These Features Don'tNeed an App

In short

Many apps solve tasks that Shopify or a good theme can already handle. Free shipping bars, cart recommendations, product recommendations and color swatches are standard equipment in modern themes today. Every unnecessary app costs money, load time and maintenance. Our principle: Shopify and the theme first, then an app, and only if it solves a real problem.

Our principle

The feature itself is often valuable. A bar showing how much is left until free shipping can increase cart size. So can recommendations in the cart. The only question is whether you need another app for it. If your theme doesn't include these standard features, we'd rather reconsider the theme than install the next app. More in Bought a Premium Theme, Still Having Problems and in our App Diet.

What a good theme can already do

• Free shipping bar. Most good premium themes show in the cart how much is left until free shipping.
• Cart recommendations. Modern themes often include matching add-on products in the cart. An app only pays off if you need special offer rules or a placement the theme can't handle.
• Product recommendations. Shopify provides recommendations without a paid app, and many themes show them on the product page or in the cart. In one project we needed a separate solution because the recommendation had to sit in a spot in the cart the theme didn't provide for. That was a layout question, not proof that every store needs an app.
• Color swatches and product options. Option apps used to be important for color swatches. Current premium themes include them. You only need an app if your products are more complex than the theme can handle.

What we don't install an app for

• Blog builders. Most blog layouts can be built with the theme editor. Another builder only pays off if the editorial design genuinely goes beyond the theme.
• SEO apps for structured data. We build structured data directly into the theme and validate it, instead of installing another app with a monthly fee. More in Structured Data in Shopify.
• Room preview apps. Print providers often supply their own presentation images, and AI image tools can create scenes when needed. A separate app only pays off if customers should see their own room live.

What we leave out entirely

We don't use page builders like PageFly. They add unnecessary code to the store, slow down the theme and make maintenance and collaboration harder. We don't take on stores that are meant to keep relying on PageFly sections long term. Instead we work with the theme editor and properly developed sections. When custom sections are worth it is covered in Theme or Custom.

FAQ

How do I know what my theme can do? A look at the theme editor and the theme's documentation shows most features. We check this for you in the audit.

Isn't an app easier than switching themes? In the short term, yes. In the long run, every app costs money, load time and maintenance. If many standard features are missing, a better theme is usually cheaper.

Why are you so firmly against page builders? Because they bring code and dependencies into the store that cost more in the long run than they save.

Which apps does my store really need? We clarify that in our Audit. An overview of all the apps we recommend is in Our App Stack.