/ Services — Custom apps & features ( 04 )
When Shopify doesn’t do it out of the box.
Custom Shopify apps and features, built to feel native, not bolted on. Bookings, subscriptions, product builders, wholesale. If your store needs it, we can build it.
Starting at
$6,000
Typical timeline
3–8 weeks
How we bill
Fixed fee per feature
/ The standard
Built properly, or not at all.
Most “custom features” are three apps duct-taped together, fighting each other on every page load. We build the thing itself: one piece of software that does exactly what your store needs.
01Runs inside your Shopify admin, where your team already works
02Fast, with no extra scripts slowing down the storefront
03Documented and handed over. The code is yours, in your accounts
04Supported after launch, like everything else we ship
/ Fit
When custom beats another app subscription.
Custom development is worth it when an off-the-shelf app almost works but not quite, and that gap is costing you orders or hours.
( Worth building if… )
+You’re paying for three apps to half-do one job
+An app exists but can’t handle your pricing, bundles or logistics
+Your team spends hours a week on something a script should do
+You need something on your storefront no app sells
( Buy an app if… )
–A $29/month app does exactly this, well
–The feature is a guess nobody has asked for yet
–You want a whole marketplace or a separate platform
Not sure whether an app already does this? Describe the problem and we’ll point you at an off-the-shelf option if one exists. It often does.
/ How custom work runs
Prove it works in a week, not two months.
The riskiest part gets built first.
01
Week 1
Scope
We map what the feature really has to do, including the awkward edge cases. You get a written spec and a fixed price before anything is built.
02
Weeks 1–2
Prototype
The riskiest part first: the pricing engine, the sync, the calculator, running on your real data so we both know it works.
03
Weeks 2–6
Build
Built as a private Shopify app or clean theme code, whichever is lighter. Tested against real orders in a development store.
04
Week 6+
Hand over
Documentation, admin access, and a maintenance plan if you want one. It’s your app, on your Shopify account.
On every project, in writing: [ You see the work as it happens ] [ A short note every Friday ] [ Founder on every call ] [ Everything in your accounts ] Why we work this way →
/ Deliverables
What ships with a custom feature.
Everything lives on your Shopify account and your infrastructure.
Scoping calls are free, and every quote is fixed. Details on the plans & pricing page.
01A written spec you can hold us to
02A private app or theme extension, not a hack
03Admin screens your team can actually use
04Shopify Functions for discounts and shipping logic
05Checkout extensions where Plus allows it
06Testing against your real catalogue and orders
07Documentation for your next developer
08Optional monthly maintenance
11 hrs/week
Of manual work removed
“Two people were rekeying wholesale orders by hand every Monday. Now it just happens. That alone paid for the build in four months.”
— Ops lead, homeware brand
/ In plain terms
Custom Shopify app development, explained
Most custom Shopify work falls into three shapes: a private app that talks to the Admin API for things like syncing, subscriptions or wholesale pricing; Shopify Functions for discount, shipping and payment rules the platform can’t express on its own; and theme extensions for storefront features like product builders, bookings and configurators. Which one you need is a technical decision. We make it based on what keeps your store fastest and your bill lowest.
We build for handover, not dependency: readable code, real documentation, and hosting on infrastructure you control. If a feature is really about conversion rather than function, say a bundle builder, it may be cheaper to solve it in conversion work or as part of a store build. We’ll say so before you spend.
/ FAQ ( 07 )
What people ask before commissioning custom work.
How much does a custom Shopify app cost?
Small features start around $6,000. A substantial private app with admin screens and integrations usually runs $15k–$40k. We quote fixed prices per feature after scoping, so there are no hourly surprises.
App or theme code: which do we need?
Theme code is lighter and cheaper when the feature only affects the storefront. A private app is right when you need scheduled jobs, admin screens, or data that has to survive theme changes. We recommend the smaller option whenever it’s honest to.
Can you customise Shopify checkout?
On Shopify Plus, yes. Checkout extensions and Functions let us change what appears, what’s offered and how shipping and discounts are calculated. On other plans the checkout is locked down, and anyone telling you otherwise is planning something fragile.
Will it survive Shopify’s platform updates?
We build on supported APIs and extension points rather than workarounds, which is what keeps things working. We’ll also tell you honestly when Shopify has flagged something as deprecated.
Who hosts the app?
Your Shopify account owns the app. Where a server is needed, it runs on infrastructure in your name so you keep control and can move on without us.
Do you take on someone else’s half-finished app?
Often, yes. We start with a short paid review so we can tell you whether it’s cheaper to finish or restart. Sometimes it’s the second, and we’d rather say so upfront. See also migrations & rescues.
Do you maintain it afterwards?
If you’d like. Maintenance is part of our ongoing care plans, or you can take the documentation and run it in-house.
Wondering if your idea is even possible on Shopify? Ask. We’ll tell you, including when the answer is no.
/ Next
Tell us the thing your store can’t do yet.
We’ll tell you honestly whether to build it, or what to use instead.
Also worth a look: Store design & build · Migrations & rescues · Ongoing care