Custom Shopify app or public app? What merchants should know

Most Shopify brands reach a point where the App Store doesn't quite have what they need — or where they're paying for eight apps that each do part of it. That's when a custom app is worth considering.

Custom apps: built for your store

A custom app is built for one store — yours. It can connect Shopify to your warehouse, ERP or CRM, automate order handling, or add functionality no public app offers. You don't need App Store approval, and it's designed around exactly how you work.

• Best for: operations automation, integrations, unique business rules.
• Typical scope: weeks, not months, for a focused app.
• Watch out for: ongoing maintenance as Shopify's APIs evolve — plan for it.

Public apps: a product for other merchants

A public app is listed on the Shopify App Store for any merchant to install. That makes it a software product: it needs multi-store architecture, Shopify billing, onboarding, support and Shopify's review process.

• Best for: software companies bringing a product to Shopify, or brands turning an internal tool into a business.
• Typical scope: a proper product build — plan budget for launch and the first year of improvements.
• Watch out for: App Store review requirements, performance standards and support load.

Questions to ask before you build

• Is there an existing app that does 90% of this? Sometimes paying for it is the right call.
• Which systems does this need to connect to, and do they have APIs?
• What happens when something fails at 2am on your busiest day?
• Who maintains it when Shopify changes an API version?