eCommerce is changing quickly and retailers find that generating revenue and building anticipation with pre-orders is even possible before products are published. Shopify Pre-Order Apps allow merchants to see product demand before manufacturing and manage their product supply during the waiting period.
If you’re looking to sell pre-orders through your Shopify store, we’ve compiled a list of the top Pre-Order Apps to help you craft a successful strategy. From advanced scheduling and flexible payment options (like partial payments) to stock replenishment alerts and WhatsApp notifications, these 5 best apps provide all the tools you need to maximize sales and engage your customers.
Preorder Guru ‑ Back in Stock
Preorder Guru is a highly adaptable Shopify app. It helps merchants manage products that sell out, and helps merchants optimize sales and customer interest. The app works with all of the most common themes in Shopify. This means that your customers will have the same shopping experience across the various designs your store has. With Preorder Guru, merchants can manage pre-orders and back-orders, plan any ‘coming soon’ campaigns, and offer customers options to pay for items before they are ready to ship. This app even allows merchants to set up notifications for when items return to stock.
Merchants using this app can edit the buttons used for pre-ordering, the badges, and the messages that will be displayed. This app also supports multiple languages. So, it is easy to create a customer experience that has a specific branding and is localized for customers. With Preorder Guru, buttons can go on product and collection pages, or can be placed on a page for a specific product. This is done quickly and easily.
This app also offers multiple other integrations such as, but not limited to, pay-later options, waitlists, countdown timers, and email alerts. Preorder Guru continues to grow and offer new business solutions and works with almost all Shopify themes. It is clear that this app is valuable and helps merchants. For those reasons, this app is available for free on merchants’ partner development stores. This allows shop owners to test all the features before going live. After the store is active, Preorder Guru is free for use on non-development storefronts.
Top Key Features of Preorder Guru Shopify App
- Create Preorder Campaigns
- Features of countdown timers
- Alerts for back in stock products
- Gives Mixed cart warnings
- Notifications of email alerts
- Can customize the button of Preorder
- Preorders can be scheduled as per need
- Multiple payments options like partial/deposits
- Options of full pay
- Support unlimited Products
- Badges customization
- Control limits of inventory
- Reports & Insights
- Options of fixed and percentage discounts
- Button option on multiple pages
- To create coming soon campaigns
- Global Language Supports
- SMTP Options for Email
- Custom CSS/JS
- No fees for any transaction options
- Test for shopify development stores for free
Pros
- Supports backorders, preorders, in addition to coming campaigns
- Pay-later, partial and full payment options are offered
- Highly customizable badges, buttons and text messages
- Multi-language support for stores around the world
- Compatible with all Shopify themes
- 24/7 customer support options
Cons
- API integrations not supported currently
Pricing Plans
- Free Plan – $0
- Basic Plan – $5.99/month
- Premium Plan – $12.99/month
2. Preorder, Back In Stock ‑ STOQ
STOQ is an innovative tool available on the Shopify App Store which enables merchants to capitalize on more sales opportunities. Its offerings include the capability to capture preorders and backorders, enable partial payments, and set notifications for back-in-stock items. Store owners can add preorder and “Notify Me” buttons for out-of-stock items and create customer waitlists. The waitlists are even used to send out automated email and SMS notifications when the items are restocked. With the available options for presales and deposits, and flexible preorder options, STOQ helps businesses generate revenue based on customer requests even when they do not have the stock on hand.
STOQ also features Klaviyo integration, and offers support for multiple inventory locations and analytics. It also includes business to business preorder options, is compatible with Markets of shopify apps , and has customizable branding options. STOQ is beneficial to store owners beyond preorder solutions. It combines demand management with automated features and customer engagement tools in order to help merchants increase sales and conversion.
Key Features of Preorder, Back In Stock ‑ STOQ
- Unlimited products
- Customizable preorder widget
- Preorder limits and controls
- Full and partial payment options
- Shipping information settings
- Preorder management tools
- 0% transaction fees
- Preorder notifications
- Start and end dates for preorders
- Multi-language support
- Klaviyo email integration
Pros
- Supports Klaviyo sync, Shopify Markets, and multi-location selling
- Offers deposit payments and advanced preorder controls
- Strong back-in-stock and waitlist features
Cons
- Some users report bugs and inconsistent preorder button behavior
- May have compatibility challenges with highly customized Shopify themes
Pricing Plans
- Free Plan – $0
- Lite Plan – $10/month
- Pro Plan – $29/month
- Unlimited – $69/month
3. Preorder Now Presale Timesact
Timesact is a fantastic Shopify preorder app, and justifiably, so! It helps store owners sell products that are completely out of stock! By converting sold-out products into a preorder opportunity, the store owner can continue collecting orders while the products are on their way. This app is a great inventory management tool and helps product launches by presale management, wait-lists, back-in-stock notifications, and “coming soon” campaigns. Storefront owners can personalize their preorder buttons and badges, set the shipping date, and provide customers with the option of a full payment or a partial payment. Countdown timers are also available in the app store to give the customers a sense of urgency.
In addition to preorder solutions, Timesact offers powerful automation tools that enable preorder offers based on inventory levels. Merchants can set product preferences for preorder options (vs. regular purchases) and use a sales-capturing waitlist. Merchants can also send notifications for item restocks. Can enhance their sales strategy using control features like preorder limits, control discounts, and tagging orders.
Key Features of Timesact
- Automation for preorder sales using current inventory
- Notifications for when items are restocked
- Option for customers to pay a deposit
- Timers to track launch timing
- Personalization for buttons and related branding for preorders
- Management for both presale and preorders
- Dedicated discount for preordering
- Tagging orders and predicting ship dates
- In stock items and preorder items support
- Promotional campaigns for upcoming items
- Integration for custom email domains
- Labeling and badges for preorder
- Upgrade to premium to remove Timesact branding
- Additional features and advanced plans available for purchase in app
Pros
- Complete presale and restock notification features
- Enhanced preorder features such as deposits, countdown timers, and more stock controls
- Onboarding assistance and multi-channel support
Cons
- Orders might be hard to fulfill when demand is high.
- As order volume grows, pricing might fluctuate.
- From time to time, notification and preorder communication reliability concerns may arise.
Pricing Plans
- Free Plan – $0
- Lite Plan – $1/month
- Pro Plan – $19/month or $168/year and save 26%
4. PreOrder Wolf – PreSale
Preorder Wolf is a Shopify application that is designed to allow retailers to keep merchandise available for sale, even when they have run out of stock. This application is able to make some products, variants, or even collections available for preorder. Therefore, merchants can make sales and manage some cash flow while they wait for their inventory to be replenished. Merchants can set preorder policies to deliver products in a certain time frame, based off of the inventory that they have on hand or that is expected to arrive. The application is even able to show the estimated delivery time, so that customers can be informed while checking out.
Whether you’re running product launches, presales, made-to-order products, crowdfunding campaigns, or testing demand for new items, Preorder Wolf offers flexible preorder management without requiring any coding. With a simple installation process, adjustable guidelines, and customer service available any time of day, it is an easy method of converting upcoming demand to instant profitability.
Features of Preorder Wolf
- Allows preorders for products, collections, or entire stores
- Show tailored delivery details for each product
- Preorders automatically turn on for all products
- No coding for setup or management
- Shopify theme compatible
- Extra developer support for custom needs
- Plans adjust based on monthly preorder sales
- 10 day free trial options
- Set your own preorder flow and delivery info
- Good options for Perfect for product launches, presales, or selling out of stock
- Secure your sales before your supply lands
Pros
- Flexible management of preorders for products, variants, collections, and whole stores
- Customization and advanced setups are possible. No code is required and custom themes are supported.
- Increases revenue with opportunities for presales, product launches, and sales for items that are out of stock.
Cons
- As preorder revenues grow, not all budgets may accommodate the changes
- Lower level plans come with limited customization and support
- As sales volume grows, pricing model may require careful observation
Pricing Plans
- Free Plan – $0
- Beginner Plan – $4.99/month
- Growth Plan – $19/month
- Growth+ Plan – $38/month
4. Notify! Back in Stock | PreOrder
Notify Me! is a single integrated tool for backlog alerts, pre-order tools, wish lists, and low stock notifications. It is a great means for Shopify merchants to engage customers and make the sale. Instead of losing customers when things are sold out, merchants can allow customers to join wishlists, save, or pre-order from the collection and product pages.
Notify Me! automatically sends customer notifications when the products they wish to buy are restocked. It is a great tool to maintain customer interest. Merchants can also post products with low stock to entice customers to buy, or even offer discounts for pre-orders, or charge a partial payment while gauging the potential demand for the product.
Besides customer notification tools, Notify Me! provides multiple features which support both the Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer strategies such as guest wishlists, inventory forecasting, translation tools, and automated workflows. The app is a pragmatic way to drive demand by tracking wishlists, recovering abandoned purchases, and improving the communication of product availability which increases conversions and enhances the shopping experience.
Features of Notify | Pre order now
- Automated notifications for back-in-stock items via email, SMS, and push alerts.
- Low inventory alerts and stock level monitors.
- Custom widgets and buttons to fit your store’s branding.
- Preorder functionality with no added fees.
- Automated email and SMS confirmation.
- Wishlist support, including guest users.
- Total control for widget and email template design.
- Preorder discount offers.
- Real-time low inventory alerts that encourage purchases.
- Compatible with most Shopify page builder apps.
- Notification and preorder widgets can be displayed on collection pages.
- Templates for preorder and restock notification templates that can be used directly.
- Plans that offer total flexibility and scalability.
- Free access for shopify development stores
Pros
- Comprehensive offering that integrates back-in-stock alerts, preorders, and wish lists
- Great personalization and control with bespoke automations for email, SMS, and push notification customizations
- Sophisticated demand generation with features such as low-stock alerts, flexible integration, and scalable preorder options
Cons
- Pricing could be less appropriate for small budget stores.
- Some merchants may want more transparency with pricing changes and payment structure.
- Some stores may not require certain advanced features.
Pricing Plans
- Free Plan – $0
- Kickstart $9.90 / month or $95/year and save 20%
- Starter $19.90 / month or $191/year and save 20%
- Standard $39.90 / month or $383/year and save 20%
Conclusion: Which Shopify Preorder App Suits Your Store?
Consider the options available and the budget for your store as you decide on the best Shopify preorder app. Back In Stock – STOQ, Notify! Back in Stock|PreOrder, Preorder Now Presale Timesact, and PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock app give backorder control and customer notification features, but each offer different automation and backlog control features.
Most of the apps in comparison offer preorder solutions. Preorder Guru, however, is more sophisticated in functionality and features. It has built in alerts for when products are back in stock, campaigns for announcing products that are “coming soon”, control for inventory, and customizable messaging, all while supporting multiple languages. Preorder Guru is a strong solution for businesses of all shapes and sizes, while being a much more affordable solution than some of the competitors.
When combined customization options and scalability with affordability, Preorder Guru has a great solution for merchants needing preorder functionality and back in stock notifications. Preorder Guru has everything to help improve your sales when updating customers automatically with when products are restocked, managing back in stock products, promoting new products, and accepting preorders. With great around the clock support and reasonable pricing, Preorder Guru is a favorite option for long term and consistent solution for Shopify merchants.
