# Free Shopify apps for a new store in 2026: eleven installs and the limit on each

Shopify's own free apps first, then free plans from Judge.me, Klaviyo, Microsoft Clarity and others. What each covers and where the free plan stops.

By Rohin Aggarwal · 2026-10-12

A new store has no budget and no data. It needs reviews, email, search and a way to see what shoppers do. Shopify itself makes free apps for several of those jobs. Free third-party plans cover the rest. Here are eleven free installs, and the limit on each.

**Quick answer**

- **Install first:** Shopify Messaging, Search & Discovery and Shopify Inbox. All free, all made by Shopify.
- **Then add:** Judge.me for reviews and Microsoft Clarity for session recordings.
- **Skip:** Shopify Product Reviews. It is no longer available.
- **Watch:** lookalike listings. Several paid apps copy free apps' names.
- We make Idukki, one of the eleven. We say so where it appears.

## Free apps made by Shopify

| App | Job | Where the free plan stops |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shopify Messaging | Email, SMS, WhatsApp | 10,000 emails a month, then $1 per 1,000 |
| Search & Discovery | Filters, synonyms, boosts | 25 filters; no filters above 5,000 products |
| Shopify Inbox | Live chat with an AI agent | Free; chat only, no tickets |
| Shopify Forms | Sign-up popups and forms | 25 forms; no multi-step or branching |
| Shopify Flow | Automation | HTTP requests need Grow or above |
| Translate & Adapt | Translation | Auto-translate covers 2 languages |

_From Shopify's Help Center and the App Store, checked 12 October 2026._

### Shopify Messaging (formerly Shopify Email)

Every month you can send 10,000 emails free. After that, it costs $1 per 1,000. Abandoned checkout emails are always free and do not count. Unused emails do not roll over. SMS and WhatsApp bill per message. Older guides quote 2,500 free emails. That figure is out of date.

### Search & Discovery

It adds storefront filters, synonym groups, product boosts and recommendations. A store can have 25 filters. Collections with over 5,000 products show no filters. For a new store, neither limit bites.

### Shopify Inbox

Inbox puts live chat on your store, with an optional AI agent. The agent answers from your catalogue, policies and store pages. Chat through the Shop app ended in February 2025. Inbox is chat only, with no tickets.

### Shopify Forms

Forms builds sign-up popups and inline forms, up to 25 of them. It has no multi-step forms or branching logic. It is not installed by default. Pair it with Shopify Messaging for a welcome email.

### Shopify Flow

Flow automates store tasks, such as tagging a customer after a third order. It is free on Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus. Basic gained it in July 2023. The "Send HTTP request" action needs Grow or above.

### Translate & Adapt

Translate & Adapt auto-translates two languages free. Manual translations are unlimited. Stores in the UK and several EU countries can auto-sync up to eight languages. Check the changelog for your country.

## Free plans from other developers

| App | Job | Where the free plan stops |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Judge.me | Reviews | No order limit; integrations need the $15 plan |
| Microsoft Clarity | Recordings and heatmaps | Free, with no traffic limits |
| Klaviyo | Email and SMS | 250 active profiles, 500 emails a month |
| Hextom: Free Shipping Bar | Free shipping progress bar | More bars and targeting need Premium |
| Idukki (ours) | Shoppable customer photos | Image galleries; video needs the $45 plan |

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

### Judge.me

Judge.me's free plan collects unlimited reviews, with photos and video. It adds Google rich snippets and CSV import. AI features, coupons and integrations need Awesome, at $15 a month flat. Shopify's own Product Reviews app is gone, so start here.

### Microsoft Clarity

Clarity records shopper sessions and builds heatmaps. Microsoft says it is free with no traffic limits. Watch a dozen sessions that reached the cart and left. Install the listing published by Microsoft. Some lookalike apps charge for the same name.

### Klaviyo

Klaviyo's free plan covers 250 active profiles and 500 emails a month. Set up through Shopify, it allows three live automations and one sign-up form. Email support lasts the first 60 days. Over a limit, sending stops until you upgrade. Pick Klaviyo or Shopify Messaging to start. Running both splits your list.

### Hextom: Free Shipping Bar

It shows a bar that counts down to your free shipping threshold. The free plan includes the bar, positioning and page targeting. Premium adds more active bars, geo targeting and tracking, with a 7-day trial.

### Idukki (ours)

We make Idukki. Its free plan shows customer photos and reviews as shoppable image galleries. It pulls posts from Instagram, TikTok and other social sources. It imports reviews from Google, Trustpilot, TripAdvisor and Judge.me. Shoppable video starts on the $45 plan.

**Install order for week one**
1. **Day 1** — Search & Discovery, Inbox and Clarity. (Free)
2. **Day 2** — Judge.me, with the review request email on. (Free)
3. **Day 3** — Forms plus Messaging or Klaviyo, with a welcome flow. (Free)
4. **Day 7** — Watch 12 Clarity sessions. Fix the worst drop first. (1 hour)
_One app per job. Measure before adding the next._

## Two traps with free apps

Lookalike listings copy the names of free apps. Check the developer name on every listing. Uninstalled apps can also leave code in your theme. That code slows the page. After any uninstall, check the theme for leftover snippets.

**The takeaway:** Install Shopify's free apps first, then Judge.me and Clarity. Watch real sessions in week one. Pay for an app only once a free plan limit stops you.

### Questions store owners ask

**Q: Does Shopify have a free email app?**

A: Yes. Shopify Messaging sends 10,000 emails a month free, then $1 per 1,000. Abandoned checkout emails do not count.

**Q: Is there a free Shopify review app?**

A: Shopify's own app is gone. Judge.me has a free plan with unlimited reviews, photos and video.

**Q: Is Shopify Flow free?**

A: Yes, on Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus. The HTTP request action needs Grow or above.

**Q: Is Microsoft Clarity really free?**

A: Microsoft says it is free with no traffic limits. Install the listing Microsoft publishes.

### Sources
- [Shopify Help: Messaging email pricing](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/create-marketing/shopify-messaging/email/pricing) — 10,000 free emails.
- [Shopify Help: Search & Discovery filters](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/storefront-search/search-and-discovery-filters) — Limits.
- [Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/inbox) — Free.
- [Shopify changelog: Shop app chat](https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/sunsetting-shop-inbox-on-shop-app) — Ended February 2025.
- [Shopify Help: Forms](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/create-marketing/forms-app) — 25 forms.
- [Shopify Help: Flow](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-flow) — Plans and actions.
- [Shopify changelog: Flow on Basic](https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/shopify-flow-now-available-to-basic-plan) — July 2023.
- [Shopify Help: Translate & Adapt](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/international/translate-adapt-app) — Language limits.
- [Shopify changelog: Translate & Adapt, 8 languages](https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/translate-adapt-auto-sync-translations-for-up-to-8-languages) — Eligible countries.
- [Shopify Product Reviews listing](https://apps.shopify.com/product-reviews) — No longer available.
- [Judge.me pricing](https://judge.me/pricing) — Free and Awesome.
- [Microsoft Clarity FAQ](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/clarity/faq) — Free, no traffic limits.
- [Klaviyo: free plan in Shopify](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/56142459211675) — Limits.
- [Hextom: Free Shipping Bar](https://apps.shopify.com/free-shipping-bar) — Free and Premium.

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Canonical: https://idukki.io/blog/free-shopify-apps-for-a-new-store-2026
Tags: free-apps, new-store, best-of, shopify-apps, getting-started