Explore 7 Powerful Klevu Alternatives That Deliver More!

Feeling stuck after the Klevu–Searchspring merger? It’s time to discover better options!

If you’ve been relying on Klevu for product discovery, merchandising, or AI search, their recent merger might have left you wondering what’s next.

Whether it’s limited AI capabilities or a complicated UI, many eCommerce businesses are searching for better search engine than Klevu and Searchspring to future-proof their store.

So if you're asking, “What to use instead of Klevu?” -  you are in the right place!

From performance to personalization capabilities, we’ve broken down the best alternatives to Klevu in 2025. Among them, Experro, stands out as the only capable Klevu replacement.

What Klevu Couldn't Do for Merchandisers?

While Klevu has served many brands in the past, it misses the mark on several essential features modern retailers can’t ignore:

1. Klevu Lacks Built-in Visual Merchandising

Klevu didn’t offer an integrated visual merchandising studio, which meant merchandisers couldn’t easily plan, preview, or adjust how specific products appeared on search or category pages.

Instead, users were left relying on code-heavy workarounds or external tools. For modern teams that value agility and control, this became a daily frustration.

As a result, product visibility and sales potential got compromised without immediate fixes.

2. Klevu Offered Static Rule-Based Personalization

Personalization in Klevu is mostly driven by pre-set rules and static conditions. It didn’t adapt in real time based on individual shopper behavior, preferences, or context.

Nowadays, consumers expect ultra-relevant experiences; this outdated method leads to missed conversions. So, you need smarter, AI-driven personalization that responds as users browse.

Without dynamic updates, your store fails to guide each shopper on a tailored journey.

3. Klevu’s Limited AI Capabilities Were a Problem

Klevu offers basic artificial intelligence and machine learning powered capabilities but lacks the depth of modern AI search engines. There’s no native generative AI, vector search, or advanced language understanding to interpret complex, human-like queries.

This results in missed matches, irrelevant products, and poor discovery experience, especially on long tail or vague search terms.

Shoppers abandon sessions when the search can’t understand what they truly want.

4. Klevu Relied on Manual Configuration Grunt Work

Optimizing search relevance in Klevu often requires manual tuning, constant adjustment, and developer involvement.

This slows down iteration cycles and limits a team’s ability to move fast.

Additionally, this hampers agility, especially during promotions, seasonal events, or urgent digital merchandising strategies.

5. Klevu Doesn’t Offer Deep Search Analytics

Klevu’s analytic reporting capabilities are basic, providing surface-level product data that’s hard to act on. There’s no real-time eCommerce analytics into what shoppers are searching for, where they drop off, or which queries fail.

This lack of depth makes it hard to make data-backed decisions that could improve conversions and product discovery.

You can’t fix what you can’t measure and that’s a risky position in competitive retail.

6. Klevu Users Need Constant Technical Support

Even small changes in Klevu often require developer support, whether it’s updating ranking logic, refining rules, or customizing the UI.

This creates a bottleneck for marketing and merchandising teams who want to work independently.

For fast-moving eCommerce teams, this constant dependency becomes a costly operational drag. It blocks teams from experimenting, optimizing, or reacting quickly to customer behavior.

If your store needs speed, hyper-personalization, and powerful merchandising without developer dependency, you’ll need a Klevu substitute that delivers more. 

Now, let's explore what the users say about Klevu in the next section.

Is Klevu Living Up to Expectations? See What Users Say

Customer feedback from trusted platforms like G2 and TrustRadius paints a clear picture as many users are frustrated by Klevu’s technical complexity, limited AI capabilities, and lack of flexibility.

These recurring concerns reflect deeper issues that cannot be ignored. Let’s explore some.

1. Klevu’s Negative Review on G2

A G2 review reveals that Klevu’s personalization and category merchandising require heavy customization, lacking true AI adaptability for real-time targeting that Experro offers.

Source: G2 reviews

2. Klevu’s Another Negative Review on G2

Another retail user on G2 shares that Klevu’s interface and weighing system are difficult to navigate and manage effectively.

Source: G2 reviews

3. Klevu’s Negative Review on TrustRadius

Users on TrustRadius point out that Klevu demands technical expertise for even basic changes and criticize its rigid pricing, making it less accessible for agile teams.

Source: TrustRadius

4. What Does G2’s AI-Generated Summary Say for Klevu?

This summary from G2 highlights common customer complaints about Klevu, including limited features, high pricing, poor support, and a lack of advanced AI capabilities, all based on real user reviews.

Source: G2 Reviews

And now, the recent Klevu–Searchspring merger has added a new layer of complexity. So, what does this mean for existing users? - Let’s explore in the next section.

What Is the Impact of Klevu–Searchspring Merger on Customers?

The Klevu–Searchspring merger, now rebranded under Athos along with Intelligent Reach, has introduced confusion and concern among users. With overlapping functionalities and different product philosophies, the unified roadmap is unclear.

Many users worry about long-term support, pricing shifts, or feature downgrades.

Businesses looking for a stable, scalable solution are now searching for an alternative platform to exit Klevu. This risk of disruption has led many to explore Klevu migration alternatives that provide continuity and innovation to their e-store.

This merger also means users might need to re-train teams or reconfigure their website search, costing time and resources. In such times, choosing a future-proof Klevu personalization alternative becomes critical.

To avoid disruption, many businesses are switching to platforms that offer stability and innovation. Experro serves as a better search engine than Klevu, offering blazing-fast AI search, real-time personalization, and intuitive merchandising in one powerful platform.

Now, let’s compare Klevu with some alternatives to help you find the best solution for your e-store.

The Ultimate Comparison of Klevu Alternatives

With so many Klevu competitors and alternatives, it’s tricky to figure out which one delivers.

We've done the hard work for you - here’s a breakdown of alternatives so you can find the best replacement for Klevu that suits your business needs.

Here’s a closer look at top Klevu alternatives, from well-known names to emerging platforms built for performance and personalization.

1. Experro

Experro is a powerful, all-in-one eCommerce product search and discovery platform (far better than Klevu), that is designed to deliver more speed, intelligence, and control.

It offers Gen AI-powered search, real-time, behavior-aware personalization, and agentic experiences to elevate every customer interaction.

What makes Experro stand out is its built-in digital merchandising studio and real-time predictive customer analytics, enabling teams to optimize product discovery without relying on developers.

Business users can easily manage search rules, ranking strategies, and product placements through its in-built eCommerce merchandising functionality.

Whether you're using Shopify, BigCommerce, or a home-grown solution, Experro integrates smoothly, making it a future-ready alternative to Klevu Search engine.

2. Algolia

Algolia is a popular alternative to Klevu AI search known for its impressive speed and scalability.

It offers a robust set of APIs that developers can use to build highly personalized search experiences. However, it requires extensive developer input for setup, tuning, and ongoing maintenance.

Personalization features are limited and mostly rule-based, and there’s no built-in visual merchandising or native AI layer.

For non-technical teams, making changes or optimizing search can be challenging without developer support. Many businesses keep exploring Algolia alternatives that offer more control and easier usability.

3. Searchanise

Searchanise is one of the popular Klevu alternatives often favored by small to mid-sized eCommerce stores.

It’s known for being budget-friendly and easy to install across platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. However, it's primarily rule-based and lacks the intelligence needed for larger, fast-scaling operations.

The search experience is fairly basic, and there's no support for the key features for modern shopping journeys like visual merchandising or real-time personalization.

4. Doofinder

Doofinder is a lightweight Klevu search alternative that focuses on delivering fast search results with a straightforward setup. It’s often chosen by stores that want a plug-and-play solution with minimal configuration.

While it offers decent performance for basic use cases, it lacks the depth needed for behavioral personalization, dynamic merchandising, or scalable AI. It's more of a short-term fix than a long-term strategy.

5. Luigi’s Box

Luigi’s Box presents itself as an eCommerce search platform like Klevu with a focus on search UX and detailed analytics. It works decently well for improving on-site search and navigation, especially for catalog-heavy stores.

However, it lacks generative AI, and its personalization capabilities aren’t adaptive in real-time. Merchandising features are also limited, requiring external tools or manual configuration.

6. Clerk.io

Clerk.io is one of the AI search engine alternatives to Klevu that emphasizes product recommendations and audience targeting. It’s often used for upselling and cross-selling based on customer segments.

While its recommendation engine is fairly strong, its AI search functionality lacks the depth and accuracy found in newer platforms. The user interface also poses usability issues for non-technical teams.

7. Bloomreach

Bloomreach is an enterprise-level Klevu competitor offering advanced site search, personalization, and content tools. It's well-suited for large, data-rich enterprises with the tech resources to manage it.

Despite its power, Bloomreach often proves too complex and costly for mid-market brands. The onboarding and integration process can be lengthy, with a steep learning curve for teams.

Final Thoughts

If you’re planning a shift from Klevu, don’t settle for less. Look for a platform like Experro that not only replicates Klevu’s capabilities but goes beyond, i.e. delivers faster search, smarter personalization, and visual control.

Experro delivers on all fronts and more, making it the best Klevu alternative for 2025.

Schedule a call with our experts for a personalized walkthrough and migration plan.