Timesact Alternative: Deeper Pre-Order Features for Growing Stores
Where Timesact's limitations become clear
As stores grow or needs become more specific, certain limitations emerge.
Payment Flexibility Gaps
Timesact offers partial payments (deposits), but the flexibility is limited compared to dedicated pre-order tools.
- Limited control over deposit percentages and balance capture
- No multi-step payment plans for high-ticket items
- Charge-later workflows require workarounds
- Complex payment structures difficult to implement
The All-in-One Trade-Off
Timesact bundles pre-orders, back-in-stock alerts, and coming soon pages into one app. Combining features means none gets the depth of a specialized tool.
- Development focus spread across multiple features
- Less sophisticated fulfillment controls
- Limited Shopify Flow automation depth
- Merchants who rely heavily on pre-orders often outgrow the toolset
Limited Cart and Checkout Control
Timesact offers limited control over how pre-orders flow through checkout compared to specialized tools.
- No mixed vs isolated cart options
- Limited front-end redirect capabilities
- Basic fulfillment hold controls
- Less flexibility for complex operational needs
See how PreProduct compares
A detailed, honest comparison of features and capabilities.
Shopify App Rating
Based on 96 verified reviews on the Shopify App Store
Based on 1,741 reviews on the Shopify App Store
Cart Control
Choose whether customers buy pre-order and in-stock items together (mixed cart) or separately (isolated cart), and use front-end redirects to guide the checkout experience.
Basic cart handling without the flexibility to choose between mixed and isolated cart approaches.
Platform Support
Multi-platform support for the three major ecommerce platforms. One pre-order system across all stores.
Works exclusively with Shopify stores.
Payment Models
Charge-upfront, charge-later (vaulted card), deposits (custom %), capture-only, and multi-step payment plans (Shopify Plus).
Offers upfront payment and partial payments (deposits), but with limited flexibility compared to specialized tools.
Shopify Flow Integration
One of the deepest Shopify Flow integrations in the pre-order space. Trigger charges, release holds, tag customers, and build sophisticated workflows.
Integrates with Shopify Flow, but with more limited depth of available triggers and actions.
Back-in-Stock Alerts
PreProduct focuses specifically on pre-orders. If you need back-in-stock notifications, you'd use a separate app.
Back-in-stock alerts bundled into the app alongside pre-orders and coming soon pages.
Fulfillment Holds
Fulfillment holds on pre-order items automatically, with control over when holds release at the listing level or individual customer level.
Basic fulfillment hold functionality using Shopify's native capabilities.
Customer Portal
Customer-facing portal where buyers can check status, view payment schedules, update or cancel orders, update payment methods, and pay early for discounts.
More limited customer self-service capabilities.
Free Tier
Free to start with a 5% commission on pre-order revenue.
10 presale orders, 10 normal orders, 50 restock emails free.
Entry-Level Pricing
Scale plan at $59.99/month with reduced commission (0-0.5%).
Flexible plan at $1/month for 5 orders, Fixed plan at $19/month (varies $14-89 by Shopify plan) for unlimited.
Specialized pre-order focus, deeper capabilities
PreProduct takes a different approach: specialized focus on pre-orders with deeper capabilities in that specific area.
Cart Isolation and Checkout Control
Control over how pre-orders flow through checkout. Choose mixed or isolated carts based on your operational needs.
- Mixed carts increase average order value
- Isolated carts keep pre-orders cleanly separated
- Front-end redirects guide checkout experience
- Flexibility to match your business needs
Multi-Platform Support
Works across Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. One pre-order system across all your stores.
- Shopify integration
- BigCommerce integration
- WooCommerce integration
- Avoid switching systems if you expand
Five Flexible Charging Models
Match your charging model to each product launch's needs. 43.8% of pre-order listings use charge-later.
- Charge-upfront for immediate cash flow
- Charge-later (vaulted card) for uncertain timelines
- Deposits (custom percentage) for high-ticket items
- Capture-only for maximum control
- Multi-step payment plans (Shopify Plus)
Powerful Automation Options
Native automations plus deep Shopify Flow integration with 15 actions and 16 triggers.
- Listing Manager auto-creates pre-orders
- Auto-charge when inventory added
- Auto-release fulfillment holds
- Trigger charges based on inventory, tags, or custom conditions
- Tag customers based on pre-order behavior
Fulfillment Hold Control
Prevents accidental early shipment with control over when holds release at listing or customer level.
- Automatic fulfillment holds on pre-orders
- Release controls at listing level
- Release controls at individual customer level
- Works with 3PLs and ERPs
Customer Portal
Customer-facing portal reduces support tickets with self-service capabilities.
- Check pre-order status and shipping dates
- View payment schedules
- Update or cancel orders
- Update payment methods
- Pay early for a discount
Why brands love PreProduct
Real reviews from verified Shopify merchants.
"Game changer for us. PreProduct has transformed the way our small team is able to manage pre-orders. It's been a massive operational unlock. The app itself is intuitive, fast to implement, and fits seamlessly into our existing workflows."
"Run, don't walk and install PreProduct! We've been a very long time looking for the perfect pre-order app and can happily report we've found it! The deferred payment options and flexibility are absolute game changers."
"Glad I went for this pre-order app. Very flexible and well thought out functionality. Also the customer service is some of the best I've experienced - friendly and highly responsive."
"PreProduct is easily the best pre-order solution we’ve used. Beyond the app’s performance, the support team is outstanding.They are incredibly responsive and always come back to us with actual solutions rather than generic answers. They made our entire experience seamless and were genuinely helpful at every turn.We are really impressed!"
"This app has enabled us to integrate Shopify preorders with our legacy ERP. The ability to defer charging customers for preordered items until we are ready to ship is an amazing feature. We also love the feature that allows customers to manage their order's preorders themselves. Another great feature of this app is the ability to prevent preorder items from being mixed into carts with non- ..."
"Brilliant app that changes the game for out of stock items, really love the usability of this and it works like a charm. Oli is extremely responsive and helpful for support, 100% would recommend!"
Common questions
Does PreProduct include back-in-stock alerts like Timesact?
No. PreProduct focuses specifically on pre-orders. If you need back-in-stock notifications, you'd use a separate app. This specialization means pre-order features go deeper, but you manage two tools instead of one.
Does PreProduct have the same checkout limitations as Timesact?
Both PreProduct and Timesact use Shopify's selling plan structure, which means the same accelerated checkout limitations apply. The difference is PreProduct offers more control over how pre-orders flow through checkout—mixed vs isolated carts, front-end redirects, and customer portal features that give you operational flexibility.
Is PreProduct harder to set up than Timesact?
It's slightly more involved because you have more options to configure. But "harder" depends on your comfort level. PreProduct provides setup guides, and most merchants get running within a few hours. The complexity comes from flexibility, not poor design.
What if I only do a few pre-orders per month?
Timesact's pricing probably makes more sense for very low volume. PreProduct's Starter plan (free + 5% commission) can work for low volume testing, but if you're doing five pre-orders monthly at $50 each, the math favors Timesact's flat-rate pricing.
Can I migrate existing pre-orders from Timesact to PreProduct?
Existing Shopify orders stay in your admin regardless of which app you use. For active pre-order listings, you'd need to recreate them in PreProduct and potentially manage a transition period where both apps are active.
Ready to explore deeper pre-order capabilities?
Start with our free Starter plan or test the full experience with a 14-day trial.
Scale Plus
For medium to large sized brands
$259.99
USD / month
+0% commission
Take me to the Shopify App Store - 7 day free trial
Our top plan with all the features
0% commission
15+ Shopify Flow triggers
Developer support
Scale
For small to medium sized brands
$59.99
USD / month
+0% commission on up to 5k of monthly paid pre-order revenue, then 0.5% afterwards.
Take me to the Shopify App Store - 7 day free trial
All of Growth features
Listing Manager automation access
API access
15x Shopify Flow actions
10+ Klaviyo events
Priority support
Starter
Only pay a percentage of pre-order revenue
$0.00
USD / month
+5% of paid pre-order revenue
Take me to the Shopify App Store
Take pre-orders from your e-commerce/Shopify storefront
Unlimited pre-order listings
Charge customers upfront, later or via deposit
Multi-step payment plans and ad-hoc installments
Customise pre-order front-end & email campaign
Customer portals