# The best Shopify search and filter apps in 2026: what Shopify does free, then six apps

Shopify Search & Discovery, Klevu, Algolia, Doofinder, Boost and Searchanise. The free limits, what each bill counts and the weekly report that matters most.

By Rohin Aggarwal · 2026-10-12

A shopper who searches is telling you what they want. If the search box answers with nothing, they leave. Shopify's free search covers more than most stores think. Here is what it does, where it stops, and six apps for the rest.

**Quick answer**

- **Start free:** Shopify Search & Discovery adds filters, synonyms and boosts at no cost.
- **Outgrow it when:** you need more than 25 filters, or collections hold over 5,000 products.
- **Bill by revenue:** Boost. **By searches:** Doofinder and Algolia. **By products:** Searchanise.
- **Klevu and Searchspring are one company now,** called Athos Commerce.
- We make Idukki, a UGC display tool. We make no search app.

## What Shopify does for free

Every Shopify store with an online store has predictive search and typo tolerance on by default. Search reads product titles, product types, variant titles and vendors. It also finds pages, collections and blog posts by title. Predictive search depends on the theme. Online Store 2.0 themes have it. Vintage themes do not. It shows up to 10 results as the shopper types.

The free Shopify Search & Discovery app adds storefront filters, synonym groups and product boosts. A synonym group makes "sofa" and "couch" return the same products. A boost lifts chosen products for up to 10 search terms each.

- **25** — filters per store
- **100** — values shown per filter
- **5,000** — products: above this, a collection shows no filters

_Limits from Shopify's Help Center, checked 12 October 2026._

Those limits are the usual reason to add an app. So is search across product descriptions and tags, or merchandising rules per collection.

| App | What the bill counts | Free plan or trial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shopify Search & Discovery | Nothing: free | Free |
| Klevu (Athos Commerce) | Volume tiers: impressions, page views or searches | 14-day trial on the listing |
| Algolia | Search requests and records | Free plan: 10,000 requests, 50,000 records a month |
| Doofinder | Search requests a month | 15-day trial on the listing |
| Boost AI Search & Filter | Monthly GMV, averaged over three months | Free trial |
| Searchanise | Number of products | Free under 25 products |

_From each vendor's own pages, checked 12 October 2026._

## Klevu: AI search for larger catalogues

Klevu offers AI site search, merchandising and recommendations. It merged with Searchspring in January 2025 to form Athos Commerce. Athos says Klevu will be supported for at least two years. Plans bill on volume tiers. The Shopify listing and Klevu's own page quote different prices, so check the live page. The listing shows a 14-day trial.

## Algolia: for teams with a developer

Algolia is a hosted search platform. Its free plan covers 10,000 search requests and 50,000 records a month. On the Grow plan you pay for usage above that. Algolia bills you directly, outside your Shopify invoice. Expect setup and tuning work. A store with a developer gets the most from it.

## Doofinder: billed by searches

Doofinder is hosted AI search with real-time indexing on Shopify. Plans bill by search requests a month. Index updates count as requests too. Doofinder's help says search keeps running past your quota. You get a warning above 120% of your plan. Exceed it by over 20% for three months, and Doofinder may move you up a plan.

## Boost: billed by your revenue

Boost AI Search & Filter prices by monthly GMV, averaged over the last three months. Plans start at $29 a month. Above your tier's ceiling you pay $2 per $1,000 of GMV. That overage is capped at the next tier's fee. Billing is monthly only. A strong sales month can move you up a tier.

## Searchanise: billed by catalogue size

Searchanise prices by product count. Basic is $19 a month for up to 1,500 products. Essential is $39 for up to 7,500. The free plan covers development stores and stores under 25 products. Paid plans have a 14-day trial.

**What each bill follows**
Axes: Little setup → More setup (x), Bill follows usage → Bill follows store size (y)
- Searchanise (low, high) — By products
- Boost (low, high) — By GMV
- Doofinder (low, low) — By searches
- Klevu (high, low) — Volume tiers
- Algolia (high, low) — Requests and records

## The weekly report that pays for any of them

Every app on this list reports searches that found nothing. Read that report each week. Each line is one of two things. A product you stock under a name shoppers do not use. Or a product people want and you do not sell.

**A 15-minute weekly routine**
1. **Export** — Pull last week's searches with no results.
2. **Sort** — Mark each one: wrong name, or missing product.
3. **Fix names** — Add a synonym group for each wrong name.
4. **Pass on the rest** — Send missing products to whoever buys stock.
_Works with Shopify's free app or any app above._

**Which one to try**
Q: Where does free Shopify search fall short for you?
- It does not, yet: **Search & Discovery** — Add synonyms and filters first. It costs nothing.
  - Over 25 filters needed: Try Searchanise or Boost
- A large catalogue on a budget: **Searchanise** — Priced by product count.
  - Revenue is small for the catalogue size: Compare Boost, priced by GMV
- Heavy search traffic and a developer: **Algolia** — Free plan to start, then pay per use.
  - No developer: Compare Doofinder

## Where Idukki fits (ours)

We make Idukki. It shows customer photos, video and reviews as shoppable galleries. It does not run your store search. A shopper who finds a product through search still wants proof before buying. That is the job Idukki does. For the full set of jobs, read [the best Shopify apps to increase conversion](/blog/best-shopify-apps-to-increase-conversion-2026).

**The takeaway:** Set up Shopify's free app first. Read the no-results report each week. Add a paid app when you hit the filter or catalogue limits.

### Questions store owners ask

**Q: Is Shopify search good enough?**

A: For many stores, yes. It has predictive search and typo tolerance on Online Store 2.0 themes. The free Search & Discovery app adds filters, synonyms and boosts.

**Q: How many filters does Shopify allow?**

A: Search & Discovery allows 25 filters per store. Each shows up to 100 values. Collections with over 5,000 products show no filters.

**Q: Are Klevu and Searchspring the same company?**

A: Yes. They merged in January 2025 to form Athos Commerce.

**Q: Which search app is cheapest?**

A: Shopify Search & Discovery is free. Searchanise is free under 25 products, then $19 a month for up to 1,500.

### Sources
- [Shopify Help: storefront search](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/storefront-search) — Defaults and searched fields.
- [Shopify Help: predictive search](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/storefront-search/predictive-search) — Theme support, 10 results.
- [Shopify Help: Search & Discovery filters](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/storefront-search/search-and-discovery-filters) — Filter limits.
- [Shopify Help: modify search results](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/storefront-search/search-and-discovery-modify-search) — Boosts and synonyms.
- [Athos Commerce announcement](https://athoscommerce.com/news/klevu-joins-forces-with-searchspring-to-form-athos-commerce/) — Klevu and Searchspring merger.
- [Klevu on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/klevu-smart-search) — Tiers and trial.
- [Algolia free plan](https://www.algolia.com/pricing/free-plan) — Requests and records.
- [Algolia: Grow plan billing](https://support.algolia.com/hc/en-us/articles/15745996583441-How-am-I-billed-on-the-Grow-plan) — Usage billing.
- [Doofinder: how usage is calculated](https://support.doofinder.com/faq/how-is-usage-calculated) — Requests and quota.
- [Boost: GMV-based subscription FAQ](https://support.boostcommerce.net/en/articles/12546566-faqs-gmv-based-subscription) — GMV billing and overage.
- [Searchanise pricing](https://searchanise.io/pricing/) — Product-count tiers.

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Canonical: https://idukki.io/blog/best-shopify-search-and-filter-apps-2026
Tags: search, filters, best-of, shopify-apps, conversion