Goal: A build-your-own bundle configurator (choose table type/variant, seating, optional protector) with: 1) fully designer-controlled pages, 2) step-by-step flow showing the evolving bundle, 3) ability to start from pre-defined bundles and continue customizing, 4) “weighted” discounts (e.g., table full price, chairs discounted to hit a target bundle price).
Suggestions/constraints: For simple cases, try Shopify Bundles (native app). Alternatively, use the Ajax Cart API to nest child items so products appear grouped without a bundle app. For complex logic (esp. #1–#4), a custom app using Shopify Functions/cart transforms may be required; consider stitching multiple apps and focus on ROI instead of a low flat price.
Current setup: Using the Bundler app for single-product bundles; its single-product bundle feature reportedly has bugs and seems deprioritized. Considered Amplify (~$499/mo) but cost is prohibitive.
Inventory/variants: Store manages inventory via variants (“Factory New” vs. “Bundle” not purchasable), reallocating stock as needed. Variant limits (3 options, ~2k variants) constrain a “bundles-as-variants” approach, especially with per-item colors.
Status: No off-the-shelf fit identified; leaning toward a custom build when resources free up. Discussion remains open; key challenge is implementing per-item weighted discounts within a guided UI.
Summarized with AI on December 10.
AI used: gpt-5.
We want to allow our users to create their own bundle. I’ll use a very limited furniture store as an example.
Our stock carries four types of tables:
10’ Diningm
8’ Dining,
6’ Kitchen,
4’ Nook.
Each table has to variants:
Corners
Rounded
We offer 3 types of places to sit: Stools, Benches or Chairs
We also offer table protectors: Reinforced Cloth or Clear Plastic.
So, a customer could come into the “configurator”, choose a table, then a few chairs and then the protector (if any) to make a bundle. Pretty simple, eh?
Our requirements are:
Any page(s) has/have to be fully customizable BY US. We want our designer to have a free hand. The code to support this needs to be flexible enough to let us do the design (within reason, of course.)
We want to take the user step-by-step through our predefined sequence and show the bundle as it’s being built.
We want to be able to pre-define bundles that can be fed into this app that the customer can continue building, if they so wish. Our intent is to have an online survey that will guide them through the basic configuration and then funnel them into the app to add anything else they’d like.
We want to make any discounts on the bundle apply only to certain items but reduce the rest to come up to the final price. “Weighting” certain products over others. For example, we pride ourselves in our tables, so when the user creates a bundle and takes it to checkout, we want the table to be full price but the chairs discounted enough to equal the bundle price.
For simple just use the shopify bundles app.
Though really there’s no description in there of why this is “bundle” vs just items in a cart that may or may not be connected visually. The ajax cart api can now nest child items and not need a bundle app to present items as “together”
If you need a unicorn , build it custom.
Otherwise break the problem apart into smaller parts as your probably gonna have to stitch multiple apps together and pay for them all.
What apps have you tried , provide a shortlist upfront show the work
Other people have no idea what “reasonably priced” is to you, most the time that’s just code for “looking for free” and burns a ton of time.
protip: “must be under $9/mth” isn’t a good mentality focus on ROI you WANT to pay for quality apps that make you MORE money
And it will avoid duplicate effort especially when trying to get this narrow but have enough words in the description that bot responses to pitch apps that might not even fit.
1-3 in the req’s are gonna be hard enough to shortlist as they each have further sub requirements, then piling on undefined cost restraints and super specific business pricing logic like #4 “weighting discounts” screams custom.
Break the problem apart into smaller parts as your probably gonna have to stitch multiple apps together and pay for them all.
Right now, we’re using “Bundler” for our single-product bundles. At the time we went with them, they offered some features basic Shopify Bundles did not.
As far as affordable, I guess I had come across “Amplify” (heyamplify.com) which seemed to offer what we were looking for, however, $499/mo was ridiculously out of our range.
Well, in our actual store, we offer much more (multiple colors, multiple variants.) The furniture store was simply a hypothetical to give a simple representation of the issue.
In what way, how much Revenue is generated.
or put another way how much money is being LOST by not having all these features.
Oh that was gonna be the other thing, there’s 2k variants, so with the option limit still being 3 if used judiciously it’s possible to just make productsVaraiants the “bundles”.
But becomes really rough when per variant options like color are in play if that characteristic cannot be applied to EVERY item in the “bundle”. no clues yet if option limits will be raised though probably gated behind a Plus plan, or just never
I’ve never ascribed to the concept of something that is “potential” being “lost” until I can see some solid data. And for $499 a month, we coould move this function up for IT and roll our own, as you suggested. Right now, we’re swamped developing other apps, so unless unicorn app appears, we’ll be “losing” that revenue.
We use Shopify variants to segment our inventory, but it’s all the same product in the end. Our base philosophy is, “If it’s the same size and function, it’s a variant of the same product.” So far, this has served us well. We have a Factory New variant and a Bundle variant. We are using the Single-product bundle feature offered in Bundler (which has several reported bugs, but I get the impression SPB is NOT on their front burner.)
When we create a new bundle, say, a rounded kitchen table and four chairs, we define the items that go into that bundle using the bundle variant, which is not made available for direct purchase. This prevents our bundles from running out of stock, even if the Factory New inventory reaches zero. Of course, depending on the demand, if we need to shift some inventory around, we subtract some from one variant and add to another as necessary.
As far as variants, right now we’re well below the 2K limit. We might be in trouble if we add a 3rd option (which has been discussed.)
Focus: Curated, category-based bundle configuration.
Create required categories (e.g., Main, Side, Drink) and define how many items customers must choose from each. This setup allows controlled customization while ensuring balanced, intentional selections.
Ideal for:
Meal Boxes (e.g., 1 Main + 2 Sides + 1 Drink)
Beauty or Grooming Routines
Outfit / Look Builders
Any offering that requires balanced, category-driven selection
The ajax cart api can now nest child items and not need a bundle app to present items as “together”
search first, bundles come up everyday e.g. 
