I recently talked to someone who runs a Shopify store and they told me they have 37 different apps installed. This seems like a huge number to me. I’m just getting started with my own online store and trying to figure out what my monthly expenses might look like. Is it really normal to need that many apps for one store? I want to plan my budget properly before I launch. Can anyone share how many apps they’re currently using and what their total monthly app costs are? I’m curious about the real costs of running an ecommerce business on Shopify.
That’s way too many apps. I’ve run three Shopify stores over four years and stick to 15-18 apps max per store. My monthly app costs run $120-150, covering abandoned cart recovery, customer service, and analytics tools. Most store owners just throw apps at problems without thinking strategically. They see an issue and immediately download an app instead of checking if their current tools can handle it. I do quarterly cleanouts where I check usage stats and dump anything that’s not pulling its weight. This saves me $60-80 monthly without losing functionality. Start small and only add apps when you actually need them, not when you think you might.
While it might seem like 37 apps are necessary, that’s usually an overestimation. In my experience running a Shopify store for two years, I’ve found 12 apps to be sufficient, costing me around $180 a month. Initially, I made the mistake of installing too many apps, thinking they would enhance my store, but I quickly realized that many were redundant or ineffective.
For anyone starting out, focus on the essential apps, such as email marketing, reviews, inventory management, and analytics. Each additional app can potentially slow down your site and complicate management. It’s best to start with a few critical tools and only add more as specific needs arise.
37 apps is insane lol. I’ve run my store for 8 months with just 6-7 apps at $85/month. People go crazy installing apps when they start, but you don’t need most of that stuff. Start with basics, add more only if you actually need them.