My Shopify App Suddenly Requires a Paid Plan for Installation—What Changed?

Hey everyone,

I’m the developer of an app that, until very recently, could be installed on any Shopify store, regardless of whether the merchant had selected a paid plan or was still on a free trial/development store. As of yesterday, merchants trying to install the app are seeing a message indicating that the app is only compatible with stores on Basic, Shopify, or Advanced plans. Prior to this, no such restrictions were in place, and installation worked smoothly across all store plans—including those without a paid subscription.

I haven’t made any recent changes to the app’s code or its App Store listing settings. The behavior seems to have shifted overnight without any direct action on my part. I’m trying to determine whether something has changed on Shopify’s end or if there might be a hidden setting or requirement I’m overlooking.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

  • Double-checked the app’s configuration in the Partner Dashboard.
  • Confirmed that I didn’t update any of the app’s scopes or permissions that might limit compatibility.
  • Attempted to install the app on a fresh development store and still ran into the same compatibility issue.
  • Reviewed Shopify’s documentation and recent updates but found nothing obviously relevant.

Has anyone experienced a sudden change in app eligibility conditions like this? Any insights or recent policy changes I should be aware of? Any guidance on what to review, where to look, or who to contact would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hi - are you still seeing this issue? I believe the app store product team made an update to solve this temporary bug.