Must have Shopify apps: Unleash Your Store’s Potential
Running a successful Shopify store involves more than just creating a website and listing products. This is the reason why Shopify apps can be a game-changer for growth.
But with thousands of apps to choose from, where do you even begin?
This guide cuts through the clutter, revealing the must have Shopify apps for every entrepreneur. We’ll explore top apps for email marketing, dropshipping, product customization, and more, all designed to help you unlock your store’s full potential.
Let’s dive in and find the perfect apps to take your Shopify store to the next level with these top Shopify apps!
Contents
- 1. Best apps for Shopify you must have
- 2. Must have free apps for Shopify
- 3. Must have Shopify apps for dropshipping
- 4. Must have Shopify apps for print-on-demand business
- 5. Best Shopify apps for website design
- 6. Must have Shopify apps to boost sales
- 7. Must have Shopify apps for product pages
- 8. Must have apps for Shopify for product customization
- 9. Must have Shopify apps for SEO & marketing
- 10. Conclusion
- 11. FAQs
1. Best apps for Shopify you must have
No. | App | Review | Description | Link |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | SearchPie SEO & Speed Optimize | 4.9 ⭐ (3800+ reviews) | Comprehensive auto-SEO solution | |
2 | UpPromote Affiliate Marketing | 4.9 ⭐ (3400+ reviews) | Top recommended affiliate and referral marketing solution for Shopify | |
3 | Pop Convert ‑ Pop Ups, Banners | 4.9 ⭐ (7000+ reviews) | A completely free lead capture pop-up builder | |
4 | Wholesale Gorilla | 4.6 ⭐ (240+ reviews) | A dropshipping supplier management tool | |
5 | CJdropshipping: Much Faster | 4.9 ⭐ (7200+ reviews) | An expedited dropshipping service | |
6 | DSers‑AliExpress Dropshipping | 5 ⭐ (23700+ reviews) | An exceptional AliExpress dropshipping connector | |
7 | ShineOn: Print On Demand | 4.7 ⭐ (1200+ reviews) | Custom jewelry & case printing app | |
8 | Gelato: Print on Demand | 4.7 ⭐ (480+ reviews) | All-in-One Print-on-Demand platform | |
9 | LayoutHub ‑ Easy Page Builder | 4.9 ⭐ (2800+ reviews) | Drag-and-drop page builder app | |
10 | qikify Smart Menu ‑ Mega Menu | 4.9 ⭐ (920+ reviews) | Top-notch mega menu navigation tool | |
11 | BLOOP: Referrals & Loyalty | 5 ⭐ (90+ reviews) | A 5-star loyalty & referral engine | |
12 | Sales Pop Up Conversion Pro | 4.8 ⭐ (4400+ reviews) | An ideal sales pop-up generator | |
13 | Easy Tabs ‑ Product Tabs | 4.9 ⭐ (950+ reviews) | Recommended product information organizer | |
14 | Wiser Product Recommendations | 4.9 ⭐ (630+ reviews) | A smart product recommendation engine | |
15 | BSS: Product Variants Options | 4.9 ⭐ (160+ reviews) | A reliable product customization tool | |
16 | AvisPlus Product Options & Variants | 4.9 ⭐ (780+ reviews) | An effective variation management tool | |
17 | Tapita SEO & Speed Optimizer | 5 ⭐ (2000+ reviews) | All-in-one SEO & speed booster | |
18 | Omnisend Email Marketing & SMS | 4.8 ⭐ (5600+ reviews) | Trustworthy Email & SMS marketing platform |
2. Must have free apps for Shopify
2.1. SearchPie SEO & Speed Optimize
SearchPie provides vital SEO solutions for stores of all sizes where all key factors are optimized in a way Google prefers for better rankings, focusing on high-speed performance, & strong online local visibility. The end goal is for you to own an edgy competitive advantage, bringing more clicks to your website.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (3800+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- SEO Manager: Detect all issues via smart SEO reports for stores & landing pages
- SEO & Traffic Booster: Rich Snippet JSON-LD, Meta Tags, Image ALT Tags, Backlink
- Speed Optimizer: AMP, Image Compression, Instant Page
- Website Credibility Protector: Long & 404 URLs auto-detected & navigated by AI
- SEO Content Generator: Create unique product descriptions effortlessly with AI
🟢 Pricing:
- Starter: Free
- Single-feature: $9/month
- Premium: $39/month
- Enterprise: $99/month
2.2. UpPromote Affiliate Marketing
UpPromote is the top recommended affiliate and referral marketing solution for Shopify. Designed to seamlessly integrate with your Shopify store, it provides an all-in-one platform to build, manage, and track your affiliate programs effortlessly. UpPromote’s comprehensive toolset enables you to turn your customers into advocates, driving more sales and expanding your reach.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (3400+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Build Affiliate Programs: Create dynamic commission structures, including flat-rate, percentage-based, or tiered commissions to incentivize your affiliates effectively.
- Affiliate Recruitment: Use diverse features, such as registration forms, UpPromote Marketplace listings, customer referrals, and post-purchase popups, to recruit affiliates easily and effectively.
- Manage Affiliate Campaigns: Offer a range of promotional tools to your affiliates, including links, banners, and discount codes to enhance their marketing efforts.
- Fraud Protection: Identify and filter out suspicious activities, ensuring only genuine referrals and commissions.
- Track & Pay: Monitor sales, clicks, and conversions with real-time reporting and automate commission payouts with PayPal.
🟢 Pricing:
- Free plan: $0/month
- Grow Affiliate: $29.99/month
- Professional: $89.99/month
- Enterprise: $199.99/month
2.3. Pop Convert ‑ Pop Ups, Banners
Pop Convert is a free Shopify app that allows you to create popups, banners, and smart bars to collect leads and boost sales in your store.
Pop Convert can benefit most Shopify businesses, especially for those starting out or on a tight budget.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (7000+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Create popups, banners, and sticky smart bars
- Grow your email and SMS subscriber list with targeted offers
- Promote specific products, sales, or free shipping
- Capture abandoning visitors’ contact information
- Design elements to match your store’s branding
- Trigger popups based on visitor behavior
- Provide A/B testing
- Offer smart announcements to communicate directly with your customers
- Track pop-up performance and gain valuable insights
🟢 Pricing:
- Free
2.4. Wholesale Gorilla
As one of the best Shopify free apps, Wholesale Gorilla is designed specifically for businesses that want to manage their wholesale operations alongside their retail store. It simplifies B2B sales management, improves efficiency, and enhances the customer experience for wholesale accounts.
If you’re a Shopify merchant who also sells to wholesalers, this app can simplify your life by integrating seamlessly into your existing store.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.6 ⭐ (240+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Set custom prices for wholesale products, independent of retail pricing
- Create different customer groups for wholesale accounts with varying discounts or permissions.
- Implement tiered pricing structures
- Allow approved wholesale buyers to submit orders quickly and easily through a dedicated form.
- Offer net terms (payment within a specific timeframe) to your wholesale customers.
- Set minimum and maximum order amounts for wholesale purchases.
- Upload bulk price changes for your wholesale products using a CSV file.
- Configure shipping options specifically for wholesale orders.
🟢 Pricing:
- Free plan: Only for development stores
- Essential: $34.95/month
- Advanced: $69.95/month
- Premium: $149.95/month
3. Must have Shopify apps for dropshipping
3.1. CJdropshipping: Much Faster
CJdropshipping: Much Faster is a global dropshipping supplier that can streamline the dropshipping process for online retailers. It integrates directly with your Shopify store, allowing you to find products, manage inventory, and fulfill orders through CJ Dropshipping.
CJdropshipping caters to a variety of Shopify merchants interested in dropshipping, especially those new to this field because of its user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature sets.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (7200+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Find a wide variety of products across various categories
- Manage real-time inventory data
- Handle order processing, packaging, and worldwide shipping
- Easily import product information, descriptions, and images to your store.
- Set your own product prices and profit margins within the app.
- Offer fulfillment centers in the US and is expanding to Europe
- Access a faster and more affordable shipping option
🟢 Pricing:
- Free plan: $0/month (5 daily sourcing requests)
- Plus plan: $15.99/month (10 extra daily sourcing requests)
- Prime Plan: $19.99/month (20 extra daily sourcing requests)
- Advanced Plan: $59.99/month (50 extra daily sourcing requests)
3.2. DSers‑AliExpress Dropshipping
DSers can be a valuable tool for Shopify merchants dropshipping with AliExpress. It simplifies product sourcing, order fulfillment, and inventory management, potentially saving you time and money.
⭐ Shopify rating: 5 ⭐ (23700+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Access a vast AliExpress product catalog directly within the DSers app
- Import product listings, descriptions, and images to your Shopify store
- Find cheaper suppliers for the same products you want to sell
- Process hundreds of orders at once with bulk order processing
- Track order fulfillment status and provide real-time shipping information to your customers
- Monitor product inventory levels on AliExpress in real-time and receive low stock alerts
- Manage inventory across multiple AliExpress suppliers within a single platform
- Set your desired profit margins when importing products
🟢 Pricing:
- Free: $0/month (Manage 3 stores & 3k products)
- Advanced: $19.90/month (Manage 10 stores & 20k products)
- Pro: $49.90/month (Manage 25 stores & 75k products)
(*): An extra fee will be needed if the amount of products exceeds the limit based on the usage level.
4. Must have Shopify apps for print-on-demand business
4.1. ShineOn: Print On Demand
ShineOn leverages the print-on-demand (POD) model, allowing you to create and sell personalized products without holding inventory or managing fulfillment. With its user-friendly features and high-quality products, ShineOn is highly recommended by the best Shopify stores.
If your accessory business is looking to add a new and unique product category to your store, ShineOn’s custom jewelry can be a great option.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.7 ⭐ (1200+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Design and sell personalized necklaces, bracelets, bangles, watches, rings, and more.
- Create unique designs directly by adding images, and text, and choose from various fonts and layouts.
- Visualize your designs on realistic product mockups before publishing them to your store.
- Handle printing, packaging, and worldwide shipping directly
- Integrate directly with your Shopify store, simplifying product listing, order management, and inventory tracking.
- Provide access to marketing materials and educational resources
🟢 Pricing:
- Free plan: $0/month
- Starter: $27/month
- Side-hustle: $77/month
- Empire builder: $87/month
(*): Product and shipping costs are billed only when a sale is made in your store.
4.2. Gelato: Print on Demand
Gleto appears to be an exceptional tool for Shopify merchants running POD businesses. The global printing network, user-friendly design tools, and focus on eco-conscious production make Gelato an attractive option.
Gleto is definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a user-friendly app to streamline your POD business on Shopify.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.7 ⭐ (480+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Boast a vast network of local printers worldwide
- Design and sell a variety of customizable products across categories like clothing, accessories, and arts & crafts.
- Personalize products with your own logos, images, and text using Gelato’s design tools directly within the app.
- Visualize your designs on realistic product mockups before publishing them to your store.
- Integrate Gelato with your online store to automate order fulfillment
- Prioritize local printing, aiming to reduce carbon emissions associated with long-distance shipments.
🟢 Pricing:
- Gleto Free: $0/month
- Gleto+: $24/month
- Gleto+ Gold: $119/month
5. Best Shopify apps for website design
5.1. LayoutHub ‑ Easy Page Builder
When building your online stores, besides choosing the best Shopify themes, you can consider other website design apps like LayoutHub.
LayoutHub is a user-friendly app that can simplify the process of creating and customizing your online store. If you’re just starting your Shopify journey, LayoutHub can help you build your store quickly and easily without needing coding skills.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (2800+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Arrange pre-designed content blocks using drag-and-drop functionality
- Provide a vast collection of professionally designed templates for various page types
- Provide a library of content blocks
- Ensure your website displays flawlessly and functions seamlessly across all devices
- Publish your customized pages to your live Shopify store
🟢 Pricing:
- Freemium: $0/month (Limit 3 pages)
- Basic: $14.99/month (Limit 10 pages)
- Pro: $29.99/month (Limit 50 pages)
- Premium: $59.99/month (Unlimited pages)
5.2. qikify Smart Menu ‑ Mega Menu
qikify Smart Menu is a Shopify app designed to streamline your store’s navigation system and enhance the customer experience. It allows you to create clear, user-friendly menus, including popular mega menus, to help customers find what they’re looking for quickly and potentially increase conversions.
If your Shopify store has a wide variety of products, this app can help organize categories and subcategories, making navigation easier for customers.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (920+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Create comprehensive mega menus
- Customize the appearance of your menus with various options
- Choose from pre-designed templates for mega menus, flyout menus, or simple tab menus
- Include search bars directly within your navigation menu
- Create menus with an unlimited number of menu items
- Add eye-catching badges or icons to highlight promotions
- Provide mobile-responsive design
🟢 Pricing:
- Free: $0/month
- Basic: $3.99/month
- Premium: $9.99/month
6. Must have Shopify apps to boost sales
6.1. BLOOP: Referrals & Loyalty
If you’re aiming to attract new customers and expand your reach, BLOOP’s referral program features can be a valuable tool.
BLOOP, one of the best Shopify apps to increase sales, can help you grow your online store through a two-pronged approach: referral programs and loyalty programs. By offering features like automated rewards, social sharing optimization, and loyalty points, BLOOP can help you acquire new customers, retain existing ones, and gain valuable customer insights.
⭐ Shopify rating: 5 ⭐ (90+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Create and launch referral programs with customizable rewards
- Automate the reward distribution process
- Facilitate social sharing of your referral program through customizable buttons and email content
- Set reward types (discounts, points, etc.), program duration, and referral eligibility criteria
- Create a loyalty program where customers earn points for actions like purchases, reviews, or account creation
- Allow customers to redeem their loyalty points for discounts or other rewards
- Track key metrics like loyalty point redemption rates
🟢 Pricing:
- Free: $0/month
- Basic: $20/month
6.2. Sales Pop-up Conversion Pro
Sales Pop Up Conversion Pro was born to leverage powerful marketing techniques and help you increase conversions and sales within your store. It utilizes pop-ups to create a sense of urgency, highlight product scarcity, and showcase social proof.
As one of the best apps on Shopify, it offers plans suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to established stores. If you’re aiming to increase conversions and drive sales, Sales Pop-Up Conversion Pro can be a great idea.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.8 ⭐ (4400+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Create different pop-up formats
- Provide a user-friendly editor to customize the appearance of your pop-ups
- Target specific pop-ups to visitors based on their location or browsing behavior
- Showcase social proof by displaying dynamic counters that show the number of recent sales or items added to carts
- Allow visitors to quickly view product details without leaving the current page
- Integrate customer reviews directly into your pop-ups
🟢 Pricing:
- Basic: $0/month
- Pro: $4.99/month
(*): Additional usage charges will be applied according to boosted revenue.
7. Must have Shopify apps for product pages
7.1. Easy Tabs ‑ Product Tabs
Easy Tabs app, one of the best apps to have on Shopify, can streamline product page organization and enhance the customer experience within your online store. By allowing you to create clear and informative tabs, it empowers you to present product details, specifications, and other relevant information in a user-friendly format.
If your products have a lot of information, Easy Tabs can be a valuable tool to organize it effectively and improve user experience.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (950+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Add multiple tabs to your product pages to categorize information
- Group related product details into separate tabs for a clean and clutter-free presentation
- Personalize the look and feel of your tabs to match your store’s overall design aesthetic
- Display product tabs perfectly on all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones
- Use WCAG 2.0 / Section 508 compliant tabs and accordion widgets
🟢 Pricing:
- Premium plan: $5/month
7.2. Wiser Product Recommendations
Listed as one of the best Shopify apps for eCommerce, Wiser Product Recommendations can help you personalize the shopping experience for your customers. Leveraging AI technology, Wiser analyzes customer behavior and purchase history to suggest complementary products, frequently bought bundles, and post-purchase upsells.
If you’re aiming to increase sales and average order value, Wiser’s AI-powered recommendations can be a valuable tool.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (630+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Use AI to generate personalized product recommendations
- Offer a selection of recommendation formats to cater to different scenarios
- Showcase products that customers often purchase alongside the current item being viewed
- Recommend products from similar categories or with complementary features
- Remind customers of items they recently browsed
- Personalize the appearance and placement of your product recommendations
- Gain valuable insights with comprehensive reports and analytics
🟢 Pricing:
- Free: $0/month (For stores with 0 to 50 monthly store orders)
- Startup: $9/month (For stores with 51 to 100 monthly store orders)
- Growth: $19/month (For stores with 101 to 300 monthly store orders)
- Pro: $49/month (For stores with 301 to 500 monthly store orders)
(*): If you have more than 500 orders per month, you can talk to support and choose a custom plan. Else they will charge $200 for every additional 500 orders.
8. Must have apps for Shopify for product customization
8.1. BSS: Product Variants Options
Looking to elevate your product customization options and boost customer engagement in your Shopify store?
As one of the top-notch Shopify product options apps, BSS: Product Variants Options might be the solution you’ve been waiting for. This app empowers you to create a dynamic and interactive product experience by offering a wide range of options for customers to personalize their purchases.
If your products allow for customization, such as clothing, jewelry, or electronics, BSS: Product Variants Options can significantly enhance your product offerings.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (160+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Showcase product variations visually with attractive product images
- Allow customers to personalize products with custom text, like monograms or engravings
- Enable customers to choose multiple variations for features like size and color combinations
- Allow customers to upload their own images or designs for a truly personalized experience
- Maintain accurate stock control by linking product variations to specific SKUs
- Charge additional fees for certain customization options
🟢 Pricing:
- Free plan: $0/month
- Advanced plan: $10/month
- Platinum plan: $20/month
8.2. Product Options Variant Option
As one of must-have apps for Shopify, AvisPlus Product Options & Variants is designed to enhance your product pages by allowing you to create a wider range of variation options.
It can be said that it is a helpful tool for Shopify store owners looking to improve the organization and presentation of their product information.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.9 ⭐ (780+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Create unlimited product options
- Transform standard options into dynamic color swatches and image swatches
- Cater to a wide range of product needs with a variety of option types
- Charge extra for specific customization options or creating bundled product packages
- Display relevant options based on previous selections
- Bulk apply options to multiple products at once
🟢 Pricing:
- Free plan: $0/month
- Basic color swatch: $8/month
- Pro product option: $9/month
- Advanced: $29/month
9. Must have Shopify apps for SEO & marketing
9.1. Tapita SEO & Speed Optimizer
Tapita SEO & Speed Optimizer provides a user-friendly interface and a toolbox to help you improve your search ranking and ensure your website loads quickly for a better customer experience.
By addressing two crucial aspects of your online store: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and website speed, it will be an ideal choice for Shopify store owners looking to improve their website’s search ranking, speed, and overall user experience.
⭐ Shopify rating: 5 ⭐ (2000+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Analyze your store’s SEO health and provide suggestions for improvement
- Fix broken links, generate AI-powered meta descriptions, optimize image alt text
- Discover relevant keywords that potential customers might use to find your products
- Improve your website’s loading speed, including image optimization, code minification, and browser caching
- Provide competitor analysis in terms of SEO and identify areas for improvement
🟢 Pricing:
- Free plan: $0/month
- Basic: $9.99/month
- Standard: $29.99/month
- Advanced: $49.99/month
9.2. Omnisend Email Marketing & SMS
Omnisend is an all-in-one email marketing and SMS app designed specifically for Shopify stores. It empowers you to connect with your customers across multiple channels and create personalized marketing campaigns.
Omnisend integrates seamlessly with Shopify, making it ideal for managing your email and SMS marketing within your existing workflow. Therefore, whether you’re just starting or have a larger operation, Omnisend offers features to fit your needs.
⭐ Shopify rating: 4.8 ⭐ (5600+ reviews)
🔶 Key features:
- Design email campaigns with a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder and pre-made templates
- Reach your audience directly on their phones with targeted SMS campaigns
- Grow your email list with signup forms, pop-ups, landing pages, and other lead-capture tools
- Personalize the customer journey with automated email and SMS sequences
- Tailor your campaigns to specific customer segments
- Track the performance of your campaigns with detailed reports and analytics
🟢 Pricing:
- Free plan: $0/month (Reach up to 250 contacts)
- Standard: $16/month (Reach up to 500 contacts)
- Pro: $59/month (Reach up to 2500 contacts)
10. Conclusion
To conclude, this article introduces to you some of the must have Shopify apps to get you started. With the right app integrations, you can unlock the full potential of your Shopify business!
And don’t forget to check out more eComStart resources to come closer to your eCommerce success!
11. FAQs
The official Shopify website itself doesn’t explicitly state the total number of apps. However, according to some sources, there are 10,000+ apps on Shopify (as of March 2024).
With various apps catering to the diverse needs of eCommerce businesses, you can explore and add more advanced functionalities to your stores!
Shopify apps are not necessarily essential for running a basic Shopify store. Shopify itself provides a good foundation for creating an online store, allowing you to add products, manage inventory, process payments, and track orders.
However, Shopify apps can significantly enhance your store’s functionality and user experience in many ways. They can help you:
– Add features like email marketing, loyalty programs, and live chat.
– Improve customer experience with features like product reviews, and wishlists.
– Save time by automating tasks like order fulfillment, and marketing.
– Increase sales & conversions with targeted campaigns.
There’s no single “must-have” app for every Shopify store, as needs vary depending on the business. However, some apps offer functionalities that can significantly benefit most stores:
– Email marketing: Omnisend, Klaviyo, Mailchimp
– Social media marketing: Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads
– Discount & promotion apps: Automizy, LoyaltyLion
– Product reviews & ratings: Loox, Yotpo
– Product customization: BSS Product Variants Options
– Live chat: Gorgias, Tidio
Choosing the right Shopify app can be overwhelming with so many options available. Here’s a roadmap to guide your selection process:
– Define your requirements: What’s lacking in your store? Is it marketing, customer support, or inventory management?
– Pick a category: Explore Shopify’s app store for categories that address your needs (e.g., Marketing & Sales for email marketing).
– Compare & Test: Narrow down options, check features, pricing, and reviews. Many offer free trials – use them!
– Focus on fit: Don’t chase the fanciest app. Choose one that solves your specific problems and complements your store.
It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact average cost for Shopify apps as pricing varies greatly depending on the app’s features, complexity, and developer. Here’s a breakdown to give you an idea:
– Free apps: There’s a good selection of free apps available in the Shopify App Store, offering basic functionalities like simple product review tools.
– Freemium apps: Many freemium apps offer limited features for free, with paid plans unlocking advanced functionalities and increased usage limits. These can range from $4 to $100 per month.
– Paid apps: Paid apps with more robust features and functionalities can cost anywhere from $25 to $200 or more per month, depending on the complexity of the app and the value it provides.