Toronto · Shopify app development
Shopify app development in Toronto for merchants and app makers
Canada Create designs, builds and supports Shopify apps in Toronto: integrations, checkout extensions, admin tools and App Store products, with platform eligibility and data access documented first.
Shopify app development for Toronto and GTA merchants and app makers, from North York to downtown: custom features, integrations and multi-merchant apps with distribution and costs defined.
- BBB A+ accredited
- 18 years in business
- Mon to Fri 9 to 6, Sat 10 to 2
Get a custom proposal for your app
Tell us what the app has to do, who will use it and what it connects to. We aim to reply to your enquiry within one business day. A clear scope and proposal follow discovery.
Please do not share passwords or other sensitive details here. We never sell your contact information and we comply with Canadian privacy law
(privacy policy).
What a well-built Shopify app gives your business
A feature scope that fits
Existing Shopify features, licensed apps and custom options compared against the required workflow, total cost and support needs.
Defined data connections
Agreed record authority, supported interfaces, update timing and responsibility for exceptions or missing information.
Plan-appropriate checkout features
Eligible extensions and Functions matched to the required checkout workflow.
A public app product
Multi-merchant architecture, billing, review preparation and support planning.
What is included in Shopify app development
Each app is scoped to the store or the product, but these are the building blocks we plan, build and support.
- Discovery and scopeWorkflow, systems, plan and theme mapped, with acceptance criteria for the proposed release.
- Admin app designScreens inside the Shopify admin built to Shopify's design system.
- Storefront and checkout extensionsTheme and checkout extensions selected for the store plan and tested with the active theme.
- IntegrationsSupported connections to agreed ERP, warehouse, accounting, CRM including CS+, marketing or shipping products, with access and data requirements confirmed.
- Custom app buildCustom distribution for the eligible store or Plus organization, without App Store review; applicable feature and data requirements still apply.
- Public app buildMulti-store scope, appropriate Shopify billing, review preparation and listing requirements. Shopify controls acceptance.
- Testing and launchDevelopment-store testing with synthetic or approved minimized data, followed by installation and training.
- Support and updatesSeparately purchased monitoring, API version updates, checkout and theme changes, and improvements under an agreed maintenance scope.
Shopify app development cost
Each app is custom-scoped after discovery. The proposal separates the build, support and third-party fees, including integrations, extensions and public-app requirements.
Custom integration app
Quoted in writing
One store connecting Shopify to ERP, warehouse, accounting or CRM
- Data mapping and sync rules
- Admin settings screen
- Monitoring and error handling
- Installation and training
Custom feature app
Quoted in writing
Pricing, bundles, configurators, wholesale ordering or checkout extensions for your store
- Admin and storefront components
- Checkout extensions where plan-eligible
- Theme compatibility testing
- Support plan
Public App Store app
Quoted in writing
A product sold to many merchants through the Shopify App Store
- Multi-store architecture
- Shopify billing
- Review preparation and listing
- Merchant support tooling
Shopify plans, hosting and paid services have separate provider charges and licence terms. The proposal identifies expected build, support and third-party costs, billing currency and assumptions about usage or future changes.
Shopify app developers
Shopify developers who build inside the platform's rules
Add the feature or integration your Shopify store is missing. Shopify app development in Toronto is the design, coding, testing and release of apps that extend Shopify: custom apps for one merchant’s store, and public apps sold to many merchants through the Shopify App Store. Canada Create has built software and Shopify stores since 2008 from our Toronto office and is BBB Accredited with an A+ rating.
A Shopify app project covers six areas of work:
- Scope and distribution: custom app for one store or public app for many, decided first.
- Integrations: ERP, warehouse, accounting and CRM sync with clear data rules.
- Storefront and admin features: configurators, bundles, wholesale ordering and admin screens.
- Checkout extensions: built where your Shopify plan supports them.
- Testing and review: theme compatibility checks and App Store review preparation.
- Support: API version updates and monitoring after launch.
Building or moving the store itself? See our Shopify development agency page.
Shopify app development in Toronto: what a Shopify app is
Shopify runs the store; apps extend it through permitted interfaces and extension points. Supported access can involve products, orders, customers, inventory, discounts, admin tools or storefront features, subject to the app’s permissions, distribution and the store’s plan. Some requirements are already covered by Shopify or an existing app. Before commissioning a build, compare available configuration, licensed apps, supported integration and custom development against the workflow, total cost, data rights and maintenance responsibilities. For a shopping app built around your own store, see ecommerce app development in Toronto.
Custom apps for one store, public apps for many
Custom distribution supports one store, or multiple stores belonging to the same Shopify Plus organization; it is not a general route to distribute privately to unrelated merchants. It does not require an App Store listing or review and cannot charge merchants through Shopify’s app-billing system. Applicable feature, data and contractual requirements still apply. Public distribution supports multiple merchants through the Shopify App Store and requires review, an appropriate Shopify-provided billing solution for charges, and ongoing product support. We build both, including public products developed with our MVP development team.
Shopify apps we build
Potential scope includes supported ERP, warehouse, accounting, CRM and marketing connections, with authoritative records, update timing and failure responsibilities agreed. Custom pricing, wholesale and B2B ordering can be assessed alongside our Shopify B2B service; native features and limits depend on the store’s plan. Configurators, bundles, subscriptions, loyalty and post-purchase functions require feature-specific eligibility and compatibility checks. Checkout extensions are limited to supported surfaces and capabilities. Operations or admin tools can support agreed fulfilment, returns, inventory and reporting tasks. A separately scoped customer-facing app from our mobile app development team can use permitted store interfaces; shared data, ordering and notification functions are assessed rather than assumed.
Shopify’s rules and what they mean for a build
We map each feature to the store’s plan, permitted API access and extension surface before the build. Information, shipping and payment-step UI extensions require Shopify Plus; eligible thank-you and order-status extensions are available on Basic or higher. Public App Store apps can offer Shopify Functions on any plan, while custom apps containing Functions require Plus, with further limits for individual APIs. Public apps also need review, appropriate Shopify billing and required privacy handling. Customer-data access requirements depend on the app type and requested information; a merchant’s approval does not remove applicable Shopify requirements. Your team confirms necessary data use, permissions, retention and disclosures with its responsible reviewers. We prepare and test against those requirements, but approval and review timing remain Shopify’s decisions.
How a Shopify app project runs
The proposal identifies the merchant workflow, intended users, store plans, themes, required interfaces and acceptance measures. It sets out what your team must provide, including vendor access, permitted records, product decisions and approval of the admin or storefront experience. Testing is scoped to the supported plans, themes, permissions, performance and relevant checkout or submission requirements, using synthetic or appropriately minimized authorized data. Production access and rollout need agreed approval; unresolved records, support responsibilities and handover are documented. For public apps, listing, billing and merchant support are distinct deliverables, and Shopify controls review and acceptance. For a separately commissioned customer-facing mobile app, our store optimization service concerns Apple App Store and Google Play listings. AI may assist research, design, code and content preparation; our team reviews and tests the work, applies editorial judgement and presents final work for your approval before release.
What Shopify app development costs in Toronto and what changes the fee
Every app is quoted in writing after discovery. The cost drivers are whether the app is custom or public, the number of admin screens and storefront blocks, checkout extensions, the systems it integrates with and how well documented they are, data volume and sync frequency, whether the app must support many stores and themes, and the review, billing and support requirements of a public listing. A proposal separates the build from support and from third-party costs such as hosting and any paid services, and it phases the work around a useful first release, acceptance checks and an agreed support plan.
Keeping a Shopify app working
Shopify releases versioned API updates on a regular schedule, while some platform surfaces are unversioned. We use supported APIs, review deprecations and test upgrades; retirement can cause compatibility problems even where requests fall forward to another supported version. A separately purchased maintenance scope can cover monitoring, API, theme and checkout changes, improvements and merchant support for public apps. Larger features are scoped separately.
Ongoing maintenance, platform updates and new features are purchased separately.
Our pre-existing tools and third-party materials retain their own rights and licence terms.
How to compare Shopify app development companies in Toronto
Ask to see Shopify apps the company has built, both custom and public, and how long they have stayed working through platform changes. Ask how the company handles checkout extensions, theme extensions and interface versions. Ask who owns the code and the Shopify Partner account, how support and updates are priced, and, for a public app, how review and billing are handled. Written scope, evidence, exclusions and responsibilities help you compare proposals before committing.
Related guide: How to do SEO for a Shopify or ecommerce store.
Get a custom proposal for your Shopify app development
If an existing option does not meet your store’s requirements, or you have an app idea for other merchants, start with a discovery conversation. Canada Create was established in 2008 and is BBB Accredited with an A+ rating. We currently serve businesses across Canada. Call (416) 273-9030, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm. After hours, our 24/7 AI agent answers the toll-free line, +1 (800) 808-9235, and we’ll follow up the next business morning. Or request a custom proposal. We aim to reply to your enquiry within one business day; a written proposal follows discovery.
Talk to a strategist
Ready when you are?
Request a custom proposal
Tell us your goals, budget and timeline. You get a custom proposal and a named strategist, so your next stage of growth starts now.
How we build a Shopify app
The app’s distribution, store plan, data access and intended workflow shape the build. The proposal sets milestones and review dependencies.
- Discovery Discovery
Map merchant workflows, systems, store plans, permissions and the first release’s acceptance criteria.
- Scope and design After discovery
Approve the admin and storefront experience, distribution method, data flow and integration design before implementation.
- Build and integrate By scope
Build in agreed review cycles, using test stores and approved data to check integrations, errors and merchant workflows.
- Test and launch Agreed test phase
Test supported plans, themes, permissions and performance, then prepare installation or App Store submission as appropriate.
- Support and grow Ongoing
Monitor the agreed service, maintain supported APIs and review Shopify, theme and checkout changes; new features are scoped separately.
Toronto Shopify app development from an agency serving Canada since 2008
Established in 2008
Canada Create was established in 2008. We currently serve businesses across Canada.
BBB Accredited A+
A BBB Accredited Business with an A+ rating and a team that answers for its work.
Build and marketing under one roof
App development and separately commissioned SEO, advertising or other marketing can be assessed together, with appropriate platform scope and available measurement.
Clear rights and account authority
App, developer-account and listing authority are confirmed against Shopify’s rules and the agreement. Data use remains subject to lawful permissions.
Shopify app development Toronto: questions buyers ask
What does a Shopify app cost to build for a store or for the App Store?
Cost depends on whether the app is a custom app for one store or a public app for many merchants, how many systems it connects to, which admin screens and storefront or checkout extensions it needs, and how much monitoring and support you want afterwards. Public apps add multi-store design, Shopify billing and review preparation. Canada Create scopes each Shopify app after discovery and quotes it in writing, with Shopify plan fees and third-party charges listed apart from the build.
Can you build an app with Shopify for one store only?
Yes. A custom app serves one store, or several stores in the same Shopify Plus organization, and it does not need an App Store listing or review. It cannot charge merchants through Shopify's app billing, and Shopify's feature and data rules still apply. Custom distribution is not a route for sharing an app privately with unrelated merchants, which needs a public app instead.
What is Shopify app development?
It is building software that extends a Shopify store through the interfaces and extension points Shopify permits. An app can work with products, orders, customers, inventory, discounts, admin tools or storefront features, within its permissions and the store's plan. Merchants commission apps for a specific feature or integration, while publishers build apps sold to many stores through the Shopify App Store.
Do I need a custom Shopify app, or will existing Shopify apps do?
Check what Shopify already does and what licensed apps cover before paying for a build. A custom app makes sense when the workflow is specific to your business, when existing apps overlap or conflict, or when the data has to move to your own ERP, warehouse or accounting system in a particular way. Compare total cost, data rights and who maintains each option over time.
What is the difference between a custom app and a Shopify App Store app?
A custom app is distributed to one store or one Plus organization without App Store review. A public app is sold to many merchants through the Shopify App Store, must pass Shopify's review, has to use a Shopify-approved billing method for charges and needs ongoing merchant support. Public apps also need a multi-store design from the start, so the scope and cost are different.
Can Shopify custom app development connect the store to our ERP or warehouse system?
Yes, where the other system offers a supported interface. The app maps products, orders, inventory or customers between Shopify and the ERP, warehouse, accounting or CRM product, with written rules naming the master system for each field and setting how often syncs run. Error handling and monitoring tell your team when a record fails. Access and data requirements on both sides are confirmed before the build.
How do I allow custom app development in my Shopify store?
The store owner, or a staff member with the right permissions, has to allow custom app development in the Shopify admin before a developer can install a custom app. Shopify changes these settings and its developer tools from time to time, so follow the current steps in Shopify's help centre. Give the developer only the access scopes the app actually needs, and keep the store owner account in your own name.
What should I ask a Shopify app development agency before hiring?
Ask whether they will compare existing Shopify features and apps against a custom build first, and how they map each feature to your plan and the permitted extension points. Find out how they test on a development store, which data they use for testing, and who updates the app when Shopify releases new API versions. Established in 2008, Canada Create works with merchants across Canada and also builds Shopify stores and runs separately scoped marketing.
Start with the workflow your Shopify app needs to solve
Bring the feature gap, connected systems and intended users to discovery. We will compare existing apps with custom development and define a practical first release.