# Essential apps for a Shopify store: customer service, reviews, email, shipping and returns

Level: Beginner. About 90 minutes. Plans: Varies by app. Shopify Messaging and Shopify Flow: Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus. Checked against Shopify's documentation on 2026-10-11.

**Short answer:** Most stores need tools for five jobs: answering customers, collecting product reviews, email marketing, shipping and returns. Shopify covers four of them with free or built-in tools: Shopify Inbox for chat, Shopify Messaging for email, shipping labels in Orders, and self-serve returns in Settings > Customer accounts [4][12][18][23]. Product reviews on your online store need an app from the Shopify App Store [8]. Install apps from their listing, review the access they ask for, and check their charges in Settings > Billing [1][2].

## Before you start

Every app you add can read some of your store data, may add a monthly charge to your Shopify bill and may leave code in your theme when you remove it [1][2][3]. So start with the jobs, not the apps. For most stores, five jobs come first. Shopify has its own tool for four of them.

| Job | Start with Shopify's own tool | Apps that go further (A to Z) |
|---|---|---|
| Customer service | Shopify Inbox, free, with an optional AI agent [4][5] | Re:amaze, Tidio [6][7] |
| Product reviews | Shop app reviews, shown in the Shop app only [8] | Judge.me, Loox, Okendo, Yotpo [9][10][11][13] |
| Email and SMS marketing | Shopify Messaging, 10,000 free emails a month [12][31] | Klaviyo, Omnisend, Postscript (SMS) [14][15][16] |
| Shipping and tracking | Shipping labels in the admin [17] | AfterShip Order Tracking, CWILL Order Tracking, ShipStation [19][20][21] |
| Returns and exchanges | Self-serve returns [23] | AfterShip Returns & Exchanges, Loop, ReturnGO [22][24][25] |

The apps are examples, listed alphabetically. They are not ranked or recommended, and no developer paid to appear here. Each line comes from the app's own Shopify App Store listing. Ratings and prices change, so check the listing before you install.

Worked example: a candle shop selling 40 products in the US and Canada, about to launch, with one person answering customers.

## Steps

1. **Write down the jobs you need help with.** For each of the five jobs above, note what you need on day one. The candle shop needs chat during opening hours, reviews on product pages, a launch email, labels for US and Canada orders and a simple return form. Start with Shopify's own tool for each job and add an app only where it falls short.

2. **Install an app and review its access.** Log in to the Shopify App Store, search for the app and open its listing, then click **Install** [1]. On the **Install app** screen, read the data access requirements and the privacy policy, then click **Install** to authorize it [1]. The screen lists the personal data the app can view and the store data it can view and edit, such as products, orders and discounts [1]. Installed apps appear on the **Apps** page in your admin [1].

3. **Set up customer chat with Shopify Inbox.** Shopify Inbox is free and made by Shopify [5]. Install it from the Shopify App Store, add the chat widget to your online store, then set up its chat settings [4]. To set your hours, go to **Sales channels** > **Inbox**, click **Chat settings** and **Availability**, choose a start and end time in the **Hours** section and click **Save** [28]. In **Automated first reply**, write what customers see during and outside your hours [28]. The Inbox agent, an AI that answers questions about products, shipping, returns, sizing and store policies, is opt-in [29].

4. **Choose a help desk if one chat window is not enough.** A help desk puts email, chat and social messages in one inbox, with order details next to each conversation. These are examples from the Shopify App Store, A to Z:
   - **Re:amaze AI Helpdesk & Chat.** Email, live chat, social, SMS and calls in one inbox, with an AI agent and Shopify order management. 14-day free trial. Rated 4.4 from 181 reviews [6].
   - **Tidio: AI Chatbot & Live Chat.** Live chat, email and social messages in one inbox. Its Lyro AI agent answers support questions and can process refunds and order edits within rules you set. Free plan; paid plans from $29 a month. Rated 4.8 from 1,354 reviews [7].

5. **Add product reviews with an app.** Shopify's own Shop product reviews appear in the Shop app, not on your online store [8]. To show reviews on your product pages, install a review app. Examples, A to Z:
   - **Judge.me Product Reviews App.** Product and store reviews, photo and video reviews, and automatic review requests. Free plan; Awesome plan $15 a month. Rated 5.0 from 48,338 reviews [9].
   - **Loox ‑ Product Reviews App.** Photo and video reviews in widgets you can style, with AI sorting and translation. Free plan; 14-day trial on paid plans. Rated 4.9 from 9,832 reviews [10].
   - **Okendo: Reviews & Loyalty.** Reviews plus loyalty, referrals, surveys and quizzes. Free plan; 14-day trial on paid plans. Rated 4.8 from 1,432 reviews [11].
   - **Yotpo: Product Reviews App.** Reviews and star ratings on your store. Free plan up to 50 orders a month. Rated 4.8 from 4,633 reviews [13].

6. **Put the review widget on your product page.** From your Shopify admin, go to **Online Store** and click **Edit theme** [30]. Open a product page, click **Add block**, and under **Apps** select the review app's block [30]. Drag it where you want it and click **Save** [30]. Some apps use an app embed instead: click the **App embeds** icon, turn the app on and click **Save** [30].

7. **Send your first emails with Shopify Messaging.** Shopify Messaging, formerly Shopify Email, sends email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns on the Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus plans [12]. Each store gets 10,000 free emails at the start of every month, then $1 per 1,000 emails up to 300,000 [31]. Go to **Apps** > **Messaging** and click **Create campaign** [32]. The full setup is in [Email marketing with Shopify Messaging](/guides/email-marketing-with-shopify-email).

8. **Move to an email and SMS app when you need more.** These apps add their own list tools, flows and text messaging. Examples, A to Z:
   - **Klaviyo: Email Marketing & SMS.** AI-assisted email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns. Free for up to 250 email contacts; paid from $20 a month for email and $15 a month for SMS. Rated 4.7 from 3,366 reviews [14].
   - **Omnisend Email Marketing & SMS.** Email and SMS with popups, signup forms and automated messages such as abandoned cart and welcome emails. Free plan; paid from $16 a month. Rated 4.7 from 3,188 reviews [15].
   - **Postscript SMS Marketing.** Text message campaigns and automated flows. 30-day trial on the Growth and Professional plans. Rated 4.7 from 1,207 reviews [16].

9. **Buy shipping labels in the admin.** Shipping labels in Shopify send tracking details to customers automatically, and label discounts vary by Shopify plan [17]. Go to **Orders**, open an unfulfilled order and click **Create shipping label** [18]. Choose a package and a shipping service, then click **Buy shipping label** in the **Summary** section [18]. Labels need an eligible fulfillment location, and eligibility varies by carrier and country [17].

10. **Add a tracking or shipping app if labels are not enough.** Tracking apps give customers a branded tracking page; shipping apps manage orders from several channels. Examples, A to Z:
    - **AfterShip Order Tracking.** A branded tracking page and automatic shipping updates. Free plan for 50 shipments a month; 7-day trial on paid plans. Rated 4.6 from 1,502 reviews [19].
    - **CWILL Order Tracking (formerly ParcelPanel).** A branded tracking page, delivery problem alerts and shipping notifications. Free plan; 7-day trial on paid plans. Rated 5.0 from 3,177 reviews [20].
    - **ShipStation Orders & Inventory.** Orders, inventory and returns across sales channels and warehouses. 30-day free trial; from $14.99 a month. Rated 4.2 from 707 reviews [21].

11. **Turn on self-serve returns.** From your Shopify admin, go to **Settings** > **Customer accounts** and turn on **Self-serve returns and cancellations** [23]. Choose **Return and cancel requests**, **Return requests only** or **Cancel requests only** [23]. If you need exchanges, store credit or return rules beyond this, returns apps include, A to Z:
    - **AfterShip Returns & Exchanges.** Rule-based returns that turn refunds into exchanges or store credit. Free plan; 7-day trial on paid plans. Rated 4.7 from 1,544 reviews [22].
    - **Loop Returns & Exchanges.** Returns, exchanges, order tracking and fraud prevention. Free plan; paid from $155 a month. Rated 4.6 from 446 reviews [24].
    - **ReturnGO Returns & Exchanges.** A branded self-service return portal. 14-day trial on Premium and Pro; from $147 a month. Rated 4.9 from 406 reviews [25].

12. **Add Shopify's free apps for search and automation.** Shopify Search & Discovery is free and adds search filters, synonyms, boosts and product recommendations [26]. Its listing is rated 2.6 from 509 reviews, so read recent reviews first [26]. Shopify Flow is a free automation app on the Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus plans; install it from the Shopify App Store [27].

## Check your work

- Open your store as a customer. The chat button shows, and a message outside your hours gets your automated first reply [28].
- Preview a product page. The review widget shows where you placed it [30].
- Go to **Settings** > **Billing** and click **View current charges**. Every app charge listed is one you expected [2].
- Go to **Settings** > **Apps**. Every app on the list does a job from step 1 [3].

## Common problems

- **"Reviews show in the Shop app but not on my store."** Shop product reviews appear only in the Shop app [8]. Install a review app and add its block in the theme editor [30].
- **"My review widget doesn't appear."** The app may use an app embed. In the theme editor, click the **App embeds** icon, turn it on and click **Save** [30].
- **"I uninstalled an app and still got charged."** Uninstalling stops future billing cycles but not a charge already generated, and charges billed outside Shopify must be cancelled with the developer [2][3]. To ask for a refund, contact the developer before you uninstall [3].
- **"My theme still shows parts of an app I removed."** Some apps add code to your theme that uninstalling doesn't remove. Check the app's listing or ask its developer for removal steps [3].
- **"I lost data when I removed an app."** Some app data can't be recovered after uninstalling. Export what you need first [3].
- **"I can't buy labels for my orders."** Labels need an eligible fulfillment location, and eligibility varies by carrier and country [17].
- **"Customers can't find the return form."** Self-serve returns don't work with legacy customer accounts. Upgrade, or add the customer accounts URL to your footer or refund policy [23].

## Further reading

- [Installing and setting up apps](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/apps/install-setup-apps) [1]
- [Uninstalling apps](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/apps/uninstalling-apps) [3]
- [Setting up Shopify Inbox](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/inbox/setup) [4]

## Sources

1. [Installing and setting up apps](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/apps/install-setup-apps), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
2. [Third-party app charges](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/your-account/manage-billing/your-invoice/apps), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
3. [Uninstalling apps](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/apps/uninstalling-apps), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
4. [Setting up Shopify Inbox](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/inbox/setup), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
5. [Shopify Inbox](https://apps.shopify.com/inbox), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
6. [Re:amaze AI Helpdesk & Chat](https://apps.shopify.com/reamaze), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
7. [Tidio: AI Chatbot & Live Chat](https://apps.shopify.com/tidio-chat), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
8. [Shop product reviews](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/product-reviews), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
9. [Judge.me Product Reviews App](https://apps.shopify.com/judgeme), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
10. [Loox ‑ Product Reviews App](https://apps.shopify.com/loox), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
11. [Okendo: Reviews & Loyalty](https://apps.shopify.com/okendo-reviews), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
12. [Shopify Messaging](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/create-marketing/shopify-email), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
13. [Yotpo: Product Reviews App](https://apps.shopify.com/yotpo-social-reviews), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
14. [Klaviyo: Email Marketing & SMS](https://apps.shopify.com/klaviyo-email-marketing), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
15. [Omnisend Email Marketing & SMS](https://apps.shopify.com/omnisend), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
16. [Postscript SMS Marketing](https://apps.shopify.com/postscript-sms-marketing), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
17. [Shipping labels in Shopify](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/shopify-shipping), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
18. [Buying shipping labels individually](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/shopify-shipping/shipping-labels/buying-labels), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
19. [AfterShip Order Tracking](https://apps.shopify.com/aftership), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
20. [CWILL Order Tracking (formerly ParcelPanel)](https://apps.shopify.com/parcelpanel), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
21. [ShipStation Orders & Inventory](https://apps.shopify.com/shipstation), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
22. [AfterShip Returns & Exchanges](https://apps.shopify.com/returns-center-by-aftership), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
23. [Setting up self-serve returns](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/orders/return-requests), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
24. [Loop Returns & Exchanges](https://apps.shopify.com/loop-returns), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
25. [ReturnGO Returns & Exchanges](https://apps.shopify.com/returngo), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
26. [Shopify Search & Discovery](https://apps.shopify.com/search-and-discovery), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-11
27. [Shopify Flow](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-flow), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
28. [Set up your Shopify Inbox availability and automated first reply](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/inbox/chat-settings-and-appearance/availability-and-first-reply), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
29. [Inbox agent](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/inbox/inbox-agent), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
30. [Apps in themes: app blocks and app embeds](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/theme-structure/extend/apps), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
31. [Shopify Messaging email pricing](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/create-marketing/shopify-messaging/email/pricing), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11
32. [Create email marketing campaigns using Shopify Messaging](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/create-marketing/shopify-messaging/email/create-email/create-campaigns), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-11

Source page: https://webmerchants.net/guides/essential-apps-for-your-store