How to Create a Mobile App for Shopify Store in 2025

Creating a mobile app for your Shopify store is one of the fastest ways to boost conversion rate, increase average order values, and drive repeat purchases from your most valuable customers.

Mobile apps typically drive 3x higher conversions than mobile websites, deliver 5x more customer lifetime value, and give you direct access to your best customers through push notifications.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the different options available to create a mobile app for Shopify store, the best Shopify mobile app builder available and a step by step guide to create a mobile app for your Shopify store.

TLDR: The Best Way to Create a Mobile App for Your Shopify Store is Appbrew.

The easiest way to create a mobile app for Shopify store is with a specialized AI Powered Shopify mobile app builder - Appbrew.

Appbrew delivers fully native iOS and Android apps built on React Native, with AI-powered personalization, intelligent shopping assistance, and advanced promotion engines, native subscription management and 24/7 customer success.

The process is managed end-to-end by the Appbrew team from custom design, react native development, native integrations, app store submission, app adoption and ongoing optimization support.

What Are the Different Ways to Create a Mobile App for Shopify Store?

There are three main approaches to Shopify mobile app development. Let's break down each option so you make the right choice.

1. In-House Development Team

Building internally gives you complete control over every aspect of your app. You hire iOS developers, Android developers, UI/UX designers, and project managers to create a custom solution from scratch.

This approach works if you have an unlimited budget and time. Expect to invest $100,000+ upfront, plus ongoing maintenance costs of $10,000-15,000 monthly for a dedicated team with a launch timeline of 6-12 months.

Most Shopify merchants find this option impractical. The investment is massive, the timeline is slow, and you're essentially starting an app development company alongside your Shopify business.

2. Shopify Mobile App Builder

Shopify Mobile App builders are designed specifically to turn Shopify store into mobile app. They offer the sweet spot between customization and simplicity. These platforms understand ecommerce, integrate natively with Shopify, and handle the technical complexity for you.

The best Shopify app builders create truly native mobile apps built on react native codebase, and include ecommerce-specific features like AI-powered personalization, intelligent shopping assistance, and advanced promotion engines, native subscription management, push notifications, and provide ongoing support for app store management for 1/100th cost of custom development.

This is the route most successful Shopify brands choose. You get a professional app without the overhead of custom development and a long launch timeline.

3. App Development Agency

App development agencies can build custom apps, but they often deliver generic solutions that miss ecommerce-specific features like AI powered personalization or a native integration that powers your Shopify website.

Plus, once the project ends, you're stuck managing updates, app store submissions, and ongoing maintenance yourself.

What is the Right Approach to creating a mobile app for Spotify Store (& Why Shopify Mobile App Builders Win)

The right choice depends on several critical factors. Let's break down how each approach performs across the areas that matter most.

1. Customization & Design

Custom development offers unlimited flexibility and the same level of customization and design flexibility can be achieved with a good Shopify app builder.

The best Shopify mobile app builders provide UI/UX designers specialized in ecommerce during onboarding to create unique designs and layouts that align with your brand guidelines.

Agencies often deliver cookie-cutter solutions that look similar across different clients.

2. Scalability

In-house development requires you to scale your technical team as your app grows. That means recruiting, hiring, and managing developers with specialized mobile expertise.

Shopify mobile app builders handle adding new features and custom integrations as per needs, so you don’t have to worry about any technical and operational complexities.

Agency-built apps often become technical debt. You're stuck with whatever they delivered, and updates require going back to the original agency or finding new developers.

3. Integrations

Custom apps require individual integrations with every tool in your tech stack. That's weeks of development work for each connection to platforms like Klaviyo, Yotpo, or Recharge.

Shopify app builders offer pre-built native integrations with 100+ popular ecommerce tools across marketing, analytics, loyalty, subscriptions, and more.

Agencies typically deliver basic integrations and charge extra for additional connections.

4. Features

Building features like AI-powered personalization, advanced promotion engines, or subscription management, advanced analytics dashboard from scratch takes months of specialized development work.

Shopify Mobile App builders have already built it for one or other brands and can easily deploy it for you with customizations.

Agencies often miss ecommerce nuances and deliver generic mobile app features.

5. App Store Approval

Managing app store submissions, policy changes, and ongoing compliance is a full-time job. Apple and Google regularly update their requirements.

Shopify Mobile app builders handle the entire submission process. They know the approval process, manage policy updates, and ensure your app stays compliant all the time.

Agencies typically hand over the app and leave you to manage store submissions and ongoing compliance yourself.

6. Time-to-Market

The average time taken to create a mobile app In-house is 6-12 months minimum, with agencies is 3-6 months and with Shopify mobile app builders is 30 days.

7. App Marketing and User Adoption

Creating an app is just the beginning. Getting customers to download and use it requires proven strategies and ongoing optimization.

The best Shopify app builders provide growth playbooks from $100M+, and access to success teams who've helped hundreds of brands drive app adoption.

In-house teams and agencies leave you to figure out marketing on your own.

Why Appbrew - Shopify Mobile App Builders Win

Appbrew is the only Shopify mobile app builder that helps you create a mobile app for your Shopify store by combining the advantages of app builders with the customization and flexibility of custom development.

1. Dedicated UI/UX Designer During Onboarding

Every Appbrew customer gets paired with a UI/UX designer specialized in ecommerce to create a completely custom design matching your brand guidelines.

You fill out a design form detailing your brand guidelines, style preferences, and functionality requirements. The UI/UX designer creates completely custom layouts tailored to your brand.

Forever Beaumore achieved 5x higher conversion rate, 30% higher average order value, and 8x higher session time with their Appbrew powered app.

2. AI-Powered Features That Drive Results

Appbrew offers advanced AI features that would cost hundreds of thousands to develop internally:

1. Milo (AI CoPilot) that delivers performance insights, marketing suggestions, and growth recommendations based on your app data.

2. An AI Concierge that acts like your best store assistant, guiding shoppers and answering product questions in real-time.

3. An AI Skin Analyzer that provides personalized beauty product recommendations based on real-time facial scanning and actual skin concerns.

These AI capabilities create shopping experiences that feel personal and intelligent, driving higher engagement and conversions.

3. Built on React Native for True Cross-Platform Efficiency

Appbrew uses React Native, which means a single codebase powers both your iOS and Android apps. This approach delivers several advantages:

1. Your apps stay under 45MB, leading to higher install rates and fewer storage concerns for users. (Compare this to some other app builders that create 170MB+ apps with higher drop-off rates.)
2. Updates and new features roll out simultaneously across both platforms.
3. Performance remains consistently high on both iOS and Android devices.

As you scale, adding new features or integrations happens efficiently across both apps.

Check out Appbrew’s head-to-head comparison vs. Tapcart, MobiLoud, Shopney, Vajro, and OneMobile.

4. 120+ Native Integrations with popular eCommerce tools and apps

Appbrew connects seamlessly with all the Shopify apps that powers your Shopify store:

1. Marketing: Klaviyo, Attentive, Contlo, Meta for comprehensive campaign management
2. Analytics: AppsFlyer, Branch, Adjust, MS Clarity for complete attribution and heatmap analysis
3. Loyalty: LoyaltyLion, Smile.io, and other major platforms with app-exclusive rewards
4. Subscriptions: Recharge, Bold, and others with native in-app management 
5. Reviews: Judge.me, Yotpo, Okendo with optimized mobile display 
6. Support: Gorgias and more

Everything works together without custom development or ongoing maintenance headaches.

5. App Store Expertise and Policy Management

Appbrew handles the entire app store submission process for both iOS and Android. This includes preparing store assets, writing descriptions, managing approvals, and handling any objections from Apple or Google.

Your app goes live without you navigating developer guidelines, policies, or technical submission requirements.

6. 24/7 Access to Success Team with Proven Playbooks

Every Appbrew customer gets access to a dedicated success team experienced in mobile commerce optimization.

Appbrew's success team shares strategies and playbooks developed from working with brands generating $100M+ in mobile revenue.

Dermaclara saw a 32% increase in conversion rate, 3.5x growth in app-driven revenue, and 5.5x increase in user engagement compared to their previous app solution.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Mobile App for Your Shopify Store

Here's exactly how the process of creating a mobile app for Shopify store works from initial planning to launching app with Appbrew Shopify app builder:

Step 1: Sign in to Your Shopify Store

Log into your Shopify admin dashboard where you manage your store. Make sure your store has products, collections, and basic setup completed before starting the app creation process.

Step 2: Go to Apps section and Search Appbrew 

Navigate to the Apps section on your left side of the Shopify admin panel. Use the search function to find "Mobile App Builder ‑ Appbrew" in the Shopify App Store. You'll see Appbrew listed with its 5/5 rating from 43 reviews and AI-powered features clearly highlighted.

Step 3: Install Appbrew to your Shopify Store

Install the Appbrew app to begin the setup process. You'll be prompted to authorize the connection between Appbrew and your Shopify store.

Step 4: Connect Appbrew to Your Shopify Store

Grant Appbrew access to your store data including products, customers, orders, and collections. This integration allows the app to pull real-time information and sync automatically with your store. 

Step 5: Design and Customize the UI/UX of Your App

Complete the design form with your brand guidelines, style preferences, color schemes, and specific functionality requirements. Be detailed about your brand identity and any custom features you need.

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Appbrew's UI/UX designer creates completely custom layouts as per your instructions. 

Step 6: Fill the Integrations Form and Features Form

List every tool in your current tech stack on the integration form: Klaviyo for email marketing, loyalty programs like LoyaltyLion, analytics platforms, subscription management tools like Recharge, review tools like Yotpo and any other apps you're using.

On the features form, specify which features you want: AI-powered personalization, AI Concierge shopping assistant, AI Skin Analyzer, intelligent search, social login, advanced promotions, subscription management, or all of them.

Step 7: Appbrew Team Builds Your iOS and Android Apps

Once you approve the custom design, Appbrew's development team builds your apps using React Native. This single codebase approach creates both iOS and Android versions simultaneously. 

The team implements all requested integrations, configures AI features, and optimizes the apps to under 45MB for faster downloads and better user acquisition performance.

All technical development happens without any coding required on your part.

Step 8: Test Everything and Provide Feedback

You'll receive test versions of your app for both iOS and Android built on React Native. Download them to your devices and experience the full functionality.

Test social login, promotions, push notifications, personalization features, loading speeds, navigation smoothness, and integration functionality. 

Share feedback or change requests with the development team. They handle all technical implementation while you focus on user experience.

Step 9: Publish Your App on Play Store and App Store

Appbrew handles the entire app store submission process for both platforms. This includes preparing all store assets, writing compelling store descriptions, managing the approval process, and handling any feedback from Apple or Google.

Your app goes live without you having to navigate Apple's developer guidelines, Google Play policies, or technical submission requirements.

The team ensures compliance with all app store policies and manages any new requests and updates both during approval and post launch.

Step 10: Market Your App with Proven Playbooks

Apbrew’s 24/7 success manager shares specific playbooks from brands generating $100M+ in mobile revenue for driving downloads and engagement.

This includes smart app banners on your website, QR codes for in-store promotion, and push notification strategies that convert browsers into buyers.

Further, Milo AI provides ongoing optimization recommendations and strategy based on your app's performance data and industry benchmarks.

Schedule a free consultation with the Appbrew team to create a mobile app for shopify store. Talk to us.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I build a mobile app with Shopify?

Shopify doesn't provide native mobile app building capabilities, but offers Shopify mobile app builders like Appbrew that integrate directly with your Shopify store to create fully native iOS and Android apps.

2. Can I create an app for my Shopify store?

Yes, you can create a mobile app for your Shopify store using Appbrew Shopify mobile app app builder. 

3. How can I create a mobile app for Shopify store for free?

There are no truly free solutions for creating ecommerce mobile apps. Quality app development requires significant resources for design, development, testing, and app store submission. However, Shopify mobile app builders like Appbrew offer much more affordable options compared to custom development, which can cost $100,000+ upfront.

4. How long does it take to create a mobile app for Shopify store?

The timeline depends on your approach. Custom development takes 6-12 months, while Shopify mobile app builders like Appbrew deliver live apps within 30 days.

5. How to choose the right Shopify mobile app builder?

Evaluate Shopify mobile app builders based on:

• Native Shopify integration and compatibility
• Design customization and dedicated design support
• AI-powered personalization and ecommerce-specific features
• Integration ecosystem (120+ integrations is ideal)
• App store expertise and ongoing management
• Success team and growth support
• React Native or similar technology for cross-platform efficiency

6. How much does a Shopify app builder cost?

Shopify mobile app builders with AI powered features typically cost $999+ per month. This is significantly more affordable than custom development ($100,000+ upfront) or agency work ($50,000-150,000).