SMART Preorder vs STOQ (Restock Rocket)
Updated · SMART Preorder & Back in stock (E-TRADE PARTNER)
SMART Preorder is free on the Shopify App Store, doesn't count pre-orders, and charges deposit balances automatically with retries. STOQ, also known as Restock Rocket, includes 10 pre-orders a month on its Free plan, then Lite at $10/mo, Pro at $29/mo and Unlimited at $69/mo. STOQ adds SMS alerts, a Shopify POS tile and a choice between full payment and a deposit for shoppers.
SMART Preorder & Back in stock is a free Shopify app for pre-orders, deposits, and back-in-stock alerts.
Try it freeOn this page
Both apps cover the basics: a Pre-order button on sold-out products, deposits through Shopify's purchase options, and a Notify me form that emails shoppers on restock. They differ in what each STOQ plan unlocks, what happens after the deposit is paid, and which channels carry the alerts.
Quick comparison
| SMART Preorder | STOQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. The listing has no paid plans | Free; Lite $10/mo; Pro $29/mo; Unlimited $69/mo. 14-day free trial on paid plans |
| Pre-orders per month | No count and no per-order fee | Free 10; Lite 100, then $0.25 per pre-order; Pro 400, then $0.10 per pre-order; Unlimited: no limit |
| Back in stock alerts | Email. Daily limit set by store size, from 25 to 20,000 emails a day | Email or SMS. Free 30 emails/mo; Lite 1,000/mo; Pro 2,000/mo on the listing (3,000 on stoqapp.com); Unlimited: no limit. SMS on paid plans, listed at $0.025 per SMS (varies by country) |
| Deposit | Percentage of the price (0 to 99%) or a fixed amount per item | Percentage, fixed amount or no upfront payment. Needs Shopify Payments |
| Charging the balance | Automatic: a set number of days after checkout, on a set date, or when you fulfill the order. 1 to 10 attempts (3 by default) | Manual on every plan. Automatic on paid plans, on the due date or when the order ships, with one attempt and no automatic retry |
| Shopper picks full payment or deposit | No. One payment type per campaign | Yes, with the Full payment & partial payment type on paid plans |
| Start and end dates, Shopify Markets, fulfillment holds | Included on every store | From Lite |
| Shopify POS | No. Pre-orders work in the online store only | POS tile for pre-orders (full payment only) and for back in stock signups |
| Payment methods at checkout | Payment customizations hide, rename or reorder payment methods | Not among the listed features |
Sources, checked November 2, 2026: STOQ on the Shopify App Store and STOQ pricing. Prices are USD list prices as shown on those pages, and features are described the way the vendor describes them. Trademarks belong to their owners. SMART Preorder is not affiliated with STOQ. Spot something out of date? Email support@etradepartner.io.
When SMART Preorder fits better
- You don't want pre-orders metered. STOQ's Free plan includes 10 pre-orders a month, Lite charges $0.25 for each one past 100, and Pro $0.10 past 400. SMART has no pre-order count.
- You want balances charged without a paid plan, and tried again when a card is declined. STOQ's payment setup guide puts automatic collection on paid plans with a single attempt. SMART retries on the schedule in Settings > Deposits and cancellations, then emails the customer a payment link or, if nothing has shipped, cancels and refunds, whichever you pick (how balance charges work).
- You need start and end dates, specific Shopify Markets or fulfillment holds on a store that isn't on a paid plan. STOQ's pricing page lists all three from Lite ($10/mo). In SMART they are campaign settings (markets and locations, fulfillment holds).
- You also want checkout payment rules, for example hiding cash on delivery above a cart total, in the same app (payment rules).
When STOQ fits better
- Shoppers should choose between paying in full and paying a deposit on the same product. STOQ's Full payment & partial payment type shows both options (paid plans). A SMART campaign uses one payment type, Full payment or Deposit.
- You want texts as well as emails. STOQ's SMS alerts need a paid plan, cost extra per segment by country, and can also go out through Klaviyo or Postscript. SMART sends back in stock alerts by email only.
- You sell in a physical store. STOQ's Shopify POS tile adds pre-orders to the POS cart (POS always takes full payment), and a second tile signs customers up for back in stock alerts at the counter.
- You run a headless storefront or build your own integration. STOQ's pricing page lists Headless, SDK & APIs and Metafields on every plan.
Who charges the balance
Shopify saves the buyer's payment method at checkout but doesn't take the balance by itself. Its developer docs leave the timing of that charge, and what to do when it fails, to the app (Shopify: deferred purchase options). In STOQ, the due date is only what the customer sees unless automatic collection is on, which needs a paid plan. In SMART, you choose the due date per campaign and the retry schedule once; see take a deposit, charge the balance later.
Take deposits without counting pre-orders
Install SMART Preorder for free, set a deposit on a campaign, and let the app charge the balance on the date you choose.
Install free on ShopifyFrequently asked questions
›Can I move my STOQ waitlist to SMART Preorder?
Yes, with a CSV file. STOQ's pricing page lists CSV export from Lite. In SMART, Import CSV on the Back in stock Signups tab takes an email column plus a variant ID, SKU or product link column, up to 2,000 rows per file. Importing turns on once your store has 10 paid orders in the last 90 days, and imported shoppers don't get a signup confirmation email.