The Shopify App Store has thousands of listings, and most stores only need a handful of them. The must have Shopify apps are the ones that solve a clear problem: building trust with product reviews, bringing shoppers back with email and SMS, raising order value, helping people find products, and saving you time on repetitive work.
This guide walks through the apps worth installing in 2026, what each one does, and how to keep your store fast while you build your stack.
How to decide which apps are actually must haves
Before you install anything, ask one question: what problem does this solve for my store right now? An app that doesn't answer that clearly is clutter, however popular it is.
A few rules keep your stack healthy. Pick one app per job, since overlapping tools create conflicting scripts and confusing customer experiences. Start with free plans and trials, then upgrade once you've seen results. And remember that every app can add code to your storefront, which is why we cover page speed further down.
The must have Shopify apps for 2026
Product reviews: Chazify
If you only add one app early, make it reviews. Shoppers can't hold your product, so they lean on what other customers say, and a store with no social proof asks them to take a leap of faith.
Chazify is our pick for stores that want reviews to look like part of the brand instead of a bolted-on widget. It collects text, photo, and video reviews, sends automatic review requests after purchase, and imports existing reviews from Amazon and AliExpress, which helps if you're launching with little on-site feedback. You can display reviews as a carousel, grid, media gallery, or on a dedicated reviews page, and the team can match a custom layout to your Figma design. It also works with Shopify Plus and Hydrogen headless storefronts, which many review apps handle awkwardly.
The pricing is easy to understand: a free plan, a Business plan at $9.99 per month, and a Premium plan at $25 per month, with review migration, automations, and review grouping available on the higher plans. It launched in 2024, so it has fewer App Store reviews than the long-established names, and it is currently English only. If you want a closer comparison, our guide to the best Shopify product reviews apps breaks down how it stacks up against Judge.me, Loox, Okendo, and others.
Email and SMS: Klaviyo
Social followers belong to the platform. Your email list belongs to you. Klaviyo is one of the most widely used marketing apps on Shopify for exactly this reason: it connects to your store data so you can send abandoned cart, welcome, and post-purchase messages automatically. It is free to install, with email free for up to 250 contacts and a free allowance of SMS and MMS credits, so you can test your flows before committing to a paid plan.
Upsells and higher order value: ReConvert
Once shoppers are buying, the easiest revenue win is increasing what each order is worth. ReConvert focuses on post-purchase upsells, showing relevant offers after checkout so the add-on doesn't get in the way of the original purchase. It pairs well with reviews, since social proof makes an upsell feel safer.
Product discovery: Shopify Search & Discovery
If your catalog has more than a few dozen products, shoppers need help finding things. Shopify Search & Discovery is a free app built by Shopify that lets you manage collection and search filters, search synonyms, product boosts, and related product recommendations without touching code. It also reports on searches that return no results, which quietly tells you what customers want and can't find.
Bundles: Shopify Bundles
Selling products together is another simple way to raise average order value. Shopify Bundles is Shopify's own free app for creating bundles and multipacks directly in the admin, which makes it a sensible first step before you consider a paid bundling tool.
Automation: Shopify Flow
Shopify Flow lets you automate repetitive tasks with simple trigger and action rules, like tagging customers, flagging orders, or notifying your team about low inventory. It is a Shopify app and free to use, and it saves real hours once your order volume grows.
Subscriptions: Recharge
If you sell consumables or products people reorder, subscriptions create predictable revenue. Recharge is a widely used subscription app that handles recurring billing and gives customers a portal to manage their orders. It also connects with Klaviyo, so your subscription lifecycle can feed into your email flows.
Order tracking: AfterShip
"Where is my order?" is one of the most common support questions. AfterShip provides branded tracking pages and shipping notifications so customers can check delivery status themselves, which cuts down on support tickets and keeps the post-purchase experience smooth.
A simple starter stack by store stage
|
Store stage |
Apps to prioritize |
|
Just launched |
Chazify (reviews), Klaviyo (email), Shopify Search & Discovery |
|
Growing steadily |
Add ReConvert (upsells), Shopify Bundles, Shopify Flow |
|
Scaling and repeat-heavy |
Add Recharge (subscriptions) and AfterShip (tracking) |
You don't need everything on day one. Add an app when a real problem shows up.
How many apps is too many?
More apps means more scripts loading on your pages, and heavy storefronts convert worse, especially on mobile. Leftover code from apps you've un installed can linger too, so clean that up when you remove something. If your store has started to feel slow, our performance optimization team can audit what's loading and what's safe to cut. And if you're not sure whether your apps are helping or hurting, a store audit is a good way to find out, while our CRO and UX optimization work shows how apps fit into a bigger conversion plan.
Ready to build your stack?
Start with the free plan of Chazify on the Shopify App Store and add reviews to your product pages today. If you'd like help choosing and setting up the right apps for your store, talk to the Bigfolio team, or verify our track record on the Shopify Partners Directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the must have Shopify apps for a new store?
Most new stores should start with a product reviews app, an email marketing app, and a search and filtering tool. Chazify, Klaviyo, and Shopify Search & Discovery cover those three needs, and all have free options to start with.
How many Shopify apps should I install?
There is no magic number, but fewer is better. Install one app per job, and add new ones only when a specific problem appears. Every extra app can add code that affects page speed.
Are there free must have Shopify apps?
Yes. Shopify Search & Discovery, Shopify Bundles, and Shopify Flow are free Shopify-built apps, and Klaviyo, Chazify, and many others offer free plans or free-to-install options with usage limits.
Do Shopify apps slow down my store?
They can, depending on how they load code on your storefront. Test your page speed before and after installing, avoid overlapping apps, and remove leftover code when you uninstall something.
Which Shopify app is best for product reviews?
It depends on your needs. Chazify suits brands wanting custom layouts and Hydrogen or Shopify Plus support, while other apps such as Judge.me and Loox suit different priorities. Compare them against your budget and design requirements.
Do I need Shopify Plus to use these apps?
No. Most apps on this list work on standard Shopify plans. Shopify Plus mainly adds extra control, such as checkout customization, that some brands want on top of their app stack.