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
Customer Account API vs. a Custom Login System on Headless?
WAITShopify's Customer Account API authenticates buyers on headless. A custom login build costs six figures, and legacy accounts are deprecated since February 2026.
Platform & Architecture
Can You Guarantee Customer Data Never Leaves a Region?
DEPENDSNew European merchants get store, order and customer data stored at rest in Europe by default, and Shopify still relies on international transfers to process it.
Trust, Legal & Compliance
Build or Buy Delivery Customization Functions on Plus?
BUYHiding, renaming or sorting shipping options is a $3.99–$7.99/month app decision on any plan (verified Sep 2026); a custom delivery function needs Plus.
Shipping, Delivery & Fulfillment
Should You Build or Buy Company-Specific B2B Pricing on Plus?
WAITDirect company catalogs give one company or location its own price list natively on Plus; below Plus, an app's per-customer price lists are the workaround.
B2B & Wholesale
Should You Build or Buy Custom Discount Types on Shopify Plus?
BUILDCustom discount functions ship only inside custom apps, which need Shopify Plus; non-Plus stores get discount functions only through App Store apps.
Discounts & Promotions
Should You Build or Buy Bot Protection for a Product Drop?
BUYShopify's flash-sale guidance names four store settings and no waiting room. Fair queueing through a hyped drop is a separate app, not a platform feature.
Commerce Models
Should You Build or Buy Per-Customer Drop Limits on Plus?
BUILDPer-customer drop limits on Plus are a validation-function build: the only purpose-built drop app pairs enterprise pricing with two App Store reviews.
Checkout & Conversion
Per-Store App Fees or a Shared Hydrogen Front End on Plus?
BUYApps bill per store and theme licenses repeat per store on Plus. A shared Hydrogen front end removes the theme fee and little else. Go headless for other reasons.
International & Localization
Expansion Store vs. Shopify Markets: Which Fits a New Region?
WAITMarkets keeps a new region on the store you have. An expansion store fits a new brand or entity; nine are free on Plus, but apps and themes bill again per store.
International & Localization
Plus's 30-Day Card Authorization vs. a Custom Reauth Flow?
WAITPlus stretches Shopify Payments authorizations from 7 to up to 30 days for some payment types. Nothing to build inside that window; past it, buy a deposit app.
Email, SMS & Push