My top pick is Preorder Now Presale Timesact, the best all in one preorder app for most stores
Try Preorder Now Presale Timesact (our #1) →★ 4.9 · 1,883 reviews · free plan
Best Shopify pre-order apps in 2026, ranked
We tested 3 Shopify pre-order apps across pricing, features, and App Store ratings. Top picks below — each card shows what it does, rating, pricing, and the one-click install link.
Selling things that go out of stock, launching in drops, or shipping late? A pre-order app does two jobs at once. It keeps the Buy button working when inventory hits zero, and it captures demand you'd otherwise lose to a Sold out page. The better ones also handle deposits, partial payments, badges, and restock emails, so the real decision isn't "which app," it's "which job am I actually solving."
I pulled the live Shopify App Store listings for three of the most-reviewed options and lined up rating, pricing, and features side by side. They solve subtly different problems. One is a polished all-rounder with the biggest review base of the three. One is a top-rated restock specialist with the cheapest paid plan. And one is a long-running backorder classic for big catalogs. All three carry the Built for Shopify badge, so that badge won't break the tie. Pricing models will.
The quick comparison
App Store ratings, starting price, free-plan availability, and one-click install for each pick.
| Rank | App | Rating | Starting price | Free plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Best overall | Preorder Now Presale Timesact | 4.9 ★ (1,883) | Free plan ($0): first 10 presale orders, first 10 normal orders, first 50 restock emails, unlimited coming-soon. Flexible: $1/mo. Fixed (New Users): $19/mo or $168/yr (save 26%) for unlimited; higher Shopify-plan tiers at $39/$59/$99 per month. | Yes | Try → |
| #2 Runner-up | Essent Preorder Back in Stock | 5.0 ★ (1,148) | Free plan ($0): 10 preorders/mo and 300 back-in-stock notifications/mo. Lite: $5/mo (50 preorders/mo, 500 notifications/mo; $0.25/preorder and $1.00/100 notifications above limit). Essentials: $25/mo (500 preorders/mo, 3,000 notifications/mo; $0.10/preorder and $1.00/100 notifications above limit). Professional: $59/mo (unlimited). Paid tiers include a 14-day free trial. | Yes | Try → |
| #3 Best value | PreOrder Now Backorder WOD | 4.5 ★ (990) | Free plan ($0): publish 1 preorder product, with mixed-cart alerts. Shopify Basic: $19.95/mo. Shopify Grow: $39.95/mo. Shopify Advanced: $59.95/mo. All paid plans add $0.01 per email on the personalized notification feature. | Yes | Try → |
Preorder Now Presale Timesact
My number one for most stores. It's the one app here that covers both jobs: presales with deposits and partial payments, plus back-in-stock alerts on sold-out items. It has the biggest review base of the three (4.9 across 1,883 reviews) and native support for the major page builders. The free plan is generous enough to test on a live drop, and the $1/mo Flexible tier makes it cheap to start. The catch is the free plan's order caps, so high-volume stores will graduate to the $19/mo Fixed tier fast.
What it does
- 4.9 stars across 1,883 reviews, the largest review base of the three
- Does both jobs in one app: presales with partial payment and deposit collection, plus back-in-stock restock email alerts
- Free plan covers the first 10 presale orders, 10 normal orders, and 50 restock emails, with unlimited coming-soon
- Flexible from $1/mo; Fixed at $19/mo (or $168/yr, save 26%) unlocks unlimited everything
- Native integrations with EComposer, GemPages, PageFly, Shogun, Instant, and Shopify Flow, plus countdown timers, badges, and order limits
Essent Preorder Back in Stock
The highest-rated option of the three and my pick if recovering sold-out sales is the main goal. The Notify Me button and back-in-stock email engine are its strength, but it also runs preorders, backorders, coming-soon, and made-to-order with deposits and split payment schedules. At $5/mo, Lite is the cheapest paid entry point here. Watch the overage fees on the lower tiers: once you pass the included limit, Lite adds $0.25 per preorder and Essentials $0.10, so a busy month can push the bill above the flat rate.
What it does
- Perfect 5.0 rating across 1,148 reviews
- Runs preorders, backorders, coming-soon, and made-to-order, with a Notify Me button and automatic restock emails
- Customizable Preorder Now button across product, collection, search, and Quick Buy
- Cheapest paid tier here: Lite at $5/mo; Essentials $25/mo; Professional $59/mo
- Overage fees on lower tiers: above Lite's 50 preorders/mo it's $0.25 each, above Essentials' 500/mo it's $0.10 each, plus $1.00 per 100 back-in-stock notifications over the limit
PreOrder Now Backorder WOD
The long-running backorder classic, built for managing preorders across a big catalog rather than a single drop. Bulk controls are the reason to pick it: apply settings across multiple variants, products, or tags, schedule preorders to flip on automatically, and warn on mixed carts. It's the lowest-rated and priciest of the three, and every paid plan adds $0.01 per email on its personalized notification feature. Pick it when bulk per-variant control matters more than price or rating.
What it does
- 4.5 stars across 990 reviews, the lowest rating of the three
- Bulk preorder management: apply settings across multiple variants, products, or tags at once
- Mixed-cart alerts when preorder and in-stock items share a cart, plus scheduled auto-on preorders
- Preorder badges on product images, with stock-based inventory rules and quantity caps
- Steepest pricing: Basic $19.95/mo, Grow $39.95/mo, Advanced $59.95/mo, each adding $0.01 per email on the personalized notification feature; free plan covers just 1 preorder product
Which Shopify pre-order app should you choose?
Pick the one that maps to your current bottleneck. Install on a duplicate theme first, test for a week, then commit.
- Know what you are automating. For presales (drops, deposits, ship-later), prioritize partial payments and order limits. For sold-out recovery, prioritize the back-in-stock email engine.
- Read the pricing model, not the headline. Per-notification and per-preorder fees add up at volume, so flat-rate unlimited plans are more predictable.
- Check the free plan; limits vary a lot (see each app below).
- Check page-builder support. Timesact has the deepest native integrations.
- Do not over-weight the Built for Shopify badge; all three carry it.
- Mind partial payments. Confirm they work with your gateway and plan first.
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4.9 stars across 1,883 reviews, the largest review base of the three
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Perfect 5.0 rating across 1,148 reviews
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4.5 stars across 990 reviews, the lowest rating of the three
Our top pre-order pick for 2026
Preorder Now Presale Timesact earned the #1 slot on rating, pricing fit, and feature depth. Install on a duplicate theme first, test for a week, then commit on a paid plan if it earns it.
Pricing at a glance
| App | Plans |
|---|---|
| Preorder Now Presale Timesact | Free plan ($0): first 10 presale orders, first 10 normal orders, first 50 restock emails, unlimited coming-soon. Flexible: $1/mo. Fixed (New Users): $19/mo or $168/yr (save 26%) for unlimited; higher Shopify-plan tiers at $39/$59/$99 per month. |
| Essent Preorder Back in Stock | Free plan ($0): 10 preorders/mo and 300 back-in-stock notifications/mo. Lite: $5/mo (50 preorders/mo, 500 notifications/mo; $0.25/preorder and $1.00/100 notifications above limit). Essentials: $25/mo (500 preorders/mo, 3,000 notifications/mo; $0.10/preorder and $1.00/100 notifications above limit). Professional: $59/mo (unlimited). Paid tiers include a 14-day free trial. |
| PreOrder Now Backorder WOD | Free plan ($0): publish 1 preorder product, with mixed-cart alerts. Shopify Basic: $19.95/mo. Shopify Grow: $39.95/mo. Shopify Advanced: $59.95/mo. All paid plans add $0.01 per email on the personalized notification feature. |
Some tiers meter usage (by order volume, product count, or credits) and plans change often — check the live listing for current pricing.
Read the full reviews
Want the deep dive on any pick? Our hands-on reviews:
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a pre-order app and a back-in-stock app?
A pre-order app lets customers buy before an item ships, in full or as a deposit. A back-in-stock app emails shoppers when a sold-out item returns. Essent leans toward restock alerts, PreOrder Now toward bulk backorder management, and Timesact does both in one app.
Do all three support deposits and partial payments?
Yes. Timesact collects deposits and partial payments. Essent does deposits, deferred payment, due dates, and split payment schedules. PreOrder Now also supports partial payments. Confirm it works with your payment gateway and plan before you launch.
Which has the best free plan?
Timesact and Essent, by a wide margin. Timesact's free plan covers the first 10 presale orders, 10 normal orders, and 50 restock emails. Essent's free plan runs 10 preorders a month plus 300 back-in-stock notifications. PreOrder Now's free plan is capped at a single preorder product.
Why is Timesact the number one pick when Essent has a higher 5.0 rating?
Breadth and value. Timesact bundles presales, partial payments, and restock alerts in one app, carries the biggest review base of the three at 1,883, and starts at $1/mo. Essent's 5.0 across 1,148 reviews is excellent, and if restock alerts are your only need, it's the better buy.
What are the hidden costs to watch for?
Overage and feature fees. PreOrder Now charges $0.01 per email on its personalized notification feature on every paid plan. Essent's lower tiers add $0.25 per preorder above Lite's monthly limit and $0.10 above Essentials', plus $1.00 per 100 notifications over the cap. Timesact's Fixed tier at $19/mo is flat-rate, so it's the most predictable at volume.
Can I run two of these at once, and do they conflict?
You generally don't want two preorder apps fighting over the same Buy button or product badges. Pick the one that maps to your bottleneck, install it on a duplicate theme, and test for a week before committing. If you only need restock alerts alongside a different setup, Essent's Notify Me side is the cleanest fit.