Shopify Tech Stack by Growth Stage: What 120,017 Stores Install at Every Traffic Tier
We mapped 120,017 Shopify stores to 5 growth stages and tracked which apps, themes, and pixels they adopt at each level. Original data, no recycled stats.
TL;DR:
- Dawn dominates with 11.9% market share (17,000 stores). It's #1 across every traffic tier, every niche, and every country in our dataset.
- Debut (deprecated) still runs on 9.3% of stores (13,305). Those stores have the lowest average lead score of any major theme at 51.
- 39.5% of stores use free themes, 35.2% use paid, and 25.3% use custom builds.
- Paid theme stores score 37% higher on lead quality (78 vs 57) and run 47% more apps than free theme stores.
- 27,643 stores still use deprecated Shopify themes like Debut, Brooklyn, Minimal, and Venture. That's a direct upgrade opportunity for agencies.
- The top paid themes are Prestige (3.6%) and Impulse (3.5%), with lead scores of 79-80 and Klaviyo adoption rates of 40-42%.
- At the 5M-20M monthly visitor tier, Dawn still leads (13.5%), but paid themes like Venue (5.7%) and Impulse (4.5%) close the gap.
- Germany has the highest Dawn concentration at 22.7%. Japan shows the highest Prestige adoption at 10.9%.
Every article about the most popular Shopify themes is the same. Someone tests five themes, compares features and pricing, and recommends whichever one sponsors their blog. There's no data behind the recommendations, and no way to tell what real stores actually choose.
We did something different. We scanned 143,211 live Shopify stores and recorded which theme each one runs. This is not a survey, not a feature comparison, and not a sponsored recommendation. It's the largest public analysis of Shopify theme adoption, showing exactly what stores use, broken down by traffic level, industry, country, and tech stack sophistication.
The finding that stands out most: 27,643 stores still run deprecated themes that Shopify no longer updates. If you build or recommend Shopify themes for a living, those stores are your next clients.
How We Collected This Data
We detect themes by analyzing each store's public-facing code. Our scanner reads the Shopify.theme global variable, examines CSS file paths, script URLs, and meta tags to identify both the theme name and whether it's free, paid, or custom.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total stores scanned | 143,211 |
| Stores with theme identified | 143,211 (100%) |
| Unique themes detected | 500+ |
| Detection method | Frontend code analysis (Shopify.theme global, CSS paths, script patterns) |
| Traffic data source | Estimated monthly visitors from multiple signals |
| Categories covered | 15 niches (Fashion, Beauty, Food & Beverage, etc.) |
| Countries covered | 50+ (10 countries with 900+ stores each) |
What we can detect: Theme name, theme type (free, paid, or custom), and theme author when available. We also cross-reference with the Shopify Theme Store catalog to classify themes as free or paid.
What we cannot detect: Theme version number, customization level (a heavily modified Dawn still shows as "Dawn"), or themes on password-protected stores. "Custom" themes include both fully custom builds and third-party themes from marketplaces like ThemeForest.
A note on other sources: You'll find different numbers in other Shopify theme studies. Meetanshi reports Dawn at 16.65%, Store Leads at 9.0%, and Craftberry cites 8.8%. These differences come from sample size, detection methodology, and whether the study tracks all Shopify stores or only active ones. We're transparent about our 143K-store dataset and detection approach so you can evaluate the data yourself.
The 20 Most Popular Shopify Themes by Market Share
Here's what 143,211 stores actually run. Each percentage represents the share of our entire database.
| Rank | Theme | Type | Stores | Market Share | Avg Lead Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dawn | Free | 17,000 | 11.9% | 65 |
| 2 | Debut | Free | 13,305 | 9.3% | 51 |
| 3 | Custom | Custom | 11,685 | 8.2% | 26 |
| 4 | Prestige | Paid | 5,196 | 3.6% | 79 |
| 5 | Impulse | Paid | 5,064 | 3.5% | 80 |
| 6 | Minimal | Free | 3,228 | 2.3% | 51 |
| 7 | Brooklyn | Free | 2,834 | 2.0% | 52 |
| 8 | Symmetry | Paid | 2,295 | 1.6% | 80 |
| 9 | Venture | Free | 2,294 | 1.6% | 53 |
| 10 | Supply | Free | 2,165 | 1.5% | 55 |
| 11 | Craft | Free | 1,767 | 1.2% | 58 |
| 12 | Refresh | Free | 1,711 | 1.2% | 64 |
| 13 | Pipeline | Paid | 1,658 | 1.2% | 74 |
| 14 | Broadcast | Paid | 1,647 | 1.2% | 80 |
| 15 | Warehouse | Paid | 1,618 | 1.1% | 80 |
| 16 | Ella | Custom | 1,511 | 1.1% | 89 |
| 17 | Simple | Free | 1,504 | 1.1% | 48 |
| 18 | Empire | Paid | 1,500 | 1.0% | 79 |
| 19 | Turbo | Paid | 1,498 | 1.0% | 84 |
| 20 | Narrative | Free | 1,387 | 1.0% | 48 |
A few things jump out immediately:
Dawn's lead is significant but not overwhelming. At 11.9%, it's the single most popular theme, but 88% of stores use something else. The "everyone uses Dawn" narrative doesn't hold up when you look at the data.
Debut refuses to die. Shopify deprecated Debut years ago and replaced it with Dawn, yet 13,305 stores (9.3%) still run it. These stores have an average lead score of just 51, the lowest among the top 10 themes. They tend to be older, less sophisticated stores that haven't invested in an upgrade.
The lead score gap between free and paid is stark. Free themes like Debut (51), Minimal (51), and Narrative (48) cluster at the bottom. Paid themes like Turbo (84), Broadcast (80), Impulse (80), and Prestige (79) cluster at the top. Stores that invest in a paid theme also invest in the rest of their tech stack.
Ella is a standout custom theme. With 1,511 stores, it's the most popular third-party theme (from ThemeForest). Its average lead score of 89 is the highest among the top 20, and 98% of Ella stores are on Shopify Plus. It's the theme of choice for serious DTC brands.
Free vs. Paid vs. Custom: The Real Comparison
Forget feature lists. Here's how theme type correlates with actual store performance across 143,211 stores.
| Metric | Free Themes | Paid Themes | Custom Themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Stores | 56,504 (39.5%) | 50,473 (35.2%) | 36,234 (25.3%) |
| Avg Lead Score | 57 | 78 | 65 |
| Avg Apps Installed | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.4 |
| Avg Pixels Tracked | 3.9 | 5.6 | 3.8 |
| Avg Products | 851 | 2,192 | 2,801 |
| Shopify Plus % | 60.0% | 83.6% | 57.6% |
| High Traffic (1M+) % | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| 3+ Apps Installed % | 16.6% | 35.5% | 21.6% |
| Lead Score 70+ % | 46.2% | 80.3% | 56.5% |
Paid theme stores are more sophisticated across every metric. They run 47% more apps (2.2 vs 1.5), track 44% more pixels (5.6 vs 3.9), and have lead scores 37% higher than free theme stores. Over 80% of paid theme stores are on Shopify Plus, compared to 60% for free themes.
Custom theme stores have the most products (2,801 avg) and the highest rate of 1M+ monthly visitors (1.6%). These tend to be large brands with dedicated development teams. But their lower app counts suggest many custom-built stores bundle functionality directly into the theme rather than using third-party apps.
The correlation is clear but the causation isn't. Investing $350 in a paid theme won't magically boost your lead score. What the data shows is that stores serious enough to buy a premium theme are also serious about email marketing, reviews, analytics, and the rest of their tech stack. The theme investment signals overall operational maturity.
Theme Popularity by Traffic Tier
Does theme choice change as stores grow? Here's what we found at each traffic level.
Stores Under 50K Monthly Visitors (62,928 stores)
| Theme | Type | Stores | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom | Custom | 10,788 | 17.1% |
| Debut | Free | 7,224 | 11.5% |
| Dawn | Free | 6,962 | 11.1% |
| Impulse | Paid | 1,763 | 2.8% |
| Minimal | Free | 1,758 | 2.8% |
At the lowest tier, custom themes lead. Many of these are early-stage stores with basic custom builds or ThemeForest themes. Debut still edges out Dawn here because many of these stores were created before Dawn existed and haven't migrated.
Stores at 50K-200K Monthly Visitors (14,666 stores)
| Theme | Type | Stores | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn | Free | 1,493 | 10.2% |
| Debut | Free | 1,369 | 9.3% |
| Prestige | Paid | 765 | 5.2% |
| Impulse | Paid | 691 | 4.7% |
| Minimal | Free | 376 | 2.6% |
Dawn overtakes Debut at this tier. Prestige and Impulse start appearing as stores with real traffic invest in premium themes.
Stores at 200K-1M Monthly Visitors (63,650 stores)
| Theme | Type | Stores | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn | Free | 8,286 | 13.0% |
| Debut | Free | 4,683 | 7.4% |
| Prestige | Paid | 2,706 | 4.3% |
| Impulse | Paid | 2,534 | 4.0% |
| Symmetry | Paid | 1,106 | 1.7% |
This is the biggest traffic tier in our dataset, and it's where the paid theme roster solidifies. Prestige, Impulse, and Symmetry are the go-to paid themes for mid-market Shopify stores.
Stores at 1M-5M Monthly Visitors (984 stores)
| Theme | Type | Stores | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn | Free | 129 | 13.1% |
| Refresh | Free | 53 | 5.4% |
| Horizon | Free | 50 | 5.1% |
| Custom | Custom | 40 | 4.1% |
| Prestige | Paid | 40 | 4.1% |
At the million-visitor mark, theme diversity increases. Refresh and Horizon (both newer Shopify free themes) gain ground. Custom builds become more common as brands justify the development investment.
Stores at 5M-20M Monthly Visitors (887 stores)
| Theme | Type | Stores | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn | Free | 120 | 13.5% |
| Venue | Paid | 51 | 5.7% |
| Impulse | Paid | 40 | 4.5% |
| Prestige | Paid | 27 | 3.0% |
| Ella | Custom | 25 | 2.8% |
At the highest traffic levels, Dawn still leads, but the long tail diversifies significantly. Venue (a paid theme built for large catalogs) appears in the top 5 for the first time. Ella, the popular ThemeForest theme, shows up as a choice for high-traffic DTC brands.
How Theme Type Shifts With Traffic
| Traffic Tier | Free % | Paid % | Custom % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50K | 41.8% | 28.4% | 29.7% |
| 50K-200K | 35.9% | 43.2% | 20.8% |
| 200K-1M | 38.1% | 40.1% | 21.8% |
| 1M-5M | 37.1% | 34.0% | 28.9% |
| 5M-20M | 27.6% | 38.3% | 34.0% |
The trend: paid themes peak in the mid-market (50K-1M visitors), where stores have real revenue but haven't yet justified a fully custom build. At the highest tier (5M-20M), custom themes surge to 34% as brands invest in bespoke experiences.
Legacy Themes: 27,643 Stores Running Deprecated Software
Shopify has deprecated several first-generation themes: Debut, Brooklyn, Minimal, Venture, Supply, Simple, Narrative, and Boundless. These themes no longer receive updates, performance improvements, or new features.
Yet tens of thousands of stores still use them.
| Theme Era | Stores | Avg Apps | Avg Score | Plus % | High Traffic (1M+) % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy (Deprecated Free) | 27,643 | 1.3 | 51 | 43.4% | 0.2% |
| Modern (Current Free) | 25,354 | 1.7 | 64 | 75.1% | 1.4% |
| Premium (Paid) | 50,472 | 2.2 | 78 | 83.6% | 1.3% |
| Custom | 36,089 | 1.4 | 65 | 57.7% | 1.6% |
Note: 3,653 stores with unclassified or rare themes are not included in this era breakdown.
Legacy theme stores are clearly the least sophisticated segment in our database. They have the lowest lead score (51), the fewest apps (1.3), the lowest Shopify Plus rate (43.4%), and almost none reach 1M+ monthly visitors (0.2%).
Compare that to modern free themes (Dawn, Refresh, Craft, Sense, etc.) where the Plus rate jumps to 75.1% and high-traffic stores are 7x more common.
For agencies: These 27,643 stores represent the clearest upgrade opportunity in the Shopify ecosystem. A store still running Debut or Brooklyn is almost certainly missing modern features like Online Store 2.0 sections, app blocks, and performance optimizations. You can filter stores by theme in the StoreInspect dashboard to find them.
What Themes Do Different Industries Choose?
Theme preferences vary by niche. Here are the top themes and the free/paid/custom split for each major category.
Fashion (35,150 stores)
Top themes: Dawn (12.6%), Debut (8.6%), Custom (6.5%), Prestige (5.4%), Impulse (4.8%)
Fashion has the highest Prestige adoption of any category at 5.4%. Makes sense: Prestige is designed for high-end, image-driven brands. Fashion stores split almost evenly between free (39.3%) and paid (37.5%) themes.
Electronics (4,545 stores)
Top themes: Dawn (11.9%), Debut (7.0%), Custom (5.1%), Warehouse (4.6%), Empire (2.8%)
Electronics is the only category where catalog-heavy themes Warehouse and Empire crack the top 5. These themes are designed for stores with large inventories and complex navigation. If you're building a store with 500+ SKUs, this is what your competitors run.
Beauty (10,893 stores)
Top themes: Dawn (12.0%), Debut (8.4%), Custom (5.9%), Prestige (5.2%), Impulse (3.4%)
Beauty stores show the highest paid theme adoption at 39.1%, with Prestige leading. Beauty brands tend to invest heavily in visual presentation, which aligns with premium theme choices.
Hobby (9,582 stores)
Top themes: Debut (12.1%), Dawn (11.2%), Custom (6.9%), Minimal (4.5%), Supply (2.9%)
Hobby is the only major category where Debut still outranks Dawn. It also has the highest free theme usage at 48.9%. This category includes niche hobby stores that tend to be smaller operations with lower budgets.
Theme Type Split by Industry
| Category | Free % | Paid % | Custom % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby | 48.9% | 28.0% | 23.1% |
| Travel & Luggage | 42.6% | 32.4% | 25.0% |
| Home & Garden | 41.6% | 37.1% | 21.3% |
| Jewelry | 41.2% | 37.8% | 21.0% |
| Sports & Fitness | 41.2% | 36.0% | 22.8% |
| Automotive | 41.4% | 34.8% | 23.8% |
| Pets | 40.3% | 30.7% | 29.0% |
| Fashion | 39.3% | 37.5% | 23.2% |
| Outdoor & Adventure | 38.0% | 39.6% | 22.4% |
| Food & Beverage | 38.1% | 38.1% | 23.9% |
| Baby & Kids | 37.0% | 39.5% | 23.5% |
| Health & Wellness | 37.3% | 35.8% | 26.9% |
| Electronics | 35.6% | 37.4% | 27.0% |
| Beauty | 35.1% | 39.1% | 25.8% |
| Other | 35.8% | 21.0% | 43.2% |
Outdoor & Adventure and Baby & Kids stores are the most likely to invest in paid themes. Health & Wellness and Electronics lean more toward custom builds. The "Other" category has the highest custom rate (43.2%), which makes sense as these are often specialty or B2B stores with unique requirements.
Theme + App Stack: What Each Theme's Ecosystem Looks Like
One of the most useful angles we can pull from our data is how themes correlate with app choices. Do stores using premium themes also use premium apps? Here's what we found.
Dawn Stores (17,000 stores)
| App | Category | % of Dawn Stores |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Email Marketing | 25.0% |
| Judge.me | Reviews | 11.7% |
| Mailchimp | Email Marketing | 11.5% |
| Smile.io | Loyalty | 4.2% |
| Loox | Reviews | 3.8% |
Dawn stores have a balanced mix. Klaviyo leads email marketing at 25%, with Mailchimp close behind at 11.5%. The relatively even split suggests Dawn is used across the full spectrum of store sophistication.
Prestige Stores (5,196 stores)
| App | Category | % of Prestige Stores |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Email Marketing | 42.3% |
| Mailchimp | Email Marketing | 16.7% |
| Judge.me | Reviews | 12.6% |
| Loox | Reviews | 6.5% |
| Smile.io | Loyalty | 6.4% |
Prestige stores have the highest Klaviyo adoption of any major theme at 42.3%. They also show higher rates of visual review apps (Loox at 6.5%) and loyalty programs (Smile.io at 6.4%). This is the tech stack of a brand that takes marketing seriously.
Impulse Stores (5,064 stores)
| App | Category | % of Impulse Stores |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Email Marketing | 39.8% |
| Judge.me | Reviews | 15.8% |
| Mailchimp | Email Marketing | 15.7% |
| Smile.io | Loyalty | 8.2% |
| Loox | Reviews | 7.1% |
Impulse stores show a similar pattern to Prestige, with high Klaviyo and loyalty app adoption. The 8.2% Smile.io rate is nearly double what Dawn stores show (4.2%).
Debut Stores (13,305 stores)
| App | Category | % of Debut Stores |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Email Marketing | 12.5% |
| Klaviyo | Email Marketing | 9.8% |
| Judge.me | Reviews | 5.3% |
| Privy | Popup | 4.7% |
| Smile.io | Loyalty | 2.8% |
Debut stores are the opposite of Prestige. Mailchimp leads Klaviyo (the only major theme where that happens), suggesting budget-conscious store owners. App adoption across the board is roughly half of what Prestige stores show. These are stores that haven't invested in their marketing stack.
The Pattern: Theme Choice Signals Tech Stack Sophistication
| Theme | Klaviyo % | Judge.me % | Loyalty (Smile.io) % | Avg Lead Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prestige | 42.3% | 12.6% | 6.4% | 79 |
| Impulse | 39.8% | 15.8% | 8.2% | 80 |
| Dawn | 25.0% | 11.7% | 4.2% | 65 |
| Debut | 9.8% | 5.3% | 2.8% | 51 |
The theme a store uses predicts its entire tech stack. Prestige stores are 4.3x more likely to use Klaviyo than Debut stores. This has direct implications for anyone doing outreach: a store running Prestige with no reviews app is a better qualified lead than a store running Debut with no reviews app, because the Prestige store has already demonstrated willingness to invest.
Theme Popularity by Country
Do different countries favor different themes? We analyzed the top 10 countries in our dataset.
| Country | #1 Theme (%) | #2 Theme (%) | #3 Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| US (57,070) | Dawn (13.1%) | Debut (10.7%) | Impulse (4.1%) |
| UK (10,278) | Dawn (13.1%) | Debut (8.1%) | Prestige (4.5%) |
| Australia (5,862) | Dawn (11.1%) | Debut (8.3%) | Prestige (4.8%) |
| Canada (5,779) | Dawn (11.8%) | Debut (10.2%) | Impulse (3.7%) |
| Germany (2,945) | Dawn (22.7%) | Prestige (6.1%) | Debut (4.8%) |
| Italy (1,145) | Dawn (14.6%) | Debut (9.3%) | Prestige (5.9%) |
| France (1,139) | Dawn (13.6%) | Prestige (8.5%) | Debut (5.6%) |
| New Zealand (984) | Dawn (12.3%) | Debut (7.1%) | Prestige (4.3%) |
| Japan (944) | Dawn (19.9%) | Debut (12.8%) | Prestige (10.9%) |
| Netherlands (913) | Dawn (13.6%) | Debut (6.5%) | Prestige (5.5%) |
Germany and Japan show the most concentrated theme preferences. Dawn has 22.7% market share in Germany, nearly double the global average of 11.9%. Japan shows unusually high Prestige adoption at 10.9%, suggesting Japanese merchants gravitate toward premium, polished aesthetics.
France is the most premium-leaning market. Prestige is the #2 theme at 8.5%, and it's the only country where Prestige outranks Debut.
The US and Canada are the most Debut-heavy. With Debut at 10.7% (US) and 10.2% (Canada), North American stores are the slowest to migrate from the deprecated theme.
Top Themes Among Shopify Plus Stores
Shopify Plus stores ($2,300+/month) represent the enterprise tier. Here's what themes they choose.
| Rank | Theme | Type | Plus Stores | Share of Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dawn | Free | 13,032 | 26.9% |
| 2 | Debut | Free | 5,753 | 11.9% |
| 3 | Prestige | Paid | 4,396 | 9.1% |
| 4 | Impulse | Paid | 4,351 | 9.0% |
| 5 | Symmetry | Paid | 1,977 | 4.1% |
| 6 | Turbo | Paid | 1,477 | 3.1% |
| 7 | Ella | Custom | 1,474 | 3.0% |
| 8 | Warehouse | Paid | 1,447 | 3.0% |
| 9 | Refresh | Free | 1,406 | 2.9% |
| 10 | Broadcast | Paid | 1,381 | 2.9% |
Dawn's share of Plus stores (26.9%) is more than double its share of all stores (11.9%). This tells us that Shopify Plus stores are more likely to use Dawn than the general population, likely because they stay current with Shopify's latest recommended themes.
More surprising: 5,753 Shopify Plus stores still use Debut. These are enterprise-tier merchants paying $2,300+/month for Shopify but running a deprecated free theme. Whether that's intentional or simply inertia, it represents a significant consulting opportunity.
Among paid themes, Prestige and Impulse dominate the Plus segment with combined 18.1% market share. Turbo, despite being an older premium theme, maintains a loyal Plus base at 3.1%, and its stores have the highest average lead score (84) of any theme in the top 20.
The Prospecting Angle: Where the Opportunities Are
If you sell to Shopify stores, this theme data reveals clear signals about which stores need help and which are already well-optimized.
High-Priority Leads: Deprecated Theme + Decent Traffic
There are 27,643 stores on deprecated themes with an average lead score of 51. Among these, thousands sit in the 50K-200K visitor range. They have traffic but outdated infrastructure. They need:
- Theme migration to a modern OS 2.0 theme
- App stack recommendations (most run only 1.3 apps on average)
- Performance optimization (legacy themes don't support the latest Shopify features)
Premium Theme Stores Missing Key Apps
Stores running Prestige or Impulse with no reviews app (roughly 87% of Prestige stores, 84% of Impulse stores based on our review app data) are interesting leads. They've invested $350+ in a theme but haven't set up a core CRO tool. They have budget and intent, just a gap in their stack.
Theme Type as a Qualification Signal
| Theme Type | What It Signals | Outreach Angle |
|---|---|---|
| Free (legacy: Debut, Brooklyn) | Budget-conscious, possibly neglected store | "Your theme was deprecated in [year]. Here's what you're missing." |
| Free (modern: Dawn, Refresh) | Cost-aware but current | "Your foundation is solid. Here's how to level up your [email/reviews/CRO]." |
| Paid (Prestige, Impulse, etc.) | Invested, marketing-savvy, likely has budget | "I noticed you're running [Theme] but don't have [missing app]. Stores like yours typically see X% lift with [solution]." |
| Custom | Enterprise, likely has dev team | "Your custom build is impressive. Have you considered [specific integration]?" |
You can filter stores by theme type and combine it with other signals like app detection and pixel tracking in the StoreInspect dashboard to build highly targeted outreach lists.
FAQ
What is the most popular Shopify theme?
Dawn is the most popular Shopify theme in 2026 with 11.9% market share across 143,211 stores (17,000 stores). It's Shopify's default free theme and the foundation of the Online Store 2.0 architecture. Dawn leads in every traffic tier, every industry, and every country in our dataset.
What percentage of Shopify stores use free themes?
39.5% of Shopify stores use free themes, 35.2% use paid themes, and 25.3% use custom themes. The split varies significantly by traffic level: at 5M-20M monthly visitors, free themes drop to 27.6% while custom themes rise to 34.0%.
Is Dawn the best Shopify theme?
Dawn is the most widely used theme, but "best" depends on your goals. Our data shows Dawn stores have an average lead score of 65, which is above average but well below paid themes like Turbo (84), Impulse (80), or Prestige (79). Dawn is an excellent starting point, but stores that outgrow it tend to migrate to premium themes.
What Shopify theme do high-traffic stores use?
At the 5M-20M monthly visitor tier, Dawn still leads (13.5%), followed by Venue (5.7%), Impulse (4.5%), Prestige (3.0%), and Ella (2.8%). Custom themes account for 34% of all stores at this level. High-traffic stores increasingly use either premium themes designed for large catalogs or fully custom builds.
Should I use a free or paid Shopify theme?
Our data shows paid theme stores have a 37% higher average lead score (78 vs 57), run 47% more apps, and are 83.6% Shopify Plus. The correlation suggests that stores investing $300-400 in a premium theme also invest in the rest of their business. If you're serious about growing, the theme itself isn't the differentiator: it's the mindset that comes with investing in quality tools.
How many stores still use deprecated Shopify themes?
27,643 stores in our database still run deprecated themes like Debut (13,305), Brooklyn (2,834), Minimal (3,228), Venture (2,294), Supply (2,165), Simple (1,504), Narrative (1,387), and Boundless (781). These themes no longer receive updates and don't support modern Shopify features like app blocks and sections everywhere.
What is the best Shopify theme for fashion stores?
Among 35,150 fashion stores, Dawn leads at 12.6%, followed by Debut (8.6%), Prestige (5.4%), and Impulse (4.8%). Prestige is the top paid theme for fashion, with its high-end visual design and strong Klaviyo adoption (42.3%). For fashion brands prioritizing aesthetics and brand storytelling, Prestige and Impulse are the most popular premium choices.
What is the best Shopify theme for electronics stores?
Among 4,545 electronics stores, Dawn leads at 11.9%, but Warehouse (4.6%) and Empire (2.8%) are uniquely popular in this category. Both are designed for stores with large product catalogs and complex navigation, which is critical for electronics retailers with hundreds or thousands of SKUs.
What theme do Shopify Plus stores use?
Dawn leads among Shopify Plus stores at 26.9%, followed by Debut (11.9%), Prestige (9.1%), Impulse (9.0%), and Symmetry (4.1%). Among paid themes, Prestige and Impulse dominate with a combined 18.1% Plus market share. Turbo, despite being an older theme, maintains strong Plus loyalty with stores averaging an 84 lead score.
What Shopify theme does Gymshark use?
Many large DTC brands use custom themes that are specifically built for their brand. Our scanner identifies these as "Custom" type themes. You can detect any store's theme using the StoreInspect extension or by searching for it in the dashboard.
Which countries prefer premium Shopify themes?
France has the highest premium theme adoption relative to its size, with Prestige as the #2 theme at 8.5%. Japan also shows high premium preference, with Prestige at 10.9%. Germany is the most Dawn-concentrated market at 22.7%, while the US and Canada show the highest rates of deprecated Debut usage.
Does theme choice affect conversion rate?
We cannot directly measure conversion rates from external data. What we can measure is that paid theme stores run 47% more apps, track 44% more pixels, and have 37% higher lead quality scores. Whether the theme itself drives conversions or the theme choice reflects the merchant's overall approach to optimization, the correlation between premium themes and store sophistication is clear in our data.
Key Findings Summary
| Finding | Data Point |
|---|---|
| #1 theme overall | Dawn (11.9%, 17,000 stores) |
| #1 paid theme | Prestige (3.6%, 5,196 stores) |
| Free vs paid lead score gap | 57 vs 78 (37% higher for paid) |
| Stores on deprecated themes | 27,643 (19.3% of all stores) |
| Paid theme Shopify Plus rate | 83.6% vs 60.0% for free |
| Highest Dawn concentration | Germany at 22.7% |
| Highest premium adoption | France (Prestige at 8.5%), Japan (Prestige at 10.9%) |
| Theme with highest lead score (top 20) | Ella (89), Turbo (84) |
| Avg apps: paid vs free themes | 2.2 vs 1.5 (47% more) |
| 5M-20M tier theme leader | Dawn (13.5%), then Venue (5.7%) |
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