As of May 27, 2026 there are 20,705 apps on the Shopify app store with 2,813 added in the last 30 days. This is a +71% change from last year. – App Navigator
The reason for this growth is AI driven development. AI Tools like Cursor, Claude, Copilot, Codex, etc. have enabled developers to build and ship apps in a week or even an afternoon, clearly showing that the barrier to building an app has been broken.
But most developers confuse the barrier of building apps with the barrier of winning (getting customers!). These are two very different things. The opportunity to grow an app on the Shopify App Store still exists, with over 2.83 million live stores growing by 11% year over year, clearly showing that the merchant base is not shrinking. The way you market and compete with existing apps has changed significantly. Here, I will discuss how the Shopify app ecosystem is evolving and what strategy developers, especially those considering building Shopify apps, should adopt to grow within it.
The AI Vibe Coding Era Didn’t Kill the Shopify App Opportunity — It Killed a Specific Type of Developer
Before AI tools, the barrier to building a Shopify app was real. I remember the days when I was constantly reading documentation to understand the OAuth, App bridge integrations, and Polaris components, and honestly, that took time. So most of the apps on the Shopify app store were developed by developers who had spent at least a few weeks learning the platform and understanding its core development principles.
But this has mostly gone now!
What changed when building got easier
Anyone with an app idea can replicate an existing app using AI and can take it to the submission level in just a few days. It’s good for the ecosystem as more experimentation is generally good, but the apps that claim to be the first or the “only one that exists” are in trouble. These claims don’t mean anything when an AI can replicate the app’s core features in hours.
Shopify’s own engineering leadership is already describing 2026 as the year of “agentic harnesses”, where the real competitive edge is building AI systems rather than writing lines of code.
The struggling apps vs. the ones pulling ahead
Developers building feature-first generic apps in crowded categories like Review apps, Upsell popups, and bundle builders will struggle to acquire a decent user base. These categories are saturated, and users have many options to choose from.
But the developers building apps for specific merchants’ problems, not features, are the ones who are pulling ahead. They are targeting a niche market that is desperate for a solution and can become a loyal user base.
Why Most of Those 865 New Apps Won’t Matter in 6 Months
The number of apps coming out every month is alarming, only when you think that all the apps are your competitors. But in reality, most of them are not.
Shopify’s own quality filter does real work.
Shopify actively removes apps that don’t meet its standards. The app count dropped 8% during 2023-24 because of this. Apps that don’t maintain performance, don’t make necessary API/platform updates, and have bad reviews are constantly monitored by Shopify and eventually get delisted and removed.
Shopify has also introduced the Built for Shopify (BFS) badge program, where Shopify validates your app annually. If the app’s performance or design standards drop, you lose this badge, which can significantly lower your ranking on the app store. Shopify sidekick will not recommend your app, and in general, merchants prefer BFS apps over those without a badge.
New apps entering mature categories face a brutal cold start problem. The top apps in any given category have thousands of reviews, and merchants would obviously prefer an app with thousands of reviews instead of one with fewer or no reviews.
An app with 10 reviews competing against one with 10k reviews is not really competing, it’s hoping 😛
The “Narrow Niche, Deep Value” Framework — What Actually Wins Now
There is a difference between building a general purpose upsell app and building an upsell app for merchants selling subscription-based health products. The first competes with hundreds of apps, the second competes against almost nobody while solving exactly what a specific market needs.
Shopify Plus now has 47k merchants, and most of them have specific needs and wants that are poorly served by most generic apps. Apps built specifically for this market can change more and retain longer with a loyal customer base.
The secret is behind the curtains. Most app developers focus on storefronts by creating visual elements and components, like sections and product page customizations. But most of these things can be done by merchants themselves by using Shopify sidekick. However, the real problems are in the operations flow and post checkout. Focus on inventory intelligence, return flows, staff workflow tools, and automation tools. This category is less crowded.
Another opportunity is solving the regional ecommerce needs. Merchants outside the US/UK have localization problems that most developers ignore. That’s where you can own a niche just by understanding your local market and finding its pain points.
What Should New Developers Actually Focus On?
These are key things you need to take care of if you are starting to build Shopify apps.
Get the Built for Shopify badge — it’s not optional anymore
Shopify sidekick recommends apps with the BFS badge, higher ranking in app store and category pages, and merchants can now filter to show only BFS apps. If you are not working towards this from day one, then you are at a disadvantage.
The requirements for BFS are not that strict if you take care of them from day one. Otherwise, you have to change many things, including design and functionality, to meet the BFS badge requirements.
Merchant support as a moat
AI cannot vibe support. Responding to merchants fast, writing clear instructions to use your app, and being reachable whenever something breaks. These things compound into more reviews, fewer uninstalls, and more installs.
79% of Shopify app developers have only one app listed, it’s not about shipping vibe coded apps and cluttering the app store. It’s about providing a solution and earning the trust of merchants.
Build for a merchant segment, not a feature
Stop focusing on features, start with the problem merchants are facing, and there is no good solution for it. Join Shopify communities and see what people are complaining about. Check the 2-3 stars reviews of existing apps that’s where you can find most of your ideas and also a ready made customer if you use your mind and slide into that merchant’s email.
Should New Developers Even Build a New App — Or Go a Different Route?
The service path vs. the app path
Building Shopify apps for passive income is a long term game, it will take 6-12 months before a good MRR if the category and distribution are right. And it might take longer if you are in a crowded space.
Working as a freelancer and building custom apps, theme customizations, and private apps for merchants can generate cash faster and give you real world knowledge without even investing your own money. This knowledge will eventually help you to market and build your public app faster.
The best app ideas come when you face the problem yourself. While building for clients, you can easily find these issues because there is always a missing integration, an awkward workflow, or a reporting gap that merchants have. That’s your sweet spot to find a solution to that problem.
The Pie Is Bigger — But You Need a Sharper Knife
865 new apps a month is not a reason to get disappointed and walk away, it’s a reason to get more strategic and plan before entering the market. The app store is flooded with generic vibe coded apps, creating a space for the apps that cater to specific merchant needs. The era of “build and they’ll find it” is over.