Your Ecwid store is up and running. Products listed, checkout configured, orders flowing in. Maybe it's embedded into your WordPress site or your custom website. Maybe you're using Ecwid's own Instant Site. Either way, the web side is handled.
Now you want a native mobile app. Something listed in the App Store and Google Play that puts your products right on customers' home screens.
If you've looked into it, you've probably found that Ecwid's own app builder (ShopApp) is currently unavailable while they rebuild it. No timeline, no confirmed pricing. Just a "notify me" signup page.
You don't have to wait.
There's a way to launch a fully native mobile app for your Ecwid store right now, without writing code and without depending on someone else's product roadmap.
Can You Build a Mobile App with Ecwid?
Not easily, and not right now. Here's the current landscape:
ShopApp is under redevelopment
Ecwid offers a feature called ShopApp that's designed to turn your store into a mobile app. On paper, it sounds like exactly what you'd want.
The problem: ShopApp sales are currently suspended while Ecwid rebuilds it. The page says "sign up to be the first to know when the new version is live." No launch date. No confirmed pricing beyond "available at an additional fee."
Even when ShopApp was available, it had real limitations. Customers could browse products and save favorites, but checkout happened on the mobile web version of your store, not natively in the app. It was a partial mobile experience, not a full replacement for what your website offers.
The Ecwid mobile app is for store management, not shopping
Ecwid does have iOS and Android apps, but these are for you as a merchant to manage your store on the go (add products, track orders, check stats). They're not customer-facing shopping apps. Your customers can't browse or buy through them.
No third-party app builders in the Ecwid ecosystem
Ecwid's App Market has extensions for marketing, shipping, accounting, and other operational tools. But there are no third-party mobile app builders designed to turn your Ecwid store into a native app.
Responsive mobile web is the default
Your Ecwid store is mobile-responsive, so customers can browse and buy from their phone's browser. That's a fine starting point. But there's no App Store presence, no push notifications, no home screen icon. You're relying on customers to bookmark your site or remember to come back on their own.
Your Options for Launching a Mobile App
If you're an Ecwid merchant who wants a native app, here's what you're realistically looking at.
Wait for ShopApp
You could hold off and wait for Ecwid to relaunch ShopApp. The new version may improve on what existed before.
But there's no public timeline, and the previous version had real constraints (web-based checkout, limited feature set).
If your business is ready for an app now, waiting on someone else's product roadmap isn't a plan.
Custom app development
You could hire a developer or agency to build a native app from scratch. For a straightforward Ecwid-powered store, this typically runs $30,000 to $80,000 for the initial build, with $10,000 to $25,000 per year in ongoing maintenance for OS updates, app store compliance, and bug fixes.
The bigger problem isn't the upfront cost. It's that you now have two separate experiences to keep in sync: your website and your app.
Every product update, every design change, every promotion has to be done twice. Most small businesses don't have the bandwidth for that. The app gradually falls behind the website, customers notice, and it stops being worth the investment.
Website-to-app with MobiLoud
There's a simpler path: take your existing Ecwid website and extend it into a native mobile app, with MobiLoud.
MobiLoud takes what you've already built on the web and delivers it as a native iOS and Android app. Your store, your products, your checkout flow, your design: it all carries over.
On top of that, you get native capabilities like push notifications, deep linking, and full App Store and Google Play presence.
The cost is a fraction of custom development. The launch timeline is weeks, not months. And because the app renders your live website, every change you make is immediately reflected in the app. No duplicate work.
Why MobiLoud is the Best Way for Ecwid Stores to Launch an App
MobiLoud turns your existing Ecwid store into native iOS and Android apps.
It's dramatically more efficient than building a custom app, yet the end result is the same: a real, native app in the App Store and Google Play with your branding, your products, and your checkout.
Here's why it's a natural fit for Ecwid merchants:
Your entire website becomes the app, not just the store
This is important for Ecwid merchants specifically. Many of you have your Ecwid store embedded into a larger website, whether that's WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or something custom-built.
Your site probably has more than just product pages: an about page, blog content, contact info, maybe a loyalty program or booking system.
MobiLoud converts your entire web presence into the app - not just the Ecwid store widget. Your customers get the full experience, not a stripped-down product catalog.
If you're using Ecwid's Instant Site, that works too. MobiLoud takes whatever your customers see on the web and delivers it as a native app.
Every integration and customization carries over
Your payment setup, shipping rules, tax calculations, discount codes, email marketing connections, whatever you've configured in Ecwid and whatever third-party tools you've added through the App Market or embedded on your site: it all works in the app, automatically.
There's no compatibility list to check. No integrations to rebuild. If it works on your website, it works in your app.
Push notifications that actually reach your customers
This is what separates a native app from a mobile website. With MobiLoud, you can send push notifications directly to your customers' phones for new arrivals, flash sales, abandoned cart reminders, back-in-stock alerts, and order updates.
Native push notifications have significantly higher opt-in rates than browser-based notifications. For driving repeat purchases and keeping customers engaged, that's a meaningful difference.
App Store and Google Play presence
Your app shows up where customers expect to find it. They can search for your brand, download your app, and have it on their home screen. That kind of visibility and convenience isn't possible with a mobile website alone.
No duplicate work, ever
When you update your Ecwid store (new products, changed prices, seasonal promotions, updated pages), the app reflects those changes immediately. You're not managing two separate experiences. You make changes in one place and they're live everywhere.
Launch in weeks, not months
MobiLoud apps typically launch in about 4 weeks. Compare that to 3-6+ months for custom development, or an indefinite wait for ShopApp to come back online.
Fully managed service
MobiLoud handles everything: the build, app store submission (Apple and Google), ongoing maintenance, and support. You don't need a developer on staff. You keep running your store the way you always have. We handle everything to do with your app.
How It Works
The process is simple, and it doesn't require any technical skills on your end.
- Get a free consultation. We'll put together an interactive preview so you can see exactly what your Ecwid store looks like as a native app before committing to anything.
- App build. Once you give the go-ahead, we put your apps together. Native layer with push notifications, native navigation, app icon, splash screen, deep linking, and any extras needed for your store.
- Testing and QA. We run comprehensive tests across iOS and Android devices. You test on your own devices and provide feedback.
- App store submission. MobiLoud handles Apple App Store and Google Play submission, including all compliance requirements and metadata.
- Launch and ongoing support. Your app goes live. MobiLoud handles OS updates, app store policy changes, maintenance, and support on an ongoing basis. You keep running your Ecwid store.
Your Ecwid setup doesn't change. Your website keeps working exactly as it does today. You just gain a new, native channel to reach and retain your customers.
Next Steps
If you're selling on Ecwid and you want a native app in the App Store and Google Play, MobiLoud is the fastest and most practical way to make it happen.
You don't need to wait for ShopApp. You don't need to hire developers. You don't need to learn a new platform.
Your store already works. Your products, checkout, and integrations are all in place. Your mobile website is live and functional.
Why start over when you can build on what you already have?
Book a free consultation to talk through whether it's the right fit for your business.
