Akeneo Custom App: How can you develop your own extensions without going through the App Store?

A long-standing Akeneo partner and recently recognised with the “Leadership Award 2025”, Numendo supports companies in optimising their PIM ecosystem. Today, we are lifting the lid on a question our clients often ask: is it possible to deploy bespoke features via “Custom Apps” without publishing them on Akeneo’s official App Store? The answer is yes, and here is why this approach can transform your business agility.

Why has bespoke become the norm?

The Akeneo PIM is an extremely powerful solution out of the box. However, every company has its own specific features: an ageing but business-critical ERP, particular logistics flows, or syndication requirements towards niche marketplaces.

To meet these needs, Akeneo has modernised its connectivity architecture by introducing the concept of Apps. Unlike the old “Bundles” (specific to the on-premise edition), Apps use the REST API to interact with the PIM, which makes them compatible with SaaS versions and greatly simplifies updates.

Custom App vs App Store: strategic freedom

Akeneo’s App Store is a tremendous library of certified connectors. However, for a project specific to your organisation, publishing on this public store is neither necessary nor necessarily desirable.

1. Confidentiality and security

A Custom App developed by Numendo’s technical teams for your exclusive use stays within your own technical remit. You do not need to make your code or your business logic public, nor submit them to a third-party validation process, for a tool that will only be used internally.

2. A bespoke answer

Where some applications available in the App Store may only partly meet your need or require a few technical or functional adjustments, the Custom App comes into its own. Co-built together, the Custom App guarantees an exact answer to your expectations, with no superfluous features.

3. Agility and speed of deployment

By freeing yourself from the store publication process, you save valuable time. The development cycle is short: in workshops, we identify your need, our experts develop the application on a dedicated infrastructure (or yours), and we connect it directly to your instance using a client ID and a client secret.

4. Simplified maintenance

Since the application communicates via the API, it is isolated from the core of the PIM. As a result, when Akeneo updates automatically, your Custom App carries on working without regressions, and you do not have to wait for a third-party publisher to update it on the store.

How does Numendo support you in this approach?

As an expert Akeneo PIM integrator for more than 4 years, our role is to build the bridge between the power of Akeneo and your business tools. Our project managers, front-end and back-end developers and architects build with you the technology foundation essential to distributing reliable, omnichannel product information. Our methodology for Custom Apps rests on three pillars:

• Flow analysis: we determine the data entry and exit points to guarantee perfect synchronisation.
• API-first development: we use the latest Akeneo API standards to create lightweight, high-performing and secure extensions.
• Flexible hosting: whether on your servers or via a managed cloud solution, we adapt to your IT constraints.

Use cases: when should you choose a Custom App?

You should consider developing a custom application (outside the store) if:

• You need to connect Akeneo to a specific in-house (legacy) piece of software.
• You want to automate complex data processing specific to your sector of activity.
• You want to create a simplified supplier portal that only displays certain PIM attributes.

Conclusion: keep control of your roadmap

Akeneo’s strength lies in its openness. Not publishing on the App Store does not mean being “non-standard” — quite the contrary. It means using Akeneo’s modern architecture to serve your business objectives with total flexibility.

At Numendo, we believe technology should adapt to your processes, and not the other way round. Building on our recognised expertise, we help you build a unique, high-performing and perfectly integrated PIM ecosystem.