The best operation apps for Shopify in 2024

Written by

Adam Sturrock

Published on

May 19, 2024

Shopify, the leading e-commerce platform, is home to over 2 million active stores, representing a substantial 20% of the global e-commerce market. Shopify is especially renowned for accommodating a diverse range of merchants, from newcomers setting up their first store to large enterprises and household brands. The platform provides a wide array of free and paid templates, effectively reducing development costs. However, with over 7,000 Shopify apps available, choosing the right operation apps for your Shopify store is crucial for effective business growth and efficient operation. This selection process and the resulting operation apps utilized can significantly impact the management and scalability of a Shopify store.

With this in mind, this guide has been crafted to help Shopify merchants select the best operation apps for 2024. These apps cater to a wide range of needs, from order and inventory management to customer support and workflow automation. Whether you're a beginner eCommerce store owner or a seasoned Shopify entrepreneur, the right operation apps can streamline your processes, boost productivity, and enhance the overall performance of your online store.

Our recommendations focus on top-rated operation apps that are user-friendly, reliable, and designed to optimize various aspects of running a Shopify store. By integrating these apps into your business operations, you can not only save time and effort but also ensure smoother and more efficient workflows that contribute to long-term success and growth in the competitive e-commerce market.

Without further ado, let's explore our top picks for the best operation apps for Shopify in 2024!

1. Store Watchers

Monitor your store while you sleep with test automation

Maintaining a vigilant eye on competitors is essential for staying ahead in the ever-changing e-commerce landscape. This innovative tool empowers merchants to monitor competitors' pricing strategies and product availability in real time. By leveraging insightful analytics, users can make informed decisions when adjusting their own pricing and stock levels. Seamlessly integrate this tool into an existing Shopify store to receive tailored alerts that notify you of critical changes in competitors' offerings. With a user-friendly interface, tracking competitor activities becomes streamlined, allowing merchants to focus on enhancing customer experience. Utilize data-driven insights to fine-tune product listings and optimize inventory management. Embrace a strategic approach to pricing and product positioning, giving your store the competitive edge it needs to thrive in a crowded marketplace. Stay one step ahead without the clutter—efficiency meets effectiveness in competitor monitoring.

Store Watchers is developed and maintained by Store Watchers.

Store Watchers has an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars with 2 reviews from Shopify stores.

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2. Return Prime: Return → Revenue

Convert returns into revenue with Return Prime

Free plan available

Returns management can often feel like a daunting task, but simplifying this process is within reach. Streamlined returns, exchanges, and refunds are now manageable through a centralized platform, turning potential loss into valuable opportunity. The application equips users with the tools to issue return labels effortlessly, offer in-store return options, and process refunds via store credit, ensuring a frictionless experience for customers and merchants alike.

With the ability to integrate seamlessly with chosen logistics and warehouse management systems, the platform transforms returns operations from a headache into a well-oiled machine. Businesses migrating from legacy returns applications will find the transition smooth, enabling enhanced operational efficiency. Empower your store with a systematic approach to returns that optimizes customer satisfaction while minimizing revenue loss.

Return Prime: Return → Revenue is developed and maintained by Appsdart Solutions Private Limited.

Return Prime: Return → Revenue has an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars with 725 reviews from Shopify stores.

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3. Releasit Cash On Delivery

Add a Fee to Your Cash On Delivery Orders

Free plan available

Effortlessly tailor the Cash on Delivery (COD) payment option to fit your store's unique needs, optimizing the checkout experience for both you and your customers. Implement customized fees—either a fixed charge or a percentage—on all COD transactions, allowing for better cost management and encouraging prepaid payments.

Utilize advanced visibility settings to streamline checkout processes by hiding or displaying COD based on criteria such as order total, shipping country, product types, or customer profiles. This ensures that only reliable customers have access to this payment method, significantly reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions.

Setup is remarkably swift and user-friendly, taking fewer than five minutes by following straightforward, step-by-step guidance. Transform your payment strategy and enhance operational efficiency with a solution designed for the modern merchant.

Releasit Cash On Delivery is developed and maintained by Releasit.

Releasit Cash On Delivery has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars with 732 reviews from Shopify stores.

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4. POWR WhatsApp Chat

Deliver top service by meeting customers where they are

Free plan available

Streamline customer interactions with a powerful yet user-friendly chat solution designed for Shopify merchants. This app facilitates real-time communication through WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram, ensuring that no customer query goes unanswered.

Enjoy the freedom of customization without the need for coding, allowing for a tailored chat experience that reflects your brand's voice. With instant mobile notifications, merchants are always in the loop, responding swiftly to customer inquiries to foster a sense of trust and reliability.

Automated chat initiation helps maximize customer engagement, providing shoppers with immediate answers to their questions—ultimately driving sales and encouraging repeat business. Transform your customer support and enable seamless communication, paving the way for a more satisfied clientele.

POWR WhatsApp Chat is developed and maintained by POWR.io.

POWR WhatsApp Chat has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars with 136 reviews from Shopify stores.

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5. SEON Fraud Prevention

Less fraud and lost inventory, more revenue for your store!

Free to install. Free trial available.

Combat fraudulent activities with a sophisticated approach to transaction validation. Leveraging real-time insights from a multitude of data sources such as email, phone numbers, IP addresses, card information, and device behavior, this solution fortifies your operations against risks associated with chargebacks and unauthorized activities.

Customizable settings empower merchants to tailor the approval rate, aligning protection mechanisms with the unique risk profile of their store. Utilizing advanced AI and machine learning techniques, the platform swiftly identifies potential threats, allowing for seamless transactions without compromising security.

Reduction in losses from subscription fraud, gift card abuse, and discount misuse is achievable, fostering a secure shopping environment. Invest in a robust defense strategy that prioritizes both customer satisfaction and business integrity.

SEON Fraud Prevention is developed and maintained by SEON Technologies Ltd..

SEON Fraud Prevention has an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars with 59 reviews from Shopify stores.

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We hope you found this guide on the top operation apps for Shopify useful.

Did we miss an app you think should be included in this guide, please let us know!

Top Shopify operation apps FAQ

Which operation apps do I need for my Shopify store?

You’ll want to take advantage of the many operation apps and integrations available to make your Shopify store the best it can be. Every operation app highlighted in this article can help take your Shopify store to the next level! With that said, if you can't find what you're looking for in this guide, we recommend checking our comprehensive list of every Shopify operation app!

What is the best operation app for Shopify?

The Shopify App Store is always adding new apps, but by analyzing merchant reviews, average ratings, estimated install counts, pricing and other signals we've identified that Store Watchers is one of the top Shopify operation apps available for merchants in 2024.

With that said, it’s not always the best idea to just go for the most popular app or our recommendations. Always look at how many Shopify stars the app has and what the reviews are saying about the app itself. Where possible, we highly recommend testing apps you are considering by leveraging free trials before commiting to any fixed monthly subscription costs.

Why do I need to install a Shopify operation app?

Whilst Shopify comes with a broad range of features and capabilities out of the box, many operation apps go above and beyond what Shopify can provide. Every store has unique requirements and a diverse range of apps are available to meet these needs.

How many operation apps are recommended for Shopify?

We recommend including atleast one operation app for your Shopify store if this type of app would be beneficial for your store. There are a lot of free options out there and some great operation apps that will help you run your business as smoothly as possible.

Can I build my own custom operation app for Shopify?

The short answer is yes ofcourse! Shopify provides a lot of great documentation to build operation apps.

The longer answer is that you should weigh up the upfront time, resources and costs of building a custom apps vs finding a operation app that handles the majority of your requirements for free or for a low monthly fee.

Ofcourse if you can't find a suitable operation Shopify app to meet your needs then it's definitely worth investigating what it would take to build the app of your dreams!