Build vs. Buy on Shopify
Build, buy, customize, or wait — decided with numbers. Capability-by-capability verdicts with honest 3-year cost math.
Custom wins on 3-year cost or fit — with maintenance counted honestly.
The app wins your scenario — we say so plainly.
Buy the app, build the glue: very often the honest mid-market answer.
Shopify is shipping this natively. Don't spend yet; we'll tell you when it flips.
Latest Decisions
Gorgias vs. Freshdesk for Shopify Support: Which Helpdesk Wins?
BUYGorgias wins the head-to-head for Shopify-first support; Freshdesk has no Shopify App Store listing and wins only as a wider service desk. Build deflection at scale.
Support & Self-Service
Zendesk vs. Freshdesk for Shopify Support: Which Desk Wins?
BUYZendesk wins Shopify support with a listed integration at $55–$150/mo tiers; Freshdesk has no Shopify App Store listing, only vendor pricing (verified Sep 2026).
Support & Self-Service
Do Your Installed Apps Share One Rate-Limit Bucket?
WAITEach app draws on its own Admin API bucket per store, at 40 requests standard and 400 on Plus (verified Sep 2026). More apps add no contention.
Platform & Architecture
Should You Build or Buy Per-Shipment B2B Invoicing on Plus?
WAITPayment requests per fulfillment are Plus-only, so each shipment of a split B2B order bills natively. No app does this; below Plus it's an accounting-system job.
B2B & Wholesale
Does One App Subscription Cover Every Plus Expansion Store?
DEPENDSApps bill per store, not per organization, so a five-store Plus portfolio pays five times for one app. The crossover math decides when to build instead.
Platform & Architecture
Do You Need a New Theme License for Every Expansion Store?
DEPENDSTheme licenses repeat per production store on Plus, and staging stores are exempt. The license is the cheap part; the customization behind it is what repeats.
Platform & Architecture
Should You Run Hydrogen and Your Theme in Parallel?
CUSTOMIZEHydrogen and an Online Store 2.0 theme can run against one catalog and cart. Shopify documents the compatibility; the routing layer between them is yours to build.
Content & Storefront
Should You Build Real-Time Pickup Eligibility on Plus?
BUYPickup eligibility beyond stock on hand needs the Plus-only Local Pickup Delivery Option Generator Function; the native toggle and pickup apps cover the rest.
Shipping, Delivery & Fulfillment
Should You Build or Buy a Local-Pickup Handling Fee?
BUILDCharging a pickup-specific handling fee inside checkout needs the Plus-only Local Pickup Charges Function; surcharge apps price carts, not the pickup option.
Shipping, Delivery & Fulfillment
Should You Bet on Shopify Plus Feature Test Drives?
WAITEarly access to unreleased Shopify features is a Plus benefit and a bet. Test-drive in a staging store now; commit the order path only at general availability.
Platform & Architecture