STOQ Alternative: Flexible Pre-Orders With Deeper Control
When STOQ's approach doesn't fit
Scale and feature breadth don't mean it's right for everyone. If you've hit checkout limitations or need more control over when pre-orders are charged and shipped, you might be exploring alternatives.
Pre-Orders Share Focus With Alerts
STOQ bundles pre-orders, back-in-stock alerts, and demand analytics into one platform. Combining features means development focus spreads across multiple product areas.
- Feature breadth vs specialized depth
- Merchants who rely heavily on pre-orders may want deeper functionality
- Fewer Shopify Flow triggers and actions (9 and 10, against 16 and 15)
Built for Every Store Size
STOQ is built and priced for the widest possible audience: a free plan pitched at new stores, a $10 plan for growing ones, and 30,000+ stores on board. That reach suits small shops well. Brands running pre-orders at scale, with a 3PL or ERP and a checkout wired into the rest of their stack, need a pre-order app whose roadmap is set by stores like theirs.
- Plans start free, with a $10/month tier aimed at growing stores
- Monthly pre-order limits on lower plans, with per-order fees above them
- Product priorities set by a very broad customer base
Order Limits Checked by Widget, Not Checkout
STOQ can block mixed carts per offer on paid plans and move pre-order items into a separate order. Its docs say per-order limits are enforced by the STOQ widget on the product page only. PreProduct adds front-end redirects and checkout validation built on Shopify Functions.
- Mixed carts blocked per offer on paid plans
- Pre-order items can be moved to a separate order
- Per-order limits enforced by the product page widget only
- No front-end redirects or checkout validation documented
See how PreProduct compares
A detailed, honest comparison of features and capabilities. Neither app is universally better.
Shopify App Rating
Based on 108 verified reviews on the Shopify App Store
Based on 3,800+ reviews on the Shopify App Store
Cart Control
Mixed or pre-order-only carts set with front-end redirects, plus Shopify checkout validation rules (all plans, built on Shopify Functions) that block mixed carts, skipped pre-order terms and over-limit quantities at checkout.
Can block mixed carts per offer, move pre-order items to a separate order and split fulfilments. Per-order limits are enforced by the product page widget only.
Checkout
Pre-orders go through your own Shopify checkout, so checkout extensions and discount codes keep working, and orders reach Klaviyo, your 3PL and your ERP like any other Shopify order. Shopify checkout validation rules (all plans) block pre-orders that skip their terms, mixed carts you've ruled out and quantities over your limits.
STOQ also sells pre-orders through Shopify's checkout and selling plans.
Payment Models
Charge-upfront, charge-later (vaulted card), deposits (custom %), capture-only, and multi-step payment plans (Scale Plus).
Full payment, deposit or no upfront payment, balance charged to the saved card; needs Shopify Payments. No multi-step payment plans documented.
Back-in-Stock Alerts
PreProduct focuses specifically on pre-orders. Use a separate app or Klaviyo's native functionality for back-in-stock.
Email and SMS notifications, variant-specific alerts, Klaviyo sync, and demand analytics built in.
SMS Notifications
Integrate with your preferred SMS platform through automations and webhooks.
Native SMS notifications at $0.025 per message.
Shopify Flow Integration
Triggers on Scale Plus, actions on Scale and up. Build workflows that trigger charges, release holds, tag customers and update external systems.
Available on any paid STOQ plan.
Fulfillment Holds
Pre-order lines are held automatically, and you release them by listing or by customer, by hand or as stock lands (Scale and up).
Holds the pre-order lines or the whole order, releases on a date or once the balance is paid, by hand or in bulk, with a Flow release action.
Customer Portal
Customers can check status, view payment schedules, update or cancel orders, update payment methods, and pay early for a discount.
No customer portal documented.
Multi-Location Support
Show pre-order only in the countries where a variant is out of stock.
Reads your existing Shopify locations and maps pre-order availability to markets.
Free Tier
Free to start with commission on pre-order revenue.
Free plan includes 10 pre-orders and 30 back-in-stock alerts per month.
Paid Pricing
Scale at $99.99/month with 0% on the first $5,000 of monthly paid pre-order revenue, then 0.5%. Scale Plus at $259.99/month with 0% commission.
Lite $10/month (100 pre-orders, then $0.25 per order), Pro $29/month (400 pre-orders, then $0.10 per order), Unlimited $69/month.
Transaction Fees
Scale is 0% on the first $5,000 of monthly paid pre-order revenue, then 0.5%. Starter is 5%.
No transaction fees on any plan. Lite and Pro add a per-order fee above their monthly pre-order limits.
Specialized pre-order depth, different trade-offs
PreProduct takes a different approach: specialized focus on pre-orders with deeper capabilities in that specific area.
Cart Isolation and Checkout Control
Control how pre-orders flow through checkout. Choose mixed or isolated carts and use front-end redirects to guide the experience.
- Mixed carts increase average order value
- Isolated carts keep pre-orders cleanly separated
- Front-end redirects guide checkout flow
- Operational flexibility for your business
Developer Support Before Go-Live
Brands wiring pre-orders into a 3PL, ERP or custom stack get support from developers who know the app. On Scale Plus, a developer checks your setup with you before launch.
- Developer support on Scale and up
- Setup check with a developer before go-live (Scale Plus)
- API access for internal systems (Scale Plus)
- 0% commission on Scale Plus
Up to Five Charging Models
Match the charge to each launch's lead time, including capture-only and multi-step plans.
- Charge-upfront for simple cash flow
- Charge-later on a vaulted card, by hand or on automation
- Deposits with custom percentages
- Capture-only for manual workflows
- Multi-step payment plans (Scale Plus)
Automation With Shopify Flow
15 Shopify Flow actions (Scale and up) and 16 triggers (Scale Plus) plus native automations for sophisticated workflows.
- Listing Manager auto-creates pre-orders (Scale and up)
- Auto-charge when inventory is added (Scale and up)
- Auto-release fulfillment holds
- Tag customers based on pre-order behavior
- Trigger charges based on custom conditions
Advanced Fulfillment Hold Control
Prevent accidental early shipment with granular control over hold release at listing or customer level.
- Automatic fulfillment holds on pre-orders
- Release at listing level or per customer
- Works with 3PLs and ERPs
- Pre-orders stay out of fulfillment queue
Full Customer Portal
Self-service portal reduces support tickets by letting customers manage their own pre-orders.
- Check pre-order status and shipping dates
- View payment schedules
- Update or cancel orders
- Update payment methods
- Pay early for a discount
Why brands love PreProduct
Real reviews from verified Shopify merchants.
"Game changer for us. PreProduct has transformed the way our small team is able to manage pre-orders. It's been a massive operational unlock. The app itself is intuitive, fast to implement, and fits seamlessly into our existing workflows."
"Run, don't walk and install PreProduct! We've been a very long time looking for the perfect pre-order app and can happily report we've found it! The deferred payment options and flexibility are absolute game changers."
"Glad I went for this pre-order app. Very flexible and well thought out functionality. Also the customer service is some of the best I've experienced - friendly and highly responsive."
"This app has enabled us to integrate Shopify preorders with our legacy ERP. The ability to defer charging customers for preordered items until we are ready to ship is an amazing feature. We also love the feature that allows customers to manage their order's preorders themselves. Another great feature of this app is the ability to prevent preorder items from being mixed into carts with non- ..."
"Brilliant app that changes the game for out of stock items, really love the usability of this and it works like a charm. Oli is extremely responsive and helpful for support, 100% would recommend!"
Common questions
Does PreProduct include back-in-stock alerts like STOQ?
No. PreProduct focuses specifically on pre-orders. If you need back-in-stock notifications, you'd use a separate app or Klaviyo's native functionality. This specialization means pre-order features go deeper, but you potentially manage two tools instead of one.
Does PreProduct have the same checkout limitations as STOQ?
Mostly, yes. Shopify blocks Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and local payment methods like Klarna on any pre-order sold with its pre-order purchase option, whichever app sets it up (Shopify's pre-order requirements). STOQ's deposit and pay-later pre-orders run on the same purchase options; it also offers full-payment pre-orders without them. PreProduct's charge-upfront, charge-later and deposit pre-orders use them too; capture-only pre-orders don't. Where PreProduct differs is control: mixed or pre-order-only carts, Shopify checkout validation rules, fulfilment holds and a customer portal.
Is PreProduct more expensive than STOQ?
At lower volumes, yes. STOQ's $10-69/month with 0% transaction fees beats PreProduct's pricing for moderate pre-order volume. At higher volumes with larger average order values, the gap narrows significantly. And if the additional payment flexibility and customer portal help reduce support costs and close more sales, the ROI math changes.
What about multi-location inventory support?
STOQ reads your existing Shopify locations and maps pre-order availability to markets. PreProduct's location-aware pre-orders (Scale Plus) show pre-order only in the countries where a variant is out of stock. If market-level availability is central to your operations, compare the two setups.
Can I migrate my existing pre-order data from STOQ?
Yes, for orders. If STOQ tagged its pre-order orders, enter that tag in PreProduct's Migrate card (or bulk-tag the orders in Shopify first) and PreProduct imports every order with unfulfilled items, keeping its payment state: paid, deposit or charge-later. Products without a PreProduct listing get one created automatically. Nothing changes on Shopify and no customers are emailed. STOQ's back-in-stock waitlist doesn't transfer, so export that separately. See the migration guide.
What if I need both pre-orders AND back-in-stock alerts?
You'd use PreProduct for pre-orders and a separate app (or Klaviyo's native features) for back-in-stock. This adds complexity but lets you use best-in-class tools for each function. Alternatively, stay with STOQ if the combined approach is working for you.
Comparing STOQ with more than one app? See our Shopify pre-order app round-up for 2026 picks by use case.
Ready to explore specialized pre-order depth?
Start free on the Starter plan, or try Scale or Scale Plus free for 7 days on the Shopify App Store.
Scale Plus
$259.99
USD / month
+0% commission
Everything in Scale
0% commission
API access
Multi-step payment plans and pay-early
Setup check with a developer before go-live (Zoom)
Scale
$99.99
USD / month
+0% commission on up to 5k of monthly paid pre-order revenue, then 0.5% afterwards.
Take me to the Shopify app - 7 day free trial
Everything in Starter
Listing Manager automation access
15x Shopify Flow actions
16 Shopify Flow triggers
10+ Klaviyo events
Developer support
Starter
$0.00
USD / month
+5% of paid pre-order revenue
Take me to the Shopify app
Take pre-orders from your e-commerce/Shopify storefront
Unlimited pre-order listings
Charge customers upfront, later or via deposit
Customise pre-order front-end & email campaign
Customer portals
Pre-ship upsells add-on available
Email support