TL;DR
Vitals Shopify App Detector ranks first because it identifies every app a Shopify store is using, estimates the monthly cost of each one, and recommends cheaper alternatives that provide the same functionality. It's completely free to use and requires no signup.
Introduction
A competitor's store converts well, and the theme only explains the layout. The apps running underneath it, the reviews, the upsells, the pop-ups, the urgency timers, are what turn browsers into buyers.
A Shopify app detector reads the same public code every visitor's browser already loads and returns that store's full app list in seconds. Naming the apps is the easy part. The harder, more useful question is what those apps cost and whether running them separately makes sense against a single flat-rate alternative. This roundup covers both.
How I selected the best Shopify app detectors
I scored every tool against four fixed criteria:
- Detection depth. Does it return just app names, or does it categorize them, so you understand what each one does?
- Pricing intelligence. Does the tool show what each detected app costs, or leave you to look that up yourself?
- Cost comparison. Does it calculate what you'd save consolidating those apps into a single alternative, or stop at a plain list?
- Cost and gating. What does the tool ask for in return? Some run instantly with no barrier; others route through a signup or a browser extension install first.
The best Shopify app detectors in 2026
1. Vitals - Shopify App Detector
Vitals free Shopify App Detector tool scans a store's public code and returns every app it's running, tagged by category, with each app's typical monthly price and a live calculator showing what you'd save running the same setup through Vitals.
With Vitals, you paste a store URL and get back more than a list.
I ran a real scan on thehoneypot.co, and the tool returned 13 detected apps, flagged 7 of them as having a direct Vitals equivalent, and totaled the 6 paid ones at $61.99/month combined.
Against Vitals' own $29.99/month, that's $32 back every month, or $384 a year, calculated automatically with no manual research required.
Key features
- Detects every app a store runs, organized under category tabs like Email Marketing, Reviews, and Heatmaps & Session Replay.
- Shows each detected app's typical monthly Shopify App Store price next to its name.
- Tags each app "Keep this one" or "Replace with Vitals," so you see at a glance which pieces Vitals covers.
- A savings calculator totaling the store's paid, Vitals-replaceable apps against Vitals' flat $29.99/month.
- Names the store's theme in the same scan.
- No signup, email, or extension required.
Pricing
The Shopify App Detector is completely free and requires no signup.
Pros and cons
Pros: prices every detected app instead of just naming it; calculates real savings automatically; also names the theme; nothing gated behind a form.
Cons: the savings figure only counts apps Vitals directly replaces, so a store running several apps outside Vitals' scope, subscriptions, SMS, page builders, will show a lower total software cost than what it pays each month.
Why do Shopify brands choose Vitals' Shopify App Detector?
Shopify brands choose the Vitals App Detector because it turns a list of unfamiliar app names into an actual decision. Most detectors stop at identification, leaving you to search each app's pricing page yourself before you can compare anything. Vitals prices every detected app in the same scan and calculates the savings against its own $29.99/month automatically, so the tool answers "is this worth switching" instead of just "what's running here." It's built by the team behind the all-in-one Shopify app trusted by 30,000+ merchants.
2. LetsMetrix
LetsMetrix is a Shopify analytics platform. Its App Detector scans a store's public code and returns the apps it's running as one tool inside a broader suite.
You paste a store's URL and click "Detect Apps" to get a list of detected apps with categories.
Key features
- A four-step scan: enter a URL, detect, view the app list, then explore deeper analytics.
- Apps returned with categories attached.
- No signup required for the basic detector scan.
Pricing
The Shopify App Detector itself is free. LetsMetrix's broader analytics platform pricing isn't listed on the detector page; check letsmetrix.com for current plans.
3. ECSPY
ECSPY is a Shopify and WooCommerce app-detection tool distributed mainly as a Chrome extension.
Key features
- Claims detection across 50+ app categories, from marketing to shipping to security.
- Returns app names, categories, ratings, and install links, per the site.
- Distributed as a Chrome extension rather than a paste-and-scan web page.
Pricing: Free
4. DevLuxx
DevLuxx App Detector scans a store's public code against a stated database of over 2,000 apps and also identifies the store's theme in the same scan.
You paste a store's URL and hit analyze for instant results. Alongside the app list, DevLuxx states its tool provides a link to the detected theme.
Key features
- Simple URL-paste analysis with instant results.
- A stated database of 2,000+ apps.
- Available as a Chrome extension in addition to the web tool.
Pricing
Free, with no pricing stated for either the web tool or the Chrome extension.
5. Sell The Trend
Sell The Trend is a dropshipping and product-research platform. Its free Shopify App Detector is one tool inside that broader paid suite, positioned around finding conversion-rate-optimization apps specifically.
Key features
- Categorizes detected apps specifically by CRO function: scarcity, upsells, social proof, and trust.
- States coverage of 10,000+ app signatures, updated every 24 hours.
- No signup required for the basic app-detector scan itself.
Pricing
The app detector is free to use without signup. Sell The Trend's core dropshipping platform runs on a paid trial; check sellthetrend.com for current plans.
Final thoughts
Every tool here returns a list of apps. What separates them is what you can do with that list afterward.
Vitals ranks first because it's the only one here that prices every detected app and calculates real savings in the same scan, so you leave with a decision, not just a list to research further.
LetsMetrix and DevLuxx are solid, free, no-signup picks if a plain app list with categories is all you need. Sell The Trend's CRO-specific categorization is worth a look if you're specifically hunting for scarcity, upsell, or social-proof apps, and ECSPY covers the widest claimed category range if you're comfortable installing a Chrome extension to get there.
As a next step, run your store through Vitals Shopify App Detector tool to see every app you're using, what each one typically costs, and whether consolidating them into Vitals could lower your monthly app spend.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is a Shopify app detector?
A Shopify app detector is a free tool that scans a Shopify store's public code and returns the list of third-party apps it's running. It reads the same data every visitor's browser already loads, so no access to the store's admin is required.
2. Which is the best Shopify app detector?
Vitals ranks first because it prices every detected app and calculates what you'd save consolidating them into a single subscription, in the same scan that names the apps. Most detectors stop at the app list and leave the cost research to you.
3. How do Shopify app detectors work?
They scan a store's public-facing code for script tags, CSS files, and other signals specific apps leave behind, then match those signals against a database of known apps. None of the tools in this roundup need access to a store's admin or backend.
4. Are Shopify app detectors free?
The basic scan is free across every tool in this roundup. Some ask for nothing beyond a URL, while others route through a Chrome extension install or sit inside a broader paid platform for deeper features.
5. Can an app detector show me what a competitor's apps cost, not just their names?
Only some do. Vitals prices every detected app and totals what switching to a single subscription would save. The other tools in this roundup return app names and categories without attaching a cost to them.
6. Is it legal to check what apps a competitor's store is using?
Yes. App detection reads publicly available data that every visitor's browser already loads. It doesn't access the store's admin, backend, or any private information.