MBA vs UpSellSmart
A free, locally-run WooCommerce plugin that generates data-driven product recommendations with a few selectable engines and admin controls.
When MBA wins
If you want explainable co-purchase rules (support/confidence/lift) you can inspect, real-SKU bundles and post-purchase upsell with A/B testing, or the same engine across Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento and Oro with a public API and MCP server for agents.
When UpSellSmart wins
If you run a single WooCommerce store, want zero cost and a fast local install, and only need basic on-store recommendation widgets without bundles, B2B, or agent integrations.
Feature comparison
Color-striped rows favor MBA, UpSellSmart, or are even. We mark each so you can scan for the trade-offs that matter to you.
| Feature | MBA | UpSellSmart |
|---|---|---|
| Price (entry tier) | Free $0 tier, Plus $99/mo (or ~$79/mo on annual), flat, no GMV or revenue share | Fully free with no paid tier |
| Recommendations run locally on the store (privacy) | First-party mining runs inside the merchant install on Woo/Magento; AI is bring-your-own-key | Runs locally inside the WooCommerce install |
| Explainable co-purchase rules with metrics | Six engines (sql_pairs, FP-Growth default, seasonal_cohort, return_aware, profit-aware HUI, ai_catalog cold-start), plus a co_occurrence fallback emitting support/confidence/lift, inspectable in-admin | Multiple selectable engines with admin controls, but no documented support/confidence/lift output or inspectable rules |
| On-store recommendation widgets / admin controls | Cart drawer, related products, post-purchase upsell, plus admin rule inspection | Recommendation widgets with comprehensive admin controls |
| Bundles and offer formats | Real-SKU bundles with BYOB, volume, BOGO, virtual formats, plus substitutions | Not offered; recommendations only |
| A/B testing with statistical lift / confidence intervals | Built-in A/B testing reporting lift and CI | Not offered |
| Multi-platform coverage | One API contract across Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento and OroCommerce | WooCommerce only |
| Agent-native and API access | Public REST API, 19-tool MCP server (18 off Shopify), and ACP/agentic-commerce endpoints | No public API or agent integration |
| B2B features and email recommendations | B2B-aware mining on OroCommerce, plus Klaviyo/email recs | Not offered |
Pricing snapshot
MarketBasketAnalysis
Flat, transparent plan pricing: Free ($0) and Plus $99/mo flat (or ~$79/mo on annual). One paid plan, everything in it. These are product plans, not per-platform prices, and the same plans apply across every platform. Metered on capability and compute, never on GMV. No revenue share, no add-ons.
See plansUpSellSmart
Free. Single free plugin on the WordPress.org directory with no paid tiers, no GMV fee, and no revenue share. Early-stage with a small install base.
Visit UpSellSmartThe honest verdict
UpSellSmart is a genuinely free, local WooCommerce recommendations plugin, which makes it a reasonable zero-cost starting point for a single store that only needs basic suggestion widgets.
It is early-stage and narrow: WooCommerce only, no documented explainability (support/confidence/lift), no bundles, no A/B testing, and no public API or agent tooling.
MarketBasketAnalysis also offers a free WooCommerce tier, so the cost gap closes quickly while adding inspectable co-purchase rules, real-SKU bundles, post-purchase upsell, and A/B testing.
If you sell on more than one platform or want the same engine across Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento and Oro on one API contract, UpSellSmart cannot follow you there.
Choose UpSellSmart for free, single-store simplicity; choose MarketBasketAnalysis when you need explainable rules, bundles, B2B, multi-platform reach, or agent-native (REST/MCP/ACP) access.
Want the full buyer's deep-dive?
This page is the per-vendor short version. For the long version, read “MBA vs Bloomreach” (8 pages on the enterprise-vs-mid-market trade-off) or “MBA vs the widget cluster” (4 pages of pricing math vs Glood, Rebuy, and PickyStory).
Try MBA on your own store
14-day money-back guarantee on all paid platforms. WP.org free tier on WooCommerce. No credit card required for the free path.