Shopify's own apps versus the most-reviewed third-party app in the same category
Version 1. 5 rows, 8 columns.
By Martin DejnickiUpdated
Short answer
The dataset compares five Shopify-built apps with the most-reviewed third-party app in the same Shopify App Store category: Shopify Search & Discovery, Subscriptions, Forms, Messaging and Inbox. For each app it holds the average star rating, out of 5, and the lifetime review count, as listed on the Shopify App Store on October 18, 2026. The leader columns are empty for chat, where no third-party leader is recorded.
Shopify's own apps trail the most-reviewed third-party apps most in search, 2.6 stars against 4.9
Average App Store rating of Shopify's own app and of the most-reviewed third-party app in the same category, out of 5, October 18, 2026
- The leading app is the third-party app with the most reviews in the same App Store category on October 18, 2026.
- Ratings are averages of self-selected reviews, and review counts differ widely: Shopify Search & Discovery has 511 reviews, Smart Product Filter & Search 2,385.
- Pop Convert, a pop-up and banner app, is the most-reviewed third-party app in the pop-ups and email marketing listings; the forms row takes it from the email marketing listing and the similar apps on the Shopify Forms listing, and the email row compares Shopify Messaging with a pop-up tool rather than an email sender.
- The dataset holds no chat listing, so Shopify Inbox (4.6 stars, 5,812 reviews) has no third-party leader in it; only its own rating is drawn and no gap is shown.
Source: Shopify App Store listings and category pages, captured October 18, 2026. Read on .
About this dataset
The dataset compares five Shopify-built apps with the most-reviewed third-party app in the same Shopify App Store category: Shopify Search & Discovery, Subscriptions, Forms, Messaging and Inbox. For each app it holds the average star rating, out of 5, and the lifetime review count, as listed on the Shopify App Store on October 18, 2026. The leader columns are empty for chat, where no third-party leader is recorded. Capability names are Deploi's labels.
- Version
- 1
- Coverage in time
- Snapshot of October 18, 2026
- Coverage in space
- Worldwide (Shopify App Store listings)
- Last updated
- October 18, 2026
- License
- CC BY 4.0. Deploi's compilation is CC BY 4.0. The underlying figures belong to Shopify Inc. and the app developers and are cited to the sources listed.
Variables
The CSV header uses the column name.
| Column name | Label | Type | Unit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowKey | Row key | string | Stable key of the row; matches provenance rowKey. | |
| nativeApp | Shopify app | string | text | Name of the Shopify-built app as its App Store listing shows it |
| nativeRating | Shopify app rating | number | stars out of 5 | Average star rating on the Shopify app's listing on October 18, 2026, out of 5 |
| nativeReviews | Shopify app reviews | number | reviews | Lifetime review count on the Shopify app's listing on October 18, 2026 |
| leaderApp | Third-party leader | string | text | Third-party app with the most reviews in the same App Store category on October 18, 2026; empty for chat |
| leaderRating | Leader rating | number | stars out of 5 | Average star rating on the leader's listing on October 18, 2026, out of 5 |
| leaderReviews | Leader reviews | number | reviews | Lifetime review count on the leader's listing on October 18, 2026 |
| capability | Capability | string | text | Capability name set by Deploi from the row key |
The data
| Row key | Shopify app | Shopify app rating (stars out of 5) | Shopify app reviews | Third-party leader | Leader rating (stars out of 5) | Leader reviews | Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| search-and-discovery | Shopify Search & Discovery | 2.6 | 511 | Smart Product Filter & Search | 4.9 | 2,385 | Search and filters |
| subscriptions | Shopify Subscriptions | 3.7 | 864 | Appstle℠ Subscriptions App | 5 | 9,045 | Subscriptions |
| inbox-chat | Shopify Inbox | 4.6 | 5,812 | Not stated | Not stated | Chat | |
| forms | Shopify Forms | 4.5 | 751 | Pop Convert ‑ Pop Ups, Banners | 4.9 | 8,707 | Forms |
| Shopify Messaging | 4.8 | 4,687 | Pop Convert ‑ Pop Ups, Banners | 4.9 | 8,707 |
Where each value comes from
Every value, the document it was read from, the exact place in it and the date it was read. Computed values show their formula.
Show all 32 traced values
| Row | Field | Value | Source | Where in the source | Read on | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| search-and-discovery | Shopify app | Shopify Search & Discovery | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Search & Discovery (captured 2026-10-18) | Shopify Search & Discovery Pricing Free Free Popular with stores like yours Based in United States Rating 2.6 (511) | html | |
| search-and-discovery | Shopify app rating | 2.6 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Search & Discovery (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Shopify app | html | |
| search-and-discovery | Shopify app reviews | 511 reviews | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Search & Discovery (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Shopify app | html | |
| search-and-discovery | Third-party leader | Smart Product Filter & Search | Shopify App Store category listing: search-and-filters, all 13 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18) | Smart Product Filter & Search 4.9 out of 5 stars (2,385) 2385 total reviews | html | |
| search-and-discovery | Leader rating | 4.9 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store category listing: search-and-filters, all 13 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Third-party leader | html | |
| search-and-discovery | Leader reviews | 2,385 reviews | Shopify App Store category listing: search-and-filters, all 13 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Third-party leader | html | |
| subscriptions | Shopify app | Shopify Subscriptions | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Subscriptions (captured 2026-10-18) | Shopify Subscriptions Pricing Free Free Popular with stores like yours Based in United States Rating 3.7 (864) | html | |
| subscriptions | Shopify app rating | 3.7 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Subscriptions (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Shopify app | html | |
| subscriptions | Shopify app reviews | 864 reviews | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Subscriptions (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Shopify app | html | |
| subscriptions | Third-party leader | Appstle℠ Subscriptions App | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Subscriptions (captured 2026-10-18) | Appstle℠ Subscriptions App 5.0 out of 5 stars (9,045) 9045 total reviews | html | |
| subscriptions | Leader rating | 5 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Subscriptions (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Third-party leader | html | |
| subscriptions | Leader reviews | 9,045 reviews | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Subscriptions (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Third-party leader | html | |
| inbox-chat | Shopify app | Shopify Inbox | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Inbox (captured 2026-10-18) | Shopify Inbox Pricing Free Free Popular with stores like yours Based in United States Rating 4.6 (5,812) | html | |
| inbox-chat | Shopify app rating | 4.6 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Inbox (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Shopify app | html | |
| inbox-chat | Shopify app reviews | 5,812 reviews | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Inbox (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Shopify app | html | |
| forms | Shopify app | Shopify Forms | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Forms (captured 2026-10-18) | Shopify Forms Pricing Free Free Popular with stores like yours Based in United States Rating 4.5 (751) | html | |
| forms | Shopify app rating | 4.5 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Forms (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Shopify app | html | |
| forms | Shopify app reviews | 751 reviews | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Forms (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Shopify app | html | |
| forms | Third-party leader | Pop Convert ‑ Pop Ups, Banners | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Forms (captured 2026-10-18) | Pop Convert ‑ Pop Ups, Banners 4.9 out of 5 stars (8,707) 8707 total reviews | html | |
| forms | Leader rating | 4.9 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Forms (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Third-party leader | html | |
| forms | Leader reviews | 8,707 reviews | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Forms (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Third-party leader | html | |
| Shopify app | Shopify Messaging | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Email (Shopify Messaging) (captured 2026-10-18) | Shopify Messaging Pricing Free to install. Additional charges may apply. Free to install Popular with stores like yours Based in United States Rating 4.8… | html | ||
| Shopify app rating | 4.8 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Email (Shopify Messaging) (captured 2026-10-18) | …Messaging Pricing Free to install. Additional charges may apply. Free to install Popular with stores like yours Based in United States Rating 4.8 (4,687) | html | ||
| Shopify app reviews | 4,687 reviews | Shopify App Store listing: Shopify Email (Shopify Messaging) (captured 2026-10-18) | …Messaging Pricing Free to install. Additional charges may apply. Free to install Popular with stores like yours Based in United States Rating 4.8 (4,687) | html | ||
| Third-party leader | Pop Convert ‑ Pop Ups, Banners | Shopify App Store category listing: email-marketing, all 18 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18) | Pop Convert ‑ Pop Ups, Banners 4.9 out of 5 stars (8,707) 8707 total reviews | html | ||
| Leader rating | 4.9 stars out of 5 | Shopify App Store category listing: email-marketing, all 18 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Third-party leader | html | ||
| Leader reviews | 8,707 reviews | Shopify App Store category listing: email-marketing, all 18 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18) | Same passage as Third-party leader | html | ||
| search-and-discovery | Capability | Search and filters | Computed by Deploi | …display label set by Deploi from the row key: search-and-discovery = Search and filters; subscriptions = Subscriptions; forms = Forms; email = Email; ...;… | computed | |
| subscriptions | Capability | Subscriptions | Computed by Deploi | …row key: search-and-discovery = Search and filters; subscriptions = Subscriptions; forms = Forms; email = Email; ...; display label set by Deploi from… | computed | |
| inbox-chat | Capability | Chat | Computed by Deploi | capability = display label set by Deploi from the row key: search-and-discovery = Search and filters; subscriptions = Subscriptions; forms = Forms; email =… | computed | |
| forms | Capability | Forms | Computed by Deploi | …search-and-discovery = Search and filters; subscriptions = Subscriptions; forms = Forms; email = Email; ...; display label set by Deploi from the row key | computed | |
| Capability | Computed by Deploi | …search-and-discovery = Search and filters; subscriptions = Subscriptions; forms = Forms; email = Email; ...; display label set by Deploi from the row key | computed |
Methodology
Caveats: Shopify's own apps versus the most-reviewed third-party app in the same category
- Ratings are averages of self-selected reviews. They describe who chose to review an app, not how the app performs on any store.
- The third-party leader is the app with the most reviews in the same App Store category on October 18, 2026, not the highest-rated app. Pop Convert, a pop-up and banner app, leads the pop-ups and the email marketing listings. The dataset holds no forms listing: the forms row takes Pop Convert from the email marketing listing and the similar apps on the Shopify Forms listing. The email row therefore compares Shopify Messaging with a pop-up tool; Klaviyo, in the same email marketing listing, rates 4.7 from 3,395 reviews.
- The dataset holds no chat listing, so Shopify Inbox has no third-party leader in it and no gap is shown. This does not mean the App Store has no third-party chat app.
- Review counts differ widely: Shopify Search & Discovery has 511 reviews and Smart Product Filter & Search 2,385. A rating on fewer reviews is less settled.
- The dataset holds ratings and review counts only. It holds no prices and does not say whether an app is free.
- Listings change daily. The figures are one snapshot and are not a time series.
Deploi's charts and compilation are licensed CC BY 4.0. The underlying facts belong to their sources, which are named on every page. How Deploi Shopify Data works.
Sources
Tier A sources are primary documents: filings, official releases and official price pages. How sources are ranked.
- Tier AShopify App Store listing: flow (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store listing: Shopify Inbox (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store listing: Shopify Search & Discovery (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store listing: Shopify Email (Shopify Messaging) (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store listing: Shopify Forms (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store listing: Shopify Subscriptions (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store category listing: email-marketing, all 18 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store category listing: pop-ups, all 21 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store category listing: search-and-filters, all 13 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify App Store category listing: subscriptions, all 7 pages concatenated (captured 2026-10-18)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
Cite and reuse
Deploi's charts and compilation are licensed CC BY 4.0. The underlying facts belong to their sources, which are named on every page.
APA
Deploi. (2026). Shopify's own apps versus the most-reviewed third-party app in the same category (Version 1) [Data set]. https://deploi.ca/shopify/data/datasets/native-vs-third-party-apps Retrieved October 18, 2026.
BibTeX
@misc{deploi_native_vs_third_party_apps_2026,
author = {{Deploi}},
title = {Shopify's own apps versus the most-reviewed third-party app in the same category},
year = {2026},
version = {1},
url = {https://deploi.ca/shopify/data/datasets/native-vs-third-party-apps},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18}
}Downloads
- Data: Shopify's own apps versus the most-reviewed third-party app in the same category CSV
Changes
- · Shopify's own apps versus the most-reviewed third-party app in the same category
First release. Five Shopify apps and their category leaders read from Shopify App Store listings and category pages on October 18, 2026.