“What Shopify Apps is This Website Using?” (4 Free Methods That Actually Work)

Every store owner, including myself when I started on Shopify, has asked themselves, "What Shopify apps is this website using?” when they see a storefront. 

Competitor app audits are part of my day job, and I've tested almost every free method out there. Some do the work instantly, while others take time.

You'll get the four free methods I actually trust, in order from easiest to most thorough. No fluff. No paid tools required.

Quick TL;DR if you're in a rush:

• Use a free Shopify app detector tool (paste URL, done)
• Install a Chrome extension for one-click checks
• View page source and search for "shopify://apps/"
• Use DevTools to catch late-loading apps
• Spot apps by what you see on the storefront

Now the full breakdown.

Why should you check the apps a competitor store uses?

Three reasons make competitor app research worth your time as a new store owner.

• First, it saves you from the install-uninstall cycle. Most new merchants test 20+ apps before settling on a stack. Knowing what already works in your niche cuts that down fast.

• Second, detecting Shopify apps reveals strategy. If five of your top competitors run Klaviyo, ReCharge, and Loox together, you just got the solution for a 7-figure store in your category.
• Third, the free Shopify app finder methods cost you nothing. Skipping competitor research because it feels costly is a mistake.

My top methods to find what Shopify apps a website is using

Method 1: Use a free Shopify app detector tool

The fastest way to find the answer to ‘Shopify apps is this website using?’ is a free online detector. You paste the URL, the tool scans the page source, and you get a list of installed apps in seconds.

Here are the four free options I rotate between.

Shopscan

ShopScan covers over 2,000 apps in its database and works as both a website and a Chrome extension. Accuracy is high, and the dashboard shows you the theme alongside the apps. This app is free with no signup.

Koala inspector

Koala Inspector has been around for years and remains one of the most reliable free Shopify app checkers. It catches reviews, apps, page builders, and email tools consistently. You can check out its free tier for basic competitor research. 

PIPIADS Shopify app detector

PIPIADS uses AI to parse the source code and identify apps. This is a great app for quick one-off checks when you don't want to install anything.

Instant Shopify app detector

A newer entry with a clean interface and fast scan times. Best for visual learners who want a neat output.

How to use any of them:

1. Open the detector
2. Paste the Shopify store URL
3. Click "Detect" or "Scan"
4. Review the app list

Pros: Zero learning curve and works on any device.

Cons: Limited to what's exposed in the public source code, so private apps stay hidden.

My pick: ShopScan for daily research and Koala Inspector for deep dives.

Method 2: Install a free browser extension

Online detectors work fine, but browser extensions work faster.

I check 30 to 50 competitor stores a week. Pasting URLs one by one is difficult for me. A Chrome extension turns this into a few-second job.

Top free extensions I recommend:

Koala Inspector Chrome Extension

Same data as the web version, but one click away while you browse. Install, pin the icon, and click whenever you land on a Shopify store.

ShopScan Extension

Detect Shopify apps, themes, payment methods, and analytics tools in one pass. Great for full tech-stack audits.

Wappalyzer

Not Shopify-specific, but Wappalyzer reads the entire tech stack of any site, including Shopify apps. Useful as a backup when other detectors miss something.

Setup is straightforward:

1. Add the extension from the Chrome Web Store
2. Pin it to your browser bar
3. Visit any Shopify store
4. Click the extension icon

If you do competitor analysis even once a month, install one. This will save you hours of work.

Method 3: Check the page source manually (Free + no tool needed)

Every Shopify app that runs on the storefront leaves a tag in the page source. Once you know where to look, you can find Shopify apps in under a minute with nothing installed.

Here's the exact process I use when I want a second opinion on what a detector found.

Step 1: Right-click anywhere on the store's page and select "View Page Source." Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+U on Windows, Cmd+Option+U on Mac.

Step 2: Hit Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to open the search bar inside the source code.

Step 3: Search for this exact string: BEGIN app block: shopify://apps/

The app name sits right after /apps/. For example, shopify://apps/judgeme tells you the store runs Judge.me for reviews.

Why I love the manual method: it never lies. Detector tools sometimes misread or skip apps. The page source shows you the exact Shopify apps a website is using.

Method 4: Use DevTools to catch apps that load late

Some apps don't show up in the static page source. They load after the page renders through lazy-loaded scripts. Detectors and View Source both miss them.

Browser DevTools catches everything.

Here's the quick version:

1. Open the Shopify store
2. Press F12 or right-click and choose "Inspect"
3. Click the "Network" tab
4. Reload the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
5. Watch the requests roll in

You'll see every script, image, and API call the page fires. Filter by domain or by the "JS" type to narrow the noise.

This method is best for tech-curious merchants who want zero blind spots.

The limitations of free methods to detect Shopify apps

No free Shopify app finder is perfect. Set the right expectation before you start.

Custom-built private apps stay invisible. Big brands often pay developers to build internal apps that never appear in the Shopify App Store. Detectors can't find what's not labeled.

Backend-only apps (shipping rules, accounting integrations, fulfillment tools) don't load on the storefront. None of the four methods above will surface them.

Some stores deliberately make their source code unclear on purpose. Also, in heavily customized themes, it's difficult to detect apps.

Detection accuracy across free tools sits around 70 to 80 percent on average. Stack two or three methods together to get the most accurate results.

A trustworthy competitor audit always combines a detector tool, a manual page source check, and visual observation. Skip any one of the three, and you'll miss something.

How to Actually Use This Info (Not Just Copy a Competitor)

Detecting apps is the easy part. Using the data well is where most new merchants slip.

A few rules I live by after years of running competitor audits:

• Build a swipe file. Pick 5 to 10 leading stores in your niche. Run a Shopify app checker on each. Drop the results into a Google Sheet. Patterns will jump out within an hour.
• Look for overlap. If eight out of ten top stores in your category use Klaviyo, you've found a signal. If one store uses some obscure pop-up tool, ignore it.
• Test one app at a time. Installing five new apps in a week destroys your ability to measure what's actually working. Install one app, measure for two weeks, then decide.
• Read the reviews before you install. App detectors tell you what competitors use. They don't tell you which apps are well-supported, well-priced, or worth your money. Always check Shopify App Store reviews first.
• Match the app to your stage. A store doing $500 a month doesn't need an enterprise loyalty platform. Pick apps that fit your current revenue.

The biggest competitor analysis lesson I can share: Apps amplify what's already working. They never fix what isn't.

Wrapping Up

You now have four free ways to answer the question every new merchant asks: what Shopify apps is this website using?

Quick recap:

1. Free Shopify app detector tools (ShopScan, Koala Inspector, PIPIADS, Instant)
2. Chrome extensions for one-click checks
3. View Page Source and search for "shopify://apps/"
4. DevTools Network tab for late-loading apps

Pick one method today. Open a competitor store you've been eyeing. Run a quick scan. Screenshot the results.

You'll learn more about your niche in 10 minutes than you will from any course.

FAQs

1. How to find out what Shopify apps a website is using?

Any Shopify store's apps can be detected for free using tools like ShopScan, Koala Inspector, or PIPIADS, or by viewing the page source and searching for shopify://apps/.

2. Which is the best Shopify competitor research tool?   

For app detection specifically, Koala Inspector and ShopScan are the best tools. For full competitor research that goes beyond apps (traffic, ads, products, themes), pairing a Shopify app checker with SimilarWeb gives you a complete picture without spending a dollar. 

3. Which are the best Shopify app finder tools?

The top free Shopify app finder tools right now are ShopScan, Koala Inspector, PIPIADS, and Instant's Shopify App Detector.

About the author

Vineet Nair

Vineet is an experienced content strategist with expertise in the ecommerce domain and a keen interest in Shopify. He aims to help Shopify merchants thrive in this competitive environment with technical solutions and thoughtfully structured content.