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
JSON-LD for SEO vs. Native Structured Data: Build or Buy Schema?
BUILDBuild structured data with the native structured_data filter plus theme JSON-LD; buy JSON-LD for SEO at $399/year (verified Sep 2026) only for a no-dev team.
SEO & Site Performance
Katana vs. Cin7 Core: Which Inventory System Fits Shopify?
WAITAn IMS is a WAIT for single-brand Shopify stores after Stocky's sunset; Katana wins the head-to-head for makers, Cin7 Core for multi-channel volume.
Inventory & Operations
Klarna vs. Afterpay: Do You Need Either on Shopify?
WAITShop Pay Installments beats both for US, Canada and UK stores on Shopify Payments; Klarna wins for European markets, Afterpay for Australia and New Zealand.
Checkout & Conversion
Klarna vs. Shop Pay Installments: Do You Need Klarna on Shopify?
WAITShop Pay Installments already covers US, Canadian and UK stores on Shopify Payments; buy Klarna for European markets or a store on another gateway.
Checkout & Conversion
Should You Build or Buy Live Shopping on Shopify?
WAITLive shopping on Shopify is a WAIT for most mid-market stores: audience size, not software, decides whether a show sells.
Commerce Models
Rewind Backups vs. Manual Exports: Can You Skip the Backup App?
BUYRewind Backups from $19/month (verified Sep 2026) beats manual CSV and theme exports: Shopify documents no restore feature, and orders can't be re-imported.
Platform & Architecture
Build or Buy Sales Funnels & One-Click Funnels on Shopify?
CUSTOMIZESales funnels on Shopify are a CUSTOMIZE call: landing sections, native checkout and a post-purchase offer beat moving checkout to a funnel platform.
Upsell, Cross-sell & Personalization
Sanity vs. Contentful for Shopify: Which Headless CMS Wins?
DEPENDSFor one Liquid storefront, native metaobjects beat both; Sanity wins a Shopify-first content model, Contentful wins when it already runs your enterprise content.
Content & Storefront
Sanity vs. Shopify Metaobjects: Do You Need a Headless CMS?
CUSTOMIZENative metaobjects plus theme sections cover one Liquid storefront with 2–5 editors; buy Sanity when content travels across several sites, brands or channels.
Content & Storefront
Build or Buy a Shopify SEO App Suite?
CUSTOMIZEAn SEO app suite on Shopify is a CUSTOMIZE decision: native fields, the bulk editor and Search Console cover the core job; buy only with no developer.
SEO & Site Performance