Shopify gets a store selling fast on a platform built for exactly that. Custom e-commerce trades that speed for control — when your pricing logic, catalog structure, or checkout flow doesn't fit the Shopify model, even with apps stacked on top. Most stores are well served by Shopify; fewer need custom than the app-store marketplace suggests.
Start with Shopify if your store fits a standard retail model — it's faster to launch and battle-tested for the basics. Go custom when your business logic genuinely doesn't fit the Shopify mold, not before you've tried solving it with the app ecosystem first.
Usually when business logic — complex pricing tiers, B2B workflows, unusual fulfillment, or catalog structures — starts requiring several apps stacked together, each with its own quirks and fees. At that point, a custom build often ends up simpler than maintaining the app stack.
Upfront, yes — you're building what Shopify gives you out of the box. Over time, it depends: Shopify's subscription plus app fees can add up as functionality needs grow, while a custom build has higher initial cost but no recurring per-feature charges.
Yes — product catalogs, order history, and customer data can be exported and rebuilt on custom infrastructure. It's common to launch on Shopify to validate the business, then move to custom development once specific logic or scale outgrows what the platform and its apps can comfortably handle.
Complex B2B pricing and approval workflows, marketplace models with multiple sellers, non-standard fulfillment or subscription logic, and deep integrations with internal systems are common cases where Shopify's app-based extensibility starts to feel like a workaround rather than a fit.
Not sure whether Shopify or a custom build fits your business logic? Tell us about your store and we'll recommend the right starting point.