Hire a Shopify App Developer Who Has Actually Shipped One
I'm Dhruv - a senior full-stack engineer who builds and ships Shopify apps end-to-end. OAuth, App Bridge, Polaris, GDPR webhooks, billing, App Store submission. Fixed-price 14-day sprints, no hourly meter, no subcontractors. If you need a public Shopify app live and approved this month, you're in the right place.
Who this is for
Founders building a public Shopify App Store app, agencies who need a Shopify specialist for a client engagement, and merchants who need a custom private app that integrates Shopify with the rest of their stack. Most projects ship in 14 to 28 days at a fixed price between $5K and $18K. If your project is bigger than that, we phase it.
What I build for you
Public Shopify App Store apps
Installable, billable, multi-merchant apps reviewed and listed on the Shopify App Store with proper OAuth, billing, and GDPR compliance.
Custom apps for single merchants
Private apps installed on one store - perfect for ops automation, ERP/CRM integrations, and bespoke checkout or fulfillment workflows.
Theme app extensions
Storefront extensions that let merchants drop your app into their theme via the theme editor - the Shopify-recommended pattern.
Shopify Functions
Custom discounts, shipping rules, payment customizations, and cart transformations running natively on Shopify infrastructure.
Headless storefronts
Hydrogen + Oxygen or custom Next.js storefronts using the Storefront API for brands that need full control over the buying experience.
API & webhook integrations
Connect Shopify cleanly to your own backend, an ERP, a fulfillment provider, or an analytics warehouse - with idempotent, signature-verified webhooks.
The 14-day Shopify app sprint
Scope freezes on Day 1. From spec to installable app to App Store submission, in two focused sprints.
Scoping call & spec
We map your app idea to a buildable Sprint 1 scope. One core merchant workflow, one billing model, one admin surface. I write the spec, you approve it, scope is frozen before code is written.
Sprint 1 - installable MVP
OAuth install flow, embedded admin in Polaris, the core feature shipped end-to-end, GDPR webhooks, billing API integration, and a working uninstall. By Day 14 you have a real Shopify app you can install on a dev store.
Sprint 2 - App Store submission
Performance pass, edge-case fixes, listing copy, screenshots, demo store, and submission to the Shopify Partners App Store. I handle the review back-and-forth so you can focus on early merchants.
Launch & maintenance
Optional retainer for API version bumps, support triage, and small features. Or take the codebase, the docs, and the deployment runbook in-house. Your code, your choice.
Tech stack - what I actually ship
Boring, modern, and aligned with Shopify's official recommendations. No Webflow plugins, no PHP duct tape.
Kleo - a live Shopify App Store app
Kleo is a Shopify app I built and ship from the ground up - installable from the Shopify App Store, multi-merchant, billed through the Shopify Billing API, and fully GDPR-compliant. It uses App Bridge inside the merchant admin, theme app extensions to surface features on the storefront, and Shopify Functions for the parts that need to run on Shopify's infrastructure. The same playbook I use on Kleo is the playbook I run on every client app - which is why the timelines and costs above are realistic, not aspirational.
Pricing - fixed scope, fixed fee
No hourly billing. You get a number before kickoff and that's the number on the invoice.
Custom app - single merchant
A private app installed on one store. No App Store review. Faster path to live.
- ✓ One core merchant workflow
- ✓ Embedded admin in Polaris
- ✓ OAuth + scoped permissions
- ✓ Hosted, monitored, documented
Public Shopify App MVP
A public app submitted to the Shopify App Store. Full GDPR compliance, billing, and review-ready.
- ✓ OAuth + GDPR webhooks
- ✓ Billing API integrated
- ✓ App Store listing + screenshots
- ✓ Submission and review support
Sprint 2 / scale-up
Bolt-on after Sprint 1 - analytics, multi-currency, theme app extension, or a second feature.
- ✓ Theme app extensions
- ✓ Shopify Functions
- ✓ Performance + indexing
- ✓ Analytics + observability
Hire me when…
- ✓ You need a public Shopify App Store app live this month
- ✓ You want a senior dev who has shipped a Shopify app, not learned on yours
- ✓ You want fixed price and a hard scope freeze
- ✓ You need OAuth, billing, and GDPR webhooks done correctly the first time
- ✓ You want clean code, tests, and a runbook so you can take it in-house later
This is not the right fit if…
- ✓ You want the cheapest possible hourly contractor
- ✓ You need 5+ developers staffed full-time on a single project
- ✓ Your scope is undefined and you want to "explore" without a deliverable
- ✓ You expect unlimited revisions inside a flat fee
Ready to ship your Shopify app?
Book a free 30-minute scoping call. Bring the idea - leave with a concrete sprint plan and a fixed quote.
Book your scoping call →Or estimate your build first with the MVP Cost Calculator
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a Shopify app developer?+
Hiring a Shopify app developer typically runs $40–$150/hour for individual freelancers, $80–$200/hour for agencies, or $5,000–$25,000+ as a fixed-price build for a full app. At Week One Labs, a public Shopify app MVP usually lands in the $7,000–$18,000 range and ships in two 14-day sprints - including OAuth, billing, GDPR webhooks, and App Store submission. You get a fixed price before kickoff, no hourly meter.
How long does it take to build a Shopify app?+
A focused public Shopify app MVP is buildable in 14 to 28 days when the scope is frozen. That covers OAuth installation, the App Bridge embedded admin UI in Polaris, a working core feature, the mandatory GDPR/compliance webhooks, billing, and submission to the Shopify App Store. App Store review itself typically adds 5–10 business days on top of build time. Custom apps for a single merchant skip the review step and can be live in under two weeks.
What technology stack do you use for Shopify apps?+
TypeScript end-to-end. Remix or Next.js on the frontend with Shopify Polaris components and App Bridge for the embedded admin experience. Node.js backend with the official @shopify/shopify-app-remix or @shopify/shopify-api libraries, Prisma + PostgreSQL for data, and Redis for session and webhook queues. Hosted on AWS, Vercel, or Fly.io depending on your latency and compliance needs. Webhooks, theme app extensions, and Shopify Functions are first-class citizens - not afterthoughts.
Do you build public Shopify App Store apps or custom apps?+
Both. Public apps go through App Store review, support multiple merchants, need usage-based or tiered billing, and require ongoing maintenance for API version bumps. Custom apps are installed for a single store, skip review, and are usually faster to ship. Most founders coming to me want a public app - that is what unlocks distribution and recurring revenue. I scope based on your business model, not the other way around.
Can you help get my Shopify app approved on the App Store?+
Yes. App Store approval is a known process - clear listing copy, GDPR webhooks (customers/data_request, customers/redact, shop/redact), mandatory billing flows, App Bridge usage, performance under Lighthouse thresholds, and a working uninstall. I have submitted apps to the Shopify App Store and know the common rejection reasons. I build to those requirements from Day 1 instead of patching them in after a rejection.
Do you do ongoing maintenance after the app launches?+
Yes - and Shopify apps need it. Shopify ships a new API version every quarter and deprecates old ones on a one-year clock. I offer maintenance plans that cover API version bumps, security patches, support ticket triage, and small feature improvements. For most apps under $5K MRR, a few hours per month is enough to stay current.
Why hire a Shopify app developer instead of using Bubble or no-code?+
No-code platforms cannot build a real Shopify app. The App Store requires OAuth, GDPR webhooks, App Bridge integration, Polaris UI, and mandatory billing - all of which need actual code running on a real backend you control. No-code is fine for a landing page or internal dashboard. For an installable, monetizable app on the Shopify App Store, you need a full-stack developer who has shipped one before.
Build your Shopify app with a senior dev - not a stranger from a marketplace
Direct communication, fixed price, and a track record of shipping. Book a 30-minute scoping call and get a concrete plan.
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