When building an online presence, brands often face a choice between two Shopify development approaches: Headless using React Hydrogen, or Shopify Native Liquid Templates.
- Headless Commerce separates the front end (what users see) from the back end (the store’s functionality), offering brands flexibility, customization, and performance improvements. However, it can be more expensive, limit app compatibility, and introduce complexity. It’s best suited for brands needing advanced customizations.
- Shopify Native integrates the front and back end, providing an out-of-the-box, user-friendly solution. It’s easier to set up, has a strong developer ecosystem, and offers built-in content management. However, customization options are more limited compared to Headless.
Both approaches have pros and cons, so the best option depends on your brand’s specific goals, needs, and resources.
There are two main ways brands approach Shopify: as a no-code platform or by working with developers. Some brands can quickly set up their online stores using Shopify’s out-of-the-box tools and themes, while others hire developers to create custom stores, often opting for a headless solution.
Developer Experience
Many developers prefer using modern tools like React over Shopify’s older Liquid language for themes. Liquid lacks features and flexibility compared to React, and even basic optimizations are harder to achieve on Shopify themes. This can make performance improvements challenging, leading many to favor headless development with tools like Next.js or Gatsby, which offer better performance out of the gate.
Performance
Shopify themes tend to struggle with performance optimization, often scoring poorly on metrics like Google Lighthouse. Even with extensive efforts, it’s tough to achieve significant improvements due to outdated technologies and dependencies in pre-built themes. In contrast, headless setups built with modern libraries deliver better performance more easily.
CMS and Flexibility
Shopify’s CMS is limited when compared to headless setups that allow brands to integrate platforms like Contentful for more complex, dynamic content. A headless approach provides the flexibility to choose the best tools for the job, especially when building for international audiences or complex storefronts.
App Integration
With headless, backend apps like third-party logistics (3PL) or subscription tools work well. However, frontend apps (e.g., popups) may need custom integration, which often requires developer help even in traditional Shopify themes.
Use Cases
The headless approach excels in cases where brands need flexibility—for example, managing multiple international stores with a single codebase. But there are challenges, like limitations with user accounts via Shopify API. Despite these hurdles, headless setups often provide better performance, customization, and scalability than traditional Shopify themes.
Conclusion
For brands working with developers, headless offers significant advantages, particularly in performance and flexibility, and is becoming more popular as Shopify leans into this approach with tools like Hydrogen and Commerce Components. While not without challenges, headless is likely to become the standard for larger or more ambitious eCommerce brands.