grouping or custom CSS for swatches) might require reading documentation or contacting support. Not a deal-breaker, but worth noting for non-technical users – the good news is their support is well-rated for helpfulness.

Comparison Table of the 5 Apps

To summarize the key differences, here’s a side-by-side comparison of the five multiple variant image apps:

App Name	Key Features (What it does)	Average Rating	Pricing (Plans)	Unique Advantages
Rubik Variant Images (Craftshift)	Show only relevant images per selected variant; assign unlimited images to each variant; supports multi-option products; works with all themes and page builders.	5.0 ★	Free plan (1 product); Paid plans $15, $25, $50/month (100 to unlimited products).	Shared/common images across variants; Shopify-native UI (easy to use); supports GemPages, PageFly & more out-of-the-box; optimized for speed (uses metafields).
SA Variant Image Automator (StarApps)	Auto-groups variant images by reading your product media order; shows multiple images for chosen variant; keeps original theme’s gallery/zoom; supports videos, 3D, swatches integration.	4.9 ★	Free 30-day trial; Paid plans $9.90 (Basic), $24.90 (Advanced), $49.90 (Plus) per month.	Automatic image assignment (minimal manual work); preserves site design (no new gallery widget); great for large catalogs with many variants.
NS Color Swatch Variant Images (NestScale)	Adds color/image swatches for variants on product & collection pages; displays multiple images per variant on selection; can show variants as products or group products as one; highly customizable swatch styles.	4.9 ★	Free plan (swatches only); Growth $7.99/mo; Pro $14.99/mo (7-day free trial).	Swatches + images in one: combines variant image gallery with swatch picker features; ability to group/split variants and show swatches on collection pages (unique merchandising options).
Easy Variant Images (Spice Gems)	Simplest solution to assign multiple images per variant; hides non-selected variant images for a cleaner gallery; uses your theme’s existing image section for seamless integration.	5.0 ★	21-day free trial; then $7.50/mo (Basic), $14.50/mo (Shopify), $19.50/mo (Plus).	Straightforward & focused: very easy to set up and use; all features included on all plans (no feature gating); ideal if you only need variant image functionality without extras.
Variant Image Wizard + Swatch (ProductWiz)	Advanced swatch configurator (color/image swatches with tooltips & more); multiple images per variant with drag-and-drop assignment; bulk editor for variant images; can link images to swatches; supports videos/3D.	4.9 ★	Free plan (5 products); Starter $4.99/mo; Pro $7.99/mo (14-day free trial).	Highly customizable: offers rich design options for swatches and variant display; drag‑and‑drop UI for ease of use; budget-friendly (full features at ~$8/mo) with a useful free tier for small stores.

Final Thoughts

All five of these apps can help you elevate your product pages by showing variant-specific images, thereby improving the shopping experience. The best choice depends on your store’s needs:

• If you want a no-frills, plug-and-play solution just for switching variant images, an app like Easy Variant Images is hard to beat for simplicity.
• If you need full automation and have a huge catalog, StarApps Variant Image Automator’s automatic grouping can save you a lot of manual work.
• For those who want to enhance product options with swatches and more, NS Color Swatch Variant Images or Variant Image Wizard + Swatch provide comprehensive toolsets (the latter being extremely feature-rich, yet affordable).

However, Rubik Variant Images stands out for its balance of power and ease-of-use. It offers advanced capabilities like handling shared images and multi-option variants, yet maintains a clean, Shopify-native interface that merchants love. Rubik’s compatibility with popular page builders and focus on performance make it a robust choice for most Shopify stores looking to show multiple variant images. With Rubik, you get an intuitive setup and unique perks (like common images across all variants) that can truly optimize your product image galleries.

Ultimately, any of these top apps can help you present your products in the best light. Evaluate the features, consider the pros and cons, and you’ll be well on your way to improving your store’s product image presentation – leading to happier customers and higher conversions!