The Shopify App Store is huge – there are hundreds of tools for every possible need. But not all of them are worth the price, especially when you’re just getting started.
In this article, we’ll highlight five free apps made by Shopify itself that can make a real difference to your store – without adding to your monthly bill.
1. Shopify Flow
Once available only to Shopify Plus stores, Shopify Flow is now free for all merchants. It’s an automation builder that helps you streamline tasks and build custom no-code solutions for email marketing, order management, product management, internal notifications and much more.
What Shopify Flow Does
Shopify Flow lets you build automated workflows based on triggers and actions.
A trigger could be an event (like “order created” or “inventory changed”) or a schedule (like “every Monday at 12 a.m.”).
You can chain actions together – and create a step-by-step automatic process tailored to your business needs.
How We Use It at Omnycode
- Tagging orders and customers based on rules
- Managing personalized customer journeys
- Auto-tagging products
- Automatic unpublishing out-of-stock products
- Sending back-in-stock alerts
- Sending internal low-stock alerts
- Custom integrations with Klaviyo
App Limitations
Object limit
You can only fetch up to 100 objects per “Get data” action. This means that Shopify Flow can only count or collect data for up to 100 items at once – for example, 100 orders or 100 products.
Plan restrictions
Some advanced actions like “Send HTTP request” are available only on Advanced, Grow, or Plus plans.
Omnycode’s Verdict:
Shopify Flow is a must-have for anyone who wants to save time and reduce manual work. Even with some limits, it’s one of the most powerful free tools Shopify offers.
2. Shopify Checkout Blocks
Checkout Blocks lets you customize your checkout and post-purchase pages – no coding required. It’s a great way to add brand personality and improve conversion.
What Checkout Blocks Does
The app lets you customize your checkout, Thank you and Order Confirmation page without coding by adding, reordering, or removing various elements: custom fields, promotional banners, line item messages, warnings. You can also rename, or conditionally hide certain blocks, payment and shipping methods
How We Use It at Omnycode
- Hiding certain shipping and payment methods for B2B or B2C customers
- Adding quick surveys on the Thank You page
- Showing advantages icons, or trust badges during checkout
- Adding custom fields like birthday, notes, and terms checkboxes
App Limitations
Plan restrictions
Checkout customization is available only for Shopify Plus stores. Other pages (Thank You, Order Confirmation) are compatible with all plans.
Styling limitations
You can’t upload your own icons or fully control layout and button styles.
Block amount limit
App supports up to 30 active blocks per block type
Omnycode’s Verdict:
For Plus stores, this app is a game-changer. For smaller plans, it’s still useful for post-purchase tweaks, allowing you to add surveys, delivery information or banners for the next step of e-commerce flow.
3. Shopify Translate & Adapt
Selling globally? Shopify Translate & Adapt helps you reach customers in multiple languages without paid translation tools.
What Translate & Adapt Does
It automatically translates your store content into other languages using Google Translate. You can also manually adjust translations for more accuracy and local tone.
Key features include:
- Automatic and manual translation
- Region-specific content adaptation
- Side-by-side editor for easy editing
App Limitations
Language limit
You can auto-translate up to two extra languages; more require manual work
Content gaps
Custom Liquid sections and user-generated content aren’t supported.
No bulk editing
You must translate each section separately.
Omnycode’s Verdict:
A perfect start for multilingual stores. It’s free, simple, and well-integrated – but don’t expect it to handle large catalogs or dynamic custom sections.
4. Shopify Email
If you’re just launching your store, Shopify Email can cover your basic marketing needs without the price tag of tools like Klaviyo or Omnisend.
What Shopify Email Does
It’s built directly into your Shopify admin. You can:
- Create welcome, abandoned cart, and promotional campaigns
- Use drag-and-drop templates
- Set email-marketing triggers (via Shopify Flow)
- Track opens, clicks, bounce rate, and revenue
App Limitations
Free tier limit
The first 10,000 emails per month are free; after that, it’s $1 per 1,000 emails.
Design limitations
There are no separate settings for mobile and desktop customization.
The block library is small. Developers can extend it using custom Liquid sections, but that requires technical skill.
Omnycode’s Verdict:
Great for small stores and startups – clean, native, and affordable. Once your email list grows, you might outgrow this app and move to more advanced tools.
5. Shopify Inbox
Customer conversations can make or break a sale. Shopify Inbox turns your store’s chat into a simple, built-in communication tool.
What Shopify Inbox Does
You can:
- Chat live with visitors from your Shopify admin
- Set automated responses and FAQs
- Send discounts or products directly in chat
- Use AI-powered Shopify Magic to reply faster
- Assign chats to different team members
App Limitations
No external integrations
The first 10,000 emails per month are free; after that, it’s $1 per 1,000 emails.
Limited automation
No advanced routing or analytics for big support teams.
Omnycode’s Verdict:
Ideal for small and medium stores that need simple live chat and automation. It’s not Zendesk, but it’s free, clean, and gets the job done.
Final Thoughts
All these apps are 100% free and native, meaning they fit seamlessly into your Shopify ecosystem.
At Omnycode, we recommend new online businesses start with these before spending on paid tools – you’ll be surprised how far you can go with what Shopify already gives you.