Shopify Black Friday Apps: 24 Essential Tools for 2025

Maximize Shopify Black Friday sales with 24 essential Shopify apps for inventory, marketing, and shipping. Plus, get BFCM planning tips and strategies for 2025.

Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is a huge opportunity for Shopify merchants to boost sales and reach new customers. In 2024, Shopify merchants saw a record-breaking $11.5 billion in sales over BFCM weekend, a 24% increase from the previous year. More than 76 million consumers globally made purchases from Shopify-powered stores, with sales reaching a peak of $4.6 million per minute.

As we head into the 2025 holiday season, it’s important to acknowledge that everyday ecommerce challenges—like supply chain issues, shipping delays, and customer satisfaction concerns—can be amplified during this busy period. To make the most of this high-stakes weekend, you need tools for your Shopify store that help you streamline operations, keep customers happy, and drive conversions at scale.

Here, learn the common challenges Shopify store owners may face during BFCM and the apps that can help you overcome them.

Pre-BFCM planning timeline for Shopify merchants

Last-minute rushing means missed opportunities. Avoid the scramble with this step-by-step timeline. 

These tips will help you get organized ahead for BFCM and maximize sales:

12 to 8 weeks before BFCM

• Review and analyze last year's performance. Before diving into new strategies, review what worked (and what didn’t) last year. Which products sold well? What kind of promotions drove traffic? 
• Set clear, measurable goals. Decide what you want to achieve during BFCM, such as increasing your average order value, growing your email list, or hitting a specific sales target. 
• Start creating your promotions. Now’s the time to start thinking about your discounts, bundle offers, or exclusive deals. 
• Audit your website. Make sure your site speed is optimized and ready to handle an influx of new visitors. 

4 to 6 weeks before BFCM

• Organize your Shopify store. Are your product descriptions up to date? Are your images high quality? Is your store navigation easy to use? 
• Stock up on inventory. Ensure you have sufficient stock to meet demand. If you’re working with suppliers, confirm delivery dates and ensure they’re not holding any back orders. 
• Prepare your email marketing strategy. Start crafting those emails! Create a series of pre-BFCM emails to build anticipation, and don’t forget to set up your BFCM-specific sequences. Plan your email send times, subject lines, and offers. Consider apps like Klaviyo or Omnisend to automate your campaigns.

2 to 4 weeks before BFCM

• Test your Shopify apps. Test out all your Shopify apps that will play a role in BFCM, especially ones for inventory management, discounts, and sales tracking. 
• Finalize ads and content. It’s time to set up paid advertising. Whether you're running Facebook ads, Instagram promotions, or Google ads, ensure your creative assets and ad copy are ready to go. 

1 to 2 weeks before BFCM

• Perform a final tech check. This is your last chance to ensure that your store’s checkout process, payment options, and apps are fully functioning. 
• Prepare customer service. Make sure your customer service team is ready to handle pre-sale questions, returns, and post-sale support. Set up an FAQ section on your site, and consider apps like Tidio or Gorgias for live chat.

The week of BFCM

• Run a final countdown. Start sending last-minute reminders, especially for your best deals. Use social media, email, and SMS to remind your customers that the big day is almost here. 
• Monitor and optimize in real-time. Keep an eye on your metrics. If you notice a dip in sales or traffic, adjust your approach on the fly. Ensure everything is running smoothly and that orders are being processed as they should be.

Apps to help you meet customers online

• Boost AI Search & Filter
• Libautech: Announcement Bar
• TikTok Shopify app
• Bulk Discount Code Bot

Consumer trends—such as the adoption of social selling channels by younger generations—have altered how shoppers discover and purchase new products. To keep up with changing demands and plan for increased visitor traffic, make sure your website is ready with these Shopify apps that help you do more.

Here are some implementation tips for best results: 

• Sync your product catalog with Meta, Google, and TikTok using Shopify’s sales channel integrations so your products appear in social shopping tabs, search ads, and video tags.
• Use Shopify Inbox to chat with visitors in real time, particularly those coming from organic or paid social. 
• Add automated FAQ responses for common questions. 

1. Boost AI Search & Filter

Try it: Free for up to 25 products. Paid plans from $29/month.

Powered by AI, Boost is a smart search app for Shopify merchants that helps customers find the exact product they’re looking for on your site, with advanced filtering and search auto-suggest. You can even upsell and cross-sell within search results to promote bestselling products and increase your average order value.

2. Libautech: Announcement Bar

Try it: Free plan available. Paid plan is $6.99/month with a seven-day free trial.

This app puts your Black Friday Cyber Monday deals in the spotlight—front and center at the top of your homepage. You can also use this space to share important news about your brand and store, like updated BFCM shipping information, free gifts, or bold discounts. Multiple filters and options let you target specific customers or regions.

3. TikTok Shopify app

Try it: Free to install. Set your campaign budget, and ad spend will be billed directly to your TikTok ad account.

TikTok is one of the most popular places for younger generations to discover products. Users trust influencer recommendations and peer reviews to help them make purchases. If your brand isn’t using TikTok for business, consider taking advantage of TikTok Shop features by downloading this app. 

4. Bulk Discount Code Bot

Try it: Free up to three codes. Paid plans start at $19/month. 

This app lets you create multiple unique one-time-use discount codes for loyalty programs or pop-up email acquisition campaigns, to enhance your BFCM marketing strategy.

Bonus level: Get your products in front of huge audiences this holiday season by enabling online sales channels like Google and Facebook, and explore even more apps to help you achieve peak sales online.

Black Friday Shopify apps for marketing success

• Octane AI: Advanced Quiz Maker
• Tagbox UGC
• TxtCart: SMS Marketing & AI
• Promo Video Maker
• Shopify Email

There’s a lot of information competing for your customers’ attention right now. And once Black Friday Cyber Monday sales are upon us, shoppers’ inboxes and Instagram feeds will be flooded with deals. 

How can you stand out from other online retailers? How do you cut through the clutter and launch memorable and clickable Black Friday campaigns? These marketing tools eliminate the guesswork from peak-season marketing, allowing you to launch BFCM campaigns with confidence.

Here are some implementation tips for best success:

• Combine email/SMS tools like Klaviyo with pop-ups to grow lists and promote tiered deals.
• Use review apps to showcase social proof during peak BFCM traffic.
• Sync loyalty apps with email for VIP-only discounts or early access campaigns.

5. Octane AI: Advanced Quiz Maker

Try it: Tiered pricing plans from $50/month with a 14-day free trial. 

Octane AI is a comprehensive marketing solution for creating quizzes, collecting data, and offering personalized customer experiences and recommendations. This app is fully customizable, compatible with your tech stack, and powered by AI.

Skincare and makeup brand Ilia uses a quiz to help shoppers find their perfect color match.

6. Tagbox UGC

Try it: Free for one feed. Paid plans start at $79/month with a 14-day free trial. 

This app puts your organic Instagram posts to work, generating a clickable, shoppable clone of your feed on your Shopify store website. You can even pull your customers’ posts (user-generated content) into one place and power them with purchase links, too.

7. TxtCart: SMS Marketing & AI

Try it: Plans start at $29/month with a 14-day free trial. 

TxtCart helps you rescue lost sales by texting customers who have abandoned shopping carts with prompts to re-engage with your brand. Real agents sit behind an AI to make conversations more human. 

8. Promo Video Maker

Try it: Free to install.

Promo video maker helps you easily create promotional video content—no film school or expensive apps required. Enter some text and a few details, and this app pulls content from your site into videos optimized for web, Instagram, or YouTube.

9. Shopify Email

Try it: Free to install.

Launch and track email marketing campaigns right inside Shopify with Shopify Email. This app provides easy templates that pull logos, images, and copy directly from your store website.

Bonus level: Explore more apps to help you with Black Friday and holiday season marketing.

Apps for better BFCM inventory management

• Stockbot Inventory Forecasting
• Inventory Planner Forecasting
• Stocky

Throughout the year, Shopify store owners report inventory management as a challenge. During Black Friday Cyber Monday and beyond, you’ll need to be extra vigilant to keep items in stock, stay organized, and ensure customers are happy. Thankfully, there are apps for that. 

Here are some implementation tips for best results: 

• Use a real-time inventory planner to track high-turnover SKUs and get reorder alerts.
• Set up back-in-stock notifications via email/SMS with apps like Back in Stock to recapture lost sales.
• Sync inventory tools with marketing channels to pause ads on low-stock products.

10. Stockbot Inventory Forecasting

Try it: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $9/month with a 14-day free trial.

Stockbot Inventory Forecasting is a set-it-and-forget-it app that notifies you when your products reach low stock levels.

11. Inventory Planner

Try it: Free to install.

Inventory Planner by Sage is an inventory management painkiller for your Shopify site. Give this app access to your sales trends and data, and it will prioritize your vendor orders and tell you when to make them.

12. Stocky

Try it: Free to install. 

Stocky is an advanced inventory management app designed to help you stay on top of stock levels, forecast demand, and make smarter purchasing decisions. During BFCM, when demand spikes, Stocky helps you avoid stockouts and overstocking by providing detailed insights into inventory performance. You can automate purchase orders, manage supplier relationships, and get inventory alerts.

Bonus level: Explore more apps to help you manage Black Friday Cyber Monday inventory.

Shopify Black Friday sales optimization apps

• Glow: Loyalty Points & Rewards
• Shopify Inbox
• LimeSpot AI Bundles
• SC Product Options
• Shopify Flow

Small businesses can stand out among larger competitors with personalized online and mobile shopping experiences that foster strong customer relationships.

Use these apps to improve the entire customer journey. Create memorable connections and offer a smooth purchasing experience, even when you can’t personally engage with each customer. 

Here are some implementation tips for best results: 

• Combine bundling apps with free shipping bars and cart progress indicators to nudge customers toward a higher spend.
• Utilize upsell tools to offer post-purchase incentives and encourage impulse purchases.
• A/B test conversion-boosting tactics, like badges and countdowns.

13. Glow: Loyalty Points & Rewards

Try it: Free for up to 50 members. Paid plans from $9/month with a seven-day free trial. 

Glow helps you establish a seamless rewards program to incentivize engagement with your brand, providing tools for rewarding loyal customers with points or store credits when they refer new shoppers. Improve customer lifetime value and repeat purchases with a loyalty program powered by Glow.

14. Shopify Inbox

Try it: Free with Shopify plan.

Engage in real conversations with buyers, send product recommendations and discount codes, and bring the purchase experience inside the chat—all with Shopify Inbox. The app is built inside Shopify and is free to use with a Shopify plan.

15. LimeSpot AI Bundles

Try it: Free for up to 10 orders. Paid plans start at $6.99/month with a 15-day free trial.

Limespot enables you to create personalized shopping experiences to cross-sell, upsell, and recommend relevant products to each customer. 

16. SC Product Options

Try it: Free to install. Paid plans from $14.99/month with a 14-day free trial.

SC Product Options is an essential app for products with overlapping customizations. Easily set up swatches and other options on product pages to allow customers to build one-of-a-kind products.

17. Shopify Flow

Try it: Free with Shopify Plus plan.

Shopify Flow helps you automate tasks and workflows, streamlining your operations and freeing up time during the busy BFCM period. Whether it's automating customer segmentation, order processing, or email marketing triggers, Flow helps you create personalized and efficient workflows across your store. 

You can set up rules to trigger actions automatically, such as sending order updates or offering discounts based on customer behaviors, so you can focus on scaling your business while keeping the customer experience smooth and seamless.

Apps for managing in-person Black Friday sales

• In-Store Reserver
• Sesami: Appointment Booking
• Stockist Store Locator
• Bird Pickup Delivery Date

If you run a retail store or are planning to sell at a pop-up or market, set yourself up for a successful weekend by installing apps that help you engage with customers directly and boost sales. 

Enhance the in-person shopping experience by incorporating valuable conveniences, such as curbside pickup, with these apps.

Here are some implementation tips for best results: 

• Use Shopify POS Pro with barcode scanners and mobile hardware for fast checkout.
• Allow shoppers to buy online and pick up in-store, or receive local delivery. 
• Sync discounts across online and in-store channels with one-click discount apps.

18. In‑Store Reserver

Try it: Paid plans from $19/month with a 30-day free trial.

This app allows customers to pre-select items in your online store, ensuring they’re available when they arrive to pay or pick up their orders, thereby creating a better checkout experience.

19. Sesami Booking App

Try it: Paid plans from $19/month.

Sesami is perfect for Shopify merchants offering in-store services like personal shopping appointments. Your Black Friday customers can book predetermined time slots and enjoy shorter wait times and a more personalized sales experience.

Face + Club uses a booking app to let customers book one-on-one consultations.

20. Stockist Store Locator

Try it: Paid plans from $10/month with a 14-day free trial. 

Stockist is a fully customizable map app that integrates with your store’s branding. Plot your shop locations—or those of your stockists—so customers can easily find you IRL on Black Friday.

21. Bird Pickup Delivery Date

Try it: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $9.99/month with a seven-day free trial.

Bird manages your curbside and in-store pickups, as well as local deliveries, with a customizable calendar. Customers can select their own delivery or pickup date, and stores can set blackout dates, cutoff times, and a maximum number of deliveries per day.

Bonus level: Explore more apps to help run your omnichannel business this Black Friday Cyber Monday. 

Apps for efficient shipping, delivery, and returns

• Easyship
• Parcelify
• AfterShip Returns & Exchanges

If everything’s working out the way you planned, then order notifications will be lighting up this Black Friday. Take a moment to celebrate your success—but not too long. You have products to ship! 

Use these apps to navigate the flood of pending orders, simplifying the process for you and your customers.

Here are some implementation tips for best results: 

• Use shipping rate calculators to set clear delivery expectations during BFCM.
• Offer returns portals with branded experiences.
• Automate shipping label creation to ensure smooth fulfillment under pressure.

22. Easyship

Try it: Free to install. Paid plans from $29/month with a 14-day trial. 

Sync orders, automate workflows, and print labels with Easyship. The app provides access to more than 250 shipping carriers offering reduced rates. Get transparent quotes for all-inclusive shipping costs, including taxes, duties, and courier fees, ensuring a smooth Black Friday delivery for customers.

23. Parcelify

Try it: $19.99/month with a 14-day free trial.

Parcelify automates shipping options for Black Friday orders based on rules you set, using product information such as tags, types, collections, and SKUs. Hide or show specific rates to customers based on those filters.

24. AfterShip Returns & Exchanges

Try it: Free for up to three returns per month. Paid plans start at $23/month.

Aftership features a self-serve returns center that allows your customers to create and monitor their own returns, as well as print shipping labels generated automatically by the app. It’s one of many ecommerce automations that make returns management easier for store owners.

Bonus level: Explore more resources that take the mystery out of shipping, delivery, and fulfillment for your online store. 

Make more Black Friday sales with Shopify apps

Black Friday apps are the power-ups you’ll need to get through this Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend. They enable you to get more done, attract more potential customers, and process orders more smoothly during the busiest shopping weekend of the year. 

Whether you want to increase average order value, run flash sales, or execute seamless and timely fulfillment, consider installing apps that integrate with your Shopify store.

Black Friday apps FAQ

How do you take advantage of Black Friday?

Store owners can capitalize on Black Friday by planning ahead, executing effective marketing campaigns, delivering a seamless and personalized customer experience, and managing inventory and shipping efficiently.

When should I start planning for Black Friday?

It’s never too early to begin planning for Black Friday. Ideally, you’ll start brainstorming your Black Friday Cyber Monday strategy during the summer, with actual preparations kicking into gear no later than Labor Day.

How do I create an online store for Black Friday?

Shopify makes it easy to create, launch, and manage an online store for any retail business, with features and apps to support store owners during Black Friday Cyber Monday.

What are the best Shopify apps for Black Friday Cyber Monday?

The best Shopify apps solve a problem and automate workflows to save you time or help you reach goals like increased sales. Browse the Shopify App Store to find apps for everything from inventory management to email marketing to help you run a successful BFCM campaign.

What are the top 3 selling items on Black Friday?

The top selling product categories on Black Friday for Shopify merchants are clothing, cosmetics, and fitness and nutrition products.

Is Black Friday or Cyber Monday cheaper?

While both days offer significant discounts, Black Friday is often associated with in-store deals and doorbusters, while Cyber Monday tends to feature better online-only discounts, especially on tech and electronics. The prices can vary by category, but Cyber Monday often provides deeper discounts on specific products.