Updated October 2026 · Written and maintained by the Progression Agency strategy team
A Shopify app development company designs, builds and maintains software that extends Shopify: custom apps for a single store or a Plus organization, and public apps sold to merchants through the Shopify App Store. It is for merchants whose store needs logic or integrations no existing app provides, and for software companies building a product for Shopify merchants, and it produces the app, its admin, checkout or storefront extensions, its integrations and the support that keeps it current. Progression Agency is based in New York City and works with clients across the United States and worldwide.
On this page · 21 sections
- What does a Shopify app development company do?
- Custom app or public app: which do you need?
- Where a Shopify app can change the store
- Shopify Functions: custom logic inside checkout
- Checkout extensibility and replacing old checkout scripts
- Integrations with ERP, inventory, fulfillment and CRM systems
- The Shopify GraphQL Admin API and Shopify’s version calendar
- Building a public app for the Shopify App Store
- Built for Shopify status and app performance
- How public Shopify apps make money
- Security, access scopes and store data
- The technology behind a modern Shopify app
- Shopify app examples by job
- How much does Shopify app development cost?
- How long does it take to build a Shopify app?
- How Progression builds Shopify apps
- How to choose a Shopify app development agency
- Shopify app agency, freelancer or in-house developer?
- How merchants ask AI assistants for Shopify app developers
- Keeping a Shopify app healthy after launch
- Related services for Shopify merchants and app builders
The short answerShopify app development services cover discovery, the choice between a custom and a public app, the build on the GraphQL Admin API, extensions in the admin, theme and checkout, Shopify Functions for discount, delivery and payment logic, integrations with ERP, inventory or fulfillment systems, and release through a custom install link or App Store review. Work runs in two-week sprints with working software at the end of each. Success is measured in the job the app does: orders synced without errors, hours saved, checkout conversion or, for a public app, installs, retention and reviews. Integrations commonly take four to ten weeks; a first public app takes several months.
Cost bands are published US market figures, not a Progression rate card; a quote follows a written scope. Shopify rules, fees, rate limits and dates reflect Shopify’s published developer documentation in October 2026 and change often, so check the current version before you build.
What does a Shopify app development company do?
It turns a business problem into software that runs inside or alongside Shopify: it picks the right distribution model and extension points, builds the app on Shopify’s APIs, connects it to other systems, ships it and keeps it working as Shopify releases new API versions every quarter.
Most stores never need a custom app, because the App Store already solves common jobs. A custom build earns its cost when a store’s process is unusual, when data has to move between Shopify and another system on a schedule, or when a software company wants a product of its own in front of merchants.
Two kinds of client
Merchants usually want a custom app that does one job for their store. Software companies and founders want a public app with billing, onboarding and a listing that wins installs.
What a store build is not
Themes, store setup and migrations are store work, covered on our Shopify agency page. This page is about apps that extend Shopify.
What Shopify app development services include
Shopify app development services usually cover discovery and scoping, the choice between a custom and a public app, the build, testing on a development store, release and a support plan for API upgrades. Some firms add design or App Store listing help. Ask for each item in writing.
Custom app or public app: which do you need?
Build a custom app when the software serves one store or one Plus organization; build a public app when you want to sell it to many merchants. The choice decides billing, review, install limits and which features are open to which plans.
| Point | Custom app | Public app on the App Store |
|---|---|---|
| Where it installs | One store, several stores in the same Plus organization, or development stores | Any number of Shopify stores |
| Shopify review | Not required | Required before listing |
| Charging merchants | Cannot use Shopify’s app billing | Must use a Shopify-provided billing solution |
| Shopify Functions | Only on stores on a Shopify Plus plan | Stores on any plan, with some API exceptions |
| Flow extensions | Only for a Plus store with the app installed | Available to merchants on paid plans using Flow |
| Revenue share | Registration not needed for a single merchant | 0% to 15% depending on lifetime revenue |
Shopify custom app development usually starts with one store, one job and one owner. Custom Shopify app development for a Plus organization can install one app on several of its stores.
Apps created in the Shopify admin
Shopify’s distribution page says custom apps can no longer be created in the Shopify admin, though existing ones keep working. New custom apps are created through the Dev Dashboard or the Shopify CLI, and a custom app is installed by sending the store owner an install link generated in the Dev Dashboard.
Choose once
Shopify’s distribution guide says the distribution method cannot be changed after it is selected, so decide between custom and public before the app is set up for release.
Private apps are gone
Private apps were deprecated in January 2022, and on January 20, 2023 Shopify migrated every remaining one into a custom app.
Where a Shopify app can change the store
An app can work through the Admin API alone, or add extensions in the admin, the theme, the checkout and Shopify Flow, and run its own logic inside checkout through Shopify Functions. Each surface has its own rules and plan limits.
| Surface | What it lets the app do | Plan or review limits |
|---|---|---|
| GraphQL Admin API | Read and write products, orders, customers, inventory and more | Rate limits scale with the store’s plan |
| Admin actions and blocks | Modals for creating or editing records, cards pinned on resource pages | Built as admin UI extensions |
| Theme app extensions | Add blocks to a theme without editing Liquid | Works with Online Store 2.0 themes |
| Checkout UI extensions | Add content and fields to checkout and the Thank you page | Information, shipping and payment steps: Plus only |
| Shopify Functions | Custom discount, delivery, payment, validation and cart logic | Custom apps with Functions: Plus only |
| Flow triggers and actions | Let merchants automate around events in your app | Custom app Flow extensions: Plus only |
| Metafields and metaobjects | Store custom data on Shopify objects or as new records | App-owned definitions in a reserved namespace |
| Webhooks | Receive events by URL, Google Pub/Sub or Amazon EventBridge | Ordering and delivery are not guaranteed |
Admin extensions
Per Shopify’s admin extension docs, admin actions open from the More actions menu or a bulk action, and admin blocks sit as cards on resource pages that merchants add and pin. They keep the merchant in the admin instead of sending them to another site. Shopify admin extensions suit the tools a custom app adds for staff, such as an order action or a product card.
Theme app extensions
Theme app extensions let merchants add an app’s blocks to Online Store 2.0 themes without touching Liquid templates, which is also an App Store requirement for public apps that change a theme. A Shopify theme app extension is the storefront half of many apps; the admin half is a Shopify admin extension.
Choosing the right Shopify app extension
Pick the Shopify app extension by where the merchant or buyer meets the feature: admin extensions for staff, theme app extensions for the storefront, checkout UI extensions at checkout and Functions for logic that runs without a screen.
Shopify Functions: custom logic inside checkout
Functions run your code during checkout to change discounts, delivery options, payment methods, cart contents and validation. They are written in a language that compiles to WebAssembly, with Rust the recommended choice.
The Shopify Functions API is documented in Shopify’s Functions API reference, which lists the APIs in the order checkout runs them: cart transform, discount, fulfillment constraints, order routing, pickup point and local pickup delivery option generators, delivery customization, payment customization, and cart and checkout validation.
Plan rules decide the model
Stores on any plan can use public apps that contain functions. Only Shopify Plus stores can use custom apps that contain them, so a merchant below Plus who needs a custom discount rule usually needs a public app or a different approach.
Typical uses
Tiered or bundle discounts, hiding a delivery method for oversized items, blocking a payment method for certain orders, and enforcing order minimums or quantity limits.
Checkout extensibility and replacing old checkout scripts
Checkout customization now runs through checkout UI extensions and Functions rather than edited checkout code or pasted scripts. Apps that relied on the old methods need rebuilding on the new surfaces.
Shopify’s checkout upgrade guide says the additional scripts section in checkout settings became view-only on August 28, 2025, and that August 26, 2026 was the deadline for stores on non-Plus plans to upgrade their Thank you and Order status pages. Per the checkout UI extensions reference, extensions on the information, shipping and payment steps are available only to Plus stores.
Shopify checkout extensions come in two forms: checkout UI extensions add interface elements, and Functions run custom logic.
What usually moves
Post-purchase surveys, tracking scripts, upsells on the Thank you page, delivery date pickers and custom fields at checkout.
The merchant side of this change is explained in our guide to upgrading to checkout extensibility.
Integrations with ERP, inventory, fulfillment and CRM systems
Most custom apps are integrations, and Shopify ERP integration is the most common kind. These apps keep products, stock, orders and customers in step between Shopify and another system. The work is in the data mapping, the error handling and the rate limits, not the screens.
Shopify’s GraphQL Admin API rate limits give each app and store a budget based on the store’s plan: 100 points a second on standard plans, 200 on Advanced, 1,000 on Plus and 2,000 on Shopify for enterprise, and no single query may cost more than 1,000 points. A catalog sync that ignores those numbers fails on the night it matters.
Webhooks need defensive code
Shopify app webhooks are not a perfect feed. Shopify’s webhooks docs say ordering within a topic is not guaranteed and delivery is not always guaranteed, so apps should ignore duplicates using the webhook ID, verify HMAC signatures and reconcile on a schedule.
Mapping before code
Write down which system owns each field, what happens on a conflict and how errors are reported to a person, before the first sprint.
Need a custom app for one store?Describe the workflow, the systems it must talk to and the plan your store is on. You get a free proposal with a written scope and a same-business-day reply.
The Shopify GraphQL Admin API and Shopify’s version calendar
New Shopify apps are built on the GraphQL Admin API, and every app has to keep up with a new API version each quarter. Budget for that upkeep from the start.
Shopify’s REST Admin API page says REST became a legacy API on October 1, 2024, and that from April 1, 2025 all new public apps must be built only with the GraphQL Admin API. The versioning policy says a new version is released every three months, names are date-based such as 2026-04, and each stable version is supported for at least 12 months.
What falls forward means
If an app calls a version that is no longer available, Shopify answers with the oldest supported stable version, which can change behavior without warning. Planned upgrades avoid that surprise.
Older apps on REST
Custom apps still calling REST endpoints keep working for now, but each upgrade is a good moment to move the busiest calls to GraphQL.
Building a public app for the Shopify App Store
A public app has to pass Shopify’s review and meet its App Store requirements on installation, authentication, billing, embedding and theme changes. Planning for them early avoids a failed submission.
| Requirement | What Shopify asks for | How the build meets it |
|---|---|---|
| Install flow | Authorize with OAuth immediately, before any other step | OAuth handled first, then onboarding |
| Embedded authentication | Session tokens, not third-party cookies or local storage | Token exchange on the backend |
| Admin embedding | App Bridge so OAuth redirects back to the app | Latest App Bridge script on every page |
| Charging | Use Shopify App Pricing or the Billing API | Plans, trials and upgrades through Shopify |
| Plan changes | Upgrade and downgrade without contacting support | Plan switching in the app’s settings |
| Theme changes | Theme app extensions, no manual code edits | Blocks and embeds merchants place themselves |
| Privacy | Subscribe to the three compliance webhooks | Data request and redaction handled within 30 days |
Read the checklist early
Shopify’s app requirements checklist is the document reviewers work from. Building to it from the first sprint is cheaper than retrofitting it before submission.
The Shopify app approval process
Review comes after submission and checks the app against Shopify’s requirements: OAuth first, session tokens for embedded apps, billing through Shopify, theme app extensions for storefront changes and the three privacy webhooks. Fix any rejected item and resubmit, and plan the launch date around a round or two of changes. Shopify App Store requirements are public, so most problems can be found before submission.
Privacy webhooks
Per Shopify’s privacy compliance page, every App Store app must subscribe to customers/data_request, customers/redact and shop/redact, and complete the action within 30 days unless the law requires keeping the data.
Built for Shopify status and app performance
Shopify calls Built for Shopify the highest level of recognition an app can reach. Qualifying apps carry a badge, appear higher in App Store search and show up under a Built for Shopify search filter, and earning it takes real installs, reviews and fast, embedded screens.
The Built for Shopify requirements include at least 50 net installs from active shops on paid plans and at least five reviews, admin pages with largest contentful paint of 2.5 seconds or less, layout shift of 0.1 or less and interaction to next paint of 200 milliseconds or less at the 75th percentile, and no more than a ten-point drop in the storefront’s Lighthouse performance score.
Design for it from the start
Embedded screens, light storefront scripts and primary workflows completed inside the admin are far easier to plan than to retrofit.
How public Shopify apps make money
Public apps charge through Shopify: free, monthly or annual plans and usage-based charges, added to the merchant’s Shopify invoice. Shopify keeps a share of revenue above a lifetime threshold.
Per Shopify’s billing documentation, Shopify App Pricing handles plan selection, trials, proration, upgrades and downgrades, but does not support one-time purchases; those use manual pricing with the Shopify Billing API. The revenue share page says developers keep 100% of their first $1,000,000 in lifetime gross app revenue and 85% above it, after a one-time $19 registration per Partner account, with revenue counted from January 1, 2025.
Larger developers
Developers who earned $20,000,000 or more through the App Store in the prior calendar year, or whose company revenue is $100,000,000 or more, pay 15% on all app revenue.
Pricing the app itself
Shopify app billing supports both. Usage-based pricing fits apps whose value grows with orders; flat plans fit tools with steady use. Test both on the listing.
Security, access scopes and store data
Request only the scopes the app needs, keep tokens on the server, verify every webhook and store as little merchant and customer data as the job allows.
Shopify’s authentication guide explains that offline tokens persist across sessions while online tokens last as long as a staff member’s session, that embedded apps exchange a short-lived ID token for an access token without redirecting the merchant, and that a write scope already includes read access.
Least privilege
An app that only reads orders should never ask for write access to customers. Merchants see the scope list on install.
Code practice
Progression’s software work runs automated tests on every change, reviews code before it merges and follows guidance such as the OWASP Top 10.
The technology behind a modern Shopify app
Shopify’s CLI scaffolds new apps on a React Router template and creates the app in the Dev Dashboard. From there the stack is a normal web application: a TypeScript front end, a Node.js backend, a database and hosting you control.
Per Shopify’s scaffolding guide, running shopify app init offers a React Router app template with a Prisma SQLite database to start, and simple integrations that only need API credentials can be created directly in the Dev Dashboard instead.
| Layer | Common choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scaffolding | Shopify CLI with the React Router template | Auth, App Bridge and extensions wired in |
| Front end | TypeScript and React | Matches Shopify’s templates and hiring pool |
| Backend | Node.js, or Python for data-heavy jobs | Mature libraries for APIs and queues |
| Database | PostgreSQL in production | The starter database is for development |
| Functions | Rust compiled to WebAssembly | Shopify’s recommended language for Functions |
| Hosting | AWS, Google Cloud or Azure in the client’s account | The client owns the infrastructure |
Custom data
Per Shopify’s custom data docs, metafields add fields to existing objects and metaobjects define new record types, and an app owns its definitions through a reserved namespace so its data does not clash with anyone else’s.
How to build a Shopify app, in order
How to build a Shopify app comes down to a sequence: write the job, pick custom or public, choose the surfaces, scaffold with the CLI, build in sprints on a development store, harden webhooks and scopes, then release. The order matters because the distribution method cannot be changed once it is chosen.
For hosting choices, see hosting for React and Next.js and SaaS hosting.
Shopify app examples by job
Most custom and public apps fall into a handful of jobs. These Shopify app examples show the type of build, the surfaces it uses and the model that usually fits.
| App | Surfaces it uses | Usual model |
|---|---|---|
| ERP or accounting sync | Admin API, webhooks, scheduled jobs | Custom app |
| 3PL and warehouse connector | Orders and fulfillment APIs, webhooks | Custom or public |
| B2B price and order rules | Functions for discounts and validation | Custom on Plus, or public |
| Product configurator | Theme app extension, metaobjects, cart transform | Custom or public |
| Subscription or loyalty tool | Checkout and theme extensions, billing | Public app |
| Operations dashboard | Admin blocks and actions, Admin API | Custom app |
| Post-purchase survey | Thank you page extension | Public app |
Shopify app ideas that justify a custom build
Shopify app ideas that hold up share one trait: they remove a repeated manual step or connect a system the store already depends on. A weekly stock export keyed by hand, a B2B price rule that support applies to each order and a fulfillment status that lives in a spreadsheet are all strong candidates.
When an existing app is enough
If an App Store app does 90% of the job, extending your process around it is usually cheaper than building one.
How much does Shopify app development cost?
Published US price bands (market figures, not a Progression rate card) put an integration or automation at $15,000 to $50,000, an internal tool at $25,000 to $75,000 and a SaaS product’s first release at $60,000 to $150,000. A quote follows a written scope.
| Shopify app build | Band | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Clickable prototype to test a public app idea | $8,000-$25,000 | Before the build |
| Custom integration or automation for one store | $15,000-$50,000 | 4-10 weeks |
| Custom admin tool or operations dashboard | $25,000-$75,000 | 2-4 months |
| Public App Store app, first release | $60,000-$150,000 | 3-6 months |
| Multi-store platform or merchant portal | $75,000-$250,000 | 4-8 months |
| Yearly maintenance | Around 15-20% of the build | Every year after launch |
Shopify’s own costs
A public app adds Shopify’s one-time $19 registration and the revenue share above $1,000,000 in lifetime revenue. A custom app for one merchant does not need registration.
What moves the number
The count of systems connected, the data volume against rate limits, whether Functions or checkout extensions are needed, billing and onboarding for a public app, and how many store plans it must support.
Building an app for the Shopify App Store?Send the problem it solves for merchants and how you plan to charge. You get a free proposal with a written scope and a same-business-day reply.
How long does it take to build a Shopify app?
A focused integration usually takes four to ten weeks and an internal tool two to four months. A first public app is closer to three to six months before review, because billing, onboarding and the listing are part of the build.
Review time
Shopify’s app review happens after submission and is outside the developer’s control, so launch dates should leave room for a round of fixes.
Sprints you can see
Each two-week sprint ends with working software on a development store, so the client tests progress rather than reading reports.
How Progression builds Shopify apps
Discovery comes first, then a written scope and estimate, then development in two-week sprints with working software at the end of each, followed by testing, release and a support plan.
- Mutual NDAs signed before discovery when the client wants one
- A written scope and estimate before development begins
- Two-week sprints, each ending in working software
- Code, data and cloud accounts in the client’s name from day one, with IP assigned in the contract
- Automated tests on every change and code review before merge
- Rate limits, webhooks and compliance webhooks handled in the design
- A support plan covering hosting, monitoring, security updates and fixes
- Quarterly API version upgrades planned, not discovered
Store work alongside the app
Progression also builds and maintains Shopify stores and runs Shopify SEO and paid media, so an app, the theme and the marketing can be planned together.
How to choose a Shopify app development agency
Pick the Shopify app development agency that asks about your plan, data volumes and systems before quoting, puts code ownership in the contract, and can explain how it handles rate limits, webhooks and API upgrades.
| Requirement | How to check it |
|---|---|
| You own the code, data and accounts | Read the IP and ownership clauses |
| Knows custom versus public app rules | Ask which model fits your plan and why |
| Builds on the GraphQL Admin API | Ask how they budget query cost on your plan |
| Handles webhooks defensively | Ask how they deal with duplicates and missed events |
| Plans for quarterly API versions | Ask what the support plan includes |
| Ships working software often | Ask to see a sprint demo or release notes |
| Clear scope and price | A written scope with an estimate and change process |
| Has shipped to the App Store | For public apps, ask what failed review and how it was fixed |
What makes a top Shopify app development company
Not the size of its portfolio. It is the one that tells you when an existing app is enough, writes the data mapping before code and still answers when Shopify ships the next API version.
How Shopify app development companies scope a project
Shopify app development companies that scope well ask for the workflow, the connected systems, the store plan and expected data volumes first, then send a written estimate that lists exclusions and a change process.
Using Shopify’s own directory
The Shopify Partner Directory lets merchants filter partners by price, location and service, with a category for custom app integrations, and read reviews and work samples.
Shopify app agency, freelancer or in-house developer?
A freelancer suits a small, well-defined integration; an in-house developer suits a business with constant Shopify work; a Shopify app agency suits builds that need design, backend, testing and support in one team.
| Option | Best for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance developer | One small integration with a clear spec | Cover for illness, holidays and handover |
| In-house developer | A steady stream of Shopify work | Hiring time and one person’s knowledge |
| Shopify developer agency | Apps that need design, backend, QA and support | Ownership terms and who is actually assigned |
| Software product studio | A public app treated as a business | Shopify-specific experience |
Hiring Shopify app developers one at a time
Hiring a Shopify app developer directly works best for a narrow job. If you hire a Shopify app developer yourself, plan for a second person who can read the code, a handover document and shared ownership of the Partner account and hosting.
Mixing models
Many teams pair an agency build with an in-house owner who takes over day-to-day changes after launch.
How merchants ask AI assistants for Shopify app developers
Merchants and founders now ask Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot and Google AI Overviews who can build a custom Shopify app, what a Shopify app costs, or how to connect Shopify to a particular ERP. The answers lean on pages that state scope, process and price plainly.
What assistants tend to cite
Shopify’s developer documentation, App Store listings and reviews, the Partner Directory, developer forums and agency pages with concrete tables of costs, timelines and requirements.
What an app business should publish
A listing that names the exact job the app does, a help center that answers setup questions in plain text, a public changelog and pricing in a table. Google’s page on AI features says a page needs only to be indexed and eligible for a snippet to appear in AI Overviews, and OpenAI asks sites to allow OAI-SearchBot for ChatGPT search.
Ads and answers
Some assistants show labeled ads near answers, but an ad does not buy a place inside the answer itself.
For a store’s own visibility in assistants, see AEO for Shopify.
Keeping a Shopify app healthy after launch
An app is never finished: Shopify ships a new API version every quarter, merchants request features and data grows. A support plan keeps it running.
Every quarter
Check deprecations in the new API version, test on a development store and release before the old version leaves support.
Every month
Review errors, failed webhooks, slow queries and support tickets; for a public app, read new reviews and uninstall reasons.
Every year
Revisit the data model, hosting costs and whether any feature should move to a newer Shopify surface.
Related services for Shopify merchants and app builders
These pages cover the store, the wider software work and the marketing around a Shopify app.
- Shopify agency: store builds, themes and migrations
- Custom software development company
- App development agency
- Web development services
- Ecommerce mobile app development
- API development
- AI integration services
- SaaS development company
- MVP development company
- Web app development company
- React development company
- Custom software vs off-the-shelf
- Software development life cycle
- Shopify SEO services
- Shopify PPC agency
- Shopify vs WooCommerce
- BigCommerce vs Shopify
- Shopify pricing guide
- Ecommerce development services
- Ecommerce marketing agency
- SaaS website design
Want an app that does one job on Shopify very well?
Send the workflow, the systems involved and your Shopify plan. You get a free proposal with a written scope and a same-business-day reply.
Getting found in search
AI, AEO and what is changing
Paid media and lead generation
Websites and design
Choosing and working with an agency
Software and app development
Website design by industry and type
Web development, platforms and hosting
Social, content and brand
By industry and by situation
Frequently asked questions
Which projects does a Shopify app development company take on?
How do you develop a Shopify app?
How do I build an app for Shopify without a developer?
What is the difference between a custom app and a public Shopify app?
Can I still create a custom app in the Shopify admin?
Do Shopify Functions require Shopify Plus?
Which Shopify plans can use checkout UI extensions?
Does a new Shopify app have to use GraphQL instead of REST?
How often does Shopify release new API versions?
What are the GraphQL Admin API rate limits?
How much does Shopify take from app revenue?
How do public Shopify apps charge merchants?
What privacy webhooks must a Shopify App Store app support?
What does Built for Shopify require?
What is a realistic timeline for a Shopify app build?
What price range should we expect for Shopify app development services?
Does our business keep the source code of a custom Shopify app?
Can a Shopify app connect to our ERP or warehouse system?
Should we build a custom Shopify app or use an existing one?
What is a Shopify app agency, compared with a Shopify store agency?
Can Shopify apps run on the storefront without slowing it down?
What is the Shopify app approval process?
Are Shopify apps profitable for the developers who build them?
What is a Shopify app extension, and how is it different from an app?
Do you build Shopify apps for businesses outside New York?
Need a custom app for one store?Describe the workflow, the systems it must talk to and the plan your store is on. You get a free proposal with a written scope and a same-business-day reply.
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