The 7 Best Low Stock & Scarcity Counter Apps for Shopify [2026]

Every time a shopper sees a product without knowing how many are left, you lose the reason to buy today, and every time they come back to find it sold out, you lose the order. A low stock & scarcity counter puts the units left on the product page, and it works since shoppers act faster on a shortage they can see.

Hundreds of Shopify apps offer one, and they share the same core features: an "only X left" message, a stock bar, thresholds, animations and design controls. What separates them is how those features are split across plans, and how the price scales as your catalog grows.

We ranked the 7 best low stock & scarcity counter apps for Shopify by which plan includes each feature and what that plan costs at your number of products.

Why Low Stock & Scarcity Counters Matter for Shopify Stores

We looked at 30 days of data from the Vitals Stock Scarcity App, which ran on 2,465 Shopify stores between August 28 and September 26, 2026. Across those stores:

• The counter was shown 20.1 million times on storefronts
• It was shown about 669,000 times a day, on roughly 1,860 stores on any given day
• 1,600 of those stores, or 65%, kept the counter live on at least 25 of the 30 days
• 278 stores showed it 10,000+ times, and 924 stores showed it 1,000+ times
• The average store showed the counter about 8,100 times a month

Install: Vitals Stock Scarcity App

What to Look for in a Low Stock & Scarcity Counter App

Every low stock & scarcity counter app shows shoppers how many units are left, so the details decide how well it works on your store. Check for these seven things:

• Live inventory keeps the count honest, so the number shoppers see is the real one.
• A stock threshold hides the counter until stock drops below the line you set.
• Variant support updates the count when the shopper picks a size or color.
• Custom wording puts the message in your store's own voice.
• A stock bar or animation makes the count stand out next to the price.
• Page targeting shows the counter on all products, chosen collections or a hand-picked list.
• Collection page support shows the count in the product grid as well as on the product page.

Then check the plan limits. Some $0 plans cap the counter at 3 products or keep the "only 1 left" message for a paid plan, and free trials run up to 7 days, so what you pay depends on your catalog as much as on the features.

Read: The 7 best countdown timer apps for Shopify in 2026

The 7 Best Shopify Low Stock & Scarcity Counter Apps in 2026

Here's how the seven apps compare on rating, price and best use.

1. Vitals

Best for: Shopify stores that want a low stock & scarcity counter app plus 40+ conversion apps in a single install

Rating: 4.9 (2,951 reviews) | Price: From $29.99/mo | Free trial: 7 days

Vitals is one of the most widely used low stock & scarcity counter apps on Shopify, running on 2,465 stores in the last 30 days. It shows "Only 3 left" on the product page, pulled from your real inventory, as a bar or a dot.

The counter stays quiet until stock drops below the threshold you set, and each product, collection or hand-picked list can carry its own threshold. It pairs with Countdown Timer to add a deadline, Cart Notice to carry urgency into the cart, and Sticky Add to Cart to keep the buy button on screen.

Vitals is also the only all-in-one app that offers a low stock & scarcity counter plus 40+ conversion apps (product reviews, bundles, pop-ups, wishlist) in a single $29.99/mo subscription.

Key Features

• Live inventory count on the product page
• Stock threshold that turns the counter on (e.g., below 5 units)
• Separate scopes and thresholds (all products, a collection, a hand-picked list)
• Two layouts (bar and dot) in any colors
• Editable message ("Only {{stock}} left" by default)
• Loads from the same single Vitals script as every other app
• Pairs with Countdown Timer, Cart Notice and Sticky Add to Cart on the same plan
• 40+ other apps included (product reviews, bundles, visitor recordings, pop-ups)
• Vitals MCP for Claude and ChatGPT included

Pros

• Real stock counts across a large catalog (e.g., FreeShippingAllOrders shows the live stock count with Stock Scarcity across a 2,094-product catalogue)
• Stock Scarcity, Countdown Timer and Cart Notice on one plan (e.g., Little Dresser runs a sale bar and a cart reservation message among 20 Vitals tools on one $29.99 subscription)
• Built for stores where most traffic is mobile (e.g., Stock Supplier sees 92% of shoppers on mobile and a 41x return on Vitals)
• Counter only speaks below your threshold, so it never shows a high stock number
• 4.9 rating from 2,951 reviews

Cons

• Free trial runs 7 days, then every app is $29.99/month
• Usage fees start after about $1,000/month in Vitals-attributed sales (from $10/month)

Pricing

Read: The 7 best sticky add to cart apps for Shopify in 2026

2. CI

Best for: Separate messages for every stock level

Rating: 5.0 (7 reviews) | Price: $0–2.99/mo | Free trial: 3 days

CI Low Stock Counter shows a different message for full, limited, last and out-of-stock items. It's designed for stores that want stock alerts on product and collection pages from a low-cost app.

Key Features

• Stock messages on product and collection pages
• Stock states (full stock, limited stock, last stock, out of stock)
• Messages that update when the shopper picks a variant
• Targeting (all products, selected products, collections)
• Font, color and style controls
• No watermark on any plan

Pros

• Unlimited product and collection pages on the $0 Starter plan
• Built for Shopify
• Premium plan from $2.99/month
• Annual billing option ($33/year)

Cons

• "Only 1 left" and low stock warnings start at $2.99/month
• Full text and style customization starts at $2.99/month
• Priority support starts at $2.99/month
• Free trial runs 3 days

Pricing

3. Ultimate Scarcity Pro

Best for: A stock bar with a timer, sales pop and header bar

Rating: 4.8 (14 reviews) | Price: $0–8.99/mo | Free trial: 3 days

Ultimate Scarcity Pro pairs a stock bar with a countdown timer, social proof and a cart reservation bar. It's designed for stores that want several scarcity tools on a $0 plan.

Key Features

• Stock bar and timer (multiple fonts and styles)
• Countdown timer bar (multiple templates)
• Social proof widget on the product page
• Cart reservation bar
• Offer and stock running out bar on the cart page
• Sales pop and announcement header bar
• Order within and get it by message (Premium)

Pros

• Stock bar, timer, sales pop and header bar on the $0 Standard plan
• 4.8 rating from 14 reviews
• Timer placement at the top, bottom or below the add to cart button

Cons

• Softpulse logo removed from $8.99/month
• Premium templates start at $8.99/month
• Order within and get it by message starts at $8.99/month
• Not Built for Shopify

Pricing

4. Scarcity.AI

Best for: Animated stock bars on dropshipped products

Rating: 4.7 (85 reviews) | Price: $4.99/mo | Free trial: 7 days

Scarcity.AI: Low Stock Counter shows an "only X left" count with an animated progress bar and seasonal presets. It's designed for stores that sell dropshipped products and want the counter to read supplier inventory.

Key Features

• "Only X left" counter with an animated progress bar
• Two animation types (shaking and blinking)
• Dozens of presets (Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas)
• Targeting by product and collection
• Collection page support
• Inventory from dropshipping sources (Roposo Clout, GlowRoad, Meesho, Modalyst, DSers)

Pros

• Built for Shopify
• 85 reviews at a 4.7 rating
• Every feature on the one paid plan
• Annual billing option (30% off)

Cons

• Free trial runs 7 days
• Every store starts at $4.99/month

Pricing

5. Sold Count

Best for: Sold counts next to the stock left

Rating: 3.5 (14 reviews) | Price: $0–9.99/mo | Free trial: No

Sold Count: Low Stock Counter shows how many units have sold alongside a low stock count and a countdown timer. It's designed for stores that want sold numbers as social proof next to the stock left.

Key Features

• Sold count widget
• Low stock count and inventory display
• Stock level thresholds (one left, low stock, high stock)
• Replenishing soon and sold out messages
• Countdown timer (Prime)
• Collection page widget (Prime)

Pros

• Sold count and low stock count in one widget
• Replenishing soon and sold out messages alongside the count
• $0 Free Forever plan with no time limit

Cons

• No free trial listed
• $0 Free Forever plan limited to 3 products
• Unlimited products start at $9.99/month
• Countdown timer and collection pages start at $9.99/month
• Not Built for Shopify

Pricing

6. Scarcity+

Best for: Stock messages with emoji and pulse animations

Rating: 4.5 (9 reviews) | Price: $4.99/mo | Free trial: 7 days

Scarcity+ Low Stock Counter sets a different message for each stock level, with emoji and pulse animations. It's designed for stores that want thresholds to switch the message on their own.

Key Features

• Low stock and in stock messages
• Sold out message with your own text
• Thresholds that switch the message on their own
• Emoji and pulse animations
• Stock countdowns and "only X left" messages
• Unlimited page views

Pros

• Built for Shopify
• Every feature on the one paid plan
• Annual billing option ($47.99/year)

Cons

• Every store starts at $4.99/month
• Free trial runs 7 days

Pricing

7. ET Scarcity

Best for: Stock counts for each product variant

Rating: 5.0 (14 reviews) | Price: $0–3.95/mo | Free trial: 3 days

ET Scarcity Low Stock Counter shows a low stock message with an animated progress bar that follows the selected variant. It's designed for stores that sell products in several sizes or colors.

Key Features

• Low stock message on the product page
• Animated progress bar
• Variant support
• Visibility conditions
• Automatic and manual placement
• Message and style controls

Pros

• Variant support and visibility conditions on the $0 plan
• 5.0 rating from 14 reviews
• Annual billing option (30% off)

Cons

• $0 plan shows an Ecom Trend watermark
• Watermark removed from $3.95/month
• Priority support starts at $3.95/month
• Not Built for Shopify

Pricing

Read: The 12 best Shopify volume discount apps in 2026

Conclusion

A low stock & scarcity counter is one of the simplest ways to turn real inventory into a reason to buy now on a Shopify store. The right app makes the count easy to show, and the right threshold makes it worth believing.

• If you want a low stock & scarcity counter alongside a countdown timer, cart notices and sticky add to cart on one subscription, choose Vitals Stock Scarcity App.
• If you want separate messages for full, limited, last and out-of-stock items, choose CI Low Stock Counter on its Premium plan at $2.99/month.
• If you want a stock bar, sales pop and announcement bar at $0/month, choose Ultimate Scarcity Pro.
• If you sell dropshipped products from suppliers like DSers or Modalyst, choose Scarcity.AI: Low Stock Counter.
• If you want to show how many units have sold, choose Sold Count: Low Stock Counter.
• If you want emoji and pulse animations on each stock message, choose Scarcity+ Low Stock Counter.
• If most of your products come in several sizes or colors, choose ET Scarcity Low Stock Counter.

Install: Vitals Stock Scarcity App

FAQs

1. What is the best low stock & scarcity counter app for Shopify?

Vitals Stock Scarcity App is the best low stock & scarcity counter app for Shopify for most stores. The counter comes with Countdown Timer, Cart Notice and 40+ other tools on one $29.99 plan. Lower-cost options like CI Low Stock Counter and ET Scarcity Low Stock Counter suit stores that only need the counter.

2. What does a low stock & scarcity counter app do?

A low stock & scarcity counter app shows shoppers how many units of a product are left. The best ones read live inventory, follow the selected variant and stay hidden until stock drops below a threshold you set.

3. Does a low stock & scarcity counter app let you set a stock threshold?

Not all of them. Scarcity+ Low Stock Counter switches its message by threshold, and Sold Count: Low Stock Counter lists a stock level threshold. Vitals Stock Scarcity App sets a threshold for each product, collection or hand-picked list.

4. Can I change the wording of the low stock message?

Yes, and it matters. A message in your store's own voice reads as part of the product page, while a generic one reads as a pop-up.

5. What's the difference between a low stock & scarcity counter and a sold count?

A low stock & scarcity counter shows how many units are left before a product sells out. A sold count shows how many units other shoppers have already bought. The best apps do both.