The best free age verification apps for Shopify (2026)
By Digital Cartel · Listing data checked 9 October 2026
Disclosure: we are Digital Cartel, and we build one of the apps on this list (Bouncer Age Gate). We have tried to be fair: every price, limit and rating below is copied from each app's public Shopify App Store listing on 9 October 2026, with links so you can check. Where a competitor is better for a job, we say so.
If you sell alcohol, CBD or other age-restricted products (check Shopify's Acceptable Use Policy for what may be sold at all), you need an age check on your storefront. Most "age verification" apps on the Shopify App Store show a "Free plan available" badge. When you open the pricing tab, though, several of those free plans are only for development stores, cap how many visitors you can verify each month, or add the developer's branding.
This page compares what each free plan actually gives a live store.
The short answer
- Need it free on a live store, with no visitor cap: Bouncer Age Gate, Age Verification & Age Gate 18 (jetslift), or Blockify's Free plan.
- Need checkout age checks or per-country rules: you will be paying. AVP, Blockify and Smart Age Verification Popup all offer these on paid plans, and some checkout features need Shopify Plus.
- Need real ID or document checks: none of these popup apps verify ID. Look at ID-check services such as AgeChecker.net, BlueCheck, Token of Trust or Yoti, which Shopify's own blog covers (shopify.com/blog/age-verification-tools).
Free plans compared
| App | Rating (reviews) | Built for Shopify | Free plan on a live store? | Free plan limits | Cheapest paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bouncer Age Gate (ours) | New, no reviews yet | No | Yes, the app is free | No visitor cap, no branding. 3 modes, page-type targeting, logo, colours | None, free only |
| Age Verification & Age Gate 18 (jetslift) | 5.0 (13) | Yes | Yes, listed as free | Listing shows no paid plan | None, free only |
| Blockify Age Verification 18+ | 4.9 (309) | Yes | Yes, "All Shopify stores" | 1 popup, basic appearance settings | Basic $3.99/mo |
| Smart Age Verification Popup (SetuBridge) | 4.9 (46) | Yes | Yes | 100 age checks per month, basic templates, "Powered by" branding | Basic $2.99/mo (1,000 checks/mo) |
| AVP Age Verification Popup | 4.7 (160) | Yes | No: Free is "for all partner development stores" | Testing only | Basic $3.99/mo |
| AgeX Age Verification Popup | 4.9 (108) | No | No: Free is "for Shopify development stores" | Testing only | Premium $3.99/mo |
Data from each linked listing, 9 October 2026. Ratings and prices change; check the listing before you install.
Features compared (best plan you can get free on a live store)
| Feature | Bouncer (free) | jetslift (free) | Blockify (Free) | Smart Age (Lite, free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes / No buttons | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | "Multi age validation method" |
| Date of birth entry | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Checkbox confirmation | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Listed (age checkbox) |
| Remember verified visitors | Yes, session to 1 year | "Remember me" listed | "Remember me" listed | Listed in the app's features; not named on the Lite plan |
| Gate only some pages | By page type (e.g. all product pages) | "Targeting" listed | Specific targeting on Plus plan | Product/collection pages on Basic ($2.99) |
| Gate specific products | No | Not stated | Plus plan | Basic plan |
| Your logo and colours | Yes | Logo, templates | Basic appearance | Basic templates |
| Translations | Write your own text; two system lines English | 7 listed languages | 6 listed languages, translation on paid plan | 11 listed languages |
| Visitor cap | None | None stated | None stated | 100 / month |
| Developer branding on popup | No | Not stated | Not stated | Yes, "Powered by" |
| Checkout age check | No | No | Banner on Basic, checker on Premium, full on Plus | Plus only (Premium $14.99) |
| Support | Email, from the developer | Listing | 24/7 live chat | Live chat |
"Not stated" means the listing does not mention it. It may still exist; ask the developer.
The apps, one by one
Bouncer Age Gate (ours)
What it is: a full-screen gate that runs entirely inside your theme as an app embed. Three modes (Yes / No, date of birth, checkbox), minimum age, remember period from "this session" to a year, page-type targeting, logo, colours and overlay opacity. No account, no dashboard, no outside servers, no visitor data collected.
Good for: stores that want a clean, unbranded gate on a live store at no cost, set up in a couple of minutes.
Be aware: it is new (launched July 2026) with no reviews yet. It cannot gate individual products, has no per-country rules and cannot add anything at checkout. Two system lines are English only.
See Bouncer on the App Store or read the setup guide.
Age Verification & Age Gate 18 (jetslift)
The listing shows a fully free app with date of birth checks, templates, logo upload and seven languages, and it already carries the Built for Shopify badge. It launched in May 2026 and has 13 reviews. If you need a translated popup out of the box, it is a strong free pick.
Blockify Age Verification 18+
The most-reviewed app here (309 reviews, launched 2017) and Built for Shopify. The Free plan gives one popup with basic appearance settings on any store. Paid plans add translation, a checkout banner (Basic, $3.99), an age checker at checkout and terms checkboxes (Premium, $8.99), and full checkout verification on Shopify Plus ($16.99). Choose Blockify if you want 24/7 chat support and a path to checkout checks later.
Smart Age Verification Popup (SetuBridge)
Generous paid tiers (country and state age limits, cart-page verification, a "verified" badge on orders) and eleven listed languages. The free Lite plan allows 100 age checks per month and shows "Powered by" branding, so a store with real traffic will outgrow it quickly. Basic is $2.99/mo for 1,000 checks.
AVP Age Verification Popup
Built for Shopify, with verified and unverified visitor reports, per-country popups and page, collection and product targeting from Basic ($3.99/mo). Its Free plan is for development stores only, so on a live store AVP starts at $3.99/mo. Checkbox verification and a checkout banner are on Premium ($8.99).
AgeX
Its paid plan ($3.99/mo) has the broadest single feature list here: date of birth, Yes / No and checkbox, country-based age rules and product-level restrictions. The Free plan is for development stores only.
How to choose
- Is a self-declaration popup enough for your products and countries? For many stores it is the expected storefront step, but some products and regions require ID checks or age checks on delivery. Check your obligations first; a popup app is one layer.
- Count your visitors. If an app caps checks per month, estimate your monthly visitors before you rely on the free plan.
- Decide whether you need checkout coverage. Theme apps cannot change checkout. Checkout age checks come from checkout extensions, which are paid add-ons here and often Shopify Plus only.
- Test on mobile. Most of your age gate views will be on phones.
Can you add an age gate without an app?
Yes, with a little code. A basic gate is a fixed overlay in theme.liquid, a button that sets a cookie, and a check that hides the overlay when the cookie exists. The work is in the details: hiding the page before the overlay paints so content does not flash, keeping the decline path, styling it for phones, and remembering the theme code when you change themes. If you are comfortable editing theme code, it is a reasonable weekend job. If not, a free app saves you the maintenance.
FAQ
Is there a completely free age verification app for Shopify?
Yes. On 9 October 2026, Bouncer Age Gate and Age Verification & Age Gate 18 list no paid plan at all, and Blockify's Free plan works on live stores with one popup. AVP and AgeX list free plans that are for development stores only.
Do age verification popups hurt SEO?
Google's guidance on intrusive interstitials makes an exception for interstitials shown for legal obligations such as age verification. The page content should still be in the HTML underneath the overlay, which is how popup apps work.
Can a Shopify app verify age at checkout?
Only through checkout extensions, which theme-based popup apps cannot use. Blockify, AVP and Smart Age Verification Popup offer checkout features on paid plans, several on Shopify Plus only.
Does an age popup make my store legally compliant?
Not on its own. It is a reasonable storefront step, but laws differ by product and country. Check what applies to you, and consider ID checks where the law requires them.
Last checked 9 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email support@digitalcartel.online and we will fix it.