Debut Shopify Theme — Usage Statistics
Debut runs on 0.8% of the 3,500,000+ Shopify stores across our full detection dataset. For how its share is moving right now, see theme trends.
#19 most-used theme in our datasetDebut is a Shopify theme used by 0.8% of the Shopify stores in our dataset, ranking #19 among all themes we track. The figure reflects live storefront detection of the active theme, not Theme Store download counts.
Theme store ID: 796 — the number Debut stamps into every store that installs it.
Debut adoption trend
Debut has slipped from 0.8% to 0.6% of the stores scanned each month over recent months. See all Shopify trends →
Debut speed & Core Web Vitals
Across 281 real Debut stores, 70.8% pass Google’s Core Web Vitals (median LCP 1.5s). Filtered to stores running only a few apps, that rises to 86.3%, isolating the theme’s own speed from the apps merchants pile on.
Debut is a free theme that Shopify shipped as its default before Dawn replaced it in 2021. It is an Online Store 1.0 theme, built before the sections-everywhere editor, so it is customized through a narrower set of controls than a modern theme. Shopify has since retired it from the Theme Store, so you can no longer install it new, though it still runs on a large legacy base of stores.
In our data Debut still sits among the most-installed themes by store count, but that share shrinks each time a store upgrades to Dawn or another Online Store 2.0 theme. Its stores tend to run fewer apps than average and carry mid-sized catalogs, and on real-world Core Web Vitals it holds up better than its age suggests. The panels below show where it ranks and how its stores actually perform on speed.
Still common, but declining: Debut remains one of the more frequently detected themes, yet it is legacy tech and its share falls with every upgrade. If you are still on it, you are in shrinking company.
The real limit is the architecture: the catch is not speed, it is that Debut predates sections-everywhere. You customize through an older editor and miss the flexibility modern themes give you, and that gap widens as new apps and features assume Online Store 2.0.
Faster than you would expect: on real-store Core Web Vitals Debut performs well for its age, and stores that keep it lean rather than app-heavy pass at a high rate. See the speed panel below for the live figures.
You cannot get it new: Shopify pulled Debut from the Theme Store, so there is no fresh install and no official updates ahead. Treat it as a theme to migrate off, not one to start on, with Dawn as the direct successor.
Top apps used on Debut stores
| # | App | % of stores | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Klaviyo
Email Marketing |
35.4% | |
| 2 |
 Judge.me Product Reviews App
Product reviews |
24% | |
| 3 |
 Recharge
Subscriptions |
19.8% | |
| 4 |
 Loox ‑ Product Reviews App
Product reviews |
17.7% | |
| 5 |
 PageFly ✦ Landing Page Builder
Page builder |
12.3% | |
| 6 |
 Yotpo
Product reviews |
12.2% | |
| 7 |
 Hotjar Install
Analytics |
9.6% | |
| 8 |
 Swym Wishlist
Wishlists |
9.1% | |
| 9 |
 Rebuy Personalization Engine
Checkout - Other |
8.4% | |
| 10 |
Afterpay
Checkout - Other |
7% |
Store types using Debut
By business model
- Subscription 20.5%
- Wholesale / B2B 3.6%
- Dropshipping 3.2%
- Print on Demand 3.2%
- Multichannel & Marketplaces 2.9%
By what they sell
- Apparel & Accessories 44.6%
- Home & Garden 25.6%
- Food, Beverages & Tobacco 21.8%
- Health & Beauty 17.7%
- T-Shirts 12.7%
- Electronics 6.6%
Examples of stores running Debut
- crownandpaw.com
- crossstitch.pk
- oziva.in
- comfortorthowear.com
- thewoobles.com
- getairmoto.com
Store owners can request removal of their domain from example listings.
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the Debut Shopify theme?
How fast is the Debut Shopify theme?
Which apps do Debut stores use most?
How this data works
This figure comes from live detection: we scan Shopify storefronts and read the active theme 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, "Debut Shopify theme usage statistics", 2026. https://shopthemedetector.com/shopify-themes/debut
