Shopify vs a custom online shop for Hampshire retailers

For most small retailers with a growing range of products, regular stock changes and plans to scale, Shopify is the safer, simpler choice. A custom online shop tends to suit businesses with a small, steady range, unusual requirements, or a wish to avoid monthly platform fees and own everything outright. Neither is “better”. The right choice depends on how you sell, how much you sell and how hands-on you want to be.

I build both, so I’ve no reason to push you one way. Here’s an honest look at the trade-offs.

What each option actually is

Shopify is a subscription platform. You pay monthly, and in return you get hosting, a checkout, payments, stock management and an admin area, all maintained by Shopify. Your shop is built on a theme, which can be customised.

A custom shop is built specifically for your business, usually with a payment provider such as Stripe or PayPal handling the checkout. There’s no platform subscription, and the code is yours.

When Shopify is the better choice

Shopify is popular for good reasons. It’s usually the right call if:

• You have lots of products, or add and remove them often.
• You manage stock and variants such as sizes and colours, across many items.
• You sell in person too, and want shop and till stock kept in sync with Shopify’s point-of-sale tools.
• You want to sell on other channels, like social media or marketplaces, from one place.
• You expect to grow quickly and want a platform that scales without rebuilding.
• You want plenty of add-ons. Shopify’s app store covers reviews, subscriptions, wholesale and lots more.

It’s also very easy to use day to day. Most shop owners are comfortable adding products and processing orders after a short training session.

When a custom shop makes more sense

A custom build can be the better fit if:

• Your range is small and fairly stable, say a handful of products, gift vouchers or a few event tickets.
• You’d rather avoid a monthly platform fee on top of payment fees.
• You need something unusual, such as a made-to-order product with a specific quote process, that would need several apps to do on Shopify.
• Speed and design matter a lot, and you want a very lightweight shop that looks exactly how you want.
• You want to own everything outright, with no dependence on one platform’s rules or pricing.

The trade-off is that a custom shop does less out of the box. Features that are one click away on Shopify may need building, and that costs time.

The ongoing costs

The build is only part of the picture. Running costs differ quite a bit.

With Shopify, expect:

• A monthly subscription. At the time of writing, the entry-level plan is in the region of a few tens of pounds a month, with higher tiers costing more. Check Shopify’s site for current pricing.
• Card payment fees on every sale. Using a payment provider other than Shopify’s own can add an extra transaction fee.
• Paid apps. These are often a few pounds to a few tens of pounds a month each, and they add up.
• Possibly a paid theme, as a one-off cost.

With a custom shop, expect:

• Payment fees from Stripe or PayPal, typically a percentage of each sale plus a small fixed fee. Rates vary by card type and change over time, so check the current figures.
• Hosting and maintenance, often covered by a care plan.
• Paying a developer for new features rather than installing an app.

Ownership and lock-in

This is worth thinking about early.

On Shopify, you can export your product, customer and order data, but your theme and apps only work on Shopify. If you ever leave, the shop itself would need rebuilding elsewhere. You’re also subject to Shopify’s pricing and policies, which can change.

With a custom shop, you own the code, the design and the data. You can move hosting or developers whenever you like. The flip side is that you’re responsible for keeping it maintained, which is where a care plan comes in.

Either way, make sure your domain is registered in your name. My guide to domains, hosting and email explains why that matters.

Speed

Shopify shops are generally reasonably quick, and Shopify handles the hosting well. Speed tends to suffer when a shop collects lots of apps and heavy themes, each adding extra code to every page.

A lightweight custom shop can be very fast, because it only includes what you actually need. That matters, because a slow website costs you customers, especially on phones.

A quick way to decide

Ask yourself:

1. How many products will I sell in a year’s time?
2. How often will I change products, prices and stock?
3. Do I need in-person sales, marketplaces or subscriptions?
4. How much will I pay each month, all in, on each option?
5. If I want to move in three years, how hard will that be?

If your answers point to lots of products, frequent changes and multiple sales channels, Shopify is probably right. If they point to a small range and a wish for simplicity and ownership, custom is worth a look. The same thinking applies to websites generally, as I cover in template vs custom.

How I can help

Solent Web’s online shop package starts from £1,800 and can be built on Shopify or as a custom build. It includes Stripe or PayPal payments, up to 50 products uploaded and training so you can run it yourself, usually live in 5 to 8 weeks. You get a fixed written quote after a free 30-minute chat, meeting locally or by video call.

Not sure which way to go? Start a project with a few details about what you sell, and I’ll give you an honest recommendation.