Shopify vs a custom website.

Shopify vs custom website: the short answer for NZ businesses

Shopify is a rented, ready-made online store. A custom website is built for your business and runs wherever you choose to host it.

Shopify gives you checkout, payments, stock, shipping and order management on day one, for a monthly fee plus card fees. You trade some control for speed: the platform decides how checkout works, how web addresses are structured and what you can change.

A custom-built site costs more up front and takes longer, but it can do exactly what your business needs, with no platform fees on each sale. The question for a New Zealand business is not which one is better in general. It is which one fits what you sell, how you sell it and how much you expect it to change.

What Shopify costs a New Zealand business

Shopify's New Zealand pricing page lists plan prices in US dollars, so the NZD cost on your card statement moves with the exchange rate. The card rates are listed in NZD. Shopify Plus, for large retailers, starts at US$2,300 a month.

Sources: Shopify NZ pricing (plan prices, card rates and third-party fees, checked 22 October 2026); Shopify Theme Store (paid theme prices, checked 22 October 2026); Shopify Payments supported countries (New Zealand is supported). Prices change, so check the current figures before you decide.

What a custom website costs in NZ

A custom website has a larger up-front cost and lower ongoing platform costs. You pay for design and build once, then for hosting and care each month. There is no platform fee on each sale; you still pay your payment provider's card fees.

For typical New Zealand price ranges across every kind of site, read what a website costs in NZ. Our full packages are on the web design page.

Ownership and lock-in: Shopify vs a custom website

On Shopify you own your domain, your product information and your customer list, and you can export products, customers and orders as spreadsheet files. What you do not own is the platform. Your theme is written in Shopify's own template language and only runs on Shopify, and the features you get from apps disappear if you leave. Stop paying the subscription and the store goes offline.

With a custom website, the code, the design and the data can all be yours, and you can move hosting providers or agencies without starting again. Ask any developer, including us, to confirm in writing that you own the code and the domain, and that you can take both with you.

Speed and SEO on Shopify and custom websites in NZ

Both can rank well in Google and be quoted by AI search tools. Shopify handles the basics: secure pages, a sitemap, editable page titles and descriptions. Its limits are in the details. Web addresses always include fixed folders such as /products/ and /collections/, and every app you add can load extra scripts that slow the page down on a phone.

A custom site gives full control over page structure, loading and structured data, so it can be made very fast. That control only helps if the build is done well. A slow custom site is worse than a tidy Shopify store, so ask any builder how they test speed before launch.

When Shopify is the right choice for a NZ business

• You mainly sell physical products online, from a handful to a few thousand
• You want to start selling within weeks, with a modest up-front budget
• Your team wants to add products, run sales and manage orders without a developer
• You also sell in person and want one system for online and in-store stock
• Your needs are covered by Shopify itself and a small number of apps

When a custom website or web app is the better choice in NZ

• You sell services, bookings, memberships or quotes rather than products in a cart
• Your pricing, ordering or checkout works differently from a standard online shop
• The website needs to connect closely to your own systems, such as a job management tool or a client portal
• Monthly app fees and per-sale platform fees have grown larger than a one-off build would cost over a few years
• You want full ownership of the code and freedom to move it
• You do not sell online at all: a service business rarely needs ecommerce software

WooCommerce and other ecommerce options in NZ

WooCommerce is a free ecommerce plugin for WordPress, and it sits between Shopify and a fully custom build. There is no monthly platform subscription, and you choose your own hosting and payment provider, but you take on more responsibility for updates, security and plugin costs. It suits businesses that already run WordPress or want more control than Shopify allows.

Website builders such as Wix and Squarespace also include online stores, which can work for a small range of products. We build on Shopify, WooCommerce or custom code depending on the job, and we will tell you if the simpler option is the better one.

Source: WooCommerce on WordPress.org (free plugin). Not sure which way to go? See how we approach stores and web apps.

Shopify vs custom website questions for NZ businesses

Is Shopify cheaper than a custom website in New Zealand?

Usually at the start, yes. Shopify has a low entry cost and a monthly fee, while a custom website costs more up front. Over several years, plan fees, app fees and per-sale fees can add up, so compare the total cost over three years, not just the first month. Our guide to website costs in NZ has typical build prices.

Does Shopify charge in NZD?

Shopify's New Zealand pricing page lists plan prices in US dollars and card rates in NZD, so the plan cost in NZD changes with the exchange rate.

Can I move from Shopify to a custom website later?

Yes. Products, customers and orders can be exported. The theme and app features do not come with you, so the new site is a rebuild, and old web addresses need redirects so you keep the search traffic they already earn.

Is Shopify good for SEO?

Shopify covers the SEO basics well enough for most stores. A custom site gives more control over web addresses, speed and structured data, which matters more for larger or content-heavy sites. Neither guarantees rankings. Our SEO and AI search service works on both.

Does a service business need Shopify?

Usually not. Trades, clinics, consultants and other service businesses rarely need a shopping cart. A fast business website with clear enquiry and booking paths fits better. See our web design packages.