Sell a Shopify App

Shopify apps sell on installed merchants and recurring app charges. They tend to fetch strong multiples because billing runs through Shopify and churn is visible in the partner dashboard.

Transfer happens inside the partner program, which is clean when the app lives in its own partner organisation and painful when it shares one with other apps.

What buyers pay

Three to four times annual revenue for apps with stable merchants

Because Shopify collects the money and reports churn, buyers trust the numbers and pay accordingly. Apps with a clear niche and reviews above 4.5 are the ones that sell quickly.

Apps built on a deprecated API version or on features Shopify is folding into the core platform are discounted hard.

Ranges reflect small-deal marketplaces in 2026 and move with the market. Your buyer decides the price; these numbers tell you where the conversation starts.

Before you list

1. Partner dashboard exports: installs, uninstalls, recurring and usage charges by month.
2. The API version and the migration plan if it is behind.
3. Review history and support volume.
4. Backend cost and architecture, including webhook processing.
5. Whether the app sits in its own partner organisation.

What moves at closing

The buyer pays Tool Index once you've both signed. Then, in this order:

1. Partner organisation or app transfer to the buyer's partner account.
2. Repository, hosting, database, domains.
3. App listing assets and support channels.
4. Merchant notification if terms or the privacy policy change.
5. Webhook endpoints re-verified after the move.

You mark the deal delivered with a note of what moved. The buyer confirms inside the inspection window and the money is released to you, minus 1 percent (minimum $19, maximum $199) and the card processor's fee. If they open a dispute, a person reviews the delivery evidence before anything moves.

What kills deals

• An app that shares a partner organisation the seller wants to keep.
• Revenue dependent on a handful of merchants.
• An open policy issue with the app review team.
• Data retention that does not match the listed privacy policy.

Questions

Does Shopify allow app transfers?

Yes, between partner accounts, with the app store listing and merchants intact. Both parties need to be in good standing with the partner program.

What about the merchants' data?

It moves with the app. The buyer must honour the existing privacy policy or notify merchants of changes, and the listing should say what data is stored.

How is the money handled?

The buyer pays Tool Index, you transfer, they confirm, Tool Index releases the funds minus a 1 percent fee. Neither side depends on the other's good faith.