Shopify vs Custom: The Honest Answer Nobody Wants to Hear

"What platform should we use?" I get this question weekly. And the honest answer is: it depends on things you probably don't want to think about.

Here's my framework after building 40+ stores:

If you're selling under €500k/year and don't need custom features: Shopify. Done. Don't overthink it. The themes are limited, but 80% of businesses never hit those limits. Your time is better spent on marketing than fighting with code.

If you have developers in-house and need serious customization: Consider headless. Medusa, Saleor, custom Next.js with your own backend. But be honest—do you really need a custom checkout flow, or do you just want one?

If you're somewhere in between: WooCommerce. It's messy, maintenance is real work, but the flexibility-to-cost ratio is unbeatable. Especially in Germany, where Shopify's tax handling still has gaps.

What I tell most clients: Start with Shopify. Seriously. The cost of over-engineering is almost always higher than migrating later. I've seen startups burn €50k building custom platforms they had to abandon. I've never seen someone regret starting simple.

The uncomfortable truth: Platform choice matters less than execution. A well-run Shopify store will outsell a poorly managed custom build every time. The best platform is the one you'll actually maintain.

One exception: If you're doing something genuinely new—AR try-ons, complex configurators, unusual subscription models—custom makes sense from day one. But "we want to be different" isn't the same as "our business model requires different."