Looking for a Dibs – Preorders & Backorders alternative for Shopify?
Dibs is a free, Built for Shopify app from Logbase with a 5.0 rating across 75 reviews. It covers preorders and backorders as separate plan types, with solid payment flexibility: deposits, partial payments, split payments, and book now pay later. The setup wizard walks merchants through plan creation, scheduling, quantity limits, and shipping schedule control in a clean no-code interface.
Where Essential Preorder Back in Stock goes further is back-in-stock demand capture. Dibs doesn’t list back-in-stock alerts or “Notify me” buttons as features, so merchants who want preorders and restock waitlists in the same app will need to look elsewhere.
Quick Verdict
- Best for free preorder and backorder plans: Dibs
- Best for preorder + back-in-stock in one system: Essential Preorder Back in Stock
- Best for scaling preorders across multiple products: Essential Preorder Back in Stock
Both apps are free, Built for Shopify, and handle preorders, deposits, split payments, and scheduling well. Dibs has a stronger setup wizard with more granular shipping controls and CSS customization. Essential Preorder Back in Stock adds back-in-stock alerts, “Notify me” waitlists, 0 upfront preorders, a large install base with 1,125+ reviews, and 5 star Shopify rating.
👉 Install Essential Preorder Back in Stock and launch your first preorder campaign
Available on the Shopify App Store as “Essent Preorder Back in Stock”
Essential Preorder Back in Stock vs Dibs
Both apps help merchants:
- sell out-of-stock products via preorder and backorder
- run presale campaigns with scheduling and inventory limits
- offer flexible payments including deposits, partial payments, and split payments
- send automated payment reminders and order updates
- customize buttons, badges, and messaging to match your store
- extend preorder buttons to collection and search pages
Where they diverge is in back-in-stock functionality, 0 upfront payments, and ecosystem depth.
Essential Preorder Back in Stock offers:
- preorder and back-in-stock in one system
- full, partial, split, deferred, and 0 upfront payment options
- campaign-based setup with three activation modes
- automated restock alerts with unlimited “Notify me” sign-ups
- 5.0 rating across 1,125+ reviews
Dibs offers:
- preorder and backorder as separate, clearly defined plan types
- deposit, partial, split payment, and book now pay later
- payment discount per payment type
- granular shipping schedule control per plan
- automated payment reminders for outstanding balances
- CSS customization for widget placement
- fully free with no usage caps, 5.0 rating across 75 reviews
Dibs is built for preorder and backorder operations with detailed payment and shipping control. Essential Preorder is built for the full demand cycle: preorder, backorder, and back-in-stock in one place.
Feature Comparison
|
Feature |
Essential Preorder Back in Stock |
Dibs |
|---|---|---|
|
Preorders & backorders |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Back in stock alerts |
Built-in |
No |
|
Notify me button |
Yes |
No |
|
Email alerts |
Yes |
Shipping & payment reminders |
|
Partial payments |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Split payments |
Yes |
Yes |
|
0 upfront preorder |
Yes |
No |
|
Book now pay later |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Deposits |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Automated payment reminders |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Payment discount per payment type |
Not listed |
Yes |
|
Preorder on in-stock products |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Campaign / plan scheduling |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Preorder quantity limits |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Shipping schedule control |
No |
Yes |
|
Variant-level control |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Preorder extends to collection/search |
Yes |
Yes |
|
CSS customization |
On demand |
Yes |
|
Performance dashboard |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Rating |
5.0 (1,125+ reviews) |
5.0 (75 reviews) |
|
Free plan |
Yes |
Yes |
Key Differences
1. Back-in-stock and demand capture
This is the clearest functional gap. Dibs is focused on preorder and backorder plans and doesn’t list back-in-stock alerts or “Notify me” buttons as features. For stores where products regularly go out of stock and you want to capture restock demand, Dibs would need to be paired with a separate back-in-stock app.
Essential Preorder Back in Stock handles both sides in one place. Merchants can run a preorder campaign and a “Notify me” waitlist simultaneously, with automated restock alerts sent when inventory returns. No second app required.
2. Payment flexibility
Both apps cover the main payment scenarios well. From the Dibs setup screens, merchants can set a deposit as a percentage of the order total, configure the balance due schedule by number of days from checkout, choose between full payment and partial payment per plan, and add payment discounts per payment type. Automated payment reminders handle balance collection. This is a genuinely capable payment system.
Essential Preorder Back in Stock matches this and adds one payment structure Dibs doesn’t currently list: 0 upfront preorders, where customers reserve a product without any immediate charge. For stores testing demand on new products or reducing friction on high-ticket items, this option matters. Partial payments are available on the Essential free plan.
3. Plan setup and shipping control
Dibs separates preorders and backorders into distinct plan types from the start. Preorder plans are for selling regardless of current stock levels (new launches, made-to-order, limited edition). Backorder plans are for out-of-stock items (high-demand SKUs, bestsellers). Each plan has its own scheduling, quantity limits, shipping schedule, and payment settings.
The shipping schedule control in Dibs is more granular than most apps in this category: merchants can set orders to ship immediately, on an exact future date, or hold them until a shipping date is confirmed. The note in the app that this may create multiple fulfilments for mixed carts is worth testing.
Essential Preorder Back in Stock uses three campaign activation modes: show preorder when out of stock, always show preorder, or show preorder while in stock. This covers similar scenarios from a single campaign interface without separating preorder and backorder into distinct flows.
4. Ecosystem and integrations
Dibs is part of the Logbase ecosystem, which also includes a slide cart and other Shopify tools. CSS customization gives merchants more control over how widgets render without needing developer help.
Essential Apps covers a broader range of conversion tools (countdown timers, upsell, cart drawer, announcement bar, trust badges, loyalty, and estimated delivery), all built to work together. For merchants already running several Essential Apps, adding preorder keeps everything in one ecosystem.
5. Track record and support
Dibs has 75 reviews at 5.0 stars: a strong early record for a newer app. Built for Shopify certified. The Logbase team has a reputation for active development and responsive support.
Essential Preorder Back in Stock has over 1,100 reviews at 5.0 stars. Support responds in under 10 minutes, 24/7, on every plan, including free. Onboarding calls with the founder are available, and weekly product updates ship based on merchant feedback.
Running launches or made-to-order products?
Essential Preorder Back in Stock handles the full workflow.
Pricing & Plans
Both apps are free to start, but scale differently.
Essential Preorder Back in Stock
Usage-based pricing. Start free and scale as preorder volume grows.
Free
- 10 preorders/month
- 300 back-in-stock notifications/month
- unlimited “Notify me” sign-ups
- full and partial payment support
- customizable buttons, forms, and emails
- 24/7 support
Lite – $5/month
- 50 preorders/month
- 500 back-in-stock notifications/month
- translations, custom email domain, preorder confirmation emails
- $0.25/preorder and $1/100 notifications above limit
- 14-day free trial
Essentials – $25/month
- 500 preorders/month
- 3,000 notifications/month
- full feature access, custom email domain, translations
- $0.10/preorder and $1/100 notifications above limit
- 14-day free trial
Professional – $59/month
- unlimited preorders and notifications
- no additional transaction fees
- 24/7 priority support
- 14-day free trial
Dibs – Preorders & Backorders
Dibs is listed as completely free on the Shopify App Store with no paid tiers. All features, including deposit payments, split payments, book now pay later, scheduling, inventory limits, shipping schedule control, and automated reminders, are available at no cost.
Key pricing difference: Both apps are free to start. Dibs is fully free with no usage caps and all features included. Essential scales with usage via paid tiers and adds back-in-stock notifications and 0 upfront preorders not available in Dibs.
Which App Is Better for Different Use Cases?
|
Use Case |
Best Choice |
|---|---|
|
Best overall preorder app |
|
|
Back-in-stock alerts + preorder combined |
Essential Preorder Back in Stock |
|
Notify me waitlists |
Essential Preorder Back in Stock |
|
Deposit and split payment setup |
Both |
|
0 upfront preorder campaigns |
Essential Preorder Back in Stock |
|
Preorder on in-stock products |
Both |
|
Product launches and presales |
Both |
|
Made-to-order products |
Both |
|
Granular shipping schedule control |
Dibs |
|
CSS widget customization |
Dibs |
|
Fully free with no usage caps |
Dibs |
|
Scaling preorder operations |
Essential Preorder Back in Stock |
👉 See how Essential Preorder Back in Stock fits your store before your next launch or restock cycle.
When to Choose Each App
Choose Essential Preorder Back in Stock if:
- you want preorder and back-in-stock managed in one system
- you need “Notify me” sign-ups and automated restock alerts alongside preorders
- you want 0 upfront preorder as an option for demand testing or high-ticket items
- you run multiple active preorder campaigns across different products
- you want a larger install base and proven track record at scale
- you value fast support with direct founder access and weekly product updates
Choose Dibs if:
- you need a completely free app with no usage caps
- your primary focus is preorders and backorders without back-in-stock alerts
- you want granular shipping schedule control per preorder plan
- you want payment discounts per payment type
- you prefer CSS-level widget customization
- you are in the Logbase ecosystem already
Switching from Dibs Preorders to Essential Preorder Back in Stock
Your Shopify products, orders, and customer records stay exactly as they are. No code changes or data migration are required:
- Install Essential Preorder Back in Stock from the Shopify App Store
- Create preorder campaigns for your products (out-of-stock, always-on, or scheduled)
- Set up “Notify me” buttons on any products where you want back-in-stock demand capture
- Test preorder and restock flows on a product before going live
- Disable Dibs Preorder on your storefront once Essential Preorder is confirmed working
Reach out to support directly from the app if you need help during the switch.
Final Verdict
Dibs is a capable free preorder app with more depth than its review count suggests. The payment setup is thorough (deposits, split payments, book now pay later, balance due scheduling, and payment discounts per type), and the shipping schedule control gives merchants options most preorder apps don’t offer. For stores focused on preorder and backorder workflows, it’s a solid free option.
Essential Preorder Back in Stock is the stronger choice when back-in-stock demand capture matters. Automated restock alerts, “Notify me” waitlists, and 0 upfront preorders are features Dibs doesn’t currently offer. The campaign-based structure also makes it easier to manage multiple active preorder scenarios simultaneously without separating them into individual plans.
Merchants who want to handle preorders and restock demand in one place, without needing a second app for back-in-stock, will find Essential Preorder Back in Stock the more complete solution.
👉 Get started and launch your first campaign in minutes
FAQs
What is the best alternative to Dibs preorder app?
Essential Preorder Back in Stock is the strongest alternative for merchants who need preorder and back-in-stock alerts in one system. It adds “Notify me” waitlists, automated restock alerts, and 0 upfront preorders to the payment flexibility that Dibs already covers with a free plan to start and over 1,100 five-star reviews.
Is Dibs a good Shopify preorder app?
Yes. Dibs is a free, Built for Shopify app with a 5.0 rating across 75 reviews. It handles deposits, split payments, book now pay later, scheduling, quantity limits, and shipping schedule control well. It is best suited to merchants focused on preorder and backorder workflows who don’t need integrated back-in-stock alerts.
Does Dibs support split payments and deposits?
Yes. Dibs supports full payment, partial deposits, split payments, and book now pay later. Merchants can set a deposit as a percentage, configure balance collection by number of days from checkout, and add payment discounts per payment type. Automated payment reminders handle balance collection. Essential Preorder Back in Stock also supports all of these, with the added option of 0 upfront preorders.
Does Dibs support preorders on in-stock products?
Yes. Dibs offers a Preorder plan type specifically for selling regardless of current stock levels, covering new launches, made-to-order items, and limited editions. Backorder plans handle out-of-stock products separately. Essential Preorder Back in Stock covers both through three campaign activation modes in a single campaign interface.
Do I need a separate app for back-in-stock alerts if I use Dibs?
Yes, if back-in-stock notifications matter to your store. Dibs is focused on preorder and backorder plans and doesn’t include built-in back-in-stock alerts or “Notify me” sign-up functionality. Essential Preorder Back in Stock handles both in one app.
