59 Popular Apps and Features Used by Top Shopify Stores

Great! You're trying to learn more about the top Shopify stores.

Thanks to their smart use of tools, these stores continuously set the bar higher.

Today, we'll analyze the most common apps, features, technologies, and more that these stores use to succeed.

To find this information, we crawled over 2.6 million Shopify stores on October 17, 2023. We then took the top 1,000 stores based on Shopify rank and analyzed the data on their installed apps, technologies, and more!

Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your store, there's surely something to learn here.

Let's get started!

Tip: Have you already created your Shopify account? If not, sign up by clicking this link here to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months!

Overview: What do top Shopify stores use?

Before we dive into the details, here is an overview of what the top 1,000 Shopify stores use:

Percentage of stores that upgraded to Shopify Plus	84.5%
Average number of products sold	1,593
Average product price	$115.22
Average number of installed Shopify apps	13
Average monthly app spend	$362
Most popular email & SMS marketing app	Klaviyo (75.9%)
Most popular product review app	Yotpo (32.1%)
Most popular customer service app	Gorgias (27.7%)
Most popular loyalty app	Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards (24.6%)
Most popular stock alert app	Back in Stock: Restock Alerts (24.3%)
Most popular page builder app	Shogun (23.4%)
Most popular technology	Cloudflare CDN (91.7%)
Most popular analytics	Facebook Pixel (85.6%)
Most popular payment processor	Apple Pay (79.7%)
Percentage of stores using a custom theme	74.2%
Most popular free Shopify theme	Dawn (4.6%)
Most popular paid Shopify theme	Launch (3.1%)
Percentage of stores using a page builder	31.3%
Percentage of stores with a blog	74.1%
Percentage of stores with a brand advocate page	30.8%
Percentage of stores that offer free returns	24.1%

Disclaimer: Due to minor imperfections in the crawling system, please know that we can't guarantee 100% data accuracy. Nevertheless, we are confident that these numbers closely represent reality due to the large amount of data captured.

What apps are top Shopify stores using?

Now, let's start with Shopify apps.

With thousands of available apps, it can be quite challenging to figure out which ones are truly essential for your store's growth.

But don't worry; we've identified the apps that are integral for the top 1,000 Shopify stores.

These are the apps that help them provide excellent customer experiences and drive sales through the roof!

App	Used by percentage of the top 1,000 Shopify stores:
Klaviyo: Email Marketing & SMS	75.9%
Yotpo Product Reviews & UGC	32.1%
Gorgias ‑ Helpdesk & Live Chat	27.7%
Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards	24.6%
Back in Stock: Restock Alerts	24.3%
Shogun Landing Page Builder	23.4%
Geolocation	23.2%
Zendesk	21.7%
Klarna On‑Site Messaging	21.0%
Wishlist Plus	19.4%
Loop Returns & Exchanges	19.2%
Awin ‑ Affiliate Marketing	18.1%
Recharge Subscriptions	17.9%
Rebuy Personalization Engine	17.2%
Shopify Privacy & Compliance	16.5%

Let's take a closer look at why these apps are loved by top Shopify stores:

1. Klaviyo: Email Marketing & SMS

We've been using Klaviyo for a few years and it's awesome. It's fairly easy to use and for anything that we struggle with, their support is fantastic.

Spice Pots (Klaviyo app user)

Installed on	75.9% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	3.8 out of 5.0
Use it for	Email and SMS marketing automation
Key features	- Built-in templates like 'Welcome,' 'Back in Stock,' and 'Price Drop.' - Automated marketing across email, SMS, forms, mobile push, and reviews. - Get revenue data per automation.
Pricing	$0 to $35 per month (for up to 500 contacts)

If you're searching for a tool that goes beyond the basics of email marketing, check out Klaviyo, one of the top email marketing services.

This app is all about using data to its fullest potential, helping you create more personalized and effective campaigns.

Many users have praised Klaviyo's useful tools and features that enable marketing teams to deliver outstanding results. Plus, the app has a top-notch customer support team.

On the other hand, some users have mentioned that the initial setup requires some training.

One person even said: 'It seems like you need a degree in computer science just to navigate the basics.'

Still, with a free plan available, why not give it a try?

Did you know? Approximately 81.9% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores use an Email or SMS marketing app.

2. Yotpo Product Reviews & UGC

The app is easy to use and does what it's supposed to. Most of all, help is a click away.

Nightingale Metal Design (Yotpo Product Reviews & UGC app user)

Installed on	32.1% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.9 out of 5.0
Use it for	Showing reviews from your customers
Key features	- Supports Google Seller Ratings and Google Shopping Ads. - Connect with SMS, loyalty programs, and subscription services. - Display photo and video reviews.
Pricing	$0 / $15 / $119 per month

Yotpo Product Reviews & UGC is a Shopify app that helps online stores gather and show off product reviews.

If you want to build customer trust, this app can be a game-changer.

When shoppers see real reviews from other customers, especially with photos or videos, they're more likely to buy.

Many store owners have shared how easy it is to use Yotpo and how it's helped boost their sales. They also love the support team, who's always there to help.

3. Gorgias ‑ Helpdesk & Live Chat

This app has made our life a lot easier with automations and was pretty easy to set up.

NaturoBest (Gorgias app user)

Installed on	27.7% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.4 out of 5.0
Use it for	Managing all customer support conversations
Key features	- Access full customer context, including order and conversation history, before responding. - Edit and manage Shopify orders directly from the Gorgias customer view. - Provide instant answers with self-service menus.
Pricing	$10 / $60 / $360 / $900 per month

If you've ever felt overwhelmed with all the questions coming in through multiple channels, Gorgias might be the solution you're looking for.

It brings together all your support conversations, whether they're from email, chat, voice calls, or even social media, into one easy-to-manage feed:

One of the standout features of Gorgias is its ability to provide you with a complete view of a customer's history.

Before you even start typing a response, you'll see their past orders, previous conversations, and other relevant details!

4. Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards

The app is a bit pricey but very good and useful. And they have a world class support.

ABINTUS (Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards app user)

Installed on	24.6% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.7 out of 5.0
Use it for	Building a loyalty program
Key features	- Offer diverse rewards to motivate repeat purchases. - Monitor metrics like ROI, AOV, LTV, and more. - Integrate with platforms like Klaviyo, ReCharge, and Gorgias.
Pricing	$0 / $199 per month

In ecommerce, retaining customers is just as important as acquiring new ones.

Yotpo offers a solution to help you do just that.

Whether it's through points, spend-based rewards, purchases, or referrals, you have the flexibility to design a program that aligns with your brand:

These programs can definitely help to increase your rate of returning customers!

5. Back in Stock: Restock Alerts

This app is crucial for us, and it should be for all merchants who manage a lot of SKUs and inventory.

iMotorcycle Japan (Back in Stock: Restock Alerts app user)

Installed on	24.3% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.8 out of 5.0
Use it for	Notifying customers when out-of-stock products are available again
Key features	- Automated alerts when products are restocked. - Integrations with email marketing platforms. - Monitor conversions and track most-wanted out-of-stock items.
Pricing	$0 / $19 / $29 / $49 per month

Imagine a customer visiting your online store and finding the perfect product, but it's out of stock.

Disappointed, they might leave and forget about it.

But what if you could let them know when it's available again?

That's where "Back in Stock: Restock Alerts" comes into play:

By allowing customers to sign up for restock alerts, you give them a reason to return to your store!

And when the product is back, they receive an instant notification, be it through push notifications, email, or SMS.

6. Shogun Landing Page Builder

Love Shogun! It has really meant we can up our game in terms of page design, without using an agency.

ARK Skincare (Shogun app user)

Installed on	23.4% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.8 out of 5.0
Use it for	Designing custom website pages
Key features	- Drag-and-drop page editor. - Editable theme sections allowing direct changes to your theme. - Integration with platforms like Google Analytics, YouTube, and Klaviyo.
Pricing	$0 / $29 / $199 / $499 per month

Creating visually appealing and functional store pages isn't easy, but it is important.

It's the first impression customers get, and it can significantly influence their buying decisions.

If you're not a coding expert but want to design stunning pages, Shogun Landing Page Builder is a great solution.

Shogun offers a drag-and-drop editor that makes it incredibly easy to design custom pages:

Merchants who've used Shogun have nothing but praise for it. They love its user-friendly interface, the flexibility it offers, and the top-notch customer service!

7. Geolocation

Works if your needs are very basic and you don't mind the very rudimentary styling.

Made of Sundays (Geolocation app user)

Installed on	23.2% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	2.5 out of 5.0
Use it for	Recommending the best country and language for your visitors
Key features	- Personalized recommendations based on the visitor's country. - Automatic matching of your store’s theme colors. - Preview feature before publishing on your store.
Pricing	Free

If you want to make your store more global-friendly, the Geolocation app might be helpful.

Developed by Shopify itself, this app aims to improve the shopping experience for your international customers.

It recommends the most suitable country and language settings based on your visitor's location:

Pretty cool, right?

8. Zendesk

Zendesk support and chat are essential for our site, as they allow us to support our customers efficiently.

Impregrafica (Zendesk app user)

Installed on	21.7% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	3.0 out of 5.0
Use it for	Offering omnichannel customer service
Key features	- Centralize customer interactions. - Access to relevant customer data. - Embed live chat in any storefront.
Pricing	$55 / $89 / $115 / $150 per month

Zendesk is the second most-installed customer service app by top Shopify stores.

Like Gorgias, Zendesk ensures that every customer interaction is managed efficiently:

It even comes with the option to embed live chat in your store, allowing you to offer real-time support and improve the overall shopping experience.

9. Klarna On‑Site Messaging

It's working pretty good. Only one big problem that I found is Ad blocker. If my customer use Ad blocker then this app doesn't show at all on the website.

Alfa-Jewelry (Klarna On-Site Messaging app user)

Installed on	21.0% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	2.7 out of 5.0
Use it for	Promoting your partnership with Klarna
Key features	- Show the availability of payment options like Klarna. - Personalize your messaging.
Pricing	Free

Klarna is a payment gateway that's all about offering flexible payment options, and with their On-Site Messaging app, you can let your customers know about it.

It reminds your customers that they have more ways to pay, like spreading the cost over a few months:

Unfortunately, it seems some users have faced challenges, especially with the app's visibility on their sites.

10. Wishlist Plus

My experience with Wishlist Plus has been great!! It is exactly what I was looking for to help customers along their buying journey to save products for later as a customer usually doesn't buy the first time they see a product.

ARMOURED THREADS (Wishlist Plus app user)

Installed on	19.4% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.9 out of 5.0
Use it for	Allowing customers to create wishlists
Key features	- Send email alerts for low-stock, restock, and price drops of wishlist items. - Automated pop-up when a customer deletes a product from their cart, asking if they want to add it to their wishlist.
Pricing	$0 / $15 / $50 / $100 per month

Every shopper has experienced the moment when they find something they love but aren't ready to purchase immediately.

Wishlist Plus provides a solution for these moments, allowing customers to save their favorite items and come back to them later.

Many Shopify stores are giving Wishlist Plus 5-star reviews. They mostly love all the features that this app offers, including social sharing, automated notifications, and more!

Did you know? The average product price among the top 1,000 Shopify stores is $115.22

11. Loop Returns & Exchanges

Loop has been the biggest help to our growing business. As someone who does returns daily, we have used many platforms but Loop is the most efficient we have used to date!

Red Land Cotton (Loop Returns & Exchanges app user)

Installed on	19.2% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.6 out of 5.0
Use it for	Managing your returns and exchanges
Key features	- Automate your returns. - Incentivize exchanges with features like Bonus Credit and Instant Exchanges. - Offer at-home pickup and easy, self-serve returns.
Pricing	$29 / $59 / $165 / $375 per month

Returns and refunds are an inevitable part of ecommerce.

Loop Returns & Exchanges is an app that simplifies and automates this process.

One of the key features of Loop is its ability to incentivize exchanges.

With options like Bonus Credit and Shop Now, you can encourage customers to choose another product instead of just asking for a refund!

12. Awin ‑ Affiliate Marketing

Very disappointed with AWIN. It has slow / non-existent customer service from their email help team. The app is glitchy and despite several emails to them, it is still asking me to download the app even though my programme is live.

Boostology (Awin app user)

Installed on	18.1% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	1.8 out of 5.0
Use it for	Driving sales through affiliate marketing partnerships
Key features	- Connect with bloggers, influencers, and other partners to promote your products. - Access to 270,000 promotional partners. - Centralized platform, allowing for easy tracking.
Pricing	$50 per month ($549 joining fee)

Affiliate marketing is a powerful tool for ecommerce businesses looking to increase sales.

The Awin Shopify app connects to Awin's platform, which allows you to connect to over 270,000 promotional partners, including bloggers, influencers, and price comparison sites.

Your partners will promote your products to their audience, which can expand your reach and increase your sales.

Unfortunately, many users have shared negative experiences lately with Awin's Shopify app.

They mostly share concerns about the platform being very unintuitive, disappointing customer service, and issues with discount codes being shared on promotional websites.

Also, the app is free to install, but there are fees associated with using Awin’s affiliate marketing platform. All charges are billed separately from your Shopify invoice.

13. Recharge Subscriptions

There have been lots of subscription apps popping up lately and Recharge definitely is on the pricier side. However, it is by far the most robust/enterprise level products out there and there continue to be product improvements.

Viva Raw (Recharge Subscriptions app user)

Installed on	17.9% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.5 out of 5.0
Use it for	Offering subscriptions.
Key features	- A platform for managing all subscription-related activities. - Features like 'Flows' to personalize the customer journey. - 'Bundles' feature for cross-selling.
Pricing	$99 / $499 per month

Offering subscriptions on your Shopify store is a great way to create a consistent revenue stream and give customers the convenience of regular product deliveries.

One of the best apps to add this feature to your store is Recharge Subscriptions.

With Recharge, you can manage everything related to your subscriptions.

It allows you to set up recurring billing, use 'Flows' for personalized incentives like adding free gifts, or using 'Bundles' for cross-selling:

Many Shopify users in the reviews section mentioned that they've reported increased conversion rates and consistent revenue using Recharge.

The app is quite pricey, but many believe the value justifies the cost!

14. Rebuy Personalization Engine

I absolutely love REBUY! It has helped me increase revenue so fast.

&Collar (Rebuy Personalization Engine app user)

Installed on	17.2% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	4.9 out of 5.0
Use it for	Making your Shopify store more personal for each customer
Key features	- 'Smart Cart' for customizable and AI-driven cart experiences. - Data-driven product recommendations in checkout. - Integrations with Klaviyo, Recharge Subscriptions, and more.
Pricing	$0 / $99 / $249 per month

Have you ever wanted your online store to feel more personal for each shopper?

Rebuy Personalization Engine can help.

It uses innovative technology to understand what each visitor likes. So, when they browse your store, they see products and offers that match their interests.

One cool thing about Rebuy is the 'Smart Cart.'

Basically, Rebuy will show your customers other products they might like on the cart page.

And after someone buys something, Rebuy can show them other things they might like, bringing them back to shop again.

15. Shopify Privacy & Compliance

Good app, it does what it says. Please make the colors customizable and the "privacy policy" translatable. Then it's perfect.

Mapmio Stadtkunst (Shopify Privacy & Compliance app user)

Installed on	16.5% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores
Shopify App Rating	2.5 out of 5.0
Use it for	Managing GDPR consent and data sharing
Key features	- Comply with legal requirements for GDPR and US State Privacy Laws. - Customize and configure your cookie banner design.
Pricing	Free

If you're running a top Shopify store, it's crucial to protect your customer's privacy and data.

That's where Shopify Privacy & Compliance can help.

The app is developed by Shopify and is designed to help you manage consent and data sharing, ensuring you comply with legal requirements like GDPR and US State Privacy Laws:

With a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars, some users have found it great and easy to use, while others have faced challenges, especially with the banner's visibility based on customer IP locations.

What are the most common technologies used by top Shopify stores?

Those were some interesting Shopify apps, right?

You can definitely imagine some of them can be invaluable for a high-traffic Shopify store.

But apps don't tell the whole story.

These Shopify stores also use a stack of technologies to allow them to operate.

Here is a table of the most common technologies used by the top 1,000 Shopify stores:

Technology	Used by percentage of the top 1,000 Shopify stores:
Cloudflare CDN	91.7%
Google Tag Manager	87.6%
Google Adsense	86.3%
Facebook Pixel	85.6%
Google Analytics	84.2%
Apple Pay	79.7%
Google Ads Pixel	76.9%
Klaviyo	76.6%
Shop Pay	74.6%
Pinterest Pixel	67.7%
TikTok Pixel	64.2%
Google Pay	63.8%
PayPal Express Checkout	63.0%
Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce	61.1%
Bing Ads	45.3%

Here is what you can learn from this table:

• Cloudflare CDN. The most used technology among top Shopify stores is Cloudflare CDN. CDN stands for Content Delivery Network, and it helps speed up the loading time of websites. Fast website, happy customers!
• Marketing. You can see the effort of these stores to maximize their marketing efforts. Whether it's through social media marketing (Facebook Pixel, Pinterest Pixel, TikTok Pixel) or search engine marketing (Google Adsense and Bing Ads), it's all about measuring, optimizing, and building targeted audiences.

• Analytics. Top Shopify stores know that understanding your customers is crucial. By using tools like Google Analytics, Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce, and Google Tag Manager, they can make informed decisions, ultimately leading to a more successful store.
• Payments. A smooth payment process is crucial for increasing conversions of your 'initiate checkout to purchase.' The data reveals that top Shopify stores use various technologies to streamline the checkout process, including Apple Pay (79.7%), Shop Pay (74.6%), Google Pay (63.8%), and PayPal Express Checkout (63.0%).

What themes do top Shopify stores use?

When it comes to setting up a Shopify store, the theme you choose plays an important role in defining your brand and customer experience.

So, let's look at what themes the top Shopify stores are choosing!

First, we found that 74.2% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores use a custom theme.

This makes complete sense because a custom theme gives you full control over your store's design, allowing you to create a one-of-a-kind shopping experience for your customers.

But what about the stores that opt for standard Shopify themes?

Here's a table overview:

Shopify theme	Used by percentage of the top 1,000 Shopify stores:
Dawn	4.6%
Launch	3.1%
Impulse	2.1%
Prestige	1.7%
Symmetry	1.2%
Focal	1.0%
Expanse	0.8%
Empire	0.7%
Impact	0.6%
Warehouse	0.6%
Refresh	0.5%
Reformation	0.5%
Pipeline	0.5%
Stiletto	0.5%
Motion	0.5%

Interesting distribution, right?

From the minority of top Shopify stores using a standard Shopify theme, there's not really one theme that stands out as superior.

But there's one last thing we must consider.

What about page builders?

Even though 4.6% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores have installed Dawn (which is Shopify's standard free theme), how many are using a page builder instead?

The answer is that of the stores using the Dawn theme, 12 stores (approximately 26.1%) have also installed a page builder app.

But here's where things get interesting.

31.3% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores have installed a page builder.

When you consider that only 5% of all dropshipping stores use a page builder, this is quite huge!

Here is a table overview of the most popular page builders used by the top 1,000 Shopify stores:

Page builder	Used by percentage of the top 1,000 Shopify stores:
Shogun Landing Page Builder	23.4%
PageFly Landing Page Builder	5.1%
GemPages Landing Page Builder	2.0%
Zipify Landing Page Builder	1.7%
LayoutHub ‑ Easy Page Builder	0.5%

It's interesting to note that Shogun is the most popular page builder among the top Shopify stores.

Especially because among all Shopify stores, PageFly has around 81k installs, while Shogun has around 42k installs.

So, generally, PageFly is about two times more popular than Shogun. But when you only look at the top Shopify stores, Shogun is almost five times more popular than PageFly!

Which kinds of pages are common among top Shopify stores?

We've covered the apps, technologies, payment processors, and themes.

But what about the store pages?

Having the right set of pages on your Shopify store is like laying down the perfect foundation for your online house.

They help to provide valuable information to your customers and help a lot with building trust and credibility!

Here are the most popular feature pages used by the top 1,000 Shopify stores:

Page	Used by percentage of the top 1,000 Shopify stores:
Contact page	79.4%
Tracking page	76.5%
Has blog	74.1%
Returns page	70.6%
FAQ page	66.8%
Tracking page	62.4%
International shipping	47.4%
Wholesale/retailers page	33.4%
Store locator page	32.7%
Brand advocate page	30.8%

From this data, there are a few interesting takeaways.

The contact, tracking, and FAQ pages are like the foundation of customer service.

They're there to give customers the information they need, whether it's how to get in touch, where their order is, or quick answers to common questions.

It's all about keeping things easy for the customer!

Did you know? 24.1% of the top 1,000 Shopify stores offer free returns.

Next, have you noticed how many of these top stores have blogs? 74.1%!

That's because they're not just selling products; they're selling a vibe, a lifestyle, or a story.

Last but not least, let's give a shout-out to the stores that have brand advocate pages.

These pages are basically their way of saying, 'Don't just take our word for it; check out what these happy customers have to say!'

It's like when a friend tells you about this awesome new product; you're way more likely to check it out, right?

Summary

Before we go to the conclusion, we've created a quick summary of this article for you so you can easily remember it:

• On October 17, 2023, we analyzed data from the top 1,000 Shopify stores based on Shopify rank.
• The average top Shopify store has upgraded to Shopify Plus, sells 1,593 products at an average price of $115.22, and has 13 installed Shopify apps.
• Klaviyo is the most popular email & SMS marketing app, Yotpo is the most popular product review and loyalty app, and Gorgias is the most popular customer service app among top Shopify stores.
• Cloudflare CDN is the most common technology used, followed by Facebook Pixel and Apple Pay.
• 74.2% of top stores use a custom theme, with Launch being the most popular paid Shopify theme.
• 31.3% of top stores use a page builder, with Shogun being the most popular option.
• The most common store pages include a contact page, a tracking page, and a returns page.
• 74.1% of top Shopify stores have a blog, and 30.8% have a brand advocate page.

Conclusion

As we have seen in this article, you can find a goldmine of valuable insights by peeling back the technological layers of these top Shopify stores!

For instance, the widespread adoption of Shopify Plus shows that it's a powerful platform for supporting larger, more complex operations.

Or, we've seen how apps like Klaviyo, Yotpo, and Gorgias are crucial in areas like marketing, customer reviews, and customer service.

But it's not just about the apps.

Technologies like Cloudflare CDN and Apple Pay work behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly.

And, of course, most top Shopify stores opt for a one-of-a-kind branded look, either by using a custom theme or page builder like Shogun.

So go ahead and apply these insights to your own store. Good luck with everything!

Want to learn more about Shopify?

Ready to move your Shopify store to the next level? Check out the articles below:

• 9 Ecommerce Stores That Started With or Use Dropshipping
• The 16 Best Shopify Apps for Successful Dropshipping Stores
• 23 Most Successful Shopify Dropshipping Store Examples | Inspiration

Plus, don’t forget to check out our in-depth how to start a Shopify store guide here.