We build on Shopify and custom, so we've no dog in this fight — just a straight answer on which suits which business. If you're choosing a platform for an online store, start here.
Where Shopify wins
- Speed to launch. You can be selling quickly with a secure, trusted checkout.
- It handles the critical, boring stuff — payments, security, hosting, updates — so you don't have to.
- A huge app ecosystem covers most common needs out of the box.
For most product businesses, Shopify — built properly, not just a theme dropped on top — is the right call. It's what we recommend by default.
Where it starts to cost you
- App creep. Every app is a monthly fee. Stack enough and your “cheap” platform quietly costs hundreds a month.
- Transaction fees add up as you grow.
- The checkout and logic bend only so far. Unusual bundling, pricing, or workflows can hit a wall.
Where a custom store earns its keep
Custom makes sense when your model is genuinely different — complex product configurators, subscriptions with odd rules, a huge catalogue, or a buying experience you can't get off the shelf. It costs more up front and removes the ceiling.
Start on Shopify unless you have a specific reason not to. “We might scale one day” isn't one — you can move when the day actually comes.
A quick way to decide
Ask: “Is there something core to how I sell that a normal store can't do?” If you can't name one, Shopify built well will serve you better and cheaper. If you can — and it's central to your business — custom is worth pricing.
Not sure which you are? That's a five-minute conversation. See how we build stores, or book a call and we'll point you at the cheaper-in-the-long-run option — even if that's not us building it.
