Who we work with
Headless Shopify development
Headless Shopify means your storefront is a custom-built website while Shopify still runs products, inventory, checkout, payments, and orders behind it through the Storefront API. Nabee Studio, a US-based studio, designs and builds headless Shopify storefronts with Shopify Hydrogen or Next.js as a Platform build: from $1,499/mo for 24 months with Grow care included, or from $19,000 one-time, typically in 2–3 months.
Shopify is excellent at commerce. Themes are where brands hit the ceiling: the same layouts, app-heavy pages, and design ideas that never quite fit. Headless keeps Shopify's engine and frees the front end.
What is headless Shopify?
A normal Shopify store renders its pages from a Liquid theme. A headless store splits the two: the website people see is its own application, and it reads products, collections, carts, and customers from Shopify through the Storefront API. Checkout stays on Shopify, so payments, taxes, and order management work the way your team already knows.
When is headless Shopify worth it?
- Brand-led design that a theme can't express without fighting it.
- Content-rich stores — editorial, lookbooks, artist and music merch, product storytelling.
- Speed — a lean custom front end instead of a theme loaded with app scripts.
- Commerce plus more — bookings, memberships, or other systems alongside the store.
When it isn't: a small catalog that a good theme already serves well, or a store that depends on theme-only apps. We'll tell you at scoping if a theme is the better call.
What stays in Shopify?
Shopify admin, products, inventory, discounts, checkout, payments, orders, and fulfillment. Your team keeps working in Shopify exactly as before; only the storefront changes.
How does Nabee build it?
- Scoping — catalog, apps, integrations, and what the theme can't do today.
- Design — a storefront built around your brand, not a template.
- Build — Hydrogen on Shopify's Oxygen hosting, or Next.js when the store shares content or code with other systems.
- Launch and Grow care — updates, new sections and landing pages, performance, and SEO upkeep every month.
How much does headless Shopify cost?
| Build | Pay monthly | Pay once | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headless Shopify storefront (Platform) | from $1,499/mo for 24 months with Grow included, then from $699/mo | from $19,000 + $699/mo Grow | 2–3 months |
Your exact price is fixed in writing before any work starts. Comparing options? Read custom website vs Shopify and ecommerce builds, or see every price on the pricing page.
Common questions
- What is headless Shopify?
- Headless Shopify is a setup where a custom-built storefront handles the design and browsing experience while Shopify runs products, inventory, checkout, payments, and orders behind it through the Storefront API.
- How much does a headless Shopify store cost?
- At Nabee Studio, a headless Shopify storefront is a Platform build: from $1,499/mo for 24 months with Grow care included, or from $19,000 one-time plus $699/mo Grow. Your exact price is fixed in writing before work starts.
- Do I keep Shopify checkout and admin?
- Yes. Checkout, payments, products, inventory, discounts, orders, and fulfillment stay in Shopify. Only the storefront is custom.
- Hydrogen or Next.js?
- Hydrogen is Shopify's own React framework and deploys to Shopify's Oxygen hosting. Next.js fits when the storefront shares content or code with other systems. We recommend one at scoping.
- Will my Shopify apps still work headless?
- Apps that run through Shopify admin and checkout keep working. Apps that inject into a Liquid theme need an API-based integration or a replacement, and we audit this at scoping.
- Is headless Shopify better for SEO?
- It can be faster and gives full control over pages, metadata, and structured data, but it isn't automatic. Nabee builds SEO and AI-search foundations in from day one.
- How long does a headless Shopify build take?
- Typically 2–3 months from kickoff, depending on catalog size and integrations.