How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Shopify Expert

Tired of determining HOW MUCH it will cost you if you hire a Shopify expert? Well, every Shopify merchant seeking expert help finds it challenging.

Despite countless Google searches on “Cost to Hire a Shopify Expert” — all half a million results say the same thing: It will depend on your requirements.

In such a scenario, the merchant struggles to find an expert who fits within their budget. But you don’t need to worry, as you’re not currently reading a typical resource.

In this blog, you’ll learn each necessary area that clarifies the cost of hiring Shopify experts, and how you hire within your budget. Stick around to have all your doubts answered.

Let’s start with some basics.

Why Hire a Shopify Expert?

Shopify is a user-friendly eCommerce platform that allows you to build a store on your own. However, to take full advantage of the Shopify platform beyond the basics, you might need the help of a Shopify expert.

Shopify experts are professionals who have in-depth knowledge of using and customizing the Shopify platform to meet diverse business needs. They can help you with various tasks like:

• Shopify store development
• Developing custom Shopify apps and functionalities
• Troubleshooting and bug resolutions 
• Shopify Store performance optimization
• Integration with any third-party applications
• Shopify Theme design & development SEO and Content.

Hence, hiring a Shopify expert can really be a smart move for your business. They have all the expertise needed to handle all complex tasks with ease. Moreover, when you hire a Shopify developer, you get tons of other benefits as well. 

Let’s explore in depth what they can do for your Shopify Store.

Role of a Shopify Expert

Much like a typical software developer, Shopify professionals can be categorized based on their specialization like front-end, backend, or both. Understanding their specialization can help you choose a qualified Shopify developer based on your specific needs. Let me categorize the roles for you.

Front-end specialization

• Developing custom themes
• Integrating third-party APIs
• Improving store visibility on search engines 
• Implementing responsive design for mobile optimization
• Frontend maintenance and troubleshooting 

Back-end specialization

• Store setup and configuration
• Store performance optimization
• Developing custom plugins
• Backend maintenance and troubleshooting 

Full-stack specialization

All tasks that front-end and back-end developers can do, plus

• Migration to Shopify
• Shopify Plus Scripts
• Shopify website audit
• Developing Headless and PWA stores
• Comprehensive store maintenance and troubleshooting 

So, we have just seen how Shopify experts can do so many things for you from setting up your store to making sure it runs smoothly. But what if you try to do all this without an expert? 

Well, that’s where things can get a bit tricky to handle if you are not an expert. Let’s talk about some of the common challenges you might face if you try to do things on your own.

Common Challenges Without a Shopify Expert

Managing and running your Shopify store might seem like a good option to save money at first. But later on, you may realize that this can lead to several challenges and can cost more money.

I’m listing some of the common challenges that might come up against you without an expert.

• You’ll have limited customization options
• You’ll miss out on advanced features and integrations
• Store security can be at risk
• You may not keep up with technical issues
• Your SEO and marketing efforts may underperform
• It may take you hours to troubleshoot issues
• Your store performance may drop down
• You may miss out on growth opportunities
• Your focus may get diverted from core business tasks

… And more.

Going through these challenges without a Shopify expert can not only affect the efficiency of your store but can also cost you tons in terms of money and resources.

Security breaches, inefficient features, or functionalities, diverted focus from business, and many other things. All these have their own price tags. Now this is where we come to an important point: understanding the financial aspect of hiring a Shopify expert. 

Hiring a Shopify expert might seem like an overhead expense. However, if you try to weigh it against the potential costs of the challenges, I am sure investing in hiring a Shopify expert will prove as a wise decision for you. 

Let’s now move to the main topic.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Shopify Expert?

Here I will try to explain the various factors that can contribute to the cost of hiring a Shopify expert.

A common question asked by most Shopify store owners is this: Is hiring experts budget-friendly or costly?

Answer: It depends on various factors. But don’t worry, as promised, I won’t leave you hanging with vague answers.

We will dive into all factors in detail.

1. Experience and Expertise of a Shopify Developer

Just like any other industry, Shopify developers with a higher experience will charge higher. The experience level is not strictly limited to the number of ‘years’ worked. It will also depend on the number of projects delivered, deep understanding of the Shopify platform, ability to solve complex problems and provide quick turnaround time.

To share cost examples, here are the median hourly rates of Shopify developers on Upwork, a well-known freelance platform.

• Beginner: $15 per hour
• Intermediate: $33 per hour
• Expert: $95 per hour

And that was how cost differs based on the expertise level of the developer. Now, let’s quickly move to understand another factor.

2. Project Complexity and Duration

From minor tweaks to complex customizations, the cost is expected to range from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars. This shows that there is a significant cost difference depending on the task complexity and time required.

To provide you with more clarity, let me share some project examples with their average costs:

• Minor tweaks: $200 – $800
• Theme customization: $1,000 – $5,000
• Complete custom store build: $5,000 – $20,000+

I hope this provides enough insight into how project complexity is considered in determining hiring costs. Now, let’s move on to discuss another factor.

3. Geographical Location

You may spot significant differences in the price tag when hiring developers from different regions. This difference is due to variations in the market demand and the cost of living in different areas.

For example, if an American company hires a Shopify expert from an Asian country, the cost will be lower due to the lower cost of living. Choosing professionals from regions like North America and Western Europe can result in higher costs.

Moreover, you can consider this table to understand the hiring cost difference ranging from region to region.

Region	Average Hourly Rate
North America	$50 – $100+
South America	$20 – $40
Australia	$40 – $85
Western Europe	$40 – $90
Eastern Europe	$20 – $50
Asia	$15 – $40
Africa	$15 – $30

Most Shopify store owners consider hiring experts from different regions, and you can also follow it as a tip to hire within budget.

Here’s an example from Upwork for the same.

And that’s all for how cost differs when hiring from a different location.

Till now we discussed various factors that decide the cost of hiring Shopify experts. However, the cost of hiring is also influenced by various pricing models, as experts charge differently based on their expertise, scope of work, and level of customization required.

So, let’s continue this discussion by understanding how the hiring cost can be influenced depending on pricing models.

4. Hourly Rates

Most Shopify specialists have their pre-decided hourly rates, where clients are billed for hours spent on tasks or projects. This works really well for projects where the scope may evolve over time and expert help is occasionally required.

Here I’m sharing how the average hourly rates differ when hiring freelancers and agencies.

Hiring Model	Average Hourly Rate
Agency Hiring Model	$25 – $45
Freelance Hiring Model	$10 – $25

You can spot a huge difference in the cost of hiring agencies and freelance Shopify developers on an hourly basis. Now, let’s explore how the hiring cost is determined when your project has a fixed cost.

5. Fixed Rates

Such a pricing model is greatly suited for projects where the scope is well determined, and no changes are expected throughout the process. Usually, hiring Shopify developers on a fixed rate basis costs around $200 to $10000, depending on the complexity of your project and developers’ expertise.

For a better understanding, I’m adding a table that shares examples of common types of fixed-priced Shopify projects with their average costs.

Project Type	Average Fixed Cost (Approx.)
eCommerce Store Development / Setup	$5,000 – $25,000
Bug Fixing	$200 – $1000
Performance Optimization	$500 – $5000
Store Migration	$500 – $5000

Now, let’s move to another pricing model that we are considering.

6. Package-based Pricing

You can find a variety of Shopify service packages, including basic store setup, store maintenance, bug fixing, and more. These are the best options offered by experts when your project requirements are thoroughly determined.

The packages may include different service plans (e.g., Basic, Advanced, Pro) with a fixed pricing for each of them. Here, the pricing is set depending on the amount of services offered within that plan. This flexibility enables you to choose the one that best matches your requirements.

Here I’m adding an example from Fiverr, the freelance platform, offering a service package of bug fixing.

And that’s all about how choosing service packages may influence your hiring cost.

With that, we also conclude our discussion on the cost of hiring Shopify experts. We’ve seen that there is a list of factors involved in determining the cost of hiring an expert. I hope this provided you with an idea of HOW MUCH it will cost if you choose to hire an expert for your job.

If you want an accurate cost, perfectly determined based on your project requirements, feel free to contact our Shopify experts. Our consultation comes with no commitment to a contract and has a simple goal to help you understand the overall cost associated with your project.

Now, as you’re hiring experts to work on your project, you definitely need information on various hiring models that are best suited for your project requirements.

So, let’s discuss it.

Different Hiring Models for Shopify Experts

There are different ways you can hire experts, and each of these hiring models has advantages catering to your specific requirements. That helps us choose the best one for our project.

The list of hiring models includes an in-house team, freelancers, and agencies. Let’s break down their comparison in a handy table to help you understand what’s the right choice for you.

Factor	In-house Team	Freelancers	Shopify Agencies
When to Hire	When you have ongoing technical requirements and you prefer internal project management	When your project is short-term and you require 1-2 developers	When your project is complex, requiring varied and extensive expertise, and you seek freedom from resource management
Cost Efficiency	May have higher costs due to additional office space, infrastructure, etc.	Cost-effective as hired for short-term projects	May have higher costs depending from agency to agency
Reliability	Highly reliable, as they are your staff	Comparatively less reliable	Highly reliable as they are a group of professionals managed by an organization
Project Duration	Can work on all the technical needs	Usually, collaborations start with short-term projects but can extend to long-term projects over time	Usually hired for long-term project requirements
Availability	Are available at your working time	Their availability varies depending on workload or location	Are available on  their fixed working time
Onboarding	Finding the right candidate and training them can take 15-30 days	Hiring freelancers is quick, can be done within an hour	Getting started with a Shopify Agency may take 2-5 days
Ideal For	Medium to Large size businesses with ongoing technical needs	Small-sized businesses with lesser work requirements and low-budget	Medium to enterprise-sized businesses with complex business requirements
Project Examples	1. Shopify Store Maintenance 2. Custom Development 3. App Integration 4. Store Redesign	1. Custom Store Development  2. Store Maintenance 3. Performance Optimization	1. Building Custom Apps/Theme 2. Shopify Plus Store Development 3. Headless eCommerce Store Development

This comparison provides insights into which type of Shopify expert can be an ideal choice for your business. Therefore, consider them and evaluate the one that fits your unique business requirements.

Now, just as I mentioned earlier, each store owner has budget concerns, making it necessary for them to find experts that sync well within their budget. So, let’s move on to understand some tips that can be followed to hire within your budget.

Tips for Hiring Shopify Developers in Your Budget

You can consider these tips to make an informed decision on hiring a Shopify expert who fits your budget or aligns with your mindful approach to the process. I’m listing them right here.

Hire Developers from Asian Countries

The cost of hiring Asian developers is comparatively less than hiring developers from other regions. This is due to the low cost of living in Asian countries. It means, that to hire Shopify experts within your budget, you can always consider Asian countries such as India, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Explore Hiring Models

Earlier, we saw that cost differs a lot depending on different hiring models. Hiring freelance Shopify experts is budget-friendly, and hiring agencies can comparatively be costly. And it’s true that both of them are cost-effective depending on your project requirements, and have their own plus points.

So, first, understand what you need and make a wise choice on hiring models to keep your costs in check.

Using Well-known Freelancing Platforms

Freelancing platforms are the best place to find highly knowledgeable expert freelancers or agencies, within budget. You can easily set up a filter, and get a list of developers that fall within your budget criteria.

Some of the freelancing platforms that I can suggest are listed below.

• Upwork
• Fiverr
• PeoplePerHour
• Guru
• Toptal
• Uplers

So, always take help from freelancing platforms when you’re hiring with budget constraints. 

Hire Developers with the Help of Referrals

Instead of exploring different places, you can find them in your circle. 

They are trustworthy and have a high chance of working within your budget, helping you save money compared to hiring someone unknown. 

So, reach out to friends, family, colleagues, business networks, or those store owners whose websites you admire, for referrals.

Additional tip: While cost-saving is essential, prioritize quality. Hiring a less experienced expert will help you reduce the cost of hiring but can cost you thousands of dollars if the work quality is not good.

So, that’s all about the tips you can follow for hiring within your budget. Would you like to go ahead with understanding a cost-effective solution that can be your go-to choice when hiring Shopify experts?

Let’s do it.

Hiring Aureate Labs is Cost-Effective!

We are Aureate Labs, an Asia-based Shopify agency with more than 10 years of experience in delivering budget-friendly solutions.

Whether you’re setting up your Shopify store, tweaking themes, boosting performance, or needing ongoing maintenance, our skilled developers have the expertise to cater to your needs.

Doesn’t matter what your business size is, we’ve cost-effective hiring models to offer each business size.

Business Size	Cost-effective Solution
Small to Medium	Hire developers on an hourly basis
Medium to Enterprise	Hire developers on an hourly basis Hire us at a Fixed cost Hire a dedicated expert (for your project only)

Let me list some more reasons why you should choose us over other Shopify providers.

• 10-hour risk-free trial
• 150+ successfully running Shopify stores
• 110+ happy clients
• Ongoing support
• Rollover hours

Know more about our Shopify development services here, and discover how we can help you make the most of your Shopify journey, all while keeping your hiring costs in check.

Final Words

Each Shopify expert has their own strengths, way of working, and rates to charge. These factors depend on their experience, expertise, location, and the type of service you need. So, when you choose to hire Shopify experts, don’t get lost in a maze.

Consider conducting thorough research to find qualified experts who can help you get the most out of your Shopify store. It’s important to select an expert who understands your business and can help you achieve your goals. Good luck on your journey to find the right Shopify expert for your business. Moreover, you can always avail a free call with our Shopify consultant to discuss your requirements. Contact us today.