Best Shopify Competitor Research Tools in 2026 [100,922-Store Study]

We tested 12 Shopify competitor research tools against 100,922 stores. Honest ratings, budget tiers, and the signals that predict success.

StoreInspect Team
StoreInspect Team
February 06, 202621 min read

Best Shopify competitor research tools

TL;DR: We compared 12 Shopify competitor research tools and tested them against our database of 100,922 stores. Most tools focus on unreliable revenue estimates. The real value is in tech stack signals: stores with 6+ detected apps score a perfect 100 on our lead fit score (a 0-100 rating based on apps, pixels, traffic, and Plus status), while stores with 0 apps average just 44. Best free: Store Inspector. Best all-around: Koala Inspector. Best for traffic: SimilarWeb. Best for ads: Meta Ad Library (free). Skip the fake sales numbers. Focus on what you can verify.


You want to research Shopify competitors. Maybe you're a store owner studying what successful brands in your niche actually use. Maybe you're an agency building prospect lists. Maybe you sell software to Shopify merchants and need to find stores that don't have your category of app.

There are dozens of tools that claim to help. The problem: most of them focus on the wrong things.

We know this because we built a database of 100,922 Shopify stores with verified tech stack data. We know what apps they run, what pixels they track, what themes they use, whether they're on Shopify Plus, and what their traffic tier looks like. There's a big gap between what tools claim and what actually matters.

This guide covers which tools actually work, what they get right and wrong, and how to build a research workflow that gives you useful data instead of vanity metrics. (If you're specifically looking for spy tools, see our Shopify spy tools guide.)

What you'll learn: Which tools to use at every budget, what signals actually predict store success, a step-by-step workflow for competitor research, and agency-specific strategies for turning intelligence into clients.


Why Most Competitor Research Fails

Here's what happens: you install a Shopify spy tool, look up a competitor, see a revenue estimate of "$2.3M/month," and either get excited or discouraged. Then you make decisions based on that number.

The problem? That number is probably wrong.

Every tool that estimates Shopify revenue uses the same basic approach: watch product page timestamps, count inventory changes, multiply by price. But they can't see actual orders. When a store processes multiple orders per second, there's no way to track that accurately.

Realistic accuracy of different data types:

SignalAccuracyWhy
Theme detection90-95%Themes are publicly visible in source code
App detection (frontend)70-85%Detectable via script tags and DOM patterns
Pixel detection85-95%Tracking scripts are in the page source
Shopify Plus detection95%+Checkout patterns are distinctive
Traffic estimates40-60%Based on panel data extrapolation
Revenue estimates30-50%Based on timestamp guessing

As one honest analysis noted: "If a store is doing multiple orders per second, there's just no way in which one can do this accurately."

The smarter approach: Instead of chasing unreliable revenue numbers, focus on signals you can actually verify. That's what separates useful competitor research from expensive guesswork.


What Actually Predicts Store Success [100,922-Store Analysis]

We analyzed 100,922 Shopify stores to find which signals actually correlate with success.

App Count Is the Strongest Signal

This was the clearest finding in our dataset:

App CountStores% of DatabaseAvg Lead Fit Score
0 apps18,11918.0%44
1 app31,29031.0%61
2 apps22,59022.4%76
3-5 apps25,79925.6%90
6-10 apps3,1093.1%100
11+ apps150.0%100

Stores with 6+ detected apps score a perfect 100 on our lead fit score. Stores with zero detected apps average just 44. The pattern is almost a straight line up.

Why? Because apps cost money. A store paying for Klaviyo ($150-2,000/mo), Gorgias ($300+/mo), and Rebuy ($500+/mo) can't be doing $10k/month in revenue. As Littledata's benchmarks show, the average Shopify store runs 6+ apps total, but most of those are backend apps invisible to detection tools. The frontend apps you can detect are the expensive, growth-stage ones. The tech stack doesn't lie.

What this means for research: Any tool that can detect apps gives you a better success predictor than any revenue estimate. Count the apps first. Worry about revenue later. For a deeper look at which specific apps top stores run, see what apps top Shopify stores use.

Shopify Plus Is a Binary Signal

The difference between Shopify Plus and Standard stores is huge:

MetricShopify PlusStandard ShopifyDifference
Avg detected apps2.30.82.9x more
Avg tracking pixels5.91.73.5x more
Avg lead fit score83342.4x higher
Avg product count1,3724093.4x more
Reachable contacts79.6%49.6%1.6x more

Shopify Plus starts at $2,000/month. According to Shopify's own documentation, it's designed for "high-growth and complex businesses." Stores don't pay that unless they're doing real revenue (typically $1M+ annually). A tool that detects Plus status instantly tells you whether you're looking at a serious business.

For details on detection methods, see our guide on how to identify Shopify Plus stores.

Pixel Count Shows Ad Investment

Tracking pixels reveal advertising strategy better than any ad spend estimate:

Traffic Tier0 Pixels1-3 Pixels4-6 Pixels7+ Pixels
Under 50K13.3%43.7%23.6%19.3%
50K-200K0.1%19.4%50.6%29.9%
200K-1M0.0%18.7%45.9%35.4%
1M-5M0.3%22.2%41.3%36.1%
5M-20M0.5%24.3%41.4%33.8%

Stores with significant traffic almost always have 4+ tracking pixels. A store running Meta Pixel + Google Ads + TikTok Pixel + Pinterest is investing serious money in paid acquisition.

The Gaps Are Bigger Than You Think

This surprised us more than anything else in the data:

What's Missing% of All Stores
No email marketing app57%
No reviews app77%
No support app93%
No upsell app98%
No analytics app98%

The real value of competitor research isn't knowing what stores have. It's knowing what they're missing. If you sell email marketing services, 57% of 100,922 stores are potential customers. If you sell reviews solutions, it's 77%.

Any research tool that can show you what's NOT installed is more valuable than one that shows what IS installed.

Key insight: Competitor research tools that focus on app detection, pixel detection, and Shopify Plus status give you more useful data than tools focused on revenue estimates. The signals you can verify predict success better than the ones you can't.


The 12 Best Shopify Competitor Research Tools

We evaluated each tool based on what it actually detects, pricing, and how it fits different research workflows. No affiliate links, no inflated ratings. Just what works.

Quick Comparison

ToolBest ForPriceDetection Focus
Store InspectorTech stack + lead qualificationFreeApps, pixels, themes, Plus status
Koala InspectorAll-around store analysisFree / $20-29/moApps, themes, products, sales est.
SimilarWebTraffic analysisFree / $125+/moTraffic, referrals, geography
BuiltWithTechnology lookup at scaleFree / $295+/moFull tech stack, historical
WappalyzerGeneral tech detectionFree / $99+/moTechnologies (all platforms)
SEMrushSEO + marketing intelligence$139-499/moKeywords, backlinks, ads
AhrefsBacklink + SEO analysis$99-999/moBacklinks, keywords, content
Meta Ad LibraryFacebook/Instagram ad researchFreeActive ads, creative, run time
BigSpyCross-platform ad researchFree / $9-99/moAds across FB, TikTok, Pinterest
PPSPYDropshipping product research$29-99/moProducts, sales estimates
StoreInspectStore database + contactsFree / ProApps, pixels, contacts, filtering
StoreCensusEnterprise store intelligence$49-199/moStore data, tech, contacts

1. Store Inspector (Free)

Best for: Quick tech stack detection on any Shopify store

Store Inspector is our free Chrome extension. We built it because existing tools focused too much on unreliable metrics and not enough on verifiable signals.

AspectDetails
PriceFree (no paid tier, no feature gating)
Rating4.8/5 (Chrome Web Store)
PlatformChrome extension

What it detects:

  • Theme name and type (free, paid, or custom)
  • Installed apps with categories
  • Tracking pixels (Meta, TikTok, Google, Pinterest, Snapchat, and more)
  • Traffic tier estimation
  • Shopify Plus status
  • Payment providers

Strengths:

  • Completely free with no feature limits
  • Focused on verifiable signals (no fake revenue estimates)
  • Fast, lightweight detection (runs locally)
  • Categorizes apps so you can spot gaps instantly

Limitations:

  • Chrome only (no Firefox extension yet)
  • Extension format only (no web dashboard for bulk analysis)
  • Doesn't estimate revenue (by design)

Our approach: We built Store Inspector to answer one question: "Is this store worth researching further?" If a store runs Klaviyo + Gorgias + 6 tracking pixels, you know it's a serious business without needing a revenue estimate. If it runs zero apps, you know it's early stage. The tech stack tells the story.

Install Store Inspector (Free) →


2. Koala Inspector

Best for: All-around Shopify store analysis

Koala Inspector is the most popular Shopify research extension with over 250,000 users. It covers the widest range of features in a single tool.

AspectDetails
PriceFree tier / $20/mo Pro / $29/mo Business
Rating4.6/5 on Chrome Web Store (250,000+ users)
PlatformChrome extension

What it detects:

  • Theme name and type
  • Installed apps
  • Best-selling products
  • Traffic estimates
  • Sales estimates (with accuracy caveats)
  • Facebook/TikTok ads
  • Store age and product count

Strengths:

  • Largest user base and most consistent updates
  • Good free tier for basic research
  • Covers multiple data points in one tool
  • Best-seller detection is useful for product research

Limitations:

  • Sales estimates are rough guides only (same technical limits as all tools)
  • Some features locked behind paid plans
  • Traffic numbers may not match other sources
  • Must reopen extension when switching tabs

Best for: Store owners and dropshippers who want a single tool for basic competitor research.


3. SimilarWeb

Best for: Answering "how big is this competitor, really?"

SimilarWeb provides the closest thing to accurate traffic data available externally. When investors, journalists, and analysts cite traffic numbers, they usually come from SimilarWeb.

AspectDetails
PriceFree tier (limited) / $125+/mo Starter / Custom enterprise
Rating4.5/5 on G2
PlatformWeb app + Chrome extension + API

What it shows:

  • Monthly traffic estimates
  • Traffic sources breakdown (organic, paid, social, direct, referral)
  • Geographic distribution
  • Competitor comparison (side-by-side)
  • Top pages and referrals

Accuracy note: For stores over 100k monthly visitors, SimilarWeb is usually within 30% of real numbers. For smaller stores under 50k, accuracy drops significantly. Use it for relative comparison ("Store A gets 3x more traffic than Store B") rather than exact numbers.

For a deeper analysis, see our guide on how to check Shopify store traffic.

Free tier reality: You get a handful of lookups per day. Enough to check a few competitors, not enough for systematic research.


4. BuiltWith

Best for: Technology tracking at scale

BuiltWith is the heavyweight of technology detection. The big thing it has that others don't: historical data. It tracks not just what a store uses now, but what they used before and when they switched.

AspectDetails
PriceFree lookup / $295/mo Basic / $495/mo Pro
PlatformWeb app + Chrome extension + API

What makes it different:

  • Technology adoption timeline (when did they add Klaviyo? When did they drop Mailchimp?)
  • Build lead lists by technology ("show me all Shopify stores using Mailchimp" for migration pitches)
  • Historical technology profiles going back years
  • API access for automation

The catch: At $295/month, BuiltWith only makes financial sense at scale. For checking individual stores, it's overkill. For building lead lists of thousands of stores by technology, nothing else comes close.

When it's worth it: Agency sales teams who need technology-based lead lists daily. SaaS companies building target account lists. Enterprise competitive intelligence programs.

Skip it if: You just want to check a few competitors. Use Store Inspector or Wappalyzer instead.


5. Wappalyzer

Best for: General technology detection across all platforms

Wappalyzer has over 2 million users because it does one thing well: identify what technology any website uses. Not just Shopify. Any website.

AspectDetails
PriceFree tier / $99/mo Pro / $249/mo Business
Rating4.6/5 on Chrome Web Store (2,000,000+ users)
PlatformChrome + Firefox extension + API

Strengths: Works on everything, not just Shopify. Accurate for general web technologies (CDNs, frameworks, analytics). Pairs well with Shopify-specific tools.

Limitations: Less granular on Shopify-specific data. Won't show you Shopify app categories, pixel details, or Plus status. No ecommerce-specific insights like best sellers or traffic tiers.

Pro tip: Use Wappalyzer alongside Store Inspector. Wappalyzer catches infrastructure-level technologies (CDNs, security, hosting) that Shopify-specific tools may miss. Store Inspector catches Shopify-specific data (apps, Plus status, theme type) that Wappalyzer may miss.


6. SEMrush

Best for: Understanding how competitors grow through marketing

SEMrush doesn't detect Shopify themes or apps. It tells you something potentially more valuable: how a competitor acquires customers.

AspectDetails
Price$139/mo Pro / $249/mo Guru / $499/mo Business
Rating4.5/5 on G2
PlatformWeb app + Chrome extension + API

What it reveals:

  • Every keyword a competitor ranks for
  • Their top-performing pages by traffic
  • Backlink profile (who links to them and why)
  • Paid ad keywords and estimated spend
  • Content gaps between you and competitors

When it makes sense: If you're a store owner investing in SEO or content marketing, SEMrush shows you exactly what's working for competitors. If you're an agency, it helps you build a pitch showing clients what they're missing.

When it doesn't: If you just need tech stack data or quick store analysis, SEMrush is overkill at $139+/month.


7. Ahrefs

Best for: Backlink analysis and content research

Ahrefs overlaps with SEMrush but has the strongest backlink database. If a competitor has 50,000 backlinks, Ahrefs tells you where they came from and which ones drive the most value.

AspectDetails
Price$99/mo Lite / $199/mo Standard / $399/mo Advanced
Rating4.5/5 on G2
PlatformWeb app + Chrome extension

Best feature for competitor research: Content Gap analysis. Paste in 3-5 competitor URLs and Ahrefs shows you every keyword they rank for that you don't. This is the fastest way to find content opportunities.

SEMrush vs Ahrefs: SEMrush has better ad intelligence and a broader marketing toolkit. Ahrefs has a better backlink index and more intuitive interface. Pick one based on whether you care more about paid ads (SEMrush) or organic/content strategy (Ahrefs).


8. Meta Ad Library (Free)

Best for: Seeing exactly what ads competitors run

The Meta Ad Library is completely free, requires no account, and shows you every active ad a brand runs on Facebook and Instagram.

AspectDetails
PriceFree
PlatformWeb app

Why it's essential:

  • See every active ad creative (images, video, copy)
  • Check how long ads have been running (30+ days = profitable)
  • No signup required
  • Shows ads across all countries

How to use it for competitor research:

Search a competitor's brand name. Look for ads running 30+ days. These are profitable ads the algorithm hasn't killed. Study their hooks, creative format, and landing pages. This tells you more about their marketing strategy than any traffic estimate.

For a complete walkthrough, see our guide on how to spy on competitor ads.


9. BigSpy

Best for: Cross-platform ad research

BigSpy extends the Meta Ad Library concept across multiple platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, and more.

AspectDetails
PriceFree tier / $9/mo Basic / $99/mo Pro
Rating4.2/5 on G2
PlatformWeb app + Chrome extension

The value: Filter by niche, sort by engagement, and find winning ad creatives across platforms. The database covers 1 billion+ ads.

Best workflow: Search your niche → filter by "Running days > 30" → sort by engagement → study the winners. Any ad that survives 30+ days is beating the algorithm.

Skip it if: You don't run paid ads. This tool is 100% focused on advertising intelligence.


10. PPSPY

Best for: Dropshipping product research (with accuracy caveats)

PPSPY is popular in the dropshipping community for product-level research. It tracks product changes across Shopify stores and estimates sales volume.

AspectDetails
Price$29/mo Basic / $69/mo Pro / $99/mo Enterprise
Rating3.9/5 (Chrome Web Store)
PlatformChrome extension + web app

Important accuracy note: PPSPY claims 80.5% accuracy on sales tracking. This refers to detecting product data changes, not revenue accuracy. The actual revenue estimates face the same technical limitations as every other tool (30-50% accuracy at best). Treat the numbers as rough guides, not facts.

Strengths: Large database of tracked stores. Product-level insights. Useful for finding trending products if you're in dropshipping.

Limitations: Accuracy claims are disputed by users. No free tier worth using. Higher price than alternatives for what you get.

Best for: Dropshippers researching winning products who understand the accuracy limitations. Not ideal for agency research or competitive intelligence. See our guide to finding winning products for data-backed methods.


11. StoreInspect

Best for: Researching stores at scale with verified contacts

StoreInspect (that's us, the SaaS platform behind the free Store Inspector extension) provides a searchable database of 100,922 Shopify stores with verified tech stack data and founder contacts.

AspectDetails
PriceFree browsing / Pro for full access
PlatformWeb app
Database100,922 stores, 163,605 contacts

What makes it different from the extension:

  • Filter stores by app, pixel, traffic tier, category, and Shopify Plus status
  • Find stores missing specific apps (e.g., "stores without Klaviyo" for email agencies)
  • Access verified founder emails and LinkedIn profiles
  • Export filtered lists for outreach

The use case: Instead of checking stores one at a time, filter the database to find exactly the stores you're looking for. An email agency can filter for "50K-200K traffic, no Klaviyo, with founder contact" and get a targeted prospect list in seconds.

Browse the Database →


12. StoreCensus

Best for: Enterprise ecommerce intelligence

StoreCensus provides a large database of ecommerce stores (not just Shopify) with technology detection and company data.

AspectDetails
Price$49/mo Starter / $99/mo Growth / $199/mo Pro
PlatformWeb app

Strengths: Covers multiple ecommerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento). Good for B2B sales teams targeting ecommerce businesses broadly.

Limitations: Less Shopify-specific depth than purpose-built tools. Higher price point for what you get compared to Shopify-focused alternatives.

Best for: B2B SaaS companies selling to ecommerce businesses across multiple platforms, not just Shopify.


Best Tool Stack by Budget

Different budgets need different combinations. These are what we'd actually use at each price point:

$0/month — The Free Stack

ToolUse For
Store InspectorApps, themes, pixels, Plus status
Meta Ad LibraryCompetitor ad creatives
SimilarWeb free tierRough traffic comparison
View Source (Ctrl+U)Manual verification
StoreInspect browseDiscover stores by category

What you can do: Analyze any individual Shopify store's tech stack, see their ads, and get a rough traffic comparison. This covers 80% of what most people need.

What you're missing: Bulk analysis, SEO intelligence, historical data, and contact information.

~$50/month — The Researcher Stack

ToolPriceUse For
Any free tech detectorFreeTech stack detection
Koala Inspector Pro$20/moBest sellers, detailed analysis
BigSpy Basic$9/moAd creative research
Meta Ad LibraryFreeFacebook/Instagram ads

What you can do: Everything in the free stack, plus best-seller data, cross-platform ad research, and deeper individual store analysis. Use Store Inspector or Wappalyzer for the free tech detection layer.

Best for: Store owners doing regular competitive research. Dropshippers researching products.

~$200/month — The Agency Stack

ToolPriceUse For
Free tech detectorFreeQuick store qualification
Store database (e.g., StoreInspect, StoreCensus)VariesFiltered lead lists + contacts
SimilarWeb Starter$125/moTraffic validation
Meta Ad LibraryFreeAd intelligence

What you can do: Build targeted prospect lists, validate traffic claims, find stores with specific tech gaps, and access founder contact information at scale.

Best for: Agencies prospecting for clients. B2B SaaS companies building outbound pipelines.

$300+/month — The Enterprise Stack

Add SEMrush ($139/mo) or Ahrefs ($99/mo) to the Agency stack for full SEO and marketing intelligence. Add BuiltWith ($295/mo) if you need technology-based lead lists at massive scale or historical technology tracking.


Step-by-Step Competitor Research Workflow

Here's the process we use to analyze any Shopify competitor. It takes about 10 minutes and gives you a complete picture.

Step 1: Quick Tech Detection (30 seconds)

Visit the competitor's store. Click Store Inspector.

Note:

  • Theme (Dawn? Custom? Paid?) = their investment level
  • Apps (which categories are covered?) = their priorities
  • Pixels (how many? which platforms?) = their ad strategy
  • Shopify Plus? = enterprise-level or not

Step 2: Size the Competitor (2 minutes)

Check SimilarWeb for traffic estimates. You're looking for:

  • Monthly traffic range (not exact numbers)
  • Traffic sources (mostly organic? Mostly paid?)
  • Top referral sites
  • Geographic concentration

Cross-reference with what you saw in Step 1. A store with 6 pixels and Klaviyo + Gorgias should have significant traffic. If SimilarWeb shows under 10k visits, something's off.

Step 3: Study Their Ads (2 minutes)

Search for the brand in Meta Ad Library.

Look for:

  • Number of active ads (1-5 = testing, 20+ = scaled campaign)
  • Run time (30+ days = profitable)
  • Creative style (UGC? Studio? Graphic?)
  • Offer structure (discount? Bundle? Free shipping?)

Step 4: Identify Gaps and Opportunities (3 minutes)

Based on what you found, map the gaps:

SignalFindingOpportunity
No reviews app77% of stores miss thisPitch reviews integration
No email app57% of stores miss thisPitch email marketing
Free theme + high trafficOutgrew their themePitch redesign services
No TikTok Pixel89% of stores miss thisPitch TikTok ads management
Mailchimp (not Klaviyo)Ready for an upgradePitch Klaviyo migration

Step 5: Document and Compare (2 minutes)

Record your findings in a simple spreadsheet:

FieldWhat to Record
Domaincompetitor.com
ThemeImpulse (Paid)
Key AppsKlaviyo, Gorgias, Judge.me
Missing AppsNo upsell, no subscription
PixelsMeta, Google, TikTok, Pinterest (4 total)
Traffic Tier50K-200K
Shopify PlusYes
Active Ads15+, running 60+ days
Gap FoundNo upsell or loyalty program

Track 5-10 competitors minimum. Patterns emerge when you compare across stores.

For a more detailed methodology, see our full guide on how to analyze Shopify competitors. If you want to go even deeper on a single store, our Shopify store audit guide walks through a complete technical review.


For Agencies: Turning Research into Clients

If you're an agency or freelancer, competitor research isn't just about understanding markets. It's about finding qualified leads. Here's how our data shapes that process.

The Best Prospect Profile

Based on our 100,922-store analysis, the ideal agency prospect looks like this:

SignalTargetWhy
Traffic tier50K-200KBig enough to pay, small enough to decide fast
Apps detected1-3Room to grow their stack
Missing your categoryYesThey need what you sell
Shopify PlusOptionalHigher budget if Yes
Has contactsYes (78.6% at this tier)You can reach them

Our data shows 10,863 stores in the 50K-200K tier. Of those, 78.6% have reachable contacts.

Finding Stores That Need Your Service

Instead of cold-emailing random stores, use research tools to find stores with specific gaps:

If you sell email marketing:

  • 57% of stores have no email marketing app
  • Even at the 200K-1M traffic tier, 51.1% have no email app
  • Stores on Mailchimp at this level are prime migration candidates

If you sell CRO services:

  • 77% of stores have no reviews app
  • 93% have no support app
  • 98% have no upsell app
  • Only 0.6% of stores run a full CRO stack (email + reviews + support + upsell). See our Shopify CRO checklist for what that stack looks like.

If you build Shopify apps:

  • Beauty stores have the highest average app count (2.5). They invest the most in tools.
  • Electronics stores run lean (1.7 apps avg) despite 81% being on Plus. Underserved market.
  • Hobby stores average just 1.5 apps. Large gap, but smaller budgets.

For more on which niches are worth targeting, see our best Shopify niches breakdown.

For the complete prospecting playbook, see our guides on how to find Shopify clients, qualifying leads, and cold email templates.

The Outreach Workflow

  1. Filter stores by traffic tier + missing app category (using StoreInspect or manual research)
  2. Verify each store with Store Inspector to confirm the gap exists
  3. Find contacts using our contact finding methods
  4. Personalize your outreach around the specific gap you found: "I noticed you're doing [traffic tier] traffic but don't have [what you sell]. Stores your size typically see [specific benefit]..."
  5. Follow up with data: "We analyzed [X] stores in your niche. Here's what the top performers have that you don't..."

This approach works because you're leading with research, not a sales pitch. You know something specific about their business before you reach out.


Free Methods That Replace Paid Tools

You can do serious competitor research without spending anything. These free methods replace a lot of what paid tools offer.

View Source: Theme Detection

Press Ctrl+U (or Cmd+U on Mac) on any Shopify store. Search for Shopify.theme:

Shopify.theme = {"name":"Impulse","id":123456789,"theme_store_id":228}
  • name tells you the theme
  • theme_store_id present = paid/free theme from Shopify Theme Store
  • theme_store_id absent = custom theme

Full walkthrough in our guide on detecting Shopify themes.

View Source: App Detection

In the same source code, search for common app script patterns:

Search ForApp Detected
klaviyo.comKlaviyo
gorgiasGorgias
judge.meJudge.me
yotpo.comYotpo
rebuyengine.comRebuy
rechargeapps.comRecharge
attentivemobile.comAttentive
elevarElevar

Full method in our guide on detecting Shopify apps.

Best-Seller URL Hack

Add this to any Shopify store URL:

/collections/all?sort_by=best-selling

This sorts all products by Shopify's best-selling algorithm. It won't tell you exact sales numbers, but it shows you what the store considers its top products.

See our full guide on finding best-selling products.

Google Search Operators

Find Shopify stores in any niche for free:

site:myshopify.com "organic skincare"

Find stores using specific apps:

site:myshopify.com "powered by Judge.me"

Find stores in a specific country:

site:myshopify.com "ships from United Kingdom"

More methods in our guide on how to find Shopify stores.


What Research Tools Get Wrong

After testing tools against our 100,922-store database, a few problems kept coming up.

Revenue Estimates Are Unreliable

No external tool can see actual Shopify order data. Every revenue estimate is a guess based on public signals. Some tools are more transparent about this than others. PPSPY claims 80.5% accuracy, but that measures something different than most users expect. Treat all revenue numbers as rough guides, not hard facts.

What to do instead: Use our tech stack signal framework. A store running Klaviyo ($150-2,000/mo) + Gorgias ($300+/mo) + Rebuy ($500+/mo) + 6 pixels is clearly investing $1,000+/mo in tools alone. That's a more reliable "they're doing real revenue" signal than any estimate.

See our full methodology in how to check Shopify store revenue.

App Detection Misses Backend Apps

All detection tools work by scanning the front-end of a website. They can see apps that inject scripts, widgets, or tracking codes into the storefront. They cannot detect:

  • Inventory management apps
  • Fulfillment and shipping apps
  • Accounting integrations
  • Backend workflow automation
  • Private/custom integrations

Our data shows stores average 2.0 detected apps, but the real number of installed apps is likely higher. The apps you can detect are still useful (email, reviews, support, upsell, analytics are all detectable), but understand you're seeing a subset.

Traffic Estimates Need Cross-Validation

SimilarWeb is the industry standard for traffic estimates, but it can be off by 30-50% for individual sites, especially smaller ones. Always cross-check traffic claims against other signals:

  • A store claiming 500k/month traffic but running only 1 pixel? Suspicious.
  • A store with modest SimilarWeb numbers but running Gorgias + Rebuy + Elevar? Probably bigger than the estimate suggests.
  • Multiple signals agreeing (high traffic + many apps + many pixels + active ads) = more confidence.

FAQ

What's the best free Shopify competitor research tool?

Store Inspector for tech stack detection (apps, themes, pixels, Plus status). It's completely free with no feature limits. Pair it with Meta Ad Library for ad research and SimilarWeb free tier for traffic estimates. This combination covers the three pillars of competitor research: tech stack, advertising, and traffic.

Which tool is most accurate for Shopify research?

Accuracy depends on what you're measuring. For theme detection, most tools achieve 90-95% accuracy. For app detection, expect 70-85%. For revenue estimates, no tool is truly accurate (30-50% at best). The most reliable data comes from verifiable signals: apps, pixels, themes, and Shopify Plus status. Tools that focus on these signals (Store Inspector, Wappalyzer, BuiltWith) give you more trustworthy data than tools that estimate revenue.

How do I know if a Shopify competitor is actually successful?

Look for multiple signals confirming each other. In our 100,922-store analysis, successful stores consistently show: 3+ detected apps (avg lead score of 90+), 4+ tracking pixels, paid or custom theme, Shopify Plus status, and active ads running 30+ days. No single signal is enough. When multiple signals align, you can be confident.

Can competitor research tools see my store's private data?

No. These tools only access publicly available information: your storefront HTML, script tags, and publicly accessible URLs. They cannot see your Shopify admin, order data, revenue, customer list, or any private analytics. Your actual sales data stays private.

How many tools do I need?

For most people, 2-3 tools cover everything: one for tech stack detection (Store Inspector or Koala Inspector), one for traffic/SEO (SimilarWeb or SEMrush), and Meta Ad Library for ad research. Only add more tools if you have a specific need they address.

How often should I analyze competitors?

Monthly for ad creative changes (check Meta Ad Library). Quarterly for tech stack changes (run Store Inspector again). Annually for a full competitive audit. Most stores don't change their core tech stack frequently. Quarterly checks catch meaningful changes without wasting time.

Do I need a different tool for different ecommerce platforms?

If you only research Shopify stores, Shopify-specific tools (Store Inspector, Koala Inspector) give you the most detailed data. If you research across Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento, use platform-agnostic tools (Wappalyzer, BuiltWith, SimilarWeb).

How do agencies use these tools differently than store owners?

Store owners research specific competitors to learn what works. Agencies research in bulk to build prospect lists. The key difference is scale: agencies need to filter hundreds of stores by criteria (traffic tier, missing apps, has contacts) to find qualified leads. Tools with database access and filtering (StoreInspect, StoreCensus, BuiltWith) are more valuable for agencies than one-at-a-time Chrome extensions.

What signals should I look at first?

Based on our data, prioritize in this order: (1) Shopify Plus status, which is 95%+ accurate. (2) App count and categories, the strongest predictor of success in our dataset. (3) Pixel count, which reveals ad investment. (4) Theme type, which shows investment level. (5) Traffic estimates, useful for sizing but least accurate. Start with what's most reliable.

Yes. They analyze publicly available data from public-facing storefronts. They don't access private databases or bypass any security. This is standard competitive intelligence, similar to walking into a physical store and noting what brands they carry.


Summary

ToolBest ForPriceOur Rating
Store InspectorTech stack detectionFreeBest free option
Koala InspectorAll-around analysisFree/$20-29Most popular
SimilarWebTraffic intelligenceFree/$125+Best for traffic
BuiltWithEnterprise tech tracking$295+Best at scale
WappalyzerGeneral tech detectionFree/$99+Most versatile
SEMrushSEO + marketing intel$139-499Best for SEO
AhrefsBacklink analysis$99-399Best for content
Meta Ad LibraryAd creative researchFreeEssential (free)
BigSpyCross-platform adsFree/$9-99Best for ad research
PPSPYProduct research$29-99Best for dropshipping
StoreInspectStore database + contactsFree/ProBest for agencies
StoreCensusEnterprise intelligence$49-199Best multi-platform

Key findings from 100,922 stores:

  1. App count is the strongest success signal. Stores with 6+ apps score a perfect 100 on our lead fit model. Stores with 0 apps average 44.
  2. Shopify Plus stores run 2.9x more apps and 3.5x more pixels than standard stores. Detecting Plus status is one of the most valuable single signals.
  3. 57% of stores have no email app. 77% have no reviews app. 93% have no support app. The gaps are massive, and finding them is more valuable than estimating revenue.
  4. Only 0.6% of stores run a full CRO stack. Email + reviews + support + upsell. The other 99.4% are missing at least one category.
  5. Focus on verifiable signals, not estimates. Apps, pixels, themes, and Plus status are 70-95% accurate. Revenue estimates are 30-50%. Build your research around what you can trust.

Want to analyze stores at scale?

StoreInspect has 100,922 stores with verified tech stack data, traffic tiers, and 163,605 founder contacts. Filter by category, apps, pixels, and traffic tier. Export your leads.

Browse the Database →

Want to analyze any store for free?

Install Store Inspector, a free Chrome extension. See apps, themes, pixels, and traffic tier in one click.

Browse Top Stores by Category →

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