Start with your business model
Consider how you sell, the shape of your catalogue, your markets, and the experience your customers expect. These requirements help frame a platform comparison without making technology the starting point.
Look beyond the storefront
Review payments, inventory, order handling, shipping, and integrations. Shopify can provide an established commerce foundation, while a custom platform can address requirements that call for greater flexibility. Each approach has trade-offs.
Think about ongoing ownership
Compare maintenance responsibilities, content management, integration needs, and the resources available to your team. The best fit is a platform your business can operate and evolve, not simply the one with the longest feature list.
General information only. Platform and security decisions should be assessed against your business requirements.