> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://product-comparison-docs.geticonicapps.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Variant-Based Comparison

> Let shoppers pick a variant for each compared product, and set which variant is used as the base in the admin.

<Info>
  Variant-based comparison is a **Growth** plan feature. See [Current Pricing](/billing/current-pricing).
</Info>

## **Product base vs. variant base**

The comparison table editor has two modes, shown as tabs at the top of the preview:

* **Product base comparison** — the classic layout, one column per product, using each product's default values.

* **Variant base comparison** — adds a variant selector under each compared product, built from your [variant-based attributes](/specification-tables/variant-based-attributes). Shoppers change the selector and the row values update to match the variant they picked.

Switch between the two tabs in **Settings → Customize** under the comparison table card to preview each mode before saving. See [Designing the Comparison Table Appearance](/comparison-tables/designing-the-comparison-table-appearance).

## **Choose the base variant in the admin**

For each product used in a comparison — the item on the page and every product in its **Compare with** list — you can set which variant is selected by default when the comparison table first loads. Shoppers can still change the selector afterward; this only controls the starting value.

## **What shoppers see**

* A dropdown per product, labeled with the variant option (for example, **Band color**) or as a generic **Selected variant** when the option name isn't shared across the compared products.

* Row values update immediately when a different variant is picked.

* If a compared product has no variants matching the current selection, its dropdown shows **No variants available** instead of blocking the rest of the table.

<Tip>
  Variant base comparison works best when the products you compare share a similar variant structure, such as the same option (color, size). Mixing very different products can lead to more "No variants available" states.
</Tip>