DorrisA bought app charges a monthly fee for as long as you use it. A freelancer often charges by the hour, and you depend on them to fix it. An app built for you is one price, and you own it and run it with an AI assistant. Rule of thumb: at $200 or more a month in apps, one app pays back within 12 months (our estimate). Under about $100, keep what you have.
Updated 2026-10-12.
The three side by side
| Compared on | Bought app | Freelancer | We build it with AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Usually none | Varies | $1,650 including the first tool, $1,100 for each extra tool |
| Monthly cost | A fee for each app; the apps on our own list ran from about $20 to $600 a month (our estimate) | Varies | No monthly fee from us. Hosting and your own AI plan are yours to pay |
| Who fixes it | The vendor | The freelancer, often by the hour | You, with your AI assistant. Basic questions to us by email |
| Who owns it | The vendor | Depends on the agreement | You |
| Best when | Checkout, payments, subscriptions, anything that loses sales the same day it stops | A job you can describe and don't want to run, or code that needs a developer's judgment | Apps that only show your own orders and customers |
We have no figures for freelancers we can stand behind, so the column says "varies" rather than guess.
Keep the bought app if
Downtime loses you sales the same day: checkout, payments, subscriptions and back-in-stock alerts. Which apps are worth replacing sorts the rest, and who fixes a custom app when it breaks is the honest answer on maintenance.
Not sure what your apps cost? The free calculator adds up your monthly bills in a minute.
If your apps cost $200 or more a month, one app pays back within 12 months (our estimate). Under about $100 a month it usually isn't worth it. Your own hosting and AI plan are still yours to pay.
Questions
Is a custom Shopify app cheaper than a freelancer?
It depends on the job. A freelancer's price varies with the work and the hours. We build one app that replaces the apps you rent for a fixed price, and you run it afterwards with an AI assistant.
Who owns a custom app built for me?
You do. It runs on your own hosting, connected to your store and your data.
Should I keep my bought apps?
Keep the ones that handle checkout, payments or subscriptions, or where downtime loses sales the same day. Replace the ones that only show your own orders and customers.
Next step
Book a demo and bring your list of apps. We'll tell you which are worth replacing. Prefer to write? Send a message.
Tim Haines