Shopify Age Verification Apps [1M Study]

TL;DR

• Our October 26, 2026 analysis matched selected age-gate and age-verification identities on 907 of 1,099,406 recent store-domain records (0.08%).
• Blockify Age Verification was the largest matched name group, with 552 records.
• An age-gate popup and identity verification serve different requirements. Inspect the actual flow, its collection of personal data and any required verification before selecting a tool.

October 26 study: recent public signals

We selected the most recent successful full scan per record from September 26 through October 25, 2026 (UTC), required saved app and pixel lists, and excluded 3,163 records currently marked confirmed dead. The 1,099,406-record denominator includes 105,592 scans with no detected apps. It describes recent StoreInspect coverage, not a representative census of live merchants.

This panel uses 9 specified name groups, matched exactly after normalizing case and surrounding spaces. A scan sees installed widgets, not whether the process is compliant, and it can miss age checks outside these names.

The 907 figure counts each matched record once. Name groups can overlap, so the provider rows do not sum to that total. The 2 zero-count groups were not matched under these exact rules.

The under-50K tier accounts for 97.04% of this cohort; the 1M–5M tier has only 27 records.

Earlier research and product checks

The studies and product comparisons below retain their own dates and definitions. They use different samples and, in some cases, different matching rules, so read them as separate snapshots rather than a growth trend. Their older counts remain historical evidence; product checks retain their stated verification dates.

What our July 1 research shows

The July 1, 2026 StoreInspect extraction matched a finite age-app name list on 825 of 831,416 store records (0.099%). Hulk's historical group had 568 matches; AgeChecker.Net had 186.

Eligibility required a scrape timestamp and excluded confirmed-dead stores; 830,659 records had app data. There was no maximum observation age, and the output did not preserve an age distribution. Region-hidden, native/custom, checkout-only and backend verification can be missed. Identity/discount tools such as GovX were excluded from the age-app group.

Official vendor documentation and plans were rechecked October 10, 2026 as a desk comparison alongside our database research.

Historical matched groups

Rows overlap, so they add up to more than the 825 matched stores. AgeCheck is a historical detector label; identify its exact product before relying on it for stronger verification.

Separate three levels of evidence

NA's yes/no, checkbox, birthday and uploaded-file controls do not independently validate identity. A vendor's “verified” report or badge can refer to a completed self-attestation. Confirm what the result actually means before relying on it.

Requirements vary by product and jurisdiction, and no tool here covers all of them. Determine the required product, customer-location, shipping and payment checks with qualified advice before selecting an implementation.

Current free-plan eligibility and paid limits

All figures below are USD from official listings checked October 10, 2026. Some free plans cover only development stores, so check the eligibility column.

Inspect the exact enforcement point: a storefront modal, cart button restriction and checkout enforcement are different controls. Check the actual Shopify plan and app tier; do not infer deeper checkout support from a generic “works with Checkout” label.

Traffic and category associations

The 50K–200K group supplied the most matched records. The 1M+ group has only 127 stores and one match.

Food & Beverage led the displayed raw count; Adult had the highest displayed rate. Category labels are broad, so check the actual merchandise and markets before making a recommendation.

Co-detection suggests handoffs to inspect

Among the 825 matched stores, Klaviyo appeared on 180 (21.8%), Mailchimp 149 (18.1%), Judge.me 144 (17.5%) and Hulk GDPR/CCPA 97 (11.8%). These associations help identify handoffs to inspect.

When implementing a gate on a store you control, test keyboard access, mobile layout, denied/accepted paths, consent behavior and the required checkout/shipping checks. Verify actual event ordering and submissions.

What the 3,267-record query means

The July query matched word-bounded terms in store names and domains: wine/winery, liquor/spirits, whiskey/whisky/bourbon/tequila/vodka, beer/brewery/cider, cigar/tobacco, vape/vaping/smokeshop, cannabis/CBD/hemp/THC/delta 8, kratom/hookah/dispensary, adult/sexshop and their listed spacing/plural variants.

With no tracked age-app name and at least one stored contact, that filter returned 3,267 records; adding a 50K+ estimated tier returned 1,202. These are July keyword candidates: some name matches will be irrelevant, and some sellers will be missed.

Before any proposal, verify current merchandise, markets, existing gate/backend process and the required verification standard. Confirm a relevant current person and email separately, and refresh both before reusing July records.

For related research, see lead-list quality, privacy apps, accessibility tools and fraud tools. If you sell an age-gate app, our October 2026 recipe for alcohol, tobacco, and vape stores without a named age gate shows the filter and its counts.

FAQ

Does a birthday popup independently prove age?

No. It is self-attestation unless a separately documented validation process verifies the claim. Document upload alone does not validate it either.

Is Hulk's listed free plan suitable for a live store?

No. Its current listing limits the free plan to partner development stores. Production Pro is $20/month as checked October 10; confirm current billing before installation.

Does an app detection establish compliance?

No. A detection shows an installed app, not enforcement or legal adequacy. Match the required verification process to the actual products and markets, then test the implementation.