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How Much Should a Store Owner Spend on Shopify Apps?

Brody Hall
By Brody Hall
Davor Štefanović - Editor for KeepShoppers
Edited by Davor Štefanović

Updated February 10, 2023.

How Much Should a Store Owner Spend on Shopify Apps? main image

Asking a question like, "how much should a Shopify store owner spend on Shopify apps?" is just like asking, "how long is a wooden stick?" The answer to such questions depends entirely on the circumstances. This is because e-commerce covers a massive scale from giants who sell everything possible to small businesses selling only a few items.

That said, unlike physical stores, an online store gives you the potential to sell to the whole world. Based on what you want to sell, you can do this for just the cost of your website. A basic e-commerce store can cost you just $50 upfront, though this would be a very basic affair. But there are some general and popular apps that can help your business succeed.

That's where the operational costs begin to add up. So this is why it's important to know exactly how much you need to spend on Shopify apps.

What Do Apps Cost?

The contemporary trend in software-as-a-service offers (SaaS) is accepting payments for monthly subscriptions for use of the app instead of requesting bulk payments for purchasing the program upfront. That being said, store owner needs will differ from store to store. However, some general software that is of value to most store owners include:

  • Email Marketing Apps: Most plans for this service usually average between $0 to $59 monthly, with some charging as low as $7 monthly.
  • Microsoft Office Type Suit: Apps that are for this kind of service charge anywhere from $6 to $20 per month.

The above are just a few types of apps most Shopify owners use, however, there are so many others depending on what you want to get out of your store, as well as what you want to offer your customers. However, very few apps will be costing you over $200 a month and are more for extremely upscaled enterprises.

What Should You Pay?

What a Shopify store owner pays for the Shopify apps used on their store is dependent on the expected profit margins, budget, and current need. You must never overshoot your budget just for an app. If there are ways you can go around the problem to save costs then do so to build your business to the point where such apps can be used without damaging your operational budget.

Conclusion

Shopify apps work great for improving your online store, but they come at a cost, and if you do not watch carefully they can seriously negatively impact your budget. If you're just starting out, only use essential apps.