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Inner Circle against the alternatives
One page per app, written by us, which is a reason to read them sceptically. Each one says where the other app is the better buy, because a comparison that never reaches that conclusion is an advert.
At a glance
Ordered by how many people are searching for an alternative to each one, which is brand recognition and review count standing in for a number nobody publishes. It is not a ranking, and it is deliberately not ours: the app at the top is the best one on this list, and the page about it says so.
| App | Listed since | Rating | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locksmith | 2014 | 4.7 stars, 286 reviews | $12 a month on Basic, $29 on Grow, $99 on Advanced, $199 on Plus |
| Sami B2B Lock | 2023 | 4.9 stars, 927 reviews | $9.99, $19.99 or $29.99 a month, or $99 to $299 a year; free on development stores only |
| BSS B2B Lock | 2019 | 4.9 stars, 602 reviews | a free whole-site lock, then $9.99, $24.99 or $49.99 a month by Shopify plan |
| Wholesale Lock Manager | 2018 | 4.9 stars, 207 reviews | $9.99 a month flat, or $107.89 a year, free on development and trial stores |
| Ymq B2B Lock | 2023 | 4.9 stars, 26 reviews | $9.99, $19.99 or $29.99 a month by Shopify plan; free on development and trial stores only |
| Atelier | 2024 | 4.3 stars, 10 reviews | $9, $49 or $249 a month, plus 0.99% to 0.69% of sales; no free plan |
| EQL | 2025 | 5.0 stars, 3 reviews | free to install, then 1% to 4% of what the launch takes |
| Locket | 2021 | 5.0 stars, 2 reviews | a free one-lock plan, then $5.99 or $14.99 a month, flat |
| Inner Circle | August 2026 | Too few reviews to mean anything yet | Free, then $14.99 or $34.99 a month, flat |
One page each
Inner Circle vs Locksmith
The established access-control app for Shopify against a new one: what Locksmith's Liquid conditions buy you, and where flat pricing wins instead.
ReadInner Circle vs Sami B2B Lock
The most-reviewed lock in the category against a new one: where 927 reviews are the whole argument, and the two places the apps are built for different jobs.
ReadInner Circle vs BSS B2B Lock
The widest set of lock conditions in the category, and the only free tier here that runs on a live store. What that free tier actually covers, and where it stops.
ReadInner Circle vs Wholesale Lock Manager
Two flat-priced locks at almost the same money. Which one fits depends on whether you already run Wholesale Helper's pricing app, and how buyers arrive.
ReadInner Circle vs Ymq B2B Lock
Two apps that both take access requests: what each free plan actually covers, where the paid tiers land as your Shopify plan grows, and when neither is worth it.
ReadInner Circle vs Atelier
A hosted invite-only storefront for the sale, against gating the store you already have. Where their percentage starts to cost more than our flat fee.
ReadInner Circle vs EQL
The drops specialist against a lock that also runs drops: draws and a cut of the launch, against a flat fee and a gate that is there the rest of the year.
ReadInner Circle vs Locket
The cheapest paid plan on this list against ours at twice the price. What $5.99 covers, where their free tier beats ours, and the two things it does not do.
ReadAll of them at once
The roundup puts fourteen apps side by side on the five questions that actually separate them, including several these pages do not cover.