STOQ vs PreOrder Now (WOD): which preorder app is right for your store?

Both cover the preorder basics. STOQ adds what stores grow into: deposits customers choose, back-in-stock alerts in the same app, and preorders beyond one storefront.
Side by Side

STOQ vs PreOrder Now (WOD): full comparison

STOQ
PreOrder Now (WOD)
Payment flexibility
Deposits / partial payments
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
Yes
Customer chooses full vs deposit
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
No
One structure per product
Pay-later / balance timing
STOQ
Yes
Your date, auto-charged with retries
PreOrder Now
Limited
Locked to availability date
Preorder discount
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
Yes
Auto-applied preorder discounts
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
No
Customer picks from a dropdown
Variant-level control
Specific variants on preorder while others sell normally
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
Yes
Back-in-stock alerts for just the restocked variant
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
No
Back-in-stock not available
Customization & messaging
Widget, badge & button customization
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
Yes
Alert channels
STOQ
Email + native SMS
PreOrder Now
Email only ($0.01/email)
Editable, multi-language templates
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
Limited
Launch-date email not customizable
Shopify Markets & location
Per-market preorder availability
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
No
Region-correct restock alerts (US not pinged for an AU restock)
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
No
Per-location inventory
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
No
Checks all locations combined
Integrations & automations
Klaviyo
STOQ
Yes
Two-way (sends via your flows)
PreOrder Now
No
Judge.me reviews in emails
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
No
Bundle apps / Rebuy / subscriptions
STOQ
Yes
Bundle-compatible
PreOrder Now
Limited
Rebuy & subscriptions not fully supported
Shopify Flow
STOQ
Yes
Back-in-stock
PreOrder Now
No
Public API
STOQ
Yes
Read and write
PreOrder Now
No
Engagement Analytics (signup → order → revenue)
STOQ
Yes
For both preorders and back-in-stock
PreOrder Now
Limited
Basic preorder dashboard
Where it works (reach)
Sales channels
STOQ
Online store, POS, Shop app, headless
PreOrder Now
Online store only
Split / hold fulfillments
STOQ
Yes
PreOrder Now
No
Trust
Rating
STOQ
5.0 (3,400+)
PreOrder Now
4.5 (980)
*Note. Comparisons are based on each app's public Shopify listing and help docs (and STOQ's own product) and can change, so check current details before deciding. All trademarks belong to their owners; used here for comparison only, not affiliation or endorsement.
Beyond the checklist

The differences that matter

Both apps cover the basics: a preorder button, badges, scheduling, partial payments. Here's where the choice actually gets made.

Take a deposit, and let STOQ collect the rest

PreOrder Now

WOD takes partial payments, but on rails: one structure per product, no customer choice, and the balance is pinned to the availability date. You can't charge the rest two weeks later, and discounts don't auto-apply.

STOQ

STOQ saves the card and charges the balance on the date you set or at fulfillment, retrying failed charges for you. Customers pick full payment or a deposit, or reserve now and pay nothing upfront. On a $400 preorder, that flexibility can be the whole sale.

One app for preorders and back-in-stock

PreOrder Now

PreOrder Now is preorder-only. When a product actually sells out there’s no “notify me” waitlist, so you’d add a second app, with a second widget and a second bill.

STOQ

STOQ does both jobs in one place: preorders for what hasn’t launched, and back-in-stock alerts by email and native SMS for what’s temporarily gone. One widget, one dashboard, one bill.

Control availability by market and by location

PreOrder Now

WOD reads stock across all your locations at once, so a product shows in-stock even if only one warehouse has units, and you can’t run a preorder for a single location. There’s no Shopify Markets control.

STOQ

STOQ reads inventory per location and runs Shopify Markets for both jobs. You choose which markets see a preorder, and a US shopper won’t get an alert for stock that only landed in Australia.

Built to fit the rest of your setup

PreOrder Now

WOD has no public API, and its own docs flag that Rebuy and subscription apps aren’t fully supported, so a growing store hits a ceiling fast.

STOQ

STOQ gives you a read-and-write API and headless support, two-way Klaviyo so alerts fire through your own flows, Judge.me reviews inside emails, and split-or-hold fulfillment so a big launch doesn’t jam shipping.

Sell preorders on more than your website

PreOrder Now

PreOrder Now works on your online store only. Not Shopify POS, not the Shop app, not a headless build, because those channels don’t let the app add a preorder button.

STOQ

STOQ runs preorders on your online store, on Shopify POS, and in the Shop app, so a customer can reserve a coming-soon product at your counter, not just on the website.

Switching is simple

Bring your preorders and customers with you

Switching to STOQ doesn't mean starting over. If you have signups in another app, bring them with you, and your customers keep getting restock alerts on time. Three steps:

Install STOQ

Pick a plan, then follow the onboarding steps — or book a support call and we'll set it up with you.

Export your data

Export your subscriber list from your current app.

Import to STOQ

Upload the file into STOQ's import template. Subscribers keep their email, phone, consent, and language, and alerts keep going out.
FAQ’s

STOQ vs WOD PreOrder Now: quick answers

Is STOQ a good PreOrder Now (WOD) alternative?
Yes. Both run Shopify preorders with deposits and partial payments. STOQ goes further with back-in-stock alerts, preorders on POS and the Shop app, per-market and per-location control, native SMS, a read-and-write API, and 24/7 support. If you need more than a preorder button on one storefront, STOQ covers more ground.
Does PreOrder Now work with Shopify POS or the Shop app?
No. PreOrder Now works on the online store only. Its docs confirm it doesn't run on POS, the Shop app, Facebook, Instagram, or headless storefronts. STOQ sells preorders on the online store, POS, and the Shop app.
Does PreOrder Now do back-in-stock alerts?
No, it's preorder-only. For a "notify me" waitlist on sold-out products you'd need a second app. STOQ does preorders and back-in-stock alerts in one app.
Can customers choose full payment or a deposit in PreOrder Now?
No. WOD uses one payment structure per product, and the balance is tied to the availability date with no custom interval. STOQ lets customers choose full payment or a deposit, and charges the balance on a date you set (or at fulfillment), with automatic retries.
Does PreOrder Now have an API or support per-location inventory?
No to both. WOD has no public API, and it checks stock across all locations combined rather than per location. STOQ offers a read-and-write API, per-location inventory, and Shopify Markets for both preorders and alerts.
Which app is better for international or multi-location stores?
STOQ. It runs Shopify Markets for both jobs and reads inventory per location, so you control which markets see a preorder and send restock alerts based on market-specific stock. WOD has neither.
How do I switch from PreOrder Now to STOQ, and will I lose my data?
It's a self-serve import: export your preorder products (and any subscriber list), then import into STOQ, which maps the columns and keeps consent and history. Most stores finish in an afternoon, with 24/7 chat if you need it.