Shopify app development
Shopify app development for merchants and app makers
A Shopify app development company in Canada that builds custom apps for merchants who have outgrown the App Store and public apps for founders who want to sell to thousands of stores.
Canada Create™ designs, builds and supports Shopify apps, integrations, checkout extensions and admin tools within Shopify's platform rules, with the code and Partner account registered in your name.
Plan your app
Tell us what the app has to do, who will use it and what it connects to. We will reply with a clear plan and proposal in one business day.
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What a well-built Shopify app gives your business
The feature the App Store does not sell
Custom pricing, workflows and integrations built for your store instead of stacked monthly apps.
Inventory and orders in sync
ERP, warehouse, accounting and CRM connected so nothing is re-typed.
Checkout that converts
Extensions that add fields, upsells and delivery options within Shopify's rules.
A product with recurring revenue
Public apps built to pass review, bill through Shopify and support many merchants.
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, and the outcome the app must produce agreed.
- Admin app designScreens inside the Shopify admin built to Shopify's design system.
- Storefront and checkout extensionsTheme app extensions and checkout extensions that add features without breaking the theme.
- IntegrationsERP, warehouse, accounting, CRM including CS+, marketing and shipping systems connected.
- Custom app buildInstalled on your store, scoped to your need, no public review required.
- Public app buildMulti-store architecture, Shopify billing, review compliance and listing.
- Testing and launchDevelopment store, real data, your plan and theme, then installation and training.
- Support and updatesMonitoring, interface version updates, checkout and theme changes and improvements.
Shopify app development cost
Cost depends on custom or public, screens and extensions, integrations, data volume, multi-store support and review requirements. We separate the build, support and third-party fees so you see the full picture before you commit.
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 extension where needed
- 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 any paid services are billed by those providers and are separate from our work. Ask for a proposal and we will list every cost line for your app.
Shopify app developers
Shopify developers who build inside the platform's rules
Executive summary: Shopify app development covers two very different jobs: a custom app that gives one store the feature, integration or workflow the App Store does not sell, and a public app built to be listed and sold to thousands of merchants. Canada Create™ has built Shopify stores, apps and the marketing behind them since 2008 for businesses across Canada and the United States. This page explains what a Shopify app is and when a store needs one, the difference between custom and public apps, how Shopify’s platform, review and billing rules shape a build, how a project runs, what drives the cost, and how to choose a Shopify app development company.
What a Shopify app is
Shopify runs the store; apps extend it. An app connects to a store through Shopify’s interfaces to read and change products, orders, customers, inventory, discounts and checkout, and it can add pages, blocks and settings inside the merchant’s admin and, through theme extensions, on the storefront. Apps are how a store gets subscriptions, bundles, loyalty, custom pricing, wholesale ordering, shipping rules, product configurators, integrations with warehouses and accounting, and the many workflows Shopify does not include out of the box. Some of those exist in the Shopify App Store; when none fits, or when the fit costs more in monthly fees and workarounds than a build, a custom app is the answer.
Custom apps for one store, public apps for many
A custom app is installed on a single store or a small group of stores you own. It is scoped to your exact need, is not listed publicly and does not go through Shopify’s App Store review, which makes it the fastest route to a missing feature or integration. A public app is built to be listed in the Shopify App Store and installed by any merchant. It has to pass Shopify’s review, use Shopify’s billing, handle many stores and versions, and be supported like a product. We build both: custom apps for merchants growing past what the App Store offers, and public apps for founders and agencies turning a proven internal tool into a product with our MVP development team.
Shopify apps we build
Integrations with ERP, warehouse, accounting, CRM and marketing systems that keep inventory, orders and customers in sync. Custom pricing, wholesale and B2B ordering, built alongside our Shopify B2B service. Product configurators, bundles, subscriptions and personalized offers. Checkout extensions that add fields, upsells, delivery options and validation within Shopify’s checkout rules. Loyalty, referral and post-purchase flows. Operations apps for fulfilment, returns, and multi-location inventory. And admin tools that give a merchant’s team the reports and bulk actions they otherwise do by hand. Where a store also needs a customer-facing mobile app, our mobile app development team builds it on the same data.
Shopify’s rules and what they mean for a build
Shopify’s platform sets the boundaries. Checkout is customized through checkout extensions rather than edited code on most plans, storefront features are added through theme app extensions, and apps talk to the store through versioned interfaces that Shopify retires on a schedule, so an app has to be maintained to keep working. Public apps must pass App Store review, use Shopify’s billing for charges, meet performance and privacy requirements and handle the mandatory data-privacy requests every app receives. We design each app to these rules from the start so it works on the merchant’s plan, survives platform updates and, for public apps, passes review the first time.
How a Shopify app project runs
Discovery defines the merchant’s workflow, the systems involved, the store’s plan and theme, and the outcome the app must produce: hours saved, orders captured, fees avoided. Design covers the admin screens, the storefront blocks and the data flow, reviewed with the people who will use them. The build runs in short cycles on a development store connected to real data, with the app installed on your store as early as it is safe. Testing covers the plan and theme in use, checkout, performance and, for public apps, every review requirement. Launch includes installation, training, monitoring and, for public apps, the listing, pricing and store optimization.
What drives Shopify app development cost
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 so the first version starts paying back early.
Keeping a Shopify app working
Shopify updates its platform continuously and retires interface versions on a schedule, so an app that is not maintained eventually breaks. A support plan covers monitoring, version updates, theme and checkout changes, small improvements and, for public apps, merchant support and review compliance, with larger features scoped as their own projects. Code, accounts and documentation are in your name, and every piece of work carries the Canada Create™ signature by design.
How to choose a Shopify app development company
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 answers before you sign are the best sign of a company that ships.
Your next step
If your store has outgrown the App Store, or you have an app idea merchants would pay for, start with a discovery conversation. Canada Create™ has helped businesses across Canada and the United States since 2008 and is BBB Accredited with an A+ rating. Call us toll-free, 24/7*, at +1 (800) 808-9235, or request your proposal and hear back in one business day.
Talk to a strategist
Ready when you are!
Get a proposal in one business day.
Tell us your goals, budget and timeline. You get a plan, a price and a named strategist, with no long-term contract.
How your app comes together
A clear sequence from first call to launch and beyond, so you always know what is being built, why, and what comes next.
- Discovery Week 1
We review your goals, users, existing systems and budget, then agree on what the first release must achieve.
- Scope and design Weeks 2 to 4
User flows, wireframes and clickable prototypes are approved before any code is written, so the build starts from a shared picture.
- Build and integrate By scope
Short, testable cycles with a working version you can try every two weeks, connected to your data, payments and back office.
- Test and launch 2 to 3 weeks
Device, security and load testing, store submission or deployment, and a launch checklist your team signs off on.
- Support and grow Ongoing
Monitoring, updates for new operating systems, and improvements planned from real usage data.
What clients say on Google
Reviews pulled live from our Google Business Profile.
Free review
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Share your current site, campaign or brief. A strategist reviews it and replies within one business day with a written recommendation and a fixed quote.
Why businesses choose Canada Create™ for app development
Since 2008
More than 18 years building websites, apps and marketing for businesses across Canada and the United States.
BBB Accredited A+
A BBB Accredited Business with an A+ rating and zero complaints, so you work with a team that answers for its work.
Build and marketing under one roof
The same team that builds your app runs the SEO, app store optimization and advertising that bring users to it.
You own the code
Source code, accounts, app store listings and data are registered in your name from day one.
Quoted in writing
Every fee is confirmed in writing before work starts. Get a proposal in one business day.
Senior developers
Architecture, security and store compliance are handled by senior people, not learned on your project.
Connected to your business
Apps are built around your CRM, payments, booking, inventory and reporting, not as islands.
24/7* sales line
Reach us by phone around the clock at +1 (800) 808-9235.
Shopify app development questions
What is a Shopify app?
Software that connects to a Shopify store to read and change products, orders, customers, inventory, discounts and checkout, and that can add screens to the admin and blocks to the storefront. Apps are how stores get features and integrations Shopify does not include.
What is the difference between a custom app and a public app?
A custom app is installed on your own store, scoped to your need and not listed publicly, so it needs no App Store review. A public app is listed in the Shopify App Store for any merchant to install, must pass review, use Shopify billing and support many stores.
When does a store need a custom app?
When no App Store app fits the workflow, when stacked apps cost more in fees and workarounds than a build, or when an integration with ERP, warehouse, accounting or CRM is needed.
Can you customize Shopify checkout?
Yes, through checkout extensions that add fields, upsells, delivery options and validation within Shopify's rules for your plan.
How much does Shopify app development cost?
It depends on custom or public, screens and extensions, integrations, data volume, multi-store support and review requirements. We quote in writing after discovery and separate the build from support and third-party fees.
How long does a Shopify app take to build?
A custom integration or feature app typically launches in four to eight weeks. A public app with review, billing and multi-store support takes longer, and the proposal shows the schedule.
Will the app keep working when Shopify updates?
Shopify retires interface versions on a schedule, so a support plan covers version updates, checkout and theme changes and monitoring to keep the app working.
Who owns the app?
You do. Code, the Shopify Partner account and documentation are registered in your business's name.
Can you also build our customer-facing mobile app?
Yes. A mobile app for your customers can be built on the same store data, with ordering, loyalty and notifications.
An app that nobody uses costs more than an app that was never built
Most failed apps are not failed code. They were built without a clear job, launched without a plan to reach users and left without updates. We scope the first release around one measurable outcome, connect the app to your existing systems and market it after launch, so the investment keeps paying.
