Comparison
StackWatch vs a spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a perfectly good way to track Shopify app spend when you have a handful of apps and the discipline to keep it current. StackWatch does the same job automatically, and adds the two things a spreadsheet can't: it reads your charges straight from Shopify billing so nothing is missed or mistyped, and it flags a price change within a day of it landing. If your stack is tiny, a spreadsheet is the honest answer.
Where a spreadsheet wins
It's free, it's yours, and for a small, stable app stack it's entirely sufficient. If you run five apps whose prices rarely move, a monthly glance at a spreadsheet you maintain by hand will keep you in control. There's no reason to pay for a tool to do what a few cells already do — we'd rather say that than pretend otherwise.
Where a spreadsheet starts to cost you
A spreadsheet is only as accurate as your last update. It relies on you to notice every charge, transcribe it correctly, catch usage-based lines that move each cycle, and spot when a price ticks up. As the stack grows, that manual reconciliation gets slower and easier to skip — and the month you skip it is the month a price increase slides through unnoticed.
What StackWatch does differently
StackWatch reads every recurring app charge directly from your Shopify billing (read-only, a single read_apps scope), so the list is complete and never depends on manual entry. It reconciles and deduplicates the charges, tracks month-over-month totals, and — the part a spreadsheet fundamentally can't do — compares each cycle to the last and emails you when a charge moves.
Which to choose
Small, stable stack and you enjoy the control of a spreadsheet? Keep it. Growing stack, usage-based apps, or you've been surprised by a price increase before? That's the point where automatic reconciliation and change alerts start paying for themselves. And StackWatch is free during the private beta, so you can see your real number before deciding.
| StackWatch | A spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free during beta; from $19/mo after | Free |
| Charges pulled from Shopify billing | Automatically, read-only | You enter them by hand |
| Completeness | Every recurring charge, deduplicated | Only what you remember to add |
| Price-change alerts | Automatic daily email when a charge moves | Only if you notice |
| Usage-based charges tracked | Yes | Manual, easy to miss |
| Month-over-month trend | Built in | You build it |
| Best for | Growing or changing app stacks | Small, stable stacks |
An honest comparison — a spreadsheet is a legitimate choice for a small app stack.
Frequently asked questions
Is a spreadsheet good enough for tracking app costs?
For a small, stable stack, yes — a well-kept spreadsheet is genuinely fine and free. It stops being enough when the stack grows, usage-based charges move each cycle, or you keep getting surprised by price increases, because those are the things manual tracking misses.
What does StackWatch do that a spreadsheet can't?
Two things: it reads charges directly from your Shopify billing so nothing depends on manual entry, and it compares each billing cycle to the last and emails you when a price changes. A spreadsheet only ever reflects your last manual update.