DorrisFor a small Shopify store, rent a paid app to start quickly, and own your software once the apps that only show your own data cost $200 or more a month. Software you own costs setup time and an AI plan, but it shows your orders the way you want, and you change it by asking. Support inbox, reports and invoices suit owning. Under about $100 a month, keep renting.
Own it? The kit starts with the support inbox, $249 →
The comparison
| Compared on | Paid app | Software you own, built with an AI agent |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Minutes | Under an hour for the first tool (the support inbox in the Dorris kit); longer for each extra one |
| Who keeps it running | The vendor | You and your AI agent. The kit has a "Something broke" page of usual problems |
| Monthly cost | Whatever the plan charges, whether you use it a lot or a little | Your AI agent plan and hosting. Current figures are on what you need |
| Fit to your shop | You adapt to the app | You ask for the change you want |
| Your customers' data | Held by the vendor | Stays on your computer, or your host once the app is online |
| Risk to your store | Depends on the permissions you grant | The kit's Shopify connection starts read-only |
One at a time
Support inbox. (How to build one with Claude Code.) A paid helpdesk is the right choice if several people share the inbox all day and need assignments, rules and a mobile app. The kit's inbox is for the owner who answers most messages personally: each customer's email sits beside their Shopify order, looked up by number, and you write the reply and send it from your own email. Finding a customer by email address needs a higher Shopify plan. Whichever you choose, three free reply recipes cover the questions that arrive most, and the full set gives you a written policy and replies to start from.
Reports. Shopify's own reports cover most stores. A paid report builder earns its place if you need views Shopify doesn't give you and don't want to maintain anything. If you keep asking for the same numbers every morning, an app of your own can show them in one screen.
Invoices. An invoicing add-on bills monthly whether you raise five invoices or fifty. A small invoicing screen of your own turns a real order into an invoice with your numbering. Ask an accountant, not your AI agent, what the law where you trade requires on an invoice.
When to keep paying
Keep the paid app if you have a team that depends on it, if you don't want to run anything yourself, or if it's under about $20 a month for something you use daily. My rule of thumb: start with the biggest line on your list. For my own store, that was a $500 a month support inbox. See what my store paid and the short checklist, or add up your own list with the app stack audit worksheet.
Want it built for you? Book a demo.
Tim Haines