- STOQ rates 5.0 stars across 3,550 reviews.
- The Free plan costs nothing and is enough for an initial preorder test.
- Lite ($10) and Pro ($29) both charge per-preorder overage fees; Unlimited ($69 flat) gets cheaper as preorder volume grows.
- SMS notifications are billed at $0.025/message on every paid tier, including Unlimited.
- STOQ combines preorder buttons, deposits, and back-in-stock alerts in one app rather than requiring multiple tools.
01 Preorder, Back In Stock (STOQ) at a Glance
Install STOQ: the Free plan is worth activating immediately, and the numbers back it up — Preorder, Back In Stock ‑ STOQ holds a 5.0-star rating across 3,550 reviews. Upgrading past Free to Lite ($10/month) only makes sense once your preorder volume or SMS notification usage outgrows the free tier's caps — for most merchants just testing preorders or restock alerts, Free covers the first real season of use.
STOQ's review base holds a 5.0-star average across 3,550 reviews, a strong signal at this volume. Reviews frequently praise responsive support, including help implementing preorder buttons in custom themes.
02 Key Features: Preorder Buttons, Restock Alerts & Waitlists
STOQ's feature set covers the full preorder-to-restock lifecycle rather than just one piece of it, which is where it separates from lighter-weight, single-purpose apps.
- Preorder & backorder buttons — supports full preorders, backorders, and presales, including mixed carts with in-stock items.
- Deposits & split payments — customers can pay a partial deposit up front, with automated payment reminders for the balance.
- Back-in-stock alerts — automatic email and SMS notifications, plus an on-page "Notify Me" waitlist button for out-of-stock variants.
- Merchandising extras — badges, banners, and countdown timers to signal preorder status and urgency at the product level.
- Variant-level control — preorder and notification settings can be set per variant, not just per product.
- Analytics — demand and inventory reporting to see which out-of-stock items are generating the most waitlist signups.
- Reach & integrations — connections to Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend, and Shopify Flow.
03 Pricing Breakdown: Free, Lite, Pro, and Unlimited Plans
STOQ runs four plans, each defined by a monthly usage tier, with overage fees kicking in once you exceed plan limits.
| Plan | Price | Overage |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — |
| Lite | $10/mo | $0.25/preorder, $0.025/SMS |
| Pro | $29/mo | $0.10/preorder, $0.025/SMS |
| Unlimited | $69/mo | $0.025/SMS only |
The overage fees matter more than the headline prices once volume climbs. Pro's per-preorder overage fee can add up quickly for a high-volume store, at which point Unlimited's flat $69 becomes the cheaper and simpler option, since it removes the per-preorder fee entirely (SMS is still metered at $0.025/text on every paid tier, including Unlimited). For a store just getting started, Free costs nothing until volume grows past what it covers.
04 Pros and Cons
- Rating holds up at scale — 5.0 stars across 3,550 reviews is hard to dismiss as small-sample noise.
- Full lifecycle in one app — preorder buttons, deposits, waitlists, and back-in-stock alerts are all in one tool instead of stitched together from two or three apps.
- Free plan is genuinely usable — enough for a merchant testing preorders on a single product launch without paying anything.
- Support gets called out repeatedly — reviewers specifically credit responsive help with theme-level customization, not just generic ticket responses.
- Overage fees add friction at scale — Lite and Pro both charge per-preorder once you exceed the cap, so a growing store needs to actively track which plan is cheapest rather than "set and forget."
- SMS is never included flat — even on the $69/month Unlimited plan, SMS notifications are billed per message, so SMS-heavy back-in-stock strategies carry an ongoing variable cost regardless of plan.
05 STOQ vs. Alternatives
STOQ isn't the only established preorder and back-in-stock app on the Shopify App Store, and merchants comparing options should weigh feature completeness alongside price. Where STOQ stands out is handling the full lifecycle — preorder buttons, deposits, and back-in-stock alerts — in one app, rather than requiring merchants to stitch together multiple single-purpose tools. Lighter-weight, alert-only apps can undercut STOQ on entry price, so merchants whose only need is back-in-stock notifications may find a narrower tool cheaper to start with.
For stores that need deposits, partial payments, or POS-synced preorders alongside restock alerts, STOQ's broader feature set is the differentiator worth paying for.
06 Verdict: Is STOQ Worth Installing?
Install STOQ. A 5.0-star average across 3,550 reviews is a strong enough signal on its own, and the Free plan is enough to run a real test before spending anything. Move to Lite at $10/month once you outgrow the free tier, and reassess Pro vs. Unlimited as your preorder volume grows — at higher volume, the flat $69 Unlimited plan is usually the cheaper, simpler choice over Pro's per-preorder overage fees. If deposits and POS-synced preorders aren't must-haves for your store, it's still worth comparing entry pricing against narrower, alert-only apps before you commit.
07 Frequently asked questions
- Is STOQ free to use on Shopify?
- Yes. STOQ's Free plan supports preorders and back-in-stock notifications at no cost, with no trial period required.
- How much does STOQ cost if I outgrow the free plan?
- Paid plans start at $10/month (Lite), $29/month (Pro), and $69/month (Unlimited, uncapped). Lite and Pro also charge per-preorder overage fees once you exceed plan limits, and all paid tiers bill SMS separately at $0.025 per message.
- Does STOQ support partial payments or deposits?
- Yes, customers can pay a partial deposit up front, with automated payment reminders for the remaining balance.
- How does STOQ compare to other back-in-stock apps?
- STOQ combines preorder buttons, deposits, and back-in-stock alerts in one app, while many alternatives focus narrowly on alerting and may offer lower entry pricing as a result.
- Are SMS notifications included in STOQ's plans?
- No. SMS notifications are billed separately at $0.025 per message on every paid tier, including Unlimited.