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
How Many Bulk Operations Can Run at Once on Plus?
BUILDEach app gets up to five simultaneous bulk query operations per shop on API 2026-01 and higher (verified Sep 2026). Separate apps never share one slot.
ERP, Accounting & Integrations
Core Checkout Steps vs. Thank You: What's Plus-Only?
CUSTOMIZECustom UI on the information, shipping and payment steps is Plus-only; Thank You and Order Status extensions are open on every plan except Starter.
Checkout & Conversion
Do Customer Accounts Follow Shoppers Across Plus Stores?
CUSTOMIZEEach Plus store keeps its own customer records, so accounts don't follow shoppers between stores. Multipass rides legacy accounts Shopify deprecated.
Platform & Architecture
Should You Build or Buy Reusable Flow Automation on Plus?
BUILDShopify Flow is store-scoped, so a Plus organization with ten stores maintains ten separate workflow libraries. One central service replaces the copying.
Inventory & Operations
Should You Build or Buy Cross-Store Inventory Sync on Plus?
BUYProducts, collections and inventory aren't synced between Plus expansion stores. Syncio covers mirrored catalogs under 1,000 products; past that, an ERP owns it.
Inventory & Operations
Should You Build or Buy Cross-Store Refund Reconciliation?
BUYShopify reconciles nothing between sibling stores' ledgers. A per-store accounting connector closes the gap far cheaper than a custom finance feed.
Analytics & Attribution
Should You Build or Buy Cross-Store Staff Access on Plus?
WAITCustom organization-level roles give one staff login reach across a Plus organization. No app grants staff access across stores; below Plus, every store is separate.
Platform & Architecture
Do Custom Apps Inherit Any of Shopify's Compliance Vetting?
BUILDShopify's app review covers both public app types, listed and unlisted. Custom apps are never described as reviewed, and compliance webhooks follow the App Store.
Trust, Legal & Compliance
Should You Build or Buy Protected Customer Data Access on Plus?
BUILDNo app grants protected customer data access; Shopify grants it per app. On Plus, build the custom app when the workflow is yours; buy a certified app when one fits.
Trust, Legal & Compliance
Should You Build a Custom Flow Connector on Shopify Plus?
BUILDOnly Plus stores can use Flow tasks from custom partner apps. Build one when an outside event must start a workflow; Send HTTP Request covers outbound calls.
Email, SMS & Push