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Paypal for Shopify — Usage Statistics

Paypal runs on 3.0% of the 3,500,000+ Shopify stores across our full detection dataset. For how its share is moving right now, see app trends.

#21 most-used app in our dataset
Quick answer

Paypal is a Shopify app used by 3.0% of the Shopify stores in our dataset, ranking #21 among all apps we track. The figure reflects the app detected on live storefronts, not App Store install counts.

Last updated October 8, 2026 · Updated daily
#1 Payments app
Paypal is the most-used Payments app in our dataset.
1.2x more used than Shop Pay
Stores in our dataset use Paypal 1.2 times more than Shop Pay, the next Payments app in the ranking.
80% more apps than average
Stores with Paypal installed average 10.7 apps each, 80% more than the dataset-wide average of 5.94.
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Paypal adoption trend

FebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep1.6%5.6%

Paypal has climbed from 1.6% to 5.6% of the stores scanned each month over recent months. See all Shopify trends →

PayPal is one of the most recognized ways to pay online, and on Shopify it appears as an express checkout button and a payment option at checkout. Shoppers can pay with their PayPal balance, a linked bank account, or a card without typing card details, which removes friction for buyers who already trust PayPal. It is turned on through Shopify's payment settings rather than installed as an app, which is why our detector picks it up as a storefront fingerprint across live stores.

In our data PayPal is one of the more common payment options, running on a couple of thousand live Shopify stores. Those stores tend to be larger and more established than average, with deeper catalogs and fuller app stacks, which fits a checkout shoppers reach for on higher-value or cross-border purchases. The panels below show where it ranks and the themes its stores run.

Our take

Why stores offer it: PayPal is a trust shortcut at checkout. For a shopper who does not want to hand a new store their card, a familiar PayPal button can be the difference between a completed order and an abandoned one. That reassurance is the whole reason to add it.

Who it suits: the stores running it skew larger and cross-border, where buyers value a payment method they already know. Less essential for an audience happy to pay by card, but rarely a mistake to offer as a second option.

The trade-off: PayPal charges a per-transaction fee, and payouts and dispute handling live inside PayPal rather than your Shopify admin. Weigh the extra completed checkouts against the fee and the slightly separate money flow.

How it goes on: it is enabled in Shopify's payment settings as an additional payment method, not installed from the App Store. You connect a PayPal business account and it shows up at checkout, alongside the express button on cart and product pages.

Apps installed alongside Paypal

#App% of storesUsage
1
Klaviyo
Klaviyo
Email Marketing
60.5%
2
Judge.me Product Reviews App
Judge.me Product Reviews App
Product reviews
35.5%
3
Loox ‑ Product Reviews App
Loox ‑ Product Reviews App
Product reviews
29.4%
4
Yotpo
Yotpo
Product reviews
22.8%
5
Pandectes Gdpr
Pandectes Gdpr
Legal
22.2%
6
Recharge
Recharge
Subscriptions
19.7%
7
Triplewhale
Triplewhale
Analytics
15.2%
8
Trustpilot
Trustpilot
Marketing - Other
14.3%
9
Gorgias
Gorgias
Support - Other
14.0%
10
Rebuy Personalization Engine
Rebuy Personalization Engine
Checkout - Other
12.5%

Themes commonly running Paypal

#Theme% of storesUsage
1
Dawn
11.6%
2
Impulse
6.3%
3
Horizon
3.8%
4
Prestige
3.7%
5
Impact
3.6%
6
Broadcast
2.5%
7
Shrine PRO
2.5%
8
Crave
2.0%
9
Symmetry
1.8%
10
Palo Alto
1.8%

Store types using Paypal

By business model

  • Subscription 21.4%
  • Multichannel & Marketplaces 10.6%
  • Wholesale / B2B 4.1%
  • Print on Demand 1.8%
  • Dropshipping 1.7%

By what they sell

  • Apparel & Accessories 49.2%
  • Health & Beauty 23.9%
  • Home & Garden 22.7%
  • T-Shirts 11.7%
  • Clothing 10.7%
  • Food, Beverages & Tobacco 10.6%

Examples of stores running Paypal

  • stevemadden.com
  • theoodie.com
  • snocks.com
  • loopearplugs.com
  • mellowsleep.com
  • wearetala.com

Store owners can request removal of their domain from example listings.

Editorial review

Read our full Paypal review →

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the Paypal Shopify app?
Paypal is installed on 3.0% of Shopify stores in our dataset, ranking #21 among all apps we track.
What apps are used alongside Paypal?
Stores that run Paypal most often also use Klaviyo, Judge.me Product Reviews App and Loox ‑ Product Reviews App.
Which Shopify themes use Paypal most?
Paypal is most commonly found on stores running Dawn, Impulse and Horizon.

How this data works

This figure comes from live detection: we scan Shopify storefronts and read the apps each one runs, then express it as a share of the 3,500,000+ stores in our dataset. It is a share of every store in our dataset, not just recently scanned stores, so it moves more slowly than the month-over-month figures on our trends page. We report what is currently detected, not historical installs or Theme Store / App Store counts.

Independent by design: rankings are determined solely by live detection data. Affiliate relationships never affect what ranks or how stores are counted. Read the full methodology →

Citing this data

Free to cite and republish with a link to shopthemedetector.com. Use these figures in articles, reports, and marketing pages. No permission request needed. Quote the date you read the page, since the numbers recompute daily.

ShopThemeDetector, "Paypal Shopify app usage statistics", 2026. https://shopthemedetector.com/shopify-apps/paypal

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