Codebase or theme review
What your theme does today, or which breaking changes stand between your code and the current release.
The Problem
Hydrogen Rewards Good Engineering and Punishes Skipped Upgrades
It shows up when a theme can't build what you need, or when an older Hydrogen storefront falls behind Shopify's quarterly releases.
01 · Theme limits
Your Liquid theme can't handle the product builder you need.
New builds follow Hydrogen's own patterns for routes, caching, and SEO.
02 · Orphaned code
Your Hydrogen storefront was built by a team that moved on.
We read your existing code first instead of pitching a rebuild.
03 · Skipped upgrades
Skip a few quarterly releases and upgrades get harder.
Older storefronts move forward one release at a time, each tested on a preview.
04 · Experience
You need developers who have done Hydrogen upgrades before.
Handover includes an upgrade schedule for the releases ahead.
Maybe your Liquid theme can't handle the product builder you need, so Hydrogen is on the table. Or you already run Hydrogen, built on Remix by a team that has moved on. Shopify ships a Hydrogen release every quarter, tied to the Storefront API version. Skip a few and upgrades get harder: route files change, imports break, and old API versions lose support. Either way, you need Hydrogen developers who have done this before.
We start by reading your theme or your Hydrogen code, not by pitching a rebuild. New builds follow Hydrogen's own patterns, with URLs matched to your current store and admin redirects still working. Older storefronts move forward release by release, each step tested on an Oxygen preview link. You get a current storefront, not a pile of skipped upgrades.
Built on Hydrogen's own patterns
Routes, caching, and SEO helpers from Hydrogen itself, so upgrades follow Shopify's guides.
Upgrades one release at a time
Older storefronts move forward step by step, each step tested on a preview link.
Old links keep working
Product and collection URLs stay put, and admin redirects still resolve through Hydrogen.
Our Hydrogen Development Process
From Code Review to Live Oxygen Deploy in Five Steps
You see the plan for your theme or codebase, each change on an Oxygen preview link, and the launch checklist before anything goes live.
We look at your Liquid theme or Hydrogen repository, your apps, and your goals. You learn whether Hydrogen fits and what the work involves. If your theme can do the job, we'll tell you before we quote.
What's Included
What You Get From a Shopify Hydrogen Agency
Every plan leaves your storefront on the current Hydrogen release, deployed on Oxygen with SEO checks. Plans 2 and 3 add a rebuild, app connections, CMS content, and markets.
Compare Options
DeveloperLook vs Liquid Theme Developers vs General React Agencies
A Liquid developer costs less and ships faster when a theme can do the job, and a React agency knows the framework family. The rows show where each fits.
| Feature | DeveloperLookBest fit | Liquid theme developer | General React agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen experience | Builds and upgrades shipped | Rarely works in React | React, but not Hydrogen |
| Speed to launch | 6 to 16 weeks for builds | Fastest for theme work | Learning curve on Shopify |
| Upfront cost | From $950 for upgrades | Lowest for theme changes | Agency rates, discovery first |
| Shopify APIs | Storefront and Customer Account APIs | Liquid objects only | Learned on your project |
| SEO carry-over | Admin redirects and sitemaps kept | Built into themes | Often rebuilt from scratch |
| Oxygen hosting | Set up with previews | Not needed | Often Vercel instead |
| Version upgrades | Quarterly schedule planned | Theme updates only | Handled when something breaks |
| Code ownership | Your GitHub and Oxygen | Your theme files | Varies by contract |
DeveloperLook
Liquid theme developer
- Hydrogen experience
- DeveloperLook: Builds and upgrades shippedLiquid theme developer: Rarely works in React
- Speed to launch
- DeveloperLook: 6 to 16 weeks for buildsLiquid theme developer: Fastest for theme work
- Upfront cost
- DeveloperLook: From $950 for upgradesLiquid theme developer: Lowest for theme changes
- Shopify APIs
- DeveloperLook: Storefront and Customer Account APIsLiquid theme developer: Liquid objects only
- SEO carry-over
- DeveloperLook: Admin redirects and sitemaps keptLiquid theme developer: Built into themes
- Oxygen hosting
- DeveloperLook: Set up with previewsLiquid theme developer: Not needed
- Version upgrades
- DeveloperLook: Quarterly schedule plannedLiquid theme developer: Theme updates only
- Code ownership
- DeveloperLook: Your GitHub and OxygenLiquid theme developer: Your theme files
Projects We've Built
Ecommerce Projects We Have Built
Ecommerce storefronts our team has designed and built. A Hydrogen project gets the same component planning, preview reviews, and launch checks.
Fuison Fashion Ecommerce Website and Dashboard
- Fashion
- Dashboard
- E-commerce
Sefinix Furniture Ecommerce Store and Dashboard
- Furniture
- Dashboard
- E-commerce
Glamory Beauty & Makeup Ecommerce App and Dashboard
- Beauty
- Fashion
- E-commerce
Havenly Furniture Ecommerce Website
- Furniture
- E-commerce
- Dashboard
What Our Clients Say
What Clients Say After Launch
Feedback from teams we have built custom Shopify storefronts for.
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.
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.
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.
1,250+
Projects shipped
10+
Years of experience
Top 3%
Upwork Top Rated Plus
5 stars
Average review score
Want results like these?
Tell us what you are building. You get a reply within 24 hours on business days, then a written estimate.
Work Culture
Why Teams Trust Us With Their Hydrogen Code
Hydrogen gives you full control of the storefront, and full responsibility for it. These habits keep that code current, fast, and easy to hand on.
Upgrades on a schedule
We plan each quarterly Hydrogen release instead of letting them pile up. Small, regular upgrades cost far less than one rushed jump.
Hydrogen's patterns first
We use Hydrogen's own components, caching, and SEO helpers before writing custom code. That keeps your storefront close to Shopify's upgrade guides.
Every push on a preview
Each change deploys to its own Oxygen preview link before it reaches production. You approve what you see, and customers only get tested code.
Old links looked after
Hydrogen can read the redirects you already keep in the Shopify admin. We test them before launch, so old links and ads land on real pages.
Fixed scope, fixed price
Upgrades and builds get a fixed quote after the code review. New requests get their own quote before we start them.
Your repo, your Oxygen
Your repository sits in your GitHub organization, and Oxygen runs inside your Shopify admin. Any developer can pick it up without asking us.
Overview
Who builds and maintains Shopify Hydrogen storefronts?
DeveloperLook builds and maintains Shopify Hydrogen storefronts on Oxygen, Shopify's hosting for Hydrogen. We rebuild Liquid themes in Hydrogen with URLs and SEO intact, and upgrade older storefronts to the current release. Upgrades start at $950 and take 1 to 3 weeks, and full builds launch in 6 to 16 weeks.
DEVELOPERLOOK
Project facts · Shopify Hydrogen Development
- Service
- Shopify Hydrogen development (builds, theme rebuilds, upgrades, Oxygen)
- Typical timeline
- 1 to 3 weeks for upgrades, 6 to 16 for builds
- Platforms
- Shopify and Shopify Plus, hosted on Oxygen
- Built with
- Hydrogen, React Router, Storefront API, Customer Account API, GitHub
- Experience
- 10+ years of development experience and 1,250+ shipped projects
- Post-launch support
- 30 days of post-launch support on every plan
- Communication
- Calls in US, UK, and AU business hours
- Starting price
- From $950 USD for an upgrade, fixed quote for builds
Reviewed 28 Sep 2026 by Saimul Islam
Good fit
Brands whose Liquid theme hit its limit
Your theme can't handle the product builder or content layouts you need, and you want to stay on Shopify.
Stores on an older Hydrogen build
Your Hydrogen storefront still runs on Remix, and every upgrade guide you open now assumes React Router 7.
Teams short on Hydrogen skills
You need to hire Shopify Hydrogen developers for a project already underway, without training a new team first.
Plus brands with several storefronts
You run several brands or expansion stores on Plus and would rather maintain one Hydrogen codebase for all of them.
Agencies with a Hydrogen project
Your agency won a Hydrogen project and needs a Shopify Hydrogen agency to build it under your brand.
Not a fit
Framework not chosen yet
You haven't picked between Hydrogen and Next.js yet. Our Headless Shopify Agency page weighs both and offers a starter storefront from $1,450.
Leaving Shopify
You're leaving Shopify, or want a composable stack across several systems. Headless Commerce Agency is where we compare platforms and architectures first.
Liquid features only
Your Liquid theme only needs new features or speed fixes. Custom Shopify Development handles that without replacing the storefront.
Premium theme covers it
Your budget is under $950, or a premium theme already covers your catalog and content. Hydrogen would add upkeep without adding sales.
Not sure we're the right fit?
Book a free call or message us. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right team.
Pricing
Transparent Starting Prices for Hydrogen Work
These are starting points in USD. Your final price depends on your code or theme, the apps involved, and any markets, and you get a fixed proposal after a free code review.
For existing Hydrogen storefronts that have fallen behind Shopify's current release.
$950one-time, USD
- Code review and upgrade plan
- Upgrade to the current Hydrogen release
- Remix to React Router 7 move if needed
- Oxygen preview environments set up
- Speed, SEO, and redirect checks
- 30 days of post-launch support
Recommended
For stores rebuilding their current Liquid theme in Hydrogen, matched page for page.
$3,900one-time, USD
- Everything in Hydrogen Upgrade
- Every theme template rebuilt in Hydrogen
- Design matched to your current theme
- Up to 8 apps connected by API
- URLs kept and admin redirects tested
- Deploys from GitHub to Oxygen
For brands that want a new design, CMS content, and markets on Hydrogen.
$7,900one-time, USD
- Everything in Liquid to Hydrogen Rebuild
- New component library from your Figma designs
- Content from metaobjects or a headless CMS
- Localized routes and prices for each market
- Customer Account API sign-in
- 1 custom feature such as a product builder
For Agencies
White-Label Hydrogen Development for Agencies
You own the client relationship. We supply Hydrogen engineers for builds, rebuilds, and upgrades, working in your repository under your brand. Your client gets preview links to review and a storefront that stays current.
How the partnership works
White label: your client only ever sees your brand
- Your client
- You, the agency
- DeveloperLook
Share the repo
Give us read access to the client's code or theme, plus the brief.
- Client needs
- You share the details
- Details received
We quote it
You get an upgrade or build plan with a fixed price to resell.
- Scope and plan
- Proposal to resell
- Your quoteYOUR LOGO
We ship, you present
We deliver on preview links while you run client reviews and sign-off.
- Done by our team
- Your brand on it
- Handed to your clientDone
Partner with DeveloperLookDelivered under your brand
Stay client-facing
Your brand on every deliverable, and the client relationship stays yours.
Hydrogen specialists
Engineers who know Oxygen, the Storefront API, and Hydrogen's upgrade path.
Preview-first delivery
Every change reaches your client on an Oxygen preview link first.
Upgrade coverage
We can own quarterly upgrades after launch, under your brand.
The Right Technology for Your Project
Technology Stack
We build with Hydrogen's own stack: React Router routes, the Storefront API, and Oxygen hosting, with Lighthouse and Search Console checking speed and SEO.
Hydrogen
React
Remix
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
- Storefront API
- Customer Account API
- Shopify Plus
GraphQL
- Oxygen
Node.js
Figma
Algolia
Lighthouse
PageSpeed Insights
Chrome DevTools
Google Search Console
Google Analytics (GA4)
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers on what Hydrogen is, costs, timelines, apps, SEO, upgrades, and Oxygen.
Saimul IslamFounder & CEO, DeveloperLookStill have questions?
Send a message or book a call with the team.
Hydrogen is Shopify's React framework for building custom storefronts, now built on React Router. It reads your products and content through the Storefront API and deploys to Oxygen, Shopify's hosting, which costs nothing extra on paid Shopify plans. Checkout, payments, and orders stay on Shopify.
Choose a Liquid theme if a good theme can do what you need: it costs less and keeps most apps working as installed. Choose Hydrogen when you need layouts, product builders, or data a theme can't handle, and can budget for regular upgrades. We'll tell you which fits after a code review.
Hydrogen work with us starts at $950 for upgrading an existing storefront to the current release. Rebuilding your Liquid theme in Hydrogen costs $3,900, and a custom storefront with new design, CMS content, and markets is $7,900. For a starter storefront from a template, our headless Shopify page starts at $1,450.
Upgrades take 1 to 3 weeks, depending on how many releases your storefront is behind. A Liquid-to-Hydrogen rebuild takes 6 to 10 weeks, and custom storefronts with markets take 12 to 16. We fix the timeline in the plan step, after reading your code or theme.
Yes. We rebuild each Liquid template as a Hydrogen route, match your design, and keep product and collection URLs the same. Apps that relied on theme blocks get API connections or replacements. Your theme stays live until launch, so nothing changes for shoppers until the switch.
Some do and some don't. Theme app extensions are built for Online Store themes, so Hydrogen reaches those apps through their APIs or SDKs instead. Reviews, subscriptions, and email tools often offer one. We list every app with its route or replacement before quoting, so nothing surprises you later.
Hydrogen can speed pages up because routes render on the server and cache at the edge on Oxygen. For SEO, it ships helpers for meta tags and JSON-LD, sitemap routes, and a redirect utility that reads your admin redirects. We check each one before launch.
Yes. Oxygen runs inside your Shopify admin, so hosting stays in your account, and we handle deployments, environments, and upgrades. Shopify releases a new Storefront API version every quarter, and each is supported for at least 12 months, so we plan upgrades on that rhythm.
Yes. Hydrogen moved from Remix to React Router 7 in its May 2025 release, so older storefronts need route, import, and API changes. We upgrade in steps, test each one on an Oxygen preview link, and leave you on the current release with notes on what changed.
Yes. Our Hydrogen developers can join a project already underway for a fixed scope, working in your repository and your team's workflow. We start with a code review, so the first sprint goes to real work instead of setup questions. Your team keeps full ownership of the code.
Saimul IslamFounder & CEO, DeveloperLookStill have questions?
Send a message or book a call with the team.
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