hydrogen or next.js
Hydrogen on Oxygen when you want Shopify's stack end to end. Next.js when your team or your hosting already lives there. We'll recommend one at scoping and say why.
$ storesmith build --headless
headless storefronts, engineered — not templated.
StoreSmith builds headless Shopify Plus storefronts on Hydrogen and Oxygen or Next.js: built on the Storefront API, multi-market and multi-language, with content from your CMS. Shopify keeps the catalogue, the cart and the checkout; your storefront gets full control of everything in front of it.
01 — what we build
a storefront you own, on a backend you don't have to.
The parts that make headless work in production, not just in a demo.
multi-market, multi-language
Prices, currencies, availability and translations from Shopify Markets, requested in the buyer's country and language context. Routes and hreflang to match.
cms integration
Editorial pages from your headless CMS, or from Shopify metaobjects when you'd rather keep content in the admin. Previews that show the real page.
cart to shopify checkout
Cart built on the Storefront API, handing off to Shopify checkout — so checkout extensions, Functions and payments keep working as they do on any Plus store.
customer accounts
Sign-in, order history and addresses through the Customer Account API, styled as part of your storefront.
search & performance
Server rendering, caching per route, sitemaps, structured data and redirect parity with your current store. Core Web Vitals measured before and after.
02 — typical architecture
shopify is the commerce engine. the front end is yours.
The storefront reads from the Storefront API and your CMS, renders on the server, caches what it can, and sends the buyer to Shopify checkout to pay.
- shopify pluscatalogue, inventory, markets, metafields and metaobjects
- storefront api · cmsproducts, prices and content in the buyer's market and language
- your storefronthydrogen on oxygen or next.js, server-rendered and cached
- shopify checkoutextensions, functions and payments, unchanged
✓ checkout stays shopify
We don't rebuild checkout. You keep Shopify's conversion, payments and compliance, and any checkout extensions you already run.
✓ admin still works
Merchandisers keep editing products, collections and content in the admin or the CMS — no developer needed for a new landing page.
✓ hosting is yours
Oxygen, Vercel or your own cloud. Hosting is billed by the provider directly, not marked up by us.
| option | hydrogen on oxygen | next.js |
|---|---|---|
| choose it when | You want Shopify's stack end to end. | Your team or your hosting already lives there. |
| data | Storefront API | Storefront API |
| checkout | Shopify checkout | Shopify checkout |
| hosting | Oxygen | Vercel or your own cloud |
| hosting billed by | the provider directly | the provider directly |
03 — when it's right
is headless worth it for your store?
Headless isn't always the answer. It adds a codebase you have to keep running. We'll tell you plainly if a well-built Online Store theme would serve you better.
- a good fit
- Content-led brands where the CMS drives the experience. Several markets or brands on one front end. Interactions a Liquid theme can't do well. A team that wants to own the front-end codebase.
- probably not
- A single-market store whose theme does the job. If speed is the only complaint, a theme and app audit is usually the cheaper fix.
- not our focus
- Template store setups and theme reskins. We'll point you to someone good.
- what's not included
- Shopify Plus fees, CMS subscriptions and storefront hosting are billed by those providers directly.
- how it's priced
- Build sprints, quoted after scoping, then a retainer to keep the storefront current with Storefront API versions. See pricing.
04 — proof
the first headless case study is in progress.
We'd rather publish it properly than invent one. Until then, the same pipeline — and the same Storefront API and Markets work — is behind our other use cases.
$ storesmith proof --headlessfirst headless case study
Published when it ships, with the architecture, the signed merges and — with consent — the name.
home & living · magento → shopify plus
0downtime at cutover
The redirect, structured-data and cutover discipline a headless launch needs, on a full replatform.
read the use case →05 — questions
common questions.
hydrogen or next.js for a headless shopify store?
Hydrogen on Oxygen when you want Shopify's stack end to end. Next.js when your team or your hosting already lives there. Both read from the Storefront API and hand off to Shopify checkout. We recommend one at scoping and say why.
is headless worth it for my shopify store?
It suits content-led brands where the CMS drives the experience, several markets or brands on one front end, interactions a Liquid theme can't do well, and teams that want to own the front-end code. It's probably not worth it for a single-market store whose theme does the job. If speed is the only complaint, a theme and app audit is usually the cheaper fix.
does going headless change shopify checkout?
No. The cart hands off to Shopify checkout, so checkout extensions, Functions and payments keep working as on any Plus store.
who pays for hosting on a headless build?
You do, directly. Oxygen, Vercel or your own cloud is billed by the provider, not marked up by us. Shopify Plus fees and CMS subscriptions are billed by those providers too.
06 — start
thinking about headless?
Tell us what your current storefront can't do. An engineer replies with whether headless is worth it for you, which stack we'd use, how long and roughly what it costs.