Watchdog: App Spend Audit vs AppStack
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Oct 14, 2026.
The short answer
- Only Watchdog lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99/month for Watchdog and $9/month for AppStack.
- AppStack lists 1 features Watchdog’s listing doesn’t mention, including Analytics dashboard.
Head to head
Free
Monitor
AppStack Pro
- · Actionable optimization tips
- · Full app inventory and cost tracking
- · Store speed and performance analysis
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureThe average store runs 6–8 paid apps and loses track of the bill. Watchdog maps your whole app stack in seconds: spot duplicate apps doing the same job, find lower-cost swaps, and see invoice-confirmed spend per app. It even flags apps that bill you but never load on your storefront. Audit your stack, cut what you don't need, and stop overpaying — without guessing what's safe to remove.
Most Shopify merchants have 10-20 apps installed with no clear picture of what they spend or which ones slow their store. AppStack scans your active theme and shows every detected app with its spend, page speed impact, and a recommendation on whether to keep it. Works with analytics, review, chat, upsell, and marketing apps. Most stores find savings in the first scan.
- Duplicate-app detection and cheaper-swap suggestions from a maintained registry
- Invoice-confirmed per-app spend — real numbers parsed from your Shopify invoice
- Billed-but-not-detected: apps charging you that aren't on your storefront
- See every app in your storefront and what you spend on it, at a glance
- Measure page speed and pinpoint which app scripts cause delays
- Get recommendations with exact monthly savings for cheaper or free alternatives
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure |  Watchdog |  AppStack |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | Not published | Not published |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | 0 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Not published | Not published |
| Top store countries | Not published | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | Watchdog | AppStack |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | Not published |
| App Store reviews | Not published | Not published |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
FAQ
Watchdog and AppStack: common questions
- Is Watchdog or AppStack cheaper?
- Only Watchdog lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99/month for Watchdog and $9/month for AppStack. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- AppStack lists 1 the others don’t mention, such as Analytics dashboard. A feature missing from a listing may still be supported; this compares what each App Store listing says.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Oct 14, 2026; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Oct 14, 2026. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.