Almost every project involves apps: reviews, subscriptions, bundles, returns, chat. That creates two completely different costs: the work of choosing and setting up an app, and the ongoing fee to the app provider. We keep the two separate in our offers, always. So you know upfront what's one-time and what comes every month.
The situation
Lots of offers say “incl. review app”. That sounds like everything is paid for. A few months later, the first invoice from the app provider arrives, or the free plan is no longer enough. Then the surprise is big, and trust takes a hit.
What's behind “installing an app”
The installation itself takes a minute. The work is everything around it:
- Selection: Which app fits the store, the budget and the other apps?
- Setup: Settings, rules, copy, legal notices.
- Design: The app should look like part of your store, not like a foreign object.
- Data: Import existing reviews, migrate subscriptions, map products.
- Testing: Does everything work on mobile, in checkout, with the other apps?
How we bill
| Cost | Who pays whom | In the offer |
|---|---|---|
| Selection, setup, design, testing | You pay us | As a fixed price |
| App license | You pay the app provider directly | As a note with the current plan |
| Theme license | You pay the theme provider directly | As a note |
That way, every license runs in your name. If you switch agencies later, everything still belongs to you.
What you can take away
- For every app, ask: What does it cost per month, and from when? Many free plans end once you pass a certain number of orders or reviews.
- Keep licenses in your name. Not through the agency. Then everything stays yours.
- An app isn't a finished solution. Without setup and design, it looks like a foreign object and only uses part of what it can do.
- Add up the running costs. Ten apps at 20 dollars each are a budget of their own over a year.
Want to know what your store really costs every month? Our offers list it separately and in full.