Build vs. Buy on Shopify
Build, buy, customize, or wait — decided with numbers. Capability-by-capability verdicts with honest 3-year cost math.
BUILD
Custom wins on 3-year cost or fit — with maintenance counted honestly.
BUY
The app wins your scenario — we say so plainly.
CUSTOMIZE
Buy the app, build the glue: very often the honest mid-market answer.
WAIT
Shopify is shipping this natively. Don't spend yet; we'll tell you when it flips.
Latest Decisions
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AI & Automation (23)Analytics & Attribution (22)B2B & Wholesale (31)Bundles & Kits (7)Checkout & Conversion (42)Commerce Models (25)Content & Storefront (46)Discounts & Promotions (13)ERP, Accounting & Integrations (35)Email, SMS & Push (33)Gift Cards & Store Credit (9)International & Localization (24)Inventory & Operations (33)Loyalty, Referrals & Retention (20)Platform & Architecture (45)Product Data, Catalog & Merch Ops (25)Retail & POS (14)Returns & Exchanges (9)Reviews & UGC (25)SEO & Site Performance (15)Search & Discovery (24)Shipping, Delivery & Fulfillment (58)Subscriptions & Memberships (18)Support & Self-Service (28)Trust, Legal & Compliance (49)Upsell, Cross-sell & Personalization (22)Wishlist & Registry (6)