DorrisA custom Shopify app is yours, so you look after it, with an AI assistant doing most of the work. It stays cheap to keep when it only reads your own store data and stays small. It gets costly when it touches checkout, payments or heavy theme code. We build it, train you to run and extend it, and answer basic questions by email. There is no maintenance plan.
Updated 2026-10-12.
What can break, and who fixes it
| What can break | How often it matters | Who fixes it | When to ask a developer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify changes how its data is read | Now and then; an app that only reads your store may need a small update | You, by asking your AI assistant. Basic questions to us by email | The update touches orders, payments or checkout |
| A change to your theme | Rarely, if the app reads data and doesn't sit in the theme | You and your AI assistant | The app changes how your storefront looks or checks out |
| Your hosting | Occasionally: a plan lapses or the host has an outage | You, at your host. Basic questions to us by email | The host can't bring it back |
| Your AI plan | Only when you want a change: the app keeps running without it | You: renew the plan, then ask for the change | You're stuck and the assistant keeps going in circles |
We haven't put numbers in the "how often" column because they depend on what you build. A small app that only shows your own orders needs the least looking after.
Keep a bought app instead if
Downtime loses you sales the same day. That means checkout, payments, subscriptions and back-in-stock alerts. Someone else carries that risk, and you should let them. Which apps are worth replacing sorts the rest, and custom app, freelancer or bought app compares the three.
What it costs to keep
There is no monthly fee from us. You pay for hosting and your own AI plan: see what you need. We build one app that replaces the apps you rent for $1,650 including the first tool and $1,100 for each extra tool, invoiced after a free 30-minute demo.
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
Who maintains a custom Shopify app?
You do, with an AI assistant doing most of the work. We train you to run and extend it and answer basic questions by email. There is no maintenance plan.
What happens when Shopify changes something?
An app that only reads your store may need a small update. You ask your AI assistant for it. If the change touches orders, payments or checkout, ask a developer.
Is custom code worth it if I have to look after it?
It can be, when it replaces apps that only show your own data and stays small. If downtime would cost you sales the same day, keep a bought app.
What does it cost to keep running?
No monthly fee from us. Hosting and your own AI plan are yours to pay.
Next step
Book a demo and ask us about looking after it. Prefer to write? Send a message.
Tim Haines