Droplert
Why small shops need a different kind of tracker
A lot of the things people really want aren't on Amazon. Trainers from a direct-to-consumer brand, a backpack from a small maker, coffee from an independent roaster. Many of these brands sell from their own website, and many of those websites run on Shopify.
Many popular price trackers are built around a handful of big marketplaces, so a brand's own shop often isn't covered at all. Droplert works differently. You open the product page, tap the price once, and Droplert reads that spot on the page each time it checks. The store doesn't need to be on any list.
How to tell a shop runs on Shopify
You don't need to know a store's platform to track it, but it helps to know what to expect. A few signs a shop is on Shopify:
- Product links contain /products/. For example brand.com/products/canvas-tote-olive. Collection pages use /collections/.
- Picking a size or colour adds ?variant= and a long number to the link. That number is the exact variant you chose.
- Checkout looks familiar. Shopify checkouts share a clean, similar layout, often with a Shop Pay button.
- A "Powered by Shopify" line sometimes appears in the footer, though many brands remove it.
Set up a price alert on a Shopify store in 4 steps
- Open the product in Chrome and close any pop-ups. Small shops often show a newsletter sign-up or a "Where are we shipping to?" box over the page. Close it, and choose your country if asked, so the page shows prices in your currency.
- Pick the exact variant. Choose the size, colour or pack you'd buy. Then check the link: most shops add ?variant= to it. If the link doesn't change, the shop may show its default variant when Droplert opens it, so check the price Droplert reads.
- Tap Share, then Droplert, and tap the price. Droplert remembers where the price sits and shows what it read. Tap Track it.
- Set a schedule and a target. Small brands change prices less often than big stores. A check every 6 or 12 hours, or once a day, is usually enough.
Shopify details that trip people up
"Compare at" prices
When a Shopify shop puts something on sale, it usually shows the old price crossed out next to the new one. Shopify calls the old one the "compare at" price. Tap the sale price, not the crossed-out one. That's what you'd be charged.
Discount codes don't show on the page
Many brands run sales with a code you type at checkout, such as a welcome code from their newsletter. Those discounts usually aren't shown on the product page, so a tracker can't see them. If you have a code, the real price can be lower than the alert says.
Different variants, different prices
Some shops price every size or colour the same. Others don't, and a sale may only cover a few colours. If the colour you like isn't discounted, it can be worth tracking a second colour too.
Sold out isn't the same as gone
A sold-out variant often still shows its price. If you're waiting for a restock, keep an eye on the page as well as the alert.
When independent brands cut prices
Small brands don't follow Amazon's sale calendar. They tend to discount around their own seasons and events:
- End of season. Clothing and outdoor brands clear last season's colours when new stock arrives.
- Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Many independent shops run their one big sale of the year here.
- Anniversaries and one-off sales. Some brands run a short sale on their founding date, or with little warning.
These sales are easy to miss if you aren't on the brand's mailing list. A tracker covers the products you care about without a newsletter for every shop.
Newsletters vs back-in-stock alerts vs Droplert
| Best for | Trade-off | |
|---|---|---|
| The brand's newsletter | Hearing about sales early, and sometimes subscriber-only codes | One inbox per brand, mostly about things you don't want |
| The shop's own back-in-stock alert | Knowing when a sold-out size returns, where a shop offers one | About stock, not price |
| Droplert | An alert when one specific product drops or hits your target, across many small shops in one list | History starts when you start tracking. Doesn't see discount codes |
Questions
Does the shop have to be on Shopify?
No. Droplert reads the price from the spot you tapped rather than relying on a list of supported stores. This guide covers Shopify because so many independent brands use it. If a shop doesn't work, email the link to support.
Can I track shops in other countries?
Yes. Droplert reads the currency from the page and supports 50+ currencies, so one watchlist can mix shops from different countries.
Is it free?
Yes. The free plan tracks up to 5 products with hourly checks and 30 days of history. An optional upgrade gives unlimited products, checks as often as every 15 minutes, and a year of history.
A shop keeps failing. What now?
Small shops redesign their pages from time to time. Open the product in Droplert and tap the price again so it re-learns where it sits. If that doesn't help, email the link to support@droplert.app.
Does it work on iPhone?
Not yet. Droplert is Android only, Android 10 and newer.