Most Shopify development discovery calls start with a comparison: who else did you talk to? The honest answer is usually two of the firms below. This list reflects firms we lose competitive bake-offs to with regularity, and firms our clients arrive at after trying others first.
What follows is a candid evaluation of six Shopify agencies and engineering firms. We are not affiliated with any of them. Pricing below is blended; named-individual senior engineer rates can be 30-50% higher than blended.
Disclosure: we are not a reseller, partner, or sub-contractor for any consultancy listed below. We hold no affiliate relationships. We have hired alumni from several of these firms (EPAM, Thoughtworks specifically); none of those individuals retain any equity or commission relationship with their previous employers.
1 — Shopify Plus Partners (the top tier)
Shopify Plus Partners is the official partner program for the agencies and consultancies Shopify wants merchants working with on Plus stores. Roughly 200 agencies hold this designation globally, with various sub-tiers (Plus Certified, Plus Partner) reflecting volume of Plus work delivered.
Where Plus Partners win: brand-new Plus migrations where the Shopify-blessed implementation path matters, agencies with strong design + brand work as part of the Shopify rollout, partners who can leverage their Shopify relationships for support escalations.
Where it has weak fit: engineering-only work where the design / brand wrap is unwanted overhead. Headless storefront work where Plus Partners' Hydrogen / Remix benches are often shallower than independent firms. Long-term maintenance where Partner agencies' rates are not competitive with smaller engineering boutiques.
2 — Aldridge Pite
Aldridge Pite is one of the larger Shopify Plus engineering firms specializing in Hydrogen and headless work. Founded in 2013, US-based, with concentrated capability in headless commerce and Hydrogen storefronts since 2021.
Where Aldridge Pite wins: serious Hydrogen builds for established brands ($20M+ GMV typical), complex checkout extensibility work, B2B + wholesale Shopify Plus engagements.
Where it has weak fit: smaller stores (under $5M GMV) where their pricing tier is hard to justify. Theme-only work — they have pivoted toward headless. Strict-budget engagements where their senior-only model is the wrong cost shape.
3 — Build.com / Cart.com Plus partners
Cart.com (formerly Build.com's services arm restructured post-acquisitions) operates one of the larger enterprise-tier Shopify Plus practices. Headquartered in Austin with services and platform offerings combined.
Where Cart.com wins: enterprise Plus deployments where commerce platform + services bundled solution makes sense, brands needing 3PL / fulfillment + technology bundled, large brands with international + multi-storefront requirements.
Where it does not fit: pure engineering engagements without the platform bundle. Mid-market brands where Cart.com's enterprise tier overshoots. Brands wanting to avoid platform lock-in.
4 — BVAccel (1Digital)
1Digital (formerly BVAccel) is a representative mid-market Shopify agency with broad delivery capability. Founded in 2014, US-based, several hundred employees, with Shopify Plus Partner status and Adobe Commerce expertise.
Where 1Digital wins: mid-market brands ($5M-$50M GMV) needing design + marketing + Shopify development bundled, Shopify-to-Adobe Commerce migrations, agencies needing a single vendor relationship for multiple workstreams.
Where it does not fit: engineering-only engagements where the design / marketing wrap is unwanted. Headless / Hydrogen work where their senior bench is shallower than specialists. Long-term maintenance contracts.
5 — Klizer (formerly Helping Code)
Klizer is a representative offshore Shopify engineering firm at the cost-effective tier. Founded in 2015 in India, several hundred Shopify-certified developers, with delivery capability spanning theme work, custom app development, and Hydrogen storefronts.
Where Klizer wins: high-volume theme and app development at blended rates 50-70% below US/EU specialists, maintenance contracts where senior architect time is supplemented by offshore execution, brands with continuous engineering needs without premium budget.
Where it does not fit: premium architecture work where senior tier depth matters more than execution cost. Time-zone-sensitive collaboration with US teams. Brands prioritizing native English communication and US-based account management.
6 — We Make Websites
We Make Websites is one of the larger UK-based Shopify Plus boutiques with strong design capability. Founded in 2010, London-based, around 100 employees, Shopify Plus Partner.
Where We Make Websites wins: UK / EU-based brands needing local time zone collaboration, brands prioritizing design quality alongside engineering, mid-to-upper market work (typically $20M+ GMV) where the design wrap adds value.
Where it has weak fit: US-based brands without UK / EU operations, pure engineering work without design / brand component, brands with low design priority (B2B / industrial).
If you are running an active bake-off and want a candid second opinion on any specific proposal you have received, we will read the SOW and give you a 30-minute call with our perspective. No charge, no follow-up sales pressure.