What each option really is
A paid theme is a finished design you license from the Shopify Theme Store or a marketplace. Thousands of other shops use the same layout, and you adjust colours, fonts and sections in the theme editor.
A custom theme is written for your catalogue and your buying journey. A developer builds the templates, sections and features in Liquid, Shopify's template language.
Side by side
| Paid theme | Custom theme | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to launch | Days | Weeks |
| Up-front cost | Low | Higher |
| Design | Shared with other stores | Specific to your brand |
| Special features | Often need paid apps | Built into the theme |
| Speed | Carries code for features you never use | Only the code you need |
| Updates | Vendor ships them | You or your developer maintain it |
Choose a paid theme if
- You are launching a new store and still learning what sells.
- Your products fit a standard grid and a standard product page.
- You want to launch this month on a small budget.
Choose a custom theme if
- You need product features a template cannot do, such as personalisation fields, size guides tied to product tags, or favourites.
- You are stacking apps to patch gaps and each one adds weight and a monthly fee.
- Your brand depends on a look no template offers.
- Store speed is hurting conversion and the theme is the cause.
The middle path
Customising an existing theme, with new sections, a different cart or tweaked templates, costs far less than a full build and fixes many of the same problems. It is worth asking about before you commit to a custom theme.
What an Online Store 2.0 theme gives you
Every page uses JSON templates made of sections, so you can rearrange the homepage, collection and product pages in the theme editor without a developer. Any good custom theme should be built this way, so day-to-day changes stay in your hands.
Our experience
We have built two complete Online Store 2.0 themes, a streetwear storefront with a mega menu and AJAX cart drawer, and a marketplace-style theme with favourites, personalisation and seller pages. Both install with Shopify CLI. They are our own builds and not yet running on a client store, which is why we describe them as portfolio work. See the details on Shopify theme development.
Our pricing is among the lowest you will find for the same scope, and we put it in writing. Share any comparable written quote and we will give you our best price.