Apps Shopify: Complete Guide to Choosing, Using, and Building Shopify Apps

If you are searching what is shopify apps or what is a shopify app, the simple answer is this: a Shopify app is add-on software that extends Shopify’s built-in functionality. An app can improve your online store, Shopify admin, checkout, marketing, fulfillment, analytics, or sales channels.

Merchants often call these tools a shopify plugin, especially if they come from WordPress. Shopify’s official wording is “apps” and “app extensions,” but phrases like application shopify, shopify app stores, apps store shopify, app store shopify, and marketplace shopify app usually mean the official Shopify App Store.

According to Shopify’s 2025 annual filing, there were more than 21,000 apps available in the Shopify App Store by the end of 2025, while ecosystem trackers estimate roughly 16,800–17,900 active public listings in early 2026. Shopify's APIs enable integration with third-party software, which is why the ecosystem keeps growing.

Key use cases for apps for online store owners include:

• inventory management
• email marketing
• analytics and reporting
• reviews and customer trust
• shipping and fulfillment
• automation for e commerce brands of all sizes

The marketplace shopify app ecosystem includes several app types, and the difference matters for merchants, developers, and app developer teams.

Public apps are listed in the Shopify App Store with an app listing, screenshots, pricing, reviews, and approval checks. Any top Shopify app you see in search results is usually a public app with a vetted listing.

Custom apps are built for one store or a small group of different stores. These custom apps are not visible in the public directory and are often used for unique workflows, ERP connections, or internal tools.

Sales-channel apps connect Shopify to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, Google, and Pinterest. They publish products externally, sync live sales, and help process orders back inside Shopify.

Other common types include:

• mobile app builders for shopping on a mobile device
• Shopify admin apps for back-office workflows
• storefront apps that customize product pages, popups, search, and product discovery

Developers manage distribution, billing, scopes, and visibility in the partner dashboard, where they decide whether an application Shopify project is public, custom, or unlisted.

Choosing the right Shopify apps requires alignment with business goals and budget. Start by identifying bottlenecks like low conversion rates, poor retention, manual inventory work, slow fulfillment, or weak customer segments.

Before you install anything, follow this checklist:

• Step 1: match your goals. Pick a goal first: increase conversions, boost sales, improve email marketing, manage products, run instagram ads, improve customer service, or streamline inventory management.
• Use the app store shopify filters. Browse categories, collections, staff picks, trending tools, and Built for Shopify apps on the apps store Shopify homepage.
• Evaluate ratings and reviews. Apps should be evaluated based on ratings and user reviews. Filter for 4.7+ ratings, review count, merchant installs, and “Popular with merchants” badges.
• Read recent feedback. Sort by “Most recent” and look for detailed feedback about app performance, billing, the user interface, support team quality, and whether an update includes bug fixes.
• Test before paying. Free trials should be utilized to evaluate the functionality of apps before purchasing. Use a free plan or 7–14 day trial, install one app at a time, and measure page speed and conversions.
• Check ROI. Ensuring app ROI involves confirming revenue generation surpasses costs, especially when paid plans include usage-based charges.
• Review support. Look for a help center, setup docs, fast support channels, and a team that understands e commerce workflows.

The most effective Shopify apps address specific performance goals like site speed or customer retention. Avoid installing a tool just because it looks popular.

A good stack starts with the goal, not the app. This is where what is shopify apps becomes practical: apps are tools that solve specific business problems inside your store.

Here are the main categories to consider:

• Conversion optimization: upsell offers, product bundles, countdown timers, popups, cart recovery, and A/B testing.
• Email marketing: personalized email campaigns, abandoned cart flows, welcome series, and retention campaigns.
• Customer service: live chat, AI chatbots, helpdesk tools, returns portals, and order confirmation support.
• Reviews and UGC: review widgets, photo reviews, video reviews, Q&A, and structured data.
• Paid ads: product feeds, facebook and instagram ads, TikTok, Pinterest, and Google Shopping.
• Sourcing: dropshipping inventory, print on demand, supplier sync, and fulfillment automation.
• Operations: inventory management, stock alerts, forecasting, and warehouse integrations.

In practice, what is a shopify app depends on the job it performs. A starter store may need one review app and one email app. A scaling brand may need advanced segmentation, multi-location inventory, managed pricing, and deeper integrations with other apps.

Conversion apps help you turn more visitors into customers without increasing ad spend. Use them to increase conversions, drive sales, and create more sales from existing traffic.

Wisepops

Wisepops has a Shopify rating of 4.9.

• Features: popups, onsite messages, segmentation, and campaign targeting.
• Used for: lead capture, promotions, cart recovery, and announcements.
• Best for: brands that want polished onsite marketing without heavy development work.
• Pricing: usually paid, with tiers based on usage and features.

Free Shipping Bar

Free Shipping Bar boosts sales by offering free shipping notifications.

• Features: banner messages, cart goal reminders, and promotional bars.
• Used for: encouraging customers to add more items before checkout.
• Best for: new stores looking for a simple AOV lift.
• Pricing: often includes a free plan with paid upgrades.

ReConvert

• Features: post-purchase upsells, thank-you page offers, product recommendations, and surveys.
• Used for: increasing average order value after checkout.
• Best for: stores with steady order volume.
• Note: test carefully so post-purchase offers do not hurt checkout speed.

Kaching Bundles

• Features: product bundles, quantity breaks, cart funnels, and simple offer design.
• Used for: selling more units per order.
• Best for: DTC brands with repeat-purchase products.

LimeSpot Personalizer

• Features: AI recommendations, product discovery widgets, and personalization.
• Used for: relevant upsell and cross-sell blocks.
• Best for: stores with enough catalog and behavior data to support AI tools.

Email remains one of the best channels for retention because you own the list. Shopify app integrations make it easier to sync customer details, order data, customer segments, and revenue reporting inside Shopify admin.

Popular options include:

Look for:

• welcome flows, abandoned cart flows, and post-purchase sequences
• integrations with popups, review tools, and loyalty program apps
• cost at 10,000 and 50,000 subscribers
• support for SMS, push, and Meta audiences

Recart specializes in SMS and Messenger marketing for Shopify, which makes it useful for cart recovery and short-message campaigns. Multi-channel automation can also improve instagram ads and Meta retargeting by syncing better audiences.

Great service increases LTV and reduces refunds. The best apps connect conversations, orders, and customer data so teams can troubleshoot issues quickly.

Tidio

Tidio offers live chat and AI chatbots with a 4.8 rating.

• Features: chat widget, AI automation, canned replies, and visitor tracking.
• Integrates with: Shopify admin order data and common CRM tools.
• Best for: small to mid-sized stores that want fast setup.
• Watch: widget speed and mobile experience.

Gorgias

• Features: helpdesk, macros, automation, Messenger, email, and social support.
• Best for: high-volume support teams.
• Strength: order editing and refund workflows from the helpdesk.

Re:amaze

• Features: live chat, shared inbox, FAQ, and chatbots.
• Best for: merchants managing email, chat, SMS, and social in one place.

AfterShip Returns

• Features: returns portal, return rules, labels, and status notifications.
• Best for: stores with frequent returns and exchanges.

Evaluate these tools on response time, ticket reduction, support channels, and app performance impact on the online store.

Social proof matters in e commerce because customers trust other customers. Review apps Shopify merchants use can improve customer trust, especially when reviews appear near product pages and checkout decisions.

Strong options include:

• Judge.me: unlimited reviews, strong free plan, email requests, widgets, and rich snippets.
• Loox: photo and video reviews, UGC galleries, and referral features.
• Yotpo: premium reviews, loyalty, SMS, and enterprise features.
• Stamped: reviews, NPS, Q&A, and loyalty integrations.
• Fera: visual UGC galleries, review widgets, and shopper photos.

Check whether each Shopify app supports:

• review requests by email or SMS
• importing external reviews from Amazon, AliExpress, or CSV
• moderation controls and spam protection
• structured data for SEO
• visual galleries for landing pages and homepages

Positive reviews improve app visibility in the Shopify App Store, so quality matters for both merchants and developers.

Ad apps connect products to Google, Meta, Pinterest, TikTok, and other channels. They help keep catalogs accurate, build audiences, and run dynamic product ads.

Popular options include:

• Google & YouTube: product feeds, shopping listings, YouTube placements, and analytics.
• Meta channel: catalog syncing, Facebook Shop, Instagram Shop, and remarketing.
• TikTok: product catalog syncing, pixel setup, and campaign tools.
• Pinterest: shopping feeds and product pins.
• DataFeedWatch: advanced feed optimization for multiple channels.
• AdScale: campaign automation and AI-based budget allocation.

These apps for online store owners expand visibility beyond organic traffic. Compare sync frequency, attribution reporting, dynamic ad support, and whether the app is free to install or charges SaaS fees on top of ad spend.

Sourcing apps help merchants launch products without owning inventory. Still, quality control matters, so order samples before scaling.

Common tools include:

• DSers: AliExpress sourcing, bulk ordering, supplier mapping, and automation.
• Spocket: US/EU suppliers, faster delivery options, and branded invoicing.
• Zendrop: automated fulfillment, custom branding, and supplier support.
• Printful: print-on-demand fulfillment, warehousing, and branded packaging.
• Printify: large print provider network, product mockups, and competitive pricing.

These apps Shopify merchants use often integrate with inventory management and order tracking to sync stock levels, fulfillment status, and supplier updates. Check shipping reliability, branding options, catalog quality, and payment method requirements before launch.

Accurate stock and catalog data are critical to e commerce success. Inventory apps reduce overselling, manual edits, and fulfillment mistakes.

Consider:

• Stocky: Shopify POS inventory planning, purchase orders, and transfers.
• Inventory Planner: forecasting, replenishment alerts, and purchasing recommendations.
• Stock Sync: supplier feed sync via CSV, FTP, API, or scheduled imports.
• Katana: manufacturing inventory, production planning, and warehouse tracking.
• Back in Stock: alerts for out-of-stock products and preorder demand.

Look for hourly or real-time sync, multi-location support, variant-level tracking, low-stock alerts, metafield support, and marketplace integrations. Also test how the tool affects Shopify admin workflows, bulk edits, tagging, account balances, and storefront speed.

SEO apps help stores improve organic visibility while performance tools protect page speed. Be careful not to run multiple image optimizers or schema tools at once.

Useful examples include:

• TinyIMG: TinyIMG optimizes images and metadata for SEO with a 5.0 rating.
• Plug In SEO: audits titles, descriptions, broken links, and structured data.
• Smart SEO: meta tags, alt text, JSON-LD, and multilingual SEO.
• SEO Manager: redirects, 404 fixes, metadata, and search preview tools.
• Crush.pics: image compression and alt text workflows.

These tools can help maintain a fast online store even as more apps Shopify merchants install. Track organic traffic, page speed, and conversion rate before judging results.

Improving Shopify store performance involves focusing on metrics like conversion rate and page speed. Monitoring app speed is important to prevent slow loading times on Shopify stores.

Your app should not reduce Lighthouse performance scores by more than 10 points. Your app should not reduce Lighthouse performance scores by more than 10 points, especially on mobile product pages where buyers make decisions.

Common slowdowns include:

• unused scripts
• large images
• render-blocking CSS or JavaScript
• widgets loading on every page
• code conflicts between overlapping apps

Installing too many apps can negatively impact checkout speed and cause code conflicts. Run PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse before and after installing a Shopify app, then compare home, collection, and product pages.

Keeping the app stack lean is emphasized for successful e-commerce operations. Uninstall unused apps, remove leftover code, and replace heavy tools with faster alternatives when needed.

The Shopify App Store, often searched as apps store Shopify, app store Shopify, or shopify app stores, is organized by categories, collections, search, filters, pricing, and ratings. You can browse the official Shopify App Store to find apps by goal.

A strong app listing includes:

• app title and screenshots
• video or demo
• key features
• pricing table
• FAQ
• support links
• privacy policy
• “Works with” integrations

App listings should clearly showcase benefits and pricing. Your app listing is a key marketing tool for attracting merchants, and every approved public app must keep details accurate.

When comparing two review apps, look beyond stars. Compare free plan limits, paid plans, photo review support, structured data, language support, setup instructions, and whether the support team responds quickly.

If you want to create apps, start with the fundamentals of app development for Shopify.

A basic path looks like this:

• create a Shopify developer account
• open the partner dashboard
• create a dev store
• scaffold your first Shopify app with shopify cli
• select API scopes
• implement OAuth
• test installation and data access

Apps must authorize using OAuth before any other steps. Dev stores allow testing apps in realistic Shopify conditions before you submit a public app.

Apps must meet specific requirements for Shopify App Store approval, including security, privacy, installation, performance, billing, and support expectations. Provide clear instructions and a complete screencast for setup so reviewers and merchants can quickly understand the app.

Merchants should quickly set up and start using your app. The partner dashboard is also where developers manage extensions, billing, analytics, app performance logs, and versions.

Merchants can register for a reduced revenue share plan in the Shopify App Store, creating a stronger incentive for developers to build useful tools.

A public app is a software business. You need distribution, pricing, marketing, support, and regular maintenance.

Shopify App Pricing supports fixed recurring subscriptions and usage-based billing. Shopify App Pricing supports fixed recurring subscriptions and usage-based billing, which means developers can charge merchants through monthly plans, usage fees, or mixed models.

Common billing models include:

• free to install with usage fees
• monthly subscriptions
• tiered pricing
• one-time charges
• paid upgrades from a free plan

You can track app store traffic using Google Analytics 4 or Facebook Pixel. Use that data to improve your app listing, screenshots, onboarding, and conversion funnel.

To grow merchant installs:

• optimize keywords in the app listing
• collect and respond to reviews
• improve onboarding
• publish tutorials and case studies
• ship performance improvements
• fix bugs quickly

A realistic timeline in 2026 might be: one month for research, two to three months for MVP development, one month of testing, one to two months for review, then two to three months to reach the first 100 installs.

1. What is a Shopify app and how does it work?

A Shopify app connects to your store through Shopify’s APIs and adds extra functionality. It can manage products, sync data, create marketing campaigns, or add features to your storefront.

2. What is the difference between a Shopify app and a Shopify plugin?

A shopify plugin usually means the same thing as a Shopify app, but “plugin” is not Shopify’s official term. Shopify uses apps and app extensions.

3. Are Shopify apps free or paid?

Some apps offer a free plan, while others use free trials, subscriptions, usage fees, or paid plans. Always check the pricing table, billing terms, and whether charges scale with orders, customers, or revenue.

4. How do I install apps on my Shopify store?

Open the app store, choose an app, review permissions, and click install. You may need to approve access to customer details, orders, products, or financial transactions depending on the app.

5. Can too many apps slow down my store?

Yes. Too many apps can add scripts, affect checkout speed, and create conflicts. Audit your stack app regularly and remove anything that does not create measurable value.

6. How do I choose the best apps for my niche?

Start with your business goals, then compare ratings, reviews, support, pricing, and integrations. A top shopify app for one store may be unnecessary for another.

7. What are shopify app stores?

Searches like shopify app stores, apps store shopify, and app store shopify usually refer to the official Shopify App Store. It is the main marketplace where merchants find vetted public apps.

8. Is a marketplace shopify app safe to use?

Most approved public apps are reviewed, but you should still check permissions, reviews, support, and privacy policies. Test the app in a controlled way before relying on it for critical workflows.

9. Can I remove a Shopify app after testing?

Yes. Merchants can safely experiment with apps Shopify because uninstalled apps can be removed and billing stops automatically when plans are canceled, though you should check for leftover theme code.