WHEN TO DITCH SHOPIFY AND BUILD CUSTOM

Let's get this out of the way: Shopify is a great product. For most businesses starting out, it's the right choice. It's fast to set up, handles payments, and you don't need a developer.

But there's a tipping point. And if you've landed on this page, you might be past it.

SIGNS YOU'VE OUTGROWN SHOPIFY

• You're paying for 5+ apps to do things that should be built-in (subscriptions, bundles, wholesale pricing).
• Your page speed score is in the 30s because of app bloat and theme JavaScript.
• You need custom logic that Shopify's Liquid templates can't handle.
• Your monthly Shopify bill (platform + apps) is over $500.
• You're losing sales because the checkout flow doesn't match your business model.

WHAT CUSTOM GETS YOU

A custom storefront built with Next.js and Stripe gives you complete control over the experience. Sub-second page loads. Any pricing model you want. A checkout flow designed around how your customers actually buy.

One of our clients -- a candle company -- switched from Shopify to a custom storefront and saw their conversion rate triple in the first month. Their page load went from 4.2 seconds to 0.8.

THE HONEST MATH

A custom storefront costs more upfront than a Shopify theme. But you stop paying for apps. You stop paying Shopify's transaction fees. And you get a faster site that converts better.

For businesses doing $20K+/month in revenue, the math usually works out in your favor within 6 months.