Shopify vs Custom E-commerce
The Rent vs Build debate for serious retailers. When does the monthly fee become more than the developer cost?
Quick Overview
Shopify is the world's best SaaS e-commerce builder. Custom Custom (usually Next.js + Node) is for brands that have outgrown Shopify's constraints or hate paying transaction fees.
Head-to-Head Comparison
The Trade-Off
Speed & Stability
Shopify handles the hosting, security, and checkout compliance. You focus on selling. You can't break the checkout even if you try.
- Hosted solution
- PCI Compliant
- Millions of dollars in R&D
Power & Ownership
You build the exact experience you want. 3D configurators? AI try-ons? Complex bundle logic? You can code anything. But you fix it if it breaks.
- Own your data
- No platform fees
- Complex UX possible
Marketing Tech Stack
One-Click Integrations
Want to add Facebook Pixel? Click 'Connect'. Want Email Marketing? Install Klaviyo. Shopify's app store makes marketing Ops instant.
- Instant Pixel setup
- Native GA4 integration
- No dev needed for ads
Manual Configuration
You have to manually code every 'Add to Cart' event to send to Facebook. It gives you more granular data control, but it's a headache to set up.
- Custom event coding
- Server-side tracking (GTM)
- Full data ownership
Shopify Pros & Cons
Pros
- • Proven conversion optimized checkout
- • App ecosystem
- • No server maintenance
- • Reliability
Cons
- • Transaction fees
- • URL barriers (/products/)
- • Hard to customize checkout logic
- • App monthly bills pile up
Custom (Next.js) Pros & Cons
Pros
- • Zero transaction fees
- • 100% SEO control
- • Unique brand experience
- • Integrate with any ERP/WMS
Cons
- • Checkout security is your job
- • Expensive to build & maintain
- • Bugs can kill sales
- • Requires dev team retainer
Which is Right For You?
Common scenarios where one clearly wins.
Standard D2C Brand
You sell clothes, shoes, or food. Standard catalog. No weird logic.
Marketplace / Aggregator
You have multi-vendor requirements or complex rental/booking logic.
High Volume (Low Margin)
You do 10,000 orders/day. Shopify's transaction fees are eating your entire profit margin.
Scaling in India
The 'Shopify Plus' Cliff
To get custom checkout in Shopify, you need the Plus plan (~$2000/mo). For many Indian brands, this is too steep, pushing them to Custom Code earlier than US brands.
Payment Stack
Custom builds allow you to route payments dynamically (e.g., 'If UPI fails, show Razorpay'). Shopify is more rigid.
Integration with Indian Logistics
Shopify has great plugins for Shiprocket/Delhivery. Custom builds require you to maintain these API connections yourself.
Stick to Shopify Until It Hurts
Don't build custom e-commerce until you are processing ₹1 Crore+/month or have a business model Shopify LITERALLY cannot support (e.g., complex rentals). The cost of maintaining custom e-commerce usually outweighs the Shopify fees for small-medium brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Next.js be as fast as Shopify?
Faster. Next.js Edge delivery is often faster than Shopify's liquid rendering. But you need good developers to achieve that.
What acts as the backend for Custom?
You can use Shopify Headless (best of both), MedusaJS, or a custom Node/Python backend.
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