Shopify Performance & Front-end Developer | 10+ Years Building Fast, Custom Stores I’ve spent over 10 years building, customizing, and speeding up Shopify stores for brands of all sizes. I build custom themes and apps, fix slow pages, improve how a store looks and works on desktop and mobile, and handle Shopify Plus checkout customization with Functions. I care about work that is reliable on launch day and still holds up months later, so I stay available after delivery. Proud father of Radost. What I do Custom themes, apps, and front-end features, built to fit your store Shopify Plus Functions and checkout customization CRO & Speed optimization and Core Web Vitals, including advanced CLS fixes UX improvements that make your products easier to find and buy, on desktop and mobile What sets me apart Reliability. Good development doesn’t end at launch, so I stay available for support, improvements, and fast problem-solving. Clients get one person who knows their store and answers quickly, before and after delivery. Free Store Quick Look Send me your store link and within 3 business days I’ll send a one-page summary covering: Your biggest speed problem, explained in plain language A first look at your apps: how many are installed, what looks wrong, and which ones could be replaced with custom theme code Three things on your mobile shopping path that I would fix first, each with a screenshot It’s free, there’s no commitment, and I change nothing on your store. If you’d like the issues fixed, we go ahead step by step: I confirm the scope, and you approve each step. I take a limited number each week, for established stores. Canvas services (new Shopify feature) Canvas store-build sprint For new launches and smaller merchants who want a custom store fast. Kickoff call to define your brand, products, audience, and goals AI-assisted design direction: I write the brief and guide Sidekick in Canvas, then refine the result with direct edits and QA Responsive QA on mobile, tablet, and desktop, covering product, collection, cart, and checkout flows Core Web Vitals and layout shift check before launch Launch, walkthrough, and a post-launch support window of 14 days Working with me Whether it’s a full store build, advanced customization, a Canvas build, or performance tuning, you get clear communication, consistent quality, and dependable support. Not sure where to start? Send me your store link for a free Quick Look.
Shopify Theme Developers for Sections, Templates and Liquid
Every theme editor runs out eventually. You need a section your theme doesn’t have, product pages that pull specs from metafields, or a template for a new product type, and the work has to survive the next theme update.
A Shopify theme developer writes that code: Liquid templates, Online Store 2.0 sections and blocks, and the settings that let your team manage them in the editor afterwards. Most of the work extends the theme you already run rather than replacing it.
Two neighbouring services get mixed up with this one. Adjusting an existing theme through its settings and small edits is theme setup and customisation, a smaller job. Building a whole theme from design files is custom theme development, and the visual design itself is a designer’s job.
Eight developers are listed, four freelancers and four agencies, all with claimed profiles. Compare the experts below. Ask each for an example section that a client’s team now edits without help.
Top-rated Shopify theme development agencies and freelancers
I'm a Shopify developer with years of hands-on experience building and scaling e-commerce stores — from custom theme development to conversion rate optimization and third-party integrations. I've worked with brands like Après Nail and through platforms like Storetasker, delivering solutions that look great and perform even better. I specialize in Liquid programming, frontend development, and UI/UX enhancement. Whether you need a full theme build, a tricky app integration, or a speed and SEO overhaul, I bring a detail-oriented approach that gets results — not just code. I leverage AI tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot throughout my workflow — drafting Liquid logic faster, QA-testing edge cases, and generating content-ready section structures. This means faster turnaround, fewer revisions, and more value for your budget. My background spans custom store builds, GA4 + GTM tracking setups, Klaviyo integrations, loyalty app configurations, A/B testing, and cross-functional collaboration with design and marketing teams. I treat every project like it's my own store on the line. I'm a Computer Software Engineering graduate and Growth Collective certified in Creative Website Design (Shopify). Let's build something that converts.
Let us match you with the right Shopify expert for your needs.
Share your project details, and we'll handpick the best matches from our Shopify expert directory.
HAS MERIT is a studio crafting conversion-driven Shopify storefronts and building brands for ambitious companies. We design and develop polished sites that feel like real brands (not quick templates) and back them with brand identity systems that create lasting recognition. From strategy to branding to design to development, everything’s done in-house for a seamless process. We’re a great fit for brands seeking personalized brand design paired with thoughtful conversion strategy, without the agency fluff or freelance hit-or-miss. Building Digital Storefronts: Personalised Design - tailored layouts built to sell, not just look good. Custom Development - beyond just templates, crafted solutions for your brand. Conversion Optimisation - auditing and smarter UI/UX so you don’t leave money on the table. Brand & Identity Design - constructing a brand that stands out and connects. Seamless Integrations - payments, shipping, and tools connected without friction. We just helped an FMCG brand increase conversions by 56% and increased net sale by 86% within 30 days by tweaking their existing page. Female-founded by a designer/developer with experience across brands of all sizes, partnered with a commercial lead from top global CPGs and agencies, we blend design, strategy, and business insight to help brands stand out and scale. Our clients have been featured in Forbes, Vogue, Allure, mindbodygreen, Whole Foods and more
Most Shopify stores appear great, but they often fail under the hood. I’ve spent 10 years ensuring that doesn't happen. From custom theme architecture to sophisticated API integrations (CRMs, fulfillment, and custom apps), I provide full-stack solutions that streamline your operations and maximize ROI. What I bring to your project: Precision Frontend: Custom-coded interfaces using React/Vue and Next.js for a lightning-fast, 'app-like' feel. Full-Stack Logic: Deep expertise in Liquid and Shopify APIs to automate your backend and sync your tech stack. Strategic Optimization: A relentless focus on SEO, site speed, and UX that drives actual sales. Whether you need a headless setup or a high-converting custom theme, I offer the agility of a boutique agency with the technical depth of an enterprise team.
ZAGO Agency is a Sweden-based Shopify Plus Premier Partner that builds and scales high-performance eCommerce for brands that refuse to settle for average. We specialize in complex Shopify ecosystems from B2B and custom integrations to advanced automation transforming storefronts into scalable revenue engines with measurable ROI. Our work sits at the intersection of strategy, design, and engineering. That means every decision we make is grounded in performance: faster load times, higher conversion rates, and systems that support long-term growth. Unlike traditional agencies, we don’t just “deliver projects.” We partner with brands to solve real business problems whether that’s replatforming from legacy systems, building bespoke Shopify experiences, or optimizing operations through smart automation. From lean startups to enterprise brands, we build Shopify solutions designed to scale with you. Connect with us at: [email protected] | + 46 (0) 765 94 1670 Schedule a Discover Call here: https://calendly.com/shopifyexperts/30min
I've been a Shopify developer for nearly 15 years. I've grown with the platform and have handled some amazing clients and projects. I'm a full-stack developer and have the skillset to handle any issue; or help you plan and grow.
With 17 years of experience as a Shopify partner, E-Commerce Manager, Linux Admin and Fullstack Developer for early and late stage venture capital, Tom's unbridled passion for product development, conversion rate optimization and design has meant he's managed eight figure inventories, and six figure daily sales volumes for multiple properties, working with Angel round independent investors, Y-Combinator start-ups, and well known brands such as Adam Calhoun's ACAL Clothing and Weavers Coffee
Shopify developer and ecommerce consultant out of Texas. I do full store builds on Online Store 2.0, custom Liquid sections, metaobjects, and Shopify Admin API and custom app work. Outside the storefront I work in TypeScript, React, Next.js, Node, and Cloudflare Workers. Currently building a multi-tenant inventory SaaS with a Shopify App that syncs products, inventory, and orders. I build things clients can edit themselves.
Velhoura es un estudio digital de Barcelona fundado por Oriol Gallart e Ian Monfil. Diseñamos, programamos y lanzamos. Trabajamos con negocios de Barcelona, del resto de España y de otros países, en remoto: Identidad de marca y logotipo Páginas web y tiendas online SEO y Google Ads Productos digitales a medida Con quien hablas es quien lo hace: no hay intermediarios entre tú y quien construye tu web. Publicamos precios orientativos y la primera conversación es sin compromiso. También tenemos productos propios, como Roady y Gym Tracker. Lo que aprendemos en ellos lo aplicamos en cada proyecto de nuestros clientes. Cuéntanos qué necesitas desde nuestra web.
How to hire a Shopify theme developer
Brief in sections and templates, not pages. “Redesign the product page” can mean anything. “A comparison section fed by product metafields, a size-guide block and an alternate template for bundles” can be priced line by line, and every developer you ask is quoting the same job.
Name your theme and check they know it. Shopify’s free themes and premium themes from different vendors organise their code in different ways. A developer who has already extended your theme family spends your budget on the work, not on finding where things live.
Ask where the work will happen. The right answer is an unpublished copy of your live theme, reviewed through a preview link and published when you approve it. Anyone who edits the live theme directly is testing on your customers.
Price sections, not hours, where you can. A fixed price per section, with an agreed list of editor settings, gives you numbers you can compare. Hourly billing suits debugging and small changes, where nobody can know the scope in advance.
Agree what happens after delivery. Your theme vendor will ship updates, Shopify will add features, and your team will want changes. Settle upfront who handles that, how quickly and at what rate, so the first update doesn’t turn into a hunt for the original developer.
Red flags. No repository or version history you’ll own at the end. A quote with no line for mobile testing. Proposals to install an app for something a section could do in a few dozen lines of Liquid, or the reverse: custom code for something your theme already offers as a setting.
How to judge a theme developer’s code before you commit
You don’t need to read Liquid to judge it. Ask each shortlisted developer to share their screen and walk you through the theme files and editor from a past project. Five things separate code you can live with from code you’ll pay to replace.
New work sits in its own files. Custom sections, blocks and snippets should be separate, clearly named files, not code pasted into the theme’s original templates, where every change becomes something to recheck when the vendor releases an update.
Settings live in the editor. Headings, images, colours and toggles should appear as section settings with plain labels and sensible defaults. Hard-coded text means a developer invoice every time marketing wants new copy. Shopper-facing text should sit in the theme’s translation files, so adding a language later doesn’t mean rewriting templates.
Git and a staging theme. Work should be committed to a repository your company owns. Shopify’s GitHub integration can connect a branch to an unpublished theme for review. Frequent, described commits are a good sign; a single upload at the end is not.
A performance budget. A new section should add as little JavaScript as possible and load nothing until it’s needed. A slider library pulled in for one carousel slows every page it sits on. Ask what their last section added to page weight — a good developer knows.
Accessibility and notes. Buttons and form fields need labels a screen reader can announce, images need alt text settings, and everything should work from a keyboard. Each custom section needs a short note on what it does, so the next developer starts from facts.
How much does Shopify theme development cost?
Most theme developers quote new work per section and everything else by the hour. Two typical market ranges, plus what the developers on shopexperts publish as starting prices:
Custom sections
$600 – $3,000
Per section, with editor settings
Hourly rate
$60 – $150
Theme and Liquid developers
Starting prices on shopexperts
$55 – $2,500
Median $210 across 8 developers
Logic moves the price more than looks. A static banner section is quick. A section that reads metafields, handles variants and sold-out states, and works across several templates can take days.
A whole theme built from designs is custom theme development, priced as a separate service, so most briefs on this page sit in the sections or hourly range. The eight listed developers published starting prices from $55 to $2,500 in September 2026, with a median of $210. Treat those as entry points for small jobs, not quotes for a section library. Send the sections or templates you need built to get a quote.
What Shopify theme development services include
Theme developers take on work at several scales:
Custom sections and blocks
New sections with editor settings, kept in their own files
Metafield-driven templates
Specs, size guides and content pulled from custom data
Alternate templates
Separate layouts for bundles, landing pages or product types
App-ready sections
Custom sections that accept app blocks without code edits
Vintage theme conversion
Older templates rebuilt as Online Store 2.0 sections
Code review and handover
An audit of existing theme code, documented for the next developer
Frequently asked questions about hiring a theme developer
They solve different problems, and many stores need both in turn. A premium theme gives you a tested set of templates and editor settings for far less than building them. A theme developer extends whichever theme you run with the sections it doesn’t have. Buy or keep a well-supported theme first, list what it can’t do, then hire a developer for that list. Paying someone to build what your theme already offers as a setting is money spent twice.
The final theme, either as repository access or a downloaded copy. A list of every file they created or changed, with a separate list of any edits to the theme’s original files. Notes on each custom section and its settings. And written confirmation that your company owns the code.
Liquid is Shopify’s template language: it pulls products, collections and settings into the pages shoppers see. A theme developer also needs solid HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and should work with Shopify CLI for local development and Theme Check for catching errors before code ships. Checkout extensions and custom apps use different tools, so a strong theme developer isn’t automatically the right hire for those.
Yes, with limits. Shopify calls pre-2.0 themes vintage themes, and in them only the home page supports sections you can add and reorder; other templates are largely fixed. A developer can convert templates one at a time, but on a heavily patched vintage theme, moving to a current theme and rebuilding the custom parts is often cheaper. Ask for both quotes.
No, but Partner status helps. Partners can send collaborator requests, so you never share a login, and can set up development stores for testing. A developer without a Partner account can work as a staff member on your store instead. What matters more is shipped work you can open and click through on a phone.
Commission one paid section first. Pick something real from your list with a few settings and some logic, such as a metafield-driven specifications table. Within a couple of weeks you’ll know how they communicate, how they handle feedback, whether the editor settings make sense to your team and how clean the files are. That costs far less than discovering the same things halfway through a large build.