Shopify Development Store
Last verified 2026-07-26
Shopify development stores are free and unlimited, with full functionality, used by partners and developers to build and test apps or themes before launching to a live store.
Key specs
| Free tier | Free (unlimited dev stores) |
| Cost | Free |
| Count | Unlimited |
| Use | Apps & themes |
Strengths
- Free and unlimited
- Full functionality
- Ideal for app/theme testing
Trade-offs
- Transfer/launch steps to go live
- Some limits on real transactions
Best for: App and theme developers building on Shopify before production.
What it is & how it works
A Shopify development store is a free, full-featured store that partners and developers use as a sandbox to build and test apps or themes before going live. Shopify provides them, and you can create as many as you need. Because a dev store carries full store functionality, you can develop against a realistic environment and then transfer or launch it when the work is ready for real customers.
Setup, limits & watch-outs
Going live is a deliberate step, not a switch. A development store has to be transferred or launched to become a paying store, and there are limits on real transactions while it is still in development mode. Plan for that handoff. Build and test in the dev store, then follow Shopify's transfer or launch steps to move a client or merchant onto a live plan once the app or theme is ready.
Alternatives to Shopify Development Store
See the full Shopify Development Store alternatives comparison →
Sources: Shopify dev stores ↗
Is Shopify Development Store right for your workload?
Tell us your use case and we'll confirm the fit, flag anything to watch for, and get you real pricing from the Shopify Development Store team. No spam.