Bold Commerce is one of the most recognized names in the Shopify ecosystem. They build Bold Subscriptions, Bold Bundles, Bold Upsell, and dozens of other apps used by thousands of merchants. Their store locator is one piece of that larger portfolio. Mapular, by contrast, does one thing: build the best store locator possible. This comparison breaks down what each app offers so you can decide which approach fits your brand. For a broader view, see our complete guide to the best store locator apps for Shopify.
Key Takeaways
- Bold brings brand trust. With a 4.5-star rating and roughly 398 reviews, Bold Store Locator benefits from the reputation Bold Commerce has built across its entire app portfolio. Mapular is newer with fewer than 10 reviews.
- Mapular has built-in behavioral analytics from $19.99/month: search tracking, click tracking, filter usage, and trend analysis. Bold Store Locator does not offer native analytics.
- Mapular offers deeper customization, including custom colors, fonts, map styles, pin icons, and three layout options (sidebar, full-width, compact grid). Bold's customization is more limited.
- Mapular includes smart filters on every paid plan: hours, services, products, geolocation, and custom fields. Bold's filtering capabilities are basic.
- Bold has a free plan and benefits from the trust of merchants already using other Bold apps. Mapular also has a free plan with 5 locations.
- Both are Shopify-only. Neither app supports other platforms.
What Each Tool Does
Both apps help Shopify merchants embed an interactive store locator on their website. Customers search for a location, see results on a map, and get directions.
Bold Store Locator is one of many apps in Bold Commerce's portfolio. Bold is best known for subscription management, checkout customization, and product bundling. Their store locator is a smaller product within that ecosystem. The advantage for merchants already using Bold apps is familiarity: one vendor, one support team, one billing relationship. The locator itself covers the basics: add locations, display them on a map, let customers search by proximity.
Mapular is purpose-built as a store locator and nothing else. Beyond the map, it tracks how customers interact with your locator: what they search for, which locations they click, which filters they use, and how those patterns change over time. It adds smart filters (hours, services, products, custom fields), full brand customization, multi-language support, and live chat support inside your Shopify admin. Every development decision is focused on making the store locator better, not maintaining a portfolio of unrelated apps.
For brands that want their store locator to generate actionable retail intelligence, not just display pins on a map, that difference in focus matters. For more on this, see our guide on how to use store locator analytics to drive retail expansion.
Feature Comparison
Store Management
| Feature | Bold Store Locator | Mapular |
|---|---|---|
| Location limit (free) | Free plan available | 5 locations |
| Location limit (max) | Not publicly specified | 5,000 (Pro, $44.99/mo) |
| Bulk import | CSV import | CSV or manual bulk entry |
| Platform support | Shopify | Shopify (native app) |
| Quick-start onboarding | Not specified | Guided setup wizard |
Search and User Experience
| Feature | Bold Store Locator | Mapular |
|---|---|---|
| Distance-based search | Yes | Yes |
| Geolocation (auto-detect) | Basic | Yes |
| Smart filters (hours, services) | Limited | All paid plans |
| Product availability filtering | No | All paid plans |
| Custom field filters | No | All paid plans |
| Multi-language support | Not specified | EN, DE, ES |
| Business hours display | Basic | All plans |
| Mobile responsive | Yes | Yes |
The filter gap is significant. Bold's store locator handles the core use case: type a location, see nearby stores. Mapular adds layered filtering so customers can narrow results by opening hours, services offered, product availability, and custom fields you define. For brands whose retail partners carry different product lines or offer different services, these filters turn a simple map into a tool customers actually use. Read more in our piece on product filtering in Shopify store locators.
Analytics
| Feature | Bold Store Locator | Mapular |
|---|---|---|
| Search tracking | No | Advanced plan ($19.99/mo) |
| Click tracking | No | Advanced plan |
| Filter usage tracking | No | Advanced plan |
| Trend analysis | No | Advanced plan |
| Analytics dashboard | None | Built-in dashboard in Shopify admin |
This is the widest gap between the two apps. Bold Store Locator has no native analytics. You can see your locations and how the map looks, but you cannot see how customers interact with it: what they search, where they click, or which filters they use.
Mapular builds analytics directly into the app. From the Advanced plan ($19.99/month), you get a dashboard inside your Shopify admin showing search patterns, location click-through rates, filter usage, and trends over time. You can identify regions with high search volume but no nearby locations, exactly the kind of insight that informs where to expand your retail footprint next.
Customization
| Feature | Bold Store Locator | Mapular |
|---|---|---|
| Custom colors | Limited | All paid plans |
| Custom fonts | Not specified | All paid plans |
| Custom map styles | Not specified | All paid plans |
| Custom pin icons | Not specified | All paid plans |
| Layout options | Standard | 3 layouts: sidebar, full-width, compact grid |
| Brand control | Basic styling | Full brand control |
Mapular gives merchants full control over how the locator looks: colors, fonts, map styles, custom pin icons, and three distinct layout options. Bold's store locator offers basic styling but lacks the depth of customization that D2C brands typically need to maintain visual consistency across their site. When your store locator looks like it was built by someone else, customers notice.
Pricing
| Bold Store Locator | Mapular | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free plan available | 5 locations |
| Starter | - | $9.99/mo (50 locations) |
| Advanced | - | $19.99/mo (500 locations, analytics) |
| Pro | - | $44.99/mo (5,000 locations) |
| Free trial | Not specified | 7 days |
Bold offers a free plan, which is a genuine advantage for merchants testing the waters. Mapular also has a free plan with 5 locations. Bold's paid pricing details are not prominently listed, making direct price-per-feature comparison difficult. Mapular's pricing is transparent: each tier clearly states the location limit, included features, and what unlocks at the next level.
Where Mapular Wins
Built-in behavioral analytics. This is the clearest differentiator. Mapular gives you search tracking, click tracking, filter usage data, and trend analysis from $19.99/month. Bold has nothing comparable. For brands that want to make data-driven decisions about retail partnerships and expansion, this is the feature that pays for itself.
Customization depth. Colors, fonts, map styles, custom pin icons, and three layout options, all configurable within the app. Mapular lets you build a locator that looks like a natural extension of your brand, not a third-party widget.
Smart filters. Hours, services, products, geolocation, and custom fields are available on every paid plan. Bold's filtering is basic. For brands with diverse retail locations, filters are what make a locator genuinely useful to customers.
Purpose-built focus. Mapular's entire development team works on one product: the store locator. Bold Commerce maintains dozens of apps across subscriptions, bundles, upsells, and more. That focus difference shows in feature depth, iteration speed, and the kind of detail work that separates a good locator from a great one.
Live chat support on every plan. Including free. Accessible directly inside your Shopify admin, with no separate help desk and no email queue.
Where Bold Wins
Brand recognition and trust. Bold Commerce is one of the most established Shopify app developers. Their name carries weight, and merchants who already use Bold Subscriptions or Bold Bundles may prefer keeping their apps under one vendor. That ecosystem familiarity has real value.
398 reviews at 4.5 stars. Social proof matters when choosing apps. Bold's large review count gives merchants confidence that the app works reliably. Mapular is newer and still building its review base.
Free plan with no commitment. Bold's free tier lets merchants test the locator without any cost. Mapular also offers a free plan with 5 locations, so both provide a no-risk entry point.
Existing Bold ecosystem. If your store already runs Bold Subscriptions, Bold Bundles, or other Bold apps, adding their store locator keeps your app stack consolidated. One vendor relationship, one support channel, one set of invoices.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose Bold Store Locator if:
- You already use other Bold Commerce apps and want to keep your vendor relationships consolidated
- Brand trust and a large review count are important factors in your decision
- You need a basic store locator without analytics or advanced filtering
- You prefer an established app developer with a long track record in the Shopify ecosystem
Choose Mapular if:
- You want to understand how customers interact with your locator: what they search, what they click, which filters they use
- Smart filters matter because your retail locations vary in hours, services, or product availability
- Brand consistency is important and you need full control over colors, fonts, map styles, and layout
- You sell internationally and need multi-language support (EN, DE, ES)
- You want live support inside your Shopify admin, even on the free plan
- You want a store locator built by a team that works on nothing else
For more alternatives, see our roundup of the best Storemapper alternatives for Shopify.
Ready to Try It?
Both apps offer free plans, so you can test each without commitment. If you want to see how built-in analytics, smart filters, and full brand customization work on your store, try Mapular Store Locator free on the Shopify App Store.
FAQ
Does Bold Store Locator have analytics?
No. Bold Store Locator does not include native analytics or an analytics dashboard. You cannot see what customers search for, which locations they click, or how filter usage changes over time. Mapular includes a built-in analytics dashboard from the Advanced plan ($19.99/month) with search tracking, click tracking, filter usage, and trend analysis, all inside your Shopify admin.
Is Bold Store Locator still actively developed?
Bold Commerce maintains a large portfolio of Shopify apps. Their store locator receives updates, but it is one of many products competing for development resources. Mapular is purpose-built as a store locator. It is the only product the team works on, which means faster iteration and deeper feature development.
Can I switch from Bold Store Locator to Mapular?
Yes. Export your locations from Bold as CSV, then bulk import them into Mapular. The Quick-Start Onboarding walks you through the process, and live chat support is available if you need help during migration.
Which is better for large location networks?
Bold does not publicly specify its maximum location limit. Mapular supports up to 5,000 locations on its Pro plan ($44.99/month). If you have a very large network, contact both apps to confirm their limits for your specific use case.
