Best Approach to Build a Mobile App for My Shopify Store?

Shopify Apps

Topic summary

A store owner is exploring options for creating a mobile app for their Shopify store and weighing the trade-offs between using app builders versus developing a custom solution.

Key Considerations:

  • Seeking insights on transitioning from app builders to custom-built apps
  • Concerned about technical challenges including:
    • Inventory synchronization
    • Push notification management
    • In-app checkout functionality

Recommendations Provided:

  • One respondent suggests using Venn Apps, a specialized Shopify mobile app developer that creates custom apps (citing their work with Represent as an example)
  • Caution raised about the risks of self-building

Status: Discussion remains open with the original poster seeking firsthand experiences and additional recommendations from those who have implemented mobile apps for their Shopify stores.

Summarized with AI on October 26. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi everyone, I’m planning to create a mobile app for my Shopify store to enhance the shopping experience for my customers. I’ve looked into a few Shopify app builders, but I’m wondering if a custom-built app might be a better long-term solution.

Has anyone here transitioned from using app builders to a fully custom mobile app? What challenges did you face in terms of syncing inventory, managing push notifications, or handling checkout within the app?

I’ve come across some mobile app development company that specialize in eCommerce solutions, but I’d love to hear recommendations from those who have done it firsthand.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

2

Building an app yourself can be very risky! Worth checking out Venn Apps - they’re a dedicated Shopify mobile app developer that build custom apps. They build the app for Represent which is pretty cool!