# Ads added to order tracking app Market: Shopify Shopify merchants who use AfterShip are angry about new ads in the app and on tracking pages, and they want the ads removed or are switching to another tracker. Source: https://idea.2folk.com/clusters/28 ## Verdict: watch (medium confidence) Many users are angry and ready to pay a few dollars, but the cause is one vendor's choice, the price is tiny, and Packages is already an option. ## The problem A tracking app added ads on every page after an update, dropping its no-ads promise. Users find it cluttered, some see scam-like ads or wrong tracking, and many are uninstalling with no paid way to remove the ads. Who: Long-time users of the AfterShip app, most tagged as merchants. Business size is not stated. One line says the app is shown to a merchant's clients. Would they pay? strong. Line 2: "$2-$5USD one-time payment for ad-free"; line 7: "a couple bucks a year"; lines 9, 12 and 28 ask for a fee or say they would pay to remove ads. ## Idea: Ad-Free Tracker A clean package tracking app with no ads, sold for a small one-time fee, for people leaving ad-filled trackers. Smallest version: - Add tracking numbers and show current status - Push notification on each status change - One-time purchase, no ads anywhere Why it can win: Promises no ads and charges a small one-time fee, the option reviewers say is missing. ## Tools people use instead - Packages: One reviewer is moving to it; the lines state no gap ## Risks - The vendor could add a cheap paid ad-free tier or remove the ads, which would end the complaint. - Willingness to pay is only a few dollars, so revenue per user is very small. - Reviews look like consumer app-store feedback; unclear how many are real Shopify merchants, and Packages already exists. ## Test it this week - Post in Shopify merchant forums and subreddits asking which tracker people moved to after the ads, and what they would pay. - Put up a landing page for a $3 one-time ad-free tracker with a waitlist and see how many sign up. - Read the Packages app's reviews to find what its users complain about, to spot a gap. ## Size - Posts: 30 - Unique authors: 30 - Average severity: 2.7 of 5 - First seen: 2026-09-28. Last seen: 2026-10-10 - Trend: new in the last 28 days - Authors who say they plan to switch: 10 ## Who has the problem - merchant \(23\) Store size hints: - none found ## What they do today - compares with and is moving to the Packages app - uninstalled the app and looks for another without ads ## Tools named Tools they complain about: - AfterShip \(30\) Alternatives they name: - Packages \(1\) ## Price hints - $2-$5USD one-time payment for ad-free - a couple bucks a year ## Evidence (top 15 by severity) - [Reviewer is annoyed by ads added to AfterShip, says a second banner appeared and may slow tracking updates, and is phasing the app out.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14646435377) — 2026-10-09, apple, severity 4 - [Author is angry that AfterShip added ads again after advertising itself as ad-free, and will delete the app unless the ads are removed.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14646321669) — 2026-10-09, apple, severity 4 - [Author is unhappy that AfterShip shows two separate ad displays and is deleting the app.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14642760330) — 2026-10-08, apple, severity 4 - [Author says AfterShip became useless after ads were added, cannot pay to remove them, and plans to switch to a less abusive product.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14618983339) — 2026-10-02, apple, severity 4 - [Long-time AfterShip user is unhappy about ads appearing throughout the app and is now looking for a replacement tracker.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14615667482) — 2026-10-01, apple, severity 4 - [Author says AfterShip tracking pages now display scam-like ads such as 'Win $400\+' and 'Claim your $20', and has uninstalled the app after years of use.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14609746226) — 2026-09-30, apple, severity 4 - [Long-time user is dropping AfterShip because ads now appear throughout the app, with no paid option to remove them.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14608405849) — 2026-09-29, apple, severity 4 - [Author liked AfterShip for tracking shipments, but the newly added ads make them think they will need to find a replacement app.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14646459307) — 2026-10-09, apple, severity 3 - [Reviewer is angry that AfterShip added ads, wants them removed or a one-time fee to remove them, and says the app's quality dropped sharply.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14637673117) — 2026-10-07, apple, severity 3 - [Author gave AfterShip 1 star because it cannot track Amazon orders and shows constant ads, calling it worthless for heavy Amazon buyers.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14636272221) — 2026-10-07, apple, severity 3 - [Reviewer says AfterShip's tracking map has not shown for a week, only a dot in Oklahoma, and the app is worse than before.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14619271002) — 2026-10-02, apple, severity 3 - [Author says a recent AfterShip update added ads to every page and would pay the developers to remove them.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14607393526) — 2026-09-29, apple, severity 3 - [Reviewer says AfterShip recently added ads to the app and advises merchants to look elsewhere for order tracking.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14605518465) — 2026-09-29, apple, severity 3 - [Reviewer says AfterShip added ads to the app despite its listing promising none, then removed the 'no ads' line from the App Store description.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14605067107) — 2026-09-28, apple, severity 3 - [Author liked the app until ads were added, cannot pay to remove them, and uninstalled it, planning to find an ad-free alternative.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id507014023#review-14602128242) — 2026-09-28, apple, severity 3 ## Before you build - This is a signal, not proof of a buyer. Talk to at least 5 of the authors first. - Check each named tool for price, rating, and recent reviews on its own site and app store. - Write down what a buyer would pay and what they pay now.