Top 10 Programming Languages to Develop Shopify Apps

As of 2025, Shopify continues to dominate the eCommerce market, powering over 27% of online retail websites worldwide. Its flexible platform has made it a favorite for businesses of all sizes, and the demand for custom Shopify apps has grown exponentially to help merchants add tailored features and improve functionality.

Shopify apps are integral for streamlining operations, improving user experiences, and boosting sales. Whether it’s integrating advanced analytics, creating seamless checkout processes, or offering personalized recommendations, these apps elevate the Shopify experience for both merchants and customers.

However, creating a successful Shopify app requires choosing the right programming language, as it plays a critical role in ensuring app performance, scalability, and compatibility with Shopify’s APIs. This blog dives into the top 10 programming languages that developers rely on to develop Shopify apps.

We’ll explore their strengths, use cases, and how they contribute to building efficient and feature-rich applications for the Shopify ecosystem. Whether you’re a developer exploring your options or a business owner looking to understand the technology behind Shopify apps, this article provides a comprehensive guide to help you get started.

1. Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails (RoR) is the official framework used by Shopify for building apps, and it’s a top choice for Shopify app development services. Shopify itself is built on Ruby on Rails, making it a natural fit for developers creating apps on the platform.

Why Ruby on Rails for Shopify Apps?

• Speed of Development: Ruby on Rails allows for rapid development, thanks to its "convention over configuration" approach. Developers can quickly get an app up and running without spending too much time on configurations.
• Active Community: The Ruby on Rails community is large and active, providing access to a wealth of libraries (gems) that can be easily integrated into your Shopify app.
• Scalability: While Rails has a reputation for being great for small to medium-sized applications, it is also capable of handling large-scale apps as businesses grow.

Key Features:

• Integrated with Shopify’s REST and GraphQL APIs.
• Excellent for developing apps that integrate deeply with Shopify’s admin dashboard.
• A reliable framework with built-in tools for tasks like user authentication, security, and database migrations.

2. Node.js

Node.js, based on JavaScript, is another powerful tool for developing Shopify apps. Known for its speed and efficiency, Node.js allows developers to handle multiple requests at once, making it ideal for apps that require fast and real-time data processing.

Why Node.js for Shopify Apps?

• Real-Time Data Handling: Node.js is particularly useful when building apps that need to process real-time data or communicate with Shopify stores continuously.
• JavaScript Everywhere: Since Shopify uses Liquid (which is based on Ruby) for themes, integrating Node.js into your Shopify app means you can use the same language (JavaScript) on both the client-side and the server-side.
• Scalability: Node.js is designed for building scalable network applications. It excels in apps that need to handle high volumes of user traffic.

Key Features:

• Perfect for building apps that need to interact with real-time data (e.g., order tracking or inventory management).
• Full-stack JavaScript development allows developers to work seamlessly across the frontend and backend.

3. Python

Python is another language that can be used to code Shopify app in Python. While it's not the most common choice for Shopify app development, Python offers several advantages for developers looking for flexibility and simplicity.

Why Python for Shopify Apps?

• Ease of Learning: Python’s syntax is clean and easy to understand, making it an excellent choice for developers who are just starting or want to rapidly prototype new features.
• Rich Libraries: Python offers many libraries for everything from data analysis (Pandas) to machine learning (TensorFlow), making it ideal for apps that need to leverage data in advanced ways.
• Integration Capabilities: Python can integrate easily with Shopify’s REST and GraphQL APIs, allowing you to connect your app with other platforms or services as needed.

Key Features:

• Great for building data-driven apps that analyze and provide insights into eCommerce metrics.
• Python’s simplicity allows developers to focus more on functionality rather than dealing with complex code.

4. PHP

PHP has been around for a long time and is still one of the most widely used programming languages on the web. Shopify doesn’t officially support PHP for app development, but many developers still use it due to its familiarity and ability to integrate easily with various systems.

Why PHP for Shopify Apps?

• Legacy Compatibility: PHP has been used for decades, and many eCommerce solutions and backend systems are built on it, making it an ideal choice for integrating with other platforms.
• Mature Ecosystem: There are numerous frameworks and tools available for PHP, like Laravel, that can speed up development and make it easier to scale your Shopify app.
• Large Developer Community: PHP has a massive developer community, meaning there are plenty of resources and forums available to help developers troubleshoot and find solutions to problems.

Key Features:

• Best for integrating with existing backend systems and services.
• PHP is well-suited for building apps that need to interact with other platforms, such as payment gateways or CRM systems.

5. Liquid

Liquid is Shopify’s own templating language. While Liquid is not a full programming language like the others on this list, it plays a crucial role in customizing Shopify themes and building basic apps.

Why Liquid for Shopify Apps?

• Shopify Integration: Liquid is Shopify’s native templating language, so it’s essential for creating Shopify themes and for building simple apps that need to interact with Shopify store data.
• Customizing Shopify Stores: Liquid makes it possible to customize Shopify stores by embedding dynamic content, like product descriptions or inventory levels, into pages.
• User-Friendly: Liquid is simpler compared to full-fledged programming languages, so developers can learn and apply it quickly for basic app customization.

Key Features:

• Focused on theme customization and content integration rather than full app development.
• Best for apps that only need to interact with the Shopify store front-end.

6. Go (Golang)

Go, also known as Golang, is a statically typed, compiled language created by Google. Known for its simplicity and high performance, Go is gaining traction in the app development community, including for Shopify apps.

Why Go for Shopify Apps?

• High Performance: Go is designed for performance. It compiles to machine code, which means apps written in Go can execute faster, making it an excellent choice for performance-critical applications.
• Concurrency: Go’s concurrency model (goroutines) allows it to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, which is useful for apps with heavy traffic or processing requirements.
• Scalability: Go is well-suited for building scalable apps that need to grow as your Shopify store expands.

Key Features:

• Ideal for building high-performance, scalable apps that handle complex tasks.
• Excellent for building backend services that need to process large amounts of data quickly.

7. Java

Java has been a staple in the software development industry for decades. Known for its portability and scalability, Java is another powerful language for building robust Shopify apps.

Why Java for Shopify Apps?

• Portability: Java is known for the "write once, run anywhere" principle. Once you compile your Java code, it can run on any platform without modification.
• Large Ecosystem: Java has a massive ecosystem of libraries, frameworks, and tools that can help you build powerful Shopify apps efficiently.
• Scalability: Java is particularly well-suited for large, enterprise-level applications that need to handle high traffic.

Key Features:

• Great for building scalable, high-performance apps.
• Supports integration with various third-party systems and APIs.

8. Swift

Swift is Apple’s programming language designed for building iOS and macOS applications. As Shopify continues to dominate the mobile shopping space, Swift becomes an increasingly important language for building custom Shopify apps for iOS devices.

Why Swift for Shopify Apps?

• Native iOS Development: If you’re looking to develop an app specifically for iOS (iPhone or iPad), Swift is the best choice. It allows you to tap into the full potential of iOS devices.
• Fast and Efficient: Swift is faster than its predecessor Objective-C and provides better performance for mobile apps.
• User Experience: Swift allows developers to build seamless, responsive, and intuitive apps that are well-integrated with the iOS ecosystem.

Key Features:

• Best for building iOS apps that need to integrate with Shopify.
• Swift is ideal for developing mobile-specific features, such as push notifications and in-app purchases.

9. Kotlin

Kotlin is the official language for Android development and is highly praised for its concise syntax and interoperability with Java. While Shopify doesn’t have an official Android SDK, Kotlin can be a great choice for building custom Shopify apps for Android users.

Why Kotlin for Shopify Apps?

• Android-Specific: Kotlin is designed specifically for Android development, making it the perfect choice for building Android apps that integrate with Shopify.
• Improved Productivity: Kotlin’s syntax is much cleaner and more concise than Java, allowing developers to write less code and produce fewer bugs.
• Interoperability: Kotlin can seamlessly integrate with Java, meaning you can easily integrate existing Java libraries into your app.

Key Features:

• Ideal for building Android apps that connect with Shopify.
• Great for leveraging the full capabilities of Android devices, such as GPS, cameras, and sensors.

10. TypeScript

TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds optional static typing to the language. As JavaScript continues to dominate web development, TypeScript is becoming increasingly popular for building large-scale Shopify apps due to its added features and scalability.

Why TypeScript for Shopify Apps?

• Static Typing: TypeScript allows developers to define the types of variables and functions, reducing runtime errors and making the code more predictable.
• Scalability: TypeScript is ideal for large, complex Shopify apps where maintaining code quality is crucial.
• JavaScript Compatibility: Since TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript, you can easily integrate it with existing JavaScript codebases.

Key Features:

• Provides additional type-checking to improve code quality.
• Works seamlessly with modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js, which are often used in front-end Shopify app development.

Get Your Shopify App Developed with CartCoders

Choosing the right programming language is just the beginning. At CartCoders, we understand that every Shopify app is unique. That’s why we offer Shopify app development services that are tailored to your specific business goals. Whether you’re looking to develop Shopify apps from scratch, enhance an existing app, or integrate advanced features like real-time data handling or mobile compatibility, our team of experts can make it happen.

Why Choose CartCoders?

• Expertise Across Languages: From Python to Ruby, Swift to Kotlin, we specialize in multiple Shopify app programming languages to bring your vision to life.
• Custom Solutions: We don’t just build apps; we create tailored solutions to meet your business needs.
• Seamless Integration: Our apps work flawlessly with Shopify APIs and are built for scalability and performance.
• Mobile and Web Expertise: Whether you need a mobile-first app or a robust web-based Shopify app, we have you covered.

Start your Shopify app development journey with CartCoders today and give your eCommerce business the edge it needs to succeed. Contact us now!

Sum Up

Selecting the right programming language is crucial to ensuring the success of your Shopify app. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Ruby on Rails and Node.js lead the pack for full-stack and scalable development.
• Python and PHP are excellent choices for custom, data-driven, or backend apps.
• Swift and Kotlin are the go-to languages for mobile app development.
• Liquid offers the easiest way to customize themes and build lightweight apps.

At CartCoders, we combine technical expertise with innovative solutions to help you build high-performing, custom Shopify apps that enhance user experience and drive growth. No matter the complexity or scale of your project, we’re here to help you achieve your goals.