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 (from $600)
Shopify, WooCommerce, OpenCart. Fast launch, ready payment and shipping modules. Downside: customization and speed limits as you scale.
Headless on Next.js (from $2000)
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. Basic store from $600, custom with ERP from $2000. 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."