Shopify Scales Far. Headless Scales Further.
Shopify handles $500M stores just fine. You only need headless if checkout customization is blocked, your mobile PageSpeed is stuck under 50, or you are running 3+ storefronts that need different experiences. Most stores do not need it.
Signs You Might Actually Need Headless
What Headless Commerce Actually Enables
Headless keeps your products, orders, and payments in Shopify admin where they work great. The frontend becomes Next.js or Hydrogen - which means sub-second load times, checkout customization Shopify themes block, and the ability to run multiple storefronts from one backend.
Shopify Themes Are Still Right When...
You sell products to consumers through one website. Theme customizations do what you need. Your PageSpeed is above 60. You have fewer than 10 apps. Standard checkout is fine.
Headless Makes Sense When...
Mobile PageSpeed is under 50 and theme optimization maxed out. You need checkout customization Shopify blocks. Multiple storefronts need connected inventory.
The Revenue Math...
Headless costs $60K-$150K to build. If a 25% conversion lift is worth $500K/year to you, it pays for itself in 4 months. If you are doing $500K/year, stick with themes.
Do Not Go Headless When...
Your Shopify theme is working fine. You are under $2M revenue. You do not have a developer on staff to maintain it. You think faster is always better without measuring.
See It In Action
Common Questions
Everything you need to know before moving forward.
What does headless Shopify actually mean?+
Your products, orders, and payments stay in Shopify admin. But the website customers see is built custom - usually with Hydrogen (Shopify framework) or Next.js. Connected via Storefront API. You get Shopify reliability with custom frontend speed.
How much does headless cost to build?+
Single storefront Hydrogen build: $60K-$90K. Multi-region with localized pricing: $90K-$130K. Complex B2B/B2C hybrid: $130K-$180K. Monthly maintenance is usually $2-5K depending on how often things change.
What happens to my Shopify apps?+
Some work via API and carry over - Klaviyo, Yotpo reviews, etc. Others need replacement. We audit your current apps and tell you what survives, what needs custom rebuilding, and what cost that adds.
Can my team manage a headless site?+
Product management stays in Shopify admin - no change there. Content pages use a CMS with a familiar editing interface. The frontend code is where complexity lives, and you need a developer for that. Most brands either keep us on retainer or hire someone.
Do I need Shopify Plus for headless?+
Not technically required, but Plus gives you Checkout Extensibility, better API rate limits, and checkout.liquid access if needed. For serious headless implementations, Plus is usually worth it. We can run the numbers for your situation.
How do I know if I actually need headless?+
Send us your store URL. We will run PageSpeed, check your current app load, and ask about your checkout pain points. If a $5K theme optimization would solve your problem, we will say so. We would rather have you trust us than pay us.
Explore More
Is headless right for your store?
Send us your Shopify store URL. We will run PageSpeed, audit your app stack, and tell you honestly whether headless makes sense or you should just optimize your theme.
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