Choosing the right site search and merchandising solution can have a major impact on your eCommerce success.
In this detailed comparison of Klevu vs Fast Simon, we’ll explore how these two AI-powered platforms help businesses improve product discovery, search relevance, and personalization.
By understanding their strengths and ideal use cases, you can better decide which solution aligns with your specific needs.
In this blog post, we’ll provide a detailed, neutral comparison between Klevu vs Fast Simon, covering their core features, strengths, typical use cases, and pricing structures to help you make an informed decision.
Why Smart Search and Personalization Matter
Shoppers now expect Amazon-level experiences on every site they visit. AI-driven search and product recommendations help:
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Boost conversions
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Reduce bounce rates
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Increase average order value
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Deliver more relevant experiences across the user journey
Retailers that invest in this personalization layer stand to gain a significant edge—especially as acquisition costs rise and attention spans drop.
Klevu: Deep AI for Richer Discovery
Core Offerings
Klevu offers an end-to-end discovery solution that covers:
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AI-Powered Search: Uses NLP to interpret user intent and offers intelligent autocomplete, typo tolerance, and synonym matching.
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Product Recommendations: Personalized suggestions based on behavior, popularity, and trends.
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Visual Merchandising: Drag-and-drop interface to control product order on category pages and landing pages.
Technology Stack
Klevu leans heavily on AI, machine learning, and natural language processing. Its NLP engine is particularly strong at interpreting longer-tail and conversational queries.
Integrations
It supports all major platforms like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Klevu also offers support for headless setups and has APIs for deeper custom integrations.
Best For
Medium to large-sized eCommerce stores that prioritize rich personalization, flexibility, and performance-driven merchandising.
Fast Simon: End-to-End Optimization
Core Offerings
Fast Simon’s strength lies in combining AI-powered tools into a single optimization suite:
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Smart Search: Combines NLP, visual search, and real-time autocomplete to deliver fast, relevant results.
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Product Recommendations: Behavior-driven, cross-sell and upsell ready.
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Merchandising Tools: Rule-based and AI-driven optimization, plus drag-and-drop sorting and predictive filters.
Technology Stack
Fast Simon uses AI, machine learning, and behavioral analytics. It also incorporates visual AI, allowing it to support image-based search and category enrichment.
Integrations
Supports Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce, and more. Its low-code/no-code configuration options make it easier for non-technical teams to implement changes quickly.
Best For
SMBs and fast-scaling stores that want to quickly improve search and merchandising without needing a large dev team.
Klevu vs Fast Simon: Use Case Scenarios
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Choose Klevu if you run a mid-to-large store and want full control over merchandising and personalization, with robust AI and infrastructure.
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Choose Fast Simon if you want a fast, easy-to-deploy solution with strong AI out of the box, especially for smaller or fast-growing stores.
Challenges Reported by Users
⚠️ Klevu
While Klevu offers robust AI capabilities, many users feel locked out of essential features unless they upgrade to an expensive enterprise plan. As one reviewer put it:
“The free version can’t do anything at all that others can’t. If you want only a fraction of the advertised features, you start with hundreds of euros. Ridiculous.”
This makes Klevu less accessible for smaller businesses or those with tighter budgets.
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Some users mention complexity in setup and backend customization.
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Enterprise pricing may not fit smaller stores.
Fast Simon:
Fast Simon, despite its early appeal, has frustrated some users with abrupt pricing changes and critical service interruptions. A recent review stated:
“Loved this app to begin with… but they raised prices from $140 to $400/year. Once it expired, search broke on my site and I lost weekend sales. Support didn’t help.”
Issues like search outages and poor support during billing transitions can hurt business continuity.
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While powerful, some advanced features may lack the depth needed for very large or complex catalogs.
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Occasional UI/UX limitations in the dashboard for custom logic.
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Final Word
Choosing between Klevu vs Fast Simon comes down to your size, needs, and tech stack. Klevu shines with deep AI and enterprise flexibility, while Fast Simon offers quick wins and usability for scaling brands.
👉 If you’re looking for a powerful, budget-friendly alternative, check out ExpertRec — a versatile AI search platform trusted by 5000+ businesses globally.
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FAQs about Klevu vs Fast Simon
- What is the main difference between Klevu and Fast Simon?
- Klevu focuses strongly on AI-powered search relevance and SEO optimization, while Fast Simon offers a unified suite combining search, merchandising, recommendations, and visual discovery features.
- Which platform is better for international eCommerce stores?
- Klevu offers robust multi-language and multi-currency support, making it a strong choice for stores selling across global markets.
- Does Fast Simon support omnichannel selling?
- Yes, Fast Simon supports both online stores and offline POS systems, making it suitable for omnichannel brands.
- Which tool offers visual search capabilities?
- Fast Simon provides visual search features such as “Shop the Look” and image-based product discovery. Klevu currently focuses more on text-based AI search.
- Are both Klevu and Fast Simon compatible with Shopify?
- Yes, both platforms integrate with Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and other popular eCommerce systems.
- Which one offers built-in A/B testing?
- Fast Simon includes built-in A/B testing to optimize search and merchandising strategies. Klevu does not offer native A/B testing within its dashboard.
- Is pricing for Klevu and Fast Simon publicly available?
- No, both platforms use custom pricing models based on catalog size, traffic, and features. Pricing is provided after contacting their sales teams.
- Can I customize merchandising rules in both Klevu and Fast Simon?
- Yes, both platforms allow merchants to manually boost, pin, or rearrange products using visual merchandising dashboards or automated rules.
