How much does a Shopify developer cost in 2026?
$80-$200/hr freelance. $5K-$18K for a clean theme build. $300-$1,500/mo for ongoing maintenance. Hire region-adjusted if you're sub-$500K MRR.
Hourly + project rates
US/UK Shopify freelancers: $80-$150/hr standard, $150-$200/hr for Shopify Plus + Functions expertise. Eastern European agencies: $50-$90/hr at similar quality. India/Philippines: $25-$50/hr (more variance in quality, more management overhead).
Typical project sizes
Premium theme customization: $2-$5K. Custom theme build: $5K-$18K. Custom app build: $10-$50K. Migration from another platform: $8-$25K.
Maintenance is the hidden line
Once you have custom code, you need someone to maintain it. Budget $300-$1,500/mo for a freelance maintainer who handles bug fixes + small additions within 48 hours. Without this, every Shopify platform update breaks something.
The tools worth comparing
- Shopify — Platform requirement for most AI ad tools — they integrate Shopify first.
Related
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