# Overview (/docs/start)



Appbrew apps are config-driven React Native apps. The screens, blocks, theme, and navigation come from app config served by the Appbrew backend; the code in your repo renders that config and extends it with custom blocks, features, and integrations.

There are two ways to develop on Appbrew. Pick the track that matches you.

## The two tracks [#the-two-tracks]

<Cards>
  <Card title="Merchant quickstart" href="/docs/start/merchant-quickstart">
    You work on a store's own app. Appbrew provisions a dedicated app repo for
    your store; you clone it and build custom blocks, screens, and features
    that ship in your app's releases.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Partner quickstart" href="/docs/start/partner-quickstart">
    You build an integration other merchants can enable. Appbrew shares a
    sample app repo with you; you develop an integration package inside it,
    publish the package, and Appbrew enables it for merchant apps.
  </Card>
</Cards>

**Merchant app developers** own one app. Your repo arrives ready to run: registry access is committed, dependencies are pinned, and the `.env` already points at your store's config. Everything you build lives in the repo and ships with the app.

**Partner integration developers** build a package, not an app. The sample app is your host: it runs against a demo store out of the box, so you need no Shopify account to start. Your integration lives in `packages/<name>/` as a workspace package, and the finished result is published to a registry so any merchant app can depend on it.

## First hour, both tracks [#first-hour-both-tracks]

Both tracks follow the same first hour:

1. Install the toolchain — see [Prerequisites](/docs/start/prerequisites). One tool (`mise`) installs everything pinned by the repo.
2. Clone the repo Appbrew gave you and run `mise install` then `pnpm install`.
3. Boot the app with `pnpm run-ios` or `pnpm run-android` — see [Run your app](/docs/start/run-your-app).

From there the tracks diverge: merchants go on to [building custom blocks](/docs/build/custom-blocks), partners go on to [building integrations](/docs/build/integrations).

<Callout type="info" title="No repo yet?">
  Both tracks start from a repo Appbrew provisions for you. If you don't have
  one, [contact Appbrew](/docs/start/getting-help) before going further — there
  is no self-serve path to create one.
</Callout>

## If you get stuck [#if-you-get-stuck]

[Getting help](/docs/start/getting-help) covers how to reach Appbrew, what to include in a report, and which problems (registry 401s, access requests, release questions) need Appbrew's side to fix.