Nitro Launches AI Platform To Let Shopify Merchants Build Apps With Prompts

Shopify merchants frequently use numerous applications to manage various workflows, such as loyalty programs and GST reconciliation. However, finding software that precisely meets their needs or building custom applications can be time-consuming, costly, and resource-intensive. Nitro Commerce aims to tackle this issue with Nitro Apps, an AI-powered platform that enables Shopify merchants to create tailor-made applications for their stores.

The company presented the platform at Inc42's 'The D2C & Retail Summit 2026,' showcasing how merchants can employ prompts to develop software for their specific requirements.

Nitro Commerce introduced "vibe coding" to Shopify, which allows merchants to describe the software they need through prompts instead of developing it from scratch. According to Nitro Commerce cofounder and CEO Umair Mohammad, merchants can build their private applications on their Shopify stores simply by providing a prompt. The platform then generates and installs the application within the merchant's Shopify backend, retaining the merchant's ownership of the underlying code.

During the launch, Nitro Apps was demonstrated by being given a prompt to create "a few discount-giving games" for a Shopify store. The prompt didn't specify the type of games; instead, the platform determined what to build. The two games presented during the event took six hours to create and cost $44. In contrast, developing a similar application through traditional methods could require at least four developers and a month of work.

Nitro Apps can also be used to develop tools for internal business workflows, such as GST reconciliation, loyalty programs, and other requirements where off-the-shelf software may not be available.

Over 700 apps have been created during Nitro Apps' private beta, which preceded its public launch. Mohammad stated that technology is no longer a constraint, as AI is changing the cost and time associated with software development. Nitro Commerce believes that quicker and cheaper development will make custom software more accessible to Shopify merchants.