Both options sell products online. They differ in who owns what, how much you can change and who fixes things when they break. This guide covers those differences and the checks to make before you choose.
Shopify is a hosted platform: you rent a working store and the platform maintains it. A custom ecommerce website is built around your needs and you can own the code, but you carry hosting, security and fixes. Choose hosted when speed and simplicity matter, and custom when your pricing, products or integrations do not fit a platform.
Ecommerce website vs Shopify: what the choice is
The ecommerce website vs Shopify question is a choice between renting and building. Shopify is a hosted platform. You pay the platform, and it provides the store software, the servers and the security updates. A custom ecommerce website is built for your business, either from scratch or on an open-source base, and runs on hosting that you or your developer arrange.
Hosted against custom is a trade between convenience and control. A hosted store is faster to start and simpler to run, and it has limits set by the platform. A custom store can fit almost any requirement, and you take on the work of keeping it running. Neither suits every business. This page concentrates on ownership, limits and moving, not on monthly fees. For what changes the price of a store, see what affects the cost of an ecommerce website.
What a hosted store gives you
- A working cart, checkout and admin area from the first day.
- Hosting, uptime and security patching handled by the platform.
- Themes, and an app store for adding features without writing code.
- Everyday tasks such as adding products, changing banners and creating discounts that staff can learn without a developer.
For a small team this is a real advantage. It removes servers, updates and security patches, which are easy to neglect.
What a custom store gives you
- Features built to your rules, such as made-to-order products, complex pricing, trade price lists or unusual checkout steps.
- Direct connections to your own stock, accounting or delivery software.
- Control of the code, the data structure and how the site loads, which affects speed and search.
- No dependence on one company's roadmap or pricing changes.
The price of that control is responsibility. Someone has to host the store, apply security updates, take backups and fix bugs. Without a maintenance plan a custom store slowly falls behind. What website maintenance includes explains the work involved.
Who owns your store on Shopify and on a custom build
Ownership is not one thing. Separate these four and ask about each.
| What | On a hosted platform such as Shopify | On a custom store |
|---|---|---|
| Products, images, customer and order records | You keep them and can export them as files from the admin | Yours, held in a database you should have access to |
| Domain name | Yours if registered in your name with a registrar you control | Same |
| Design and code | Theme code is licensed to you. A bespoke theme is yours only if the agreement says so | Yours if the contract assigns it to you in writing |
| The platform software | Belongs to the platform. The store runs under its terms and stops if the subscription ends | Third-party libraries and plugins keep their own licences |
On a custom build the contract matters most. Ask for the code repository, the hosting account and the database to be in your name from the start, with the developer added as a user. A developer who keeps these in their own accounts can make a later move difficult. Hold these in your own name on any route:
- The domain registration.
- The hosting or platform account.
- The payment gateway account.
- The code repository, if there is custom code.
- Google Search Console and analytics.
- The email service used for orders and newsletters.
What the limits of a hosted store are
Limits are not a reason to avoid a hosted store. They are a reason to check your requirements against the platform before you commit.
- Checkout is the part platforms tend to restrict most. How much you can change depends on the platform and your plan, so check the current documentation for anything you need, such as extra fields or unusual order rules.
- Products are modelled the way the platform expects. Products with many options, made-to-order details or linked parts can be awkward to fit.
- Extra features come from apps, each with its own recurring charge, settings and effect on page speed. A store with many apps depends on many companies.
- Features, fees and rules can change, and you cannot veto the change.
- Local needs such as tax invoices and regional payment rules usually call for an app or custom work, whichever platform you pick.
Which option is easier to run without a developer
Hosted, for most tasks. A custom store can also be easy to use every day if it has a well-built admin panel, but changes and fixes to the code need a developer.
| Task | Hosted | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Add or edit products, banners and discounts | Staff can do it after a short introduction | Staff can do it if the admin panel was built for it |
| Add a new feature | Often an app installed from the admin | A developer builds it |
| Fix a bug in checkout | The platform or app provider fixes it and you wait | Your developer fixes it, at the speed your agreement sets |
| Apply security updates | Handled by the platform | Someone must apply them, so plan for it |
| Cope with a traffic spike before a sale | Usually handled by the platform | Depends on the hosting set-up, so test before the sale |
Moving from Shopify to a custom store later
It is possible and fairly common. Your product, customer and order data can be exported as files, so the content comes with you. Several things do not move automatically: the design, app settings and some app data, and the pages' web addresses. Customers usually have to set new passwords because passwords cannot be copied across.
Plan the move in this order:
- Export products, customers and orders and check that the files are complete.
- List every page address that has traffic or links, and map each one to its new address. Set up redirects so old links and search results still work.
- Rebuild the functions of the apps you rely on, and note any data, such as reviews or loyalty points, that lives inside an app.
- Test the new store with real orders, payments and invoices before you switch.
- Switch in a quiet trading period, not just before a festival sale, and keep the old store available for a short time.
Moving from a custom store to a hosted one works the same way in reverse. In either direction, clean product data kept from the start makes the move easier.
How to choose
Choose a hosted store if most of these are true.
- You want to launch soon and sell standard products.
- Nobody on your side wants to manage servers or updates.
- Your pricing and checkout are conventional.
- You are still learning what sells and may change direction.
Choose a custom store if most of these are true.
- Your products, pricing or order flow do not fit a standard store.
- The store must connect to your own systems.
- You have already reached a platform's limits, or expect to.
- You can budget for ongoing maintenance and want to own the code.
There are middle routes. Some businesses start on a hosted platform and rebuild once their requirements are clear. Others keep a hosted platform as the back end and build their own front end on top of it. Before any of this, decide if you need your own store yet or should sell through marketplaces first.
Questions and answers
Is Shopify better than a custom ecommerce website?
Neither is better for every business. Shopify is quicker to launch and simpler to run, and it has limits set by the platform. A custom store fits unusual requirements and gives you the code, and it needs ongoing maintenance and a developer.
Who owns my store if I use Shopify?
You keep control of your product content and customer data and can export them as files, and the domain is yours if it is registered in your name. The platform software belongs to Shopify, and your store runs under its terms. If the subscription ends, the store goes offline.
Can I move from Shopify to a custom store later?
Yes. Products, customers and orders can be exported, then loaded into the new store. Plan for redirects from old page addresses, rebuilding app functions, new customer passwords and a test period before you switch.
Which option is easier to run without a developer?
A hosted store, for most tasks. Staff can manage products, banners and discounts, and the platform handles hosting and security. A custom store can also be easy day to day, but code fixes and new features need a developer.
What are the limits of a hosted store?
Checkout changes are restricted, products must fit the platform's data model, and extra features usually come from apps with their own charges. Platform rules and fees can also change. Check your must-have features against the platform before committing.
What are the alternatives to Shopify?
Open-source options such as WooCommerce on WordPress give more control but need you to manage hosting and updates. Other hosted platforms work much like Shopify, and a fully custom build sits at the other end. Match the option to your requirements and your capacity to maintain it.