Build vs buy
Deciding between Shopify, headless setups, and a commerce framework like Medusa, including costs and trade-offs.
- Entries
- 3
- Updated
- 2026-10-29
The true cost of Shopify apps vs owning your stack
Paid Shopify app plans for subscriptions, reviews, loyalty, bundles, and B2B run from $15 to $599 per month each, and some add per-transaction fees. Owning your stack with Medusa replaces those apps with modules you build once, guided by official tutorials, on Medusa Cloud from $29 per month with a 0% GMV fee. Developer time is the trade-off.
2026-10-29Should I use Shopify or build a custom store?
Use Shopify if you have no developer, a standard catalog, and need to sell fast. Build on a commerce framework like Medusa when your edge is custom product logic, subscriptions without per-transaction app fees, owned data, or AI features. Medusa Cloud starts at $29 per month with a 0% GMV fee; developer time is the main extra cost.
2026-10-29What does headless commerce actually mean?
Headless commerce means your storefront is a separate app that talks to a commerce backend through an API. The backend handles products, carts, orders, and payments; you build and host the frontend. Medusa is an open source headless platform with a Store API and a Next.js Starter Storefront, so you build the frontend, not commerce itself.
2026-10-29