E-commerce: CMS, Builder, or Headless — Which to Choose
Shopify, WooCommerce, Tilda, or Next.js headless — each fits different budgets and goals. An honest comparison.
'We need an online store' isn't a spec yet. First: how many SKUs, ERP integration, expected traffic, who maintains the catalog.
Builder / CMS
Shopify, WooCommerce, OpenCart. Fast launch, ready payment and shipping modules. Downside: customization and speed limits as you scale.
Headless on Next.js
Next.js storefront, products from CMS or ERP, Stripe or local payment providers. Maximum speed, SEO, and flexibility. Slower and pricier upfront.
When to pick what
- Under 200 SKUs, standard checkout — CMS is often enough
- B2B, price lists, quote requests — catalog without cart or custom checkout
- High traffic, heavy filtering — headless
- ERP, warehouse, CRM integration — budget for an API layer
Don't build a marketplace on day one if you haven't processed 100 orders with a simple store.
What drives cost
- Product types and attribute complexity
- Payment, shipping, cash on delivery
- Customer accounts and order history
- Excel/ERP import
- Multi-language and multi-currency
SolidWeb
We build both CMS stores and Next.js headless. Public store start is from $899. Complex ERP/B2B integrations are quoted after a brief. Timeline 2–8 weeks depending on integrations.
"The best store is the one you actually sell through — not the one with the most admin buttons."