E-Commerce Development

Custom online stores built with React for speed and conversions. Designed around your catalog and business logic, with full control over every detail.

When a template store stops being enough

Custom e-commerce development means your online store is built specifically for how your business operates. Standard platforms work well at the start, but many businesses outgrow them when pricing rules become complex, inventory logic is non-standard, or integrations are required.

A custom online store allows full control over performance, SEO, and business logic. With React and Next.js, product pages load faster and meet Core Web Vitals standards, factors that directly affect conversion rates and search visibility.

Everything the store ships with

I build e-commerce platforms that cover the entire sales flow. Projects can include a structured product catalog with inventory management, a streamlined shopping cart, and a checkout process tailored to your users.

Payment processing is integrated flexibly, supporting both international methods (Stripe) and Polish payment processors (Przelewy24, PayU). Order management features handle fulfillment status and customer communication. Customer accounts provide order history and saved details.

Advanced search and filtering help users find products quickly, while a custom admin dashboard allows you to manage products, orders, and inventory efficiently. Automated email notifications handle order confirmations and shipping updates without manual work.

Is this you: signs you have outgrown your platform

You know this moment if you are in it: the pricing rules your sales team actually uses cannot be expressed in the platform admin. The ERP sync works "mostly". Checkout needs one step the template will not allow. Every workaround is another app subscription, and the store gets slower with each one.

That is the customer this service exists for: B2B wholesale with custom pricing and volume discounts, stores that need real integrations with accounting or inventory systems, configurable products with many variants, and international selling with multi-currency. If none of that describes you yet, a platform is still the right answer, and I will say so.

Why speed is a sales feature, not a tech score

Every extra second of load time measurably costs orders, and mobile shoppers are the least patient. A custom React storefront ships only the code it needs, so product pages stay fast even with a large catalog. Server-side rendering means Google indexes every product properly, and structured data makes listings eligible for price and rating snippets in search results.

This is the same production discipline I use on consumer platforms like BestEats, live in Portugal, where page speed and catalog UX decide whether people stay. The stack and standards carry over one-to-one to commerce.

See live production work →

How much does a custom online store cost

A custom store built from scratch starts around $8,000 (approx. €7,400) with me and scales with catalog complexity and integrations. Compare the running costs: platform stores pay subscription plus apps plus transaction fees forever, while a custom store pays only payment processing. For stores doing real volume, the custom build usually pays for itself within 2-3 years, and you own it outright.

The common trigger points for going custom: platform fees start to hurt, the checkout needs to work differently than the template allows, or you need integrations (inventory, ERP, custom pricing rules) the app store cannot deliver cleanly. If a platform still fits your stage, I will say so instead of selling you a build you do not need yet.

Technical Stack

Frontend

React 19, Next.js 15, and TypeScript power fast, SEO-friendly product pages where performance directly supports conversions.

Payments

Stripe for international sales, Przelewy24 or PayU for Polish market. Flexible integration based on your target customers.

Database

PostgreSQL with Supabase manages products, orders, and inventory with reliability and scale.

Search

Algolia or custom search solutions for fast product discovery. Image optimization via Cloudinary or Next.js Image.

Deployment

Vercel or AWS ensures global speed and stability with CDN distribution.

Custom e-commerce questions, answered

How much does a custom e-commerce website cost?
From me: starting around $8,000, scaling with catalog size and integrations (agencies quote $25,000-150,000+ for comparable builds). Unlike platform stores there is no monthly platform fee, no app subscriptions and no platform transaction cut: you pay payment processing only, and you own the store.
Shopify or custom e-commerce: which is better?
Shopify is a fine start: fast to launch, predictable monthly cost. Custom wins when fees bite at scale, when the checkout must differ from the template, or when integrations get hairy. The 2-3 year total cost usually favors custom for stores with real volume. I will tell you honestly which side you are on.
What is a good Shopify alternative for a custom store?
For merchants who have outgrown templates, the strongest alternative is a custom React storefront with a headless backend: full control of the buying flow, no platform fees, top speed scores. It is an investment rather than a subscription, which is exactly why it suits stores past the experiment stage.
How much does headless e-commerce cost?
Published 2026 ranges run $20,000-150,000+ from agencies. A solo senior build starts well under that, from around $8,000 for a focused store, because you are not paying a team-sized margin. The price driver is integrations: inventory systems, ERP, custom pricing logic, multi-currency.
Does page speed affect e-commerce conversion rates?
In e-commerce it is the difference between a sale and an abandoned cart: slow product pages bleed mobile buyers before they ever reach checkout. A custom React storefront stays fast because it carries no app bloat. For fixing speed on an existing store, see technical SEO and performance.
How much does it cost to hire an e-commerce developer in Poland?
Poland-based e-commerce builds are quoted at $10,000-50,000+ for full custom stores, well below UK and US agency pricing for equivalent work. You get senior-level engineering at Central European rates, in a European timezone, with direct communication instead of an account-manager relay.
What is the best e-commerce platform for a small business?
If you are validating a product idea, start on a platform: cheap, fast, disposable. Move to custom when the numbers prove the business: real order volume, painful fees, integration needs. The worst outcome is paying custom-build money before you know anyone wants the products.
Why do businesses outgrow Shopify or WooCommerce?
Three patterns repeat: pricing or checkout logic the template cannot express, apps and plugins stacking up in cost and slowing the store down, and integrations with inventory or ERP systems that never quite work. When two of the three appear, it is time to price a custom build.

Tell me what you sell

Describe your catalog, your current platform and what it blocks you from doing. You get an honest platform-vs-custom assessment and a price band by the next working day.

Price my store