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
Signifyd vs. Native Fraud Analysis: Do You Need the Guarantee?
DEPENDSSignifyd beats native Fraud Analysis only once disputes clear roughly 0.3% of orders; below that line, Flow holds plus review ops win the math.
Trust, Legal & Compliance
Should You Build or Buy A/B Testing on Shopify?
CUSTOMIZEA/B testing on Shopify is a customize call: buy the statistical engine, build the variant surfaces it splits.
Analytics & Attribution
Should You Build or Buy AI Dynamic Bundles on Shopify?
BUYAI dynamic bundles are a buy for most mid-market Shopify stores: no native lane exists, and a per-shopper model is a data-science program, not a project.
Bundles & Kits
Should You Build or Buy Fraud Prevention on Shopify?
DEPENDSFraud prevention on Shopify is a buy once disputes clear roughly 0.3% of orders; below that line, customize Flow rules on native fraud analysis.
Trust, Legal & Compliance
Should You Build or Buy a Gift Card Program on Shopify?
WAITGift cards are native on every Shopify plan: the honest first move is spending nothing and merchandising what you already own.
Gift Cards & Store Credit
Should You Build or Buy Gift with Purchase on Shopify?
BUILDBuilding gift with purchase on Shopify Functions wins once your rule outgrows native discounts.
Upsell, Cross-sell & Personalization
Should You Build or Buy Shipping Label & Fulfillment Ops on Shopify?
BUYLabel printing and fulfillment ops is a buy once you pass roughly 500 orders a month or add a second carrier.
Shipping, Delivery & Fulfillment
Should You Build or Buy a Membership Program on Shopify?
CUSTOMIZEA membership program on Shopify is a customize call: bill the fee on native Subscription APIs and build the entitlement layer that makes the program yours.
Subscriptions & Memberships
Should You Build or Buy Merchandising Rules on Shopify?
BUYMerchandising rules are a BUY once a merch team trades collections weekly.
Search & Discovery
Should You Build or Buy a Mobile App for Your Shopify Store?
DEPENDSA mobile app storefront is a WAIT for most mid-market Shopify stores; buy an app builder only when push economics pay.
Content & Storefront