When Shopify Apps Aren't Enough — What to Do Next

The Double Cost of Apps

Every app you install costs you twice.

First time — the monthly payment. An app here, an app there, and suddenly you're paying thousands monthly on apps alone.

Second time — the speed. Every app adds code to your site. 10 apps = slow site. Slow site = fewer sales. Simple.

Note: Client names and some details have been changed to protect confidentiality. The technical challenges and solutions are real.

We once audited a store with 15 apps. The site took 8 seconds to load on mobile. We removed 9 apps and replaced them with one custom solution. Load time dropped to 2 seconds. Conversions went up 23% the following month.

When Shopify Is Enough — And When It Isn't

Shopify is enough when your business is simple: one store, standard products, standard checkout. In that case, use apps and you'll be fine.

Shopify isn't enough when:

• You have multiple sales channels (online + physical store + wholesale) and inventory doesn't sync
• You sell custom products with a production process
• Integration with your ERP or accounting breaks constantly
• You're overselling (selling products not in stock) and losing money and trust

A Real-World Example

A client with a physical store and online shop had a classic problem: inventory wasn't updating in real-time. Every day there were 3-5 cases of overselling — customers bought online what had already sold in-store.

They tried several inventory apps. None worked fast enough.

We built them middleware that connects Shopify to their in-store POS. Inventory updates in real-time across all channels.

The result: 50% fewer overselling cases. The system has been running for two years without intervention.

What's the Solution?

The concept is simple: Shopify keeps doing what it's good at (store, cart, payment), and behind the scenes there's a custom system handling everything Shopify can't do.

It doesn't replace Shopify. It complements it.

Want to Check If This Fits You?

If you're paying a lot for apps and still have problems, or things break constantly — it's worth checking if a custom solution would work better.

We'd love to hear what's happening with you and honestly say if this is the right direction.