Gadget is shutting down: what Shopify app owners need to do before March 31, 2027

craftberry, a Shopify Premier Partner and listed Gadget expert, handles Gadget app migration for brands that need their Shopify apps off Gadget before it shuts down on March 31, 2027. Every app still on Gadget after that date stops working.

Our in-house team has covered the full Shopify lifecycle for mid-sized and large brands earning $2M+ a year for 11+ years, from design and custom development to CRO and ongoing maintenance. Custom apps and integrations on Gadget are part of that work, including the connection layer between Shopify Plus and MuleSoft for On Running. This guide covers what changes on which date, what the move involves and how to make it without your app or your merchants noticing.

Key takeaways

• ✓Shutdown date: Gadget shuts down on March 31, 2027. Apps run as normal until then.
• ✓No new Gadget apps: new apps can no longer be created on Gadget since November 9, 2026. First-time production deploys are allowed only until the end of November 2026.
• ✓Support ends first: full Gadget support ends at the end of December 2026. After that, Gadget's team only handles critical issues.
• ✓A second deadline from Shopify: from January 1, 2027, public apps still using non-expiring offline access tokens are delisted from the Shopify App Store and blocked from new installs.
• ✓Start now: moving off Gadget means rebuilding everything it handled (auth, data, webhooks, jobs, hosting) and testing it before peak trading closes the safe windows for the switch. craftberry has run Gadget in production, including the layer between Shopify Plus and MuleSoft for On Running, so our team knows what Gadget did behind the scenes. Send us your app and we start with a free written plan.

Is Gadget shutting down, and does my Shopify app need to be migrated now?

Yes, Gadget shuts down on March 31, 2027, and every Shopify app still hosted on it has to be migrated before then, so planning should start now. Gadget announced on November 9, 2026 that it is winding down.

You don't have to move anything today: existing apps keep running unchanged until the shutdown date. But "keeps running" is not the same as "is safe to leave". Gadget's support ends at the end of December, so any problem after that falls on your own team. And if your app is public, Shopify's token deadline on January 1, 2027 arrives three months before Gadget's.

Gadget gave its reason openly: the tools developers use are changing fast, and keeping a full platform current costs more than the company can sustain. Gadget has also said it is open to a community takeover. Nothing has been announced on that, so plan as if March 31 is final.

What are the deadlines for moving a Shopify app off Gadget?

The deadlines for moving a Shopify app off Gadget are March 31, 2027, when Gadget shuts down, and January 1, 2027 for public apps that still use non-expiring offline tokens. The table lists every date that matters.

Shopify itself says January 1 is the real migration deadline. The later dates give merchants time to react, so developers should still plan to finish before January 1. Custom apps, merchant-created apps and online access tokens are not affected by the token rule.

Which Shopify apps have to move off Gadget, and how urgent is each?

Every app hosted on Gadget has to move before March 31, 2027, and public apps face Shopify's token deadline three months earlier. The most urgent are apps that run orders, stock, pricing or fulfilment: if they break, revenue stops before anyone sees an error. Send us your app for a free review, and we'll tell you which deadline applies and what to move first.

Integration layers deserve extra care. On a Gadget-hosted sync, a failure doesn't show up as an error page. It shows up as orders that never reach the warehouse or stock that stops updating. We know this setup well: on On Running's Shopify Plus launch, we used Gadget as the connection layer between Shopify Plus and MuleSoft for stock, orders and fulfilment data. Apps like that need a parallel run on live data before the switch, so any mismatch shows up while Gadget is still there as a fallback.

Can I still launch a new Shopify app on Gadget, or should I build it somewhere else?

No, new apps can't be started on Gadget since November 9, 2026, so any new Shopify app should be built on its final stack instead. An app that already exists but has never gone live can still make its first production deploy until the end of November 2026. Even then, it would have about four months to live before it has to move again.

For any app still in planning or development, deploying to Gadget now would mean paying for the build twice. Shopify's own app template, with your own hosting and database, gives you a codebase you fully own. That is how we approach Shopify app development for clients today.

Who supports my Gadget app after Gadget support ends in December 2026?

After December 2026, your Gadget app is supported by your own developers or an agency such as craftberry, because Gadget's team will only keep the platform running and handle critical issues. Day-to-day help with bugs, deploys and questions ends. Until you migrate, they carry the app alone, on a platform that is closing.

That gap matters most for brands whose app was built by a freelancer or an agency that has since moved on. If nobody on your side knows the code, January is a bad time to find out. Our Shopify maintenance team can take over an existing Gadget app, keep it stable until the move, then run it on its new hosting after the switch. Maintenance retainers start from $2,000 per month.

Should I wait for Gadget's official migration tool or start the migration now?

Start your Gadget migration now: Gadget has promised migration guides and tools "in the coming weeks" but has given no date and no target platform. A tool can help with parts of the move, such as exporting data. It can't make the decisions that take the most time: where the app will live, how auth and webhooks are rebuilt, and when the switch happens.

The work you can do before any tool exists is most of the project:

• ✓confirm who owns the app in the Shopify Partner Dashboard or Dev Dashboard,
• ✓pull the code with Gadget's command-line tool (ggt),
• ✓list every model, action, webhook, scheduled job and route the app uses,
• ✓choose the new hosting and database,
• ✓fix the offline token flow if the app is public.

When Gadget's tools arrive, they slot into a plan that already exists. We will add them to this guide on the day they are published.

What does a Gadget app migration involve?

A Gadget app migration involves rebuilding what Gadget ran for you (Shopify auth, the database, webhook syncing, background jobs and hosting) on a new stack, moving the app's data and switching over without downtime. After the move, each of those parts becomes code and infrastructure your team owns. The table shows what replaces each one.

On a simple app, most of these rows are small. On an integration layer like the one we built for On Running, the sync and job rows are where most of the work sits.

What is the best Gadget alternative for a Shopify app?

For most Shopify apps, the best Gadget alternative is Shopify's own app template, hosted on infrastructure you control, with a managed Postgres database. It follows Shopify's current auth and token rules by default, and no platform owner can shut it down under you. The right choice still depends on the app and on who will maintain it.

Generic "Gadget alternatives" lists mix in AI code builders and cloud IDEs. Those help you write code, but they don't replace what Gadget ran in production: auth, data sync, jobs and hosting.

If you'd rather not choose alone, send us the app for a free review. We'll recommend a target stack for your specific app before any build starts.

How do you migrate a Shopify app off Gadget without downtime?

You move a Shopify app off Gadget without downtime by running the new version alongside the Gadget one, comparing results on live data, then switching in a quiet window with a short data catch-up. Gadget stays on as a fallback until you are sure. This is the sequence our Shopify engineers follow:

1. 1Confirm ownership and access. Check which Partner Dashboard or Dev Dashboard account owns the Shopify app, and that you have the Gadget environment, API keys and app secrets. Apps built by a former freelancer often fail at this step. We sort out access and ownership first, so the project doesn't stall later.
2. 2Pull the code and map the app. Use ggt to pull the source, then list every model, action, webhook, scheduled job, route, file and billing setting. This inventory becomes the migration checklist. Business rules hidden inside Gadget actions are what teams miss most often, so we map them one by one.
3. 3Pick the target stack. Choose hosting, database, job queue and file storage based on the app's load and on who will maintain it. We recommend a stack your team, or ours, can run and maintain for years after the switch.
4. 4Rebuild the platform layer. Recreate auth and sessions, webhook handlers (including the three mandatory privacy webhooks), jobs and routes. For public apps, move to expiring offline tokens in the same step. Doing both in one project means the auth code is only touched once.
5. 5Move the data. Export records through the app's Gadget API page by page, import them into the new database, and check counts model by model. Re-fetch Shopify data such as products and orders from Shopify itself rather than copying Gadget's synced copy. We sign off the record counts with you before the switch.
6. 6Run both versions in parallel. Point a staging copy, or a test store, at the new stack and compare its outputs with the live Gadget app on the same events. Integrations get the longest parallel run. Self-managed moves often skip this step, and it is where we catch mismatches before customers or the warehouse do.
7. 7Switch in a low-traffic window. Pause writes briefly, sync any records created since the last export, repoint the app URLs and webhooks, and move tokens. Avoid peak trading weeks for this step. We agree the switch window with you in advance, away from your sales calendar.
8. 8Keep Gadget as a fallback. Leave the Gadget app untouched until the new version has run cleanly through normal order volume. Then retire it well before March 31, 2027. After the switch, our Shopify maintenance team can keep the app running on its new hosting.

Steps 2, 5 and 6 are where self-managed moves most often go wrong, because they depend on knowing what Gadget did behind the scenes.

Want this run for your app? Send us your app for a free migration plan.

How long does a Gadget app migration take, and what affects the cost?

How long a Gadget app migration takes, and what it costs, depends on how much of Gadget's built-in layer the app relies on: its data models, background jobs, external syncs and Shopify auth. An app that only stores settings and reacts to a few webhooks is a small rebuild. An integration that syncs orders, stock and fulfilment with an ERP needs a longer build and a longer parallel run. Whatever the size, plan to finish well before March 31, 2027, or before January 1, 2027 for a public app. Our free review gives you a written timeline for your specific app.

The factors that move time and cost the most:

• ✓the number of models and the volume of records to move,
• ✓background jobs and syncs with external systems (ERP, 3PL, middleware),
• ✓whether the app is public and needs the token change,
• ✓how well the code is documented, and whether its author is still around,
• ✓how long a parallel run the business needs before it trusts the new version.

We don't publish a fixed price for app migrations, because two apps on Gadget can differ by weeks of work. The review and the written scope and estimate are free, with no obligation to build with us. With support ending in December and peak season in between, we recommend getting that estimate in November or December so the build can run in January and February.

Can you roll back to Gadget if the migration goes wrong?

Yes, you can roll back to Gadget if the migration goes wrong, as long as Gadget is still running and the old app is left in place until March 31, 2027. That is why we keep the Gadget app live and unchanged until the new version has proven itself on real traffic. If the new version misbehaves after the switch, repointing the app URLs and webhooks back to Gadget restores the old behaviour while the issue is fixed. After March 31, 2027 there is nothing to roll back to, which is one more reason not to switch in the final weeks.

Is an app on my Shopify store built on Gadget, and who can move it for me?

An app on your Shopify store may run on Gadget if a developer or agency built it for you in the last few years; the person who built it can confirm, and a Shopify agency such as craftberry can check and move it if they're gone.

How can I check if an app on my store runs on Gadget?

To check if an app on your store runs on Gadget, ask the developer who built it, or look for a Gadget subscription in your invoices and contracts. Start with the apps that were built for you rather than installed from the App Store: private or custom apps, ERP or warehouse syncs, loyalty or fundraising tools, custom checkout or pricing logic. Then:

• ✓look at the app's settings and your theme code for references to Gadget.

For public apps from the App Store, the app's developer is responsible for the move. Watch for their emails, and for the Shopify admin warning that starts on January 15, 2027 for public apps that haven't fixed their tokens.

What should I ask my app developer about Gadget?

Ask your app developer five things: whether any app on your store runs on Gadget, where it will run after March 31, 2027, when the switch is planned, who will own the code and hosting afterwards, and what the rollback plan is.

• ✓Does any app or integration on our store run on Gadget?
• ✓Where will it run after March 31, 2027, and who will host it?
• ✓When is the switch planned, and will it avoid our peak sales dates?
• ✓Will we own the code and the hosting account after the move?
• ✓What is the rollback plan if something breaks?

Vague answers to the second and fourth questions are the warning sign. An app you don't own will become a problem again the next time a platform changes.

If the answers are vague, or nobody can answer them, send us the app for a free review.

My store has a custom app built on Gadget. What should I do?

If your store has a custom app built on Gadget, move it to new hosting before March 31, 2027: find the code and its owner, choose where the app will live, and schedule the switch. If the original developer is unavailable, or the app runs order, stock or fulfilment flows, bring in a team that can take over both the move and the app's upkeep afterwards. We handle both: send us the app for a free migration review, and our Shopify maintenance team keeps it running after the move.

Who can migrate a Shopify app off Gadget?

craftberry can migrate your Shopify app off Gadget: we are a listed Gadget expert, and our in-house Shopify engineers have built and run production apps and integrations on the platform. That experience matters, because a team that has worked inside Gadget knows which parts of an app it handled silently. Our Gadget app migration service covers the whole move, from the free review to running the app after the switch.

Why brands trust us with this move:

• ✓We are a listed Gadget expert. Gadget lists craftberry in its expert directory for custom Shopify apps.
• ✓Gadget wrote a case study about our work. In Gadget's craftberry case study, Gadget describes how we replaced AWS with Gadget for our custom apps and roughly halved app build time. One example is a fundraising leaderboard app we built for Bang Cookies.
• ✓We have run Gadget in enterprise production. For On Running's UAE Shopify Plus launch, delivered in 11 weeks, Gadget was the connection layer between Shopify Plus and MuleSoft, automating stock, order sync and fulfilment data.
• ✓We do the full move in house. Our Shopify engineers handle the audit, the new stack, the data move, the parallel run and the switch, and our support team can maintain the app afterwards.

"Gadget is proud to partner with Craftberry for custom apps & solutions on Shopify. Combining Craftberry's industry-leading expertise with Gadget's innovative development platform, we're enabling Shopify brands of all sizes to easily access highly customized solutions tailored to their business needs." Franco Varriano, Gadget. Google review

"Out of all the back-end developers we've worked with, they seem to be the quickest and most experienced." David McGranaghan, Co-Founder & CEO, McMiLLER. Clutch review

Beyond apps, craftberry is a Shopify Premier Partner, one of Shopify's highest partner tiers, working mainly with mid-sized and large brands. Since 2015, our 30+ in-house specialists have shipped 800+ Shopify projects, from builds and migrations to CRO and ongoing support, and we hold a 4.8 rating across 28 verified Clutch reviews. So the app you move is handled by the same team that understands the store it runs on.

To get started, send us your Gadget app and we'll come back with a free written migration plan.

What happens after you send us your Gadget app?

After you send craftberry your Gadget app, you get a free review and a written migration plan before any commitment, and the work then runs in five stages: review, plan and estimate, build and parallel run, switch, and ongoing maintenance.

1. 1Free app review: you send us the app's Gadget environment, the store or stores it runs on and what it does. We map its models, actions, webhooks, jobs and integrations.
2. 2Written plan and estimate: the target stack, what changes, the risks, the timeline and cost, and a switch date before March 31, 2027. It is free, with no obligation to build with us.
3. 3Build and parallel run: we rebuild the app, move the data and run both versions side by side until the results match.
4. 4Switch: in a window agreed with you, away from peak trading, with Gadget kept as a fallback.
5. 5Ongoing maintenance: our Shopify maintenance team can run the app on its new hosting, with retainers from $2,000 per month.

Should I migrate my Gadget app in-house or hire a Shopify agency?

Migrate your Gadget app in-house only if your own developers wrote it, know Gadget well and have time before March 31, 2027; hire a Shopify agency if the app touches orders, stock or revenue, its author is gone, or your team can't take on the work before the deadline.

When is craftberry not the right fit for a Gadget migration?

If your app is a small internal tool, your own developer knows it well, and they have the time, you probably don't need us for the move. Our free review can still check their plan before the switch.

Get a free migration plan for your Gadget app

Gadget support ends in December, and Shopify's token deadline for public apps arrives on January 1, 2027. The earlier the plan exists, the more of the build can happen before peak trading and the more room you keep for a parallel run.

This is for brands whose Gadget app handles orders, stock, pricing or other revenue-critical work. Send us your app and we'll review it for free, recommend the target stack and give you a written scope with a switch date before March 31, 2027.