Best Shopify Apps for New Stores 2026

Starting a new dropshipping store? You don't need 20 apps. This guide covers the essential free and affordable Shopify apps that actually matter when you're pre-revenue or just starting to make sales.

Last updated: February 2026

New Store Essentials (Under $30/month)

The only apps you need to launch and start selling:

  • DSers - AliExpress orders (Free)
  • Shop Pay - One-click checkout (Free)
  • Shopify Email - Email marketing (Free start)
  • Loox - Photo reviews with social proof (Free tier)
  • Vitals - 40+ features in one ($29.99/month)
  • PageFly - Landing pages (Free tier)

Making $5K+/month? See our apps for growing stores guide.

Product Import & Fulfillment

DSers

Most Popular

Official AliExpress dropshipping partner. Import products, sync inventory, and place orders in bulk - the foundation of any dropshipping store.

Why new stores love it: Free tier handles up to 3000 products. That's way more than you need starting out.

Key features:

  • One-click product import from AliExpress
  • Bulk order processing (100+ orders at once)
  • Automatic inventory sync
  • Supplier optimizer (find better prices)
  • Automatic price rules

Pricing:

  • Free: 3000 products, 3 stores
  • Advanced: $19.90/month - more features
  • Pro: $49.90/month - unlimited products
Install DSers

Checkout & Payments

Shop Pay

Editor's Pick

Shopify's accelerated checkout - lets customers pay in one click with saved info. Built into every Shopify store, just needs to be enabled.

Why new stores love it: It's free and already built-in. 1.72x higher conversion rate vs regular checkout according to Shopify.

Key features:

  • One-click checkout for returning customers
  • Saved payment & shipping info
  • Shop Pay Installments (buy now, pay later)
  • Carbon-neutral shipping options
  • Instant order tracking

Pricing: Free - included with Shopify

Enable it: Settings → Payments → Shopify Payments → Shop Pay

Learn About Shop Pay

Email Marketing

Shopify Email

Shopify's built-in email marketing. Good enough for new stores - no need for Klaviyo until you're scaling.

Why new stores love it: Free for first 10,000 emails/month. Built into your dashboard. No extra login or integration needed.

Key features:

  • Drag-and-drop email builder
  • Pre-built templates (welcome, abandoned cart)
  • Automated flows (basic)
  • Product blocks auto-pull from store
  • Built-in analytics

Pricing:

  • Free: First 10,000 emails/month
  • $1 per 1,000 additional emails

Pro tip: Start with Shopify Email. Migrate to Klaviyo when you want advanced segmentation and flows (usually around $5K+/month revenue).

Enable Shopify Email

Reviews & Social Proof

Loox

Best Reviews App

Photo review collection and display. Import reviews from AliExpress, collect customer photos, display beautiful review carousels.

Why new stores love it: Import AliExpress reviews to have social proof from day one. Photo reviews convert 91% better than text-only reviews.

Key features:

  • Import reviews from AliExpress
  • Automated review request emails
  • Photo/video review collection
  • Review widgets & carousels
  • Google Rich Snippets (stars in search)

Pricing:

  • Free: Limited features
  • Beginner: $9.99/month - 100 review request emails
  • Growth: $34.99/month - 500 emails + video reviews
Install Loox

All-in-One Solutions

Vitals

Best Value

40+ apps in one $29.99/month subscription. Reviews, upsells, trust badges, currency converter, size charts, sticky cart, and much more.

Why new stores love it: One app instead of 10. Faster store load times. No app conflicts. Replaces $100+/month in separate apps.

Key features included:

  • Product reviews (with import)
  • Upsells & cross-sells
  • Trust badges
  • Currency converter
  • Size chart popups
  • Sticky add-to-cart
  • Recently viewed products
  • Countdown timers
  • Social proof popups
  • FB Pixel integration

Pricing: $29.99/month flat rate

Pro tip: If you're considering 3+ different apps, just get Vitals instead. It's almost always the better deal.

Install Vitals

Landing Pages

PageFly

Drag-and-drop page builder for creating custom landing pages, product pages, and collection pages without coding.

Why new stores love it: Free tier gives you 1 published page - perfect for testing a landing page or custom homepage without paying.

Key features:

  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Pre-built templates
  • Mobile responsive
  • Integration with other apps
  • A/B testing (paid plans)

Pricing:

  • Free: 1 published page
  • Pay as you go: $24/month - 10 pages
  • Unlimited: $99/month - unlimited pages
Install PageFly

What NOT to Install (Yet)

These apps are great, but wait until you're actually scaling:

  • Klaviyo - Overkill until $3K+/month or 1K+ subscribers
  • ReConvert - Post-purchase upsells need traffic to work
  • Lucky Orange/Hotjar - Need traffic before heatmaps are useful
  • Subscription apps - Focus on one-time sales first
  • Multiple review apps - One is enough

Every app slows your store. Only add apps when you have a specific problem to solve.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Shopify apps should a new store have?

Start with 3-5 essential apps. Too many apps slow down your store and confuse customers. Focus on: product import (DSers), reviews, and email capture. Add more only when you have a specific problem to solve.

Are free Shopify apps good enough?

Yes, for starting out. DSers free handles 3000 products, Shopify Email is free for first 10K emails/month, and Loox free tier works great. Upgrade to paid versions when you hit their limits.

What's the best all-in-one app to avoid multiple subscriptions?

Vitals ($29.99/month) includes 40+ features: reviews, upsells, currency converter, size charts, sticky cart, and more. It replaces multiple apps that would cost $100+/month separately.

Will too many apps slow down my store?

Yes. Each app adds JavaScript that slows page load. Aim for under 10 apps total. Use all-in-one solutions like Vitals instead of separate apps for each feature.

Last updated: February 2026