DropshipAcademy

App Stack & Integrations

The essential Shopify app stack

15 apps across sourcing, reviews, marketing, and tracking — what each does, what's free, how hard it is to set up, and the trade-offs.

Recommended $0/month starter stack

Pick one sourcing app (DSers or CJ), then add paid tools only once they solve a problem you actually have. Every app adds page weight.

DSers

Sourcing

Starter stack

AliExpress's official dropshipping partner: import products, map variants to suppliers, and place orders in bulk.

Free
Free plan: up to 3,000 products, bulk ordering, multiple stores
Paid
Paid plans roughly $20–$50/mo for advanced supplier mapping and more stores
Moderate setupBest for: Beginners sourcing from AliExpress
  • Generous free plan
  • Bulk-order hundreds of orders in a few clicks
  • AliExpress-only sourcing
  • Interface has a learning curve

CJ Dropshipping

Sourcing

Starter stack

Supplier and fulfillment agent with its own catalog, sourcing requests, custom packaging, and US/EU warehouses.

Free
Free app — you pay per order (product + shipping)
Paid
No subscription; costs are built into product and shipping prices
Moderate setupBest for: Faster shipping and moving toward private label
  • Sourcing agent built in at no subscription cost
  • Local warehouses for faster delivery
  • Catalog prices can be higher than AliExpress
  • Support quality varies by agent

Zendrop

Sourcing

All-in-one sourcing and fulfillment with US-focused suppliers, auto-fulfillment, and branding options.

Free
Free plan with catalog access; fulfillment fees apply per order
Paid
Paid plans around $49–$79/mo for auto-fulfillment, branding, and faster processing
Easy setupBest for: US-market stores that want automation
  • Very beginner-friendly
  • US fulfillment options
  • Key features locked behind paid plans
  • Smaller catalog than AliExpress

AliExpress (via DSers)

Sourcing

The largest supplier marketplace for dropshipping. You source here and connect orders through an integration app like DSers.

Free
Free to browse and buy; no subscription
Paid
Pay product + shipping per order
Moderate setupBest for: Product research and testing lots of ideas cheaply
  • Massive product selection
  • Low unit costs
  • Inconsistent quality between sellers
  • Long shipping times from China on budget lines

AutoDS

Sourcing

Automation platform for importing, price monitoring, and auto-ordering across many suppliers. Featured in several videos in the learning center.

Free
No free plan (trial only)
Paid
Paid plans; frequently offers a low-cost trial
Moderate setupBest for: Sellers who want heavy automation across suppliers
  • Supports many suppliers
  • Automatic price and stock monitoring
  • No free plan
  • Costs scale with product count

Judge.me

Reviews

Starter stack

Product reviews with photo/video, review request emails, and Google rich snippets.

Free
Forever-free plan: unlimited review requests, photo/video reviews, rich snippets
Paid
Awesome plan around $15/mo (Q&A, custom forms, integrations)
Easy setupBest for: Almost every new store — the best free reviews plan
  • Excellent free plan
  • Lightweight and fast
  • Widgets look plainer than Loox by default
  • Advanced features need the paid plan

Loox

Reviews

Visual-first reviews and UGC focused on customer photos and videos, plus referrals.

Free
No free plan (trial only)
Paid
Paid plans (free trial); price scales with monthly orders
Easy setupBest for: Visual products: fashion, beauty, home decor
  • Best-looking photo review galleries
  • Strong UGC and referral features
  • No free plan
  • Costs grow with order volume

Ali Reviews

Reviews

Reviews app known for importing reviews from AliExpress and other marketplaces, plus review collection.

Free
Free plan available
Paid
Paid plans from around $9/mo
Easy setupBest for: Stores that need legitimate supplier reviews at launch
  • Fast marketplace review import
  • Affordable
  • Imported reviews describe the supplier's listing, not your store
  • Imported reviews must be disclosed honestly — check local consumer-protection and ad rules

Klaviyo

Marketing & Conversion

Starter stack

Email and SMS automation: welcome series, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase flows.

Free
Free up to 250 active profiles and 500 email sends/month
Paid
Email plans from around $20/mo, scaling with list size; SMS billed separately
Advanced setupBest for: Stores ready to build owned marketing (email/SMS)
  • Industry-standard automation
  • Deep Shopify data sync
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Costs rise quickly as your list grows

Shopify Email

Marketing & Conversion

Shopify's built-in email marketing and automations — simpler alternative to Klaviyo.

Free
Free monthly email allowance included with your plan
Paid
Low per-email cost beyond the free allowance
Easy setupBest for: Launch-stage stores that want basic email for free
  • Free to start, built into the admin
  • Simple drag-and-drop editor
  • Less segmentation than Klaviyo
  • No SMS

PageFly

Marketing & Conversion

Drag-and-drop page builder for custom landing and product pages beyond what your theme offers.

Free
Free plan: limited to one published page
Paid
Paid plans from around $24/mo for more published pages
Moderate setupBest for: Custom landing pages for ad campaigns
  • Very flexible layouts
  • Large template library
  • Can slow pages if overbuilt
  • Online Store 2.0 themes now cover many use cases natively

Shogun

Marketing & Conversion

Premium page builder with A/B testing and analytics, aimed at growing brands.

Free
No free plan (trial only)
Paid
Paid plans (free trial)
Advanced setupBest for: Scaling stores that want to A/B test landing pages
  • Built-in A/B testing
  • Polished editor
  • No free plan
  • More than a beginner needs

Vitals

Marketing & Conversion

All-in-one app bundling 40+ conversion tools: reviews, bundles, upsells, trust badges, sticky cart, and more.

Free
No free plan (trial only)
Paid
Around $29.99/mo (free trial)
Moderate setupBest for: Replacing several single-purpose apps with one
  • Replaces many apps with one subscription
  • One support team for everything
  • No free plan for live stores
  • Tempting to switch on too many widgets

Track123

Order Tracking

Starter stack

Branded order tracking page, shipping notifications, and delivery analytics.

Free
Free plan with a monthly shipment allowance (around 50)
Paid
Paid plans from around $9/mo, scaling by shipment volume
Easy setupBest for: Budget-friendly branded tracking
  • Cheaper than AfterShip at most volumes
  • Easy setup
  • Smaller ecosystem than AfterShip
  • Advanced analytics on higher tiers

AfterShip

Order Tracking

The best-known branded tracking platform: tracking pages, notifications, and delivery performance analytics.

Free
Free plan with a monthly shipment allowance (around 50)
Paid
Paid plans from around $11/mo, scaling by shipment volume
Easy setupBest for: Stores wanting the most mature tracking tool
  • Mature, reliable carrier coverage
  • Strong analytics
  • Pricier than alternatives as volume grows
  • Some features split across separate AfterShip products

Pricing summarized September 2026 from public listings and may change. App developers adjust plans often — always confirm on the Shopify App Store before installing. No affiliate relationships.