OTB Announcements vs XB: Announcement Bars & Banner
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Oct 14, 2026 for OTB Announcements, Nov 9, 2026 for XB.
The short answer
- Only OTB Announcements lists a free plan.
- XB lists 12 features OTB Announcements’s listing doesn’t mention, including Animations, Banner position, Behavior targeting.
Head to head
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Australia
Momentum
New reviews each month
Review pace is the clearest public read on how fast an app is winning new merchants.
Free Plan
- · Match announcement colours to your brand
- · Schedule announcements in advance
- · Show announcements by country or region
Pro Plan
- · All the features of free
- · Animated announcement carousel
- · Display multiple rotating announcements
- · Unlimited announcements
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureTurn visitors into buyers with smart, targeted announcements. OTB Announcements helps you show the right message at the right time with scheduled, customisable announcement bars. Promote sales, highlight updates, and guide customers to key pages with ease. Control when and where your announcements appear, match them to your brand, and keep your store messaging fresh without lifting a finger.
Xboost Announcement Bar allows you to quickly create animated announcement bars that capture attention and drive clicks. Choose from sticky, scrolling and rotating effects to display promotions, free shipping offers or flash sales. With smart geolocation & product targeting, plus simple setup and no code required, even beginners can launch professional-looking promotion bars in minutes.
- Schedule announcements for holidays and key promotions
- Target announcement bars by customer location or region
- Quick setup with no code required
- Smart Conditions: show bars by device, location, time, or specific pages
- Animated Announcement Bar: eye-catching animated effects
- Multiple Templates: choose ready-made designs and customize them easily
- Smart Geolocation & Product Targeting: show bars by location & product pages
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure |  OTB Announcements |  XB |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | Not published | 607 |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | +27 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | 40 |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | 9% |
| Top store categories | Not published | Apparel & Accessories, Health & Beauty, Home & Garden |
| Top store countries | Not published | United States, United Kingdom, Australia |
Reviews
| Measure | OTB Announcements | XB |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | 5.0 ★ |
| App Store reviews | Not published | 143 |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | 0% |
Pricing
| Measure | OTB Announcements | XB |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not listed |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $1.99/month | No monthly plan listed |
| Longest free trial | Not listed | Not listed |
| Plans listed | 2 | Not published |
Listing
| Measure | OTB Announcements | XB |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #421 | #6(ahead) |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | #15 in Banners |
| Built for Shopify | No | Yes |
| Launched | May 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2025 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | OTB Thinking | Xboost |
FAQ
OTB Announcements and XB: common questions
- Is OTB Announcements or XB cheaper?
- Only OTB Announcements lists a free plan. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- XB lists 12 the others don’t mention, such as Animations, Banner position, Behavior targeting, Custom CSS. A feature missing from a listing may still be supported; this compares what each App Store listing says.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Oct 14, 2026 for OTB Announcements, Nov 9, 2026 for XB; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Oct 14, 2026 for OTB Announcements, Nov 9, 2026 for XB. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.