02Our Headless Shopify Process
From Headless Shopify Development Plan to a Live Storefront
You see the architecture, hosting and budget before development starts.
05Projects We've Built
Ecommerce Projects We Have Built
A selection of Shopify and ecommerce builds shipped for clients, including storefronts built for speed and custom experiences.
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LET'S DISCUSS
We had a different kind of problem. People were visiting the store, adding products to their carts, and then disappearing before they finished the order. We had tried a few apps and made changes here and there, but nothing really seemed to solve the bigger issue. The team went through the shopping experience with us and pointed out things we hadn't really noticed ourselves. They cleaned up the cart and checkout flow, made the mobile experience much smoother, and helped us make the store feel easier to shop. I’m not going to pretend we fixed everything overnight, but it finally feels like the store is helping the sale instead of getting in the way of it.
Ethan Parker
Founder of Elite Academy
The mobile experience is probably my favourite part of the new site. We had spent a lot of time making sure the desktop version looked right, and the team kept pushing us to think about how everything would actually feel on a phone too. They were right. The navigation is clean, the interactions feel natural, and everything we’ve tested so far works exactly as it should. They also went through the links, forms, integrations, and other details more than once before launch, which I really appreciated. And even after going live, we could still reach out when something came up. The whole process felt friendly, organised, and surprisingly straightforward.
James Whitmore
Head of Marketing of Lumen Outdoor
We had a pretty specific idea of what we wanted our website to become, but I wasn’t sure how easily we could explain all of it to a development team. There were quite a few moving parts, and we were working toward a deadline, so I expected a few things to get lost along the way. That never really happened. They understood what we were trying to achieve, kept us updated throughout the process, and got everything ready within the agreed timeline. The final site feels much easier to navigate, works beautifully on mobile, and is noticeably smoother for our customers. It was a huge relief seeing the original idea actually turn into the website we had in mind.
Michael Bennett
Founder & CEO of Northbridge Consulting
07Work Culture
Why Brands Trust Us With Headless
Headless is powerful and expensive, so we make sure it is the right choice first. These are the habits we bring to every headless Shopify development company engagement.
Honest about fit
We tell you when a Liquid theme would serve you better.
The right framework
We pick Hydrogen or Next.js for your situation, not our preference.
Checkout and apps planned
Headless can break apps, so we plan integrations early.
Speed measured
Sub-second load times are tested, not promised.
Content in control
Your team can update content without a developer.
Clear budget ranges
Hydrogen and Next.js builds have set starting prices.
08Overview
What is headless Shopify, who needs it, and how much does it cost?
Headless makes sense for content-heavy brands, complex product filtering, or catalogs under 10,000 products where storytelling matters. Hydrogen, Shopify's own React/Remix framework, typically launches in under 4 months; Next.js is more flexible but usually takes 6+ months. Checkout still redirects to Shopify's hosted checkout either way. Hydrogen builds start from $9,999, Next.js from $19,999.
- Service
- Headless Shopify development
- Starting price
- Hydrogen from $9,999, Next.js builds from $19,999
- Typical timeline
- Under 4 months for Hydrogen, 6+ months for a Next.js build
- Platform
- Shopify or Shopify Plus backend, Hydrogen or Next.js frontend
- Built with
- Storefront architecture, framework selection, app audit, and checkout integration
- Experience
- 10+ years and 150+ shipped projects
- Post-launch support
- 30 days included, plus ongoing retainer options
- Communication
- Calls in US, UK, and AU business hours
Who it's for
Content-heavy brands needing an editorial layer beyond product pages
Your storytelling and content needs go beyond what a Shopify theme handles well.
Stores with complex filtering on custom taxonomies
Shopify's native filtering doesn't support the way your catalog needs to be browsed.
Regulated or luxury brands where narrative and compliance content matter
You need more control over layout and content than a theme allows.
Businesses deciding between Hydrogen and a custom Next.js build
You're not sure which framework fits your team's skills and roadmap.
Teams that need existing apps audited before going headless
You want to know what breaks and what needs replacing before committing.
Not a fit for
You have a smaller catalog and a decent theme is already serving you well. Our Custom Shopify Theme Development or Custom Shopify Development covers most stores better than headless would.
You want headless on a platform other than Shopify, or a backend-agnostic approach. Our Headless Commerce Agency covers that broader positioning.
You specifically want the Hydrogen framework and nothing else. Our Shopify Hydrogen Development page covers that in more depth.
09Pricing
Transparent Starting Prices for a Headless Shopify Build
These are starting points in USD. Your final price depends on framework choice and storefront complexity, and you get a fixed proposal after scoping.
11The Right Technology for Your Project
Technology Stack
We deliver Shopify headless development with Hydrogen and Oxygen or a Next.js frontend, connected to Shopify's Storefront API.
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Book Your Exclusive Strategy Session Today!
Pick a 30-minute slot that works for you. We meet on Google Meet to align on goals, scope, and the right next step.
What is headless Shopify and who needs it?
Headless Shopify separates your storefront frontend from Shopify's backend, which still handles checkout, inventory, and orders. It suits content-heavy brands, complex product filtering, or catalogs under 10,000 products where storytelling matters, not a store that just needs a couple hundred products and a decent theme.
How much does headless Shopify development cost?
Hydrogen builds start from $9,999, custom Next.js builds start from $19,999, scoped to your catalog, content needs, and integrations after a discovery call.
Hydrogen or a custom Next.js storefront: which is better?
Hydrogen is Shopify's own React and Remix framework, built for speed to market within the Shopify ecosystem and typically launches in under 4 months. Next.js is more flexible and backend-agnostic, useful if you need to connect other systems, but usually takes 6 or more months.
How does headless affect SEO and page speed?
Cached headless pages can serve in under 50 milliseconds versus 300 to 800 milliseconds on a standard Shopify theme, which supports better Core Web Vitals and conversion, but SEO fundamentals like redirects and structured data still need to be handled correctly during the build.
What happens to apps in a headless build?
Some apps don't work out of the box with a headless frontend. We audit app dependencies, subscriptions, reviews, and loyalty tools, early in the process so you know what transfers and what needs a headless-compatible replacement.
How long does a headless migration take?
Under 4 months for a Hydrogen build. A custom Next.js build typically takes 6 or more months depending on scope.
How do checkout and cart work in headless?
Checkout still redirects to Shopify's hosted checkout regardless of your frontend framework. Customer accounts run through Shopify's Customer Account API, using OAuth with PKCE, since the older Multipass method was deprecated.
Can you migrate my existing Shopify store to headless?
Yes. We audit your current theme, apps, and content structure, then rebuild the storefront in Hydrogen or Next.js while keeping your existing product, customer, and order data on Shopify's backend.