Keep the commerce backend when it fits
A headless storefront can retain Shopify or WooCommerce for catalog, checkout, payment, and operations. Replacing the backend is a separate decision with a separate risk and cost model.
Shopify Speed Optimization
Your Shopify store loads in 4 seconds.
Ours load in 0.8. Here is how we move you over.
We migrate high-volume brands from standard Shopify themes to high performance custom coded storefronts. Keep the Shopify backend, destroy the frontend limitations.
90+PageSpeed
3.2s → 0.7sLoad Time
★★★★★Clutch Verified
★★★★★Trustpilot
30-min call. Drop your store URL when you book. We test your speed live, calculate your revenue loss, and quote you on the spot. Best fit for stores doing $50K to $5M/year.
PandaCodeGen rebuilds slow Shopify and WooCommerce stores as custom headless storefronts on Next.js, keeping your existing backend for products, orders, and payments. Builds are fixed-price from $1,500 for smaller catalogs and $5,000 to $10,000 for headless commerce, target sub-second load times, and ship with a written 90+ Lighthouse handover target on mobile and desktop for the agreed representative pages, verified across three recorded runs. The result replaces monthly app fees with owned code. How much speed improves, and what that is worth commercially, depends on your current theme, apps and catalogue.
Commerce diagnostic
Headless commerce is an option, not a default answer.
The right architecture depends on measured storefront constraints, catalog and checkout needs, team workflow, integrations, traffic, change frequency, compliance, budget, and the cost of operating both the current and proposed stack.
Measure the actual bottleneck
Collect field and lab performance by template, then identify theme code, apps, tags, images, checkout constraints, and operational dependencies before recommending a rebuild.
Price the whole operating model
Compare plan, app, payment, hosting, database, email, analytics, monitoring, maintenance, support, and engineering costs using current provider terms and realistic usage.
Evidence to bring to discovery
- Representative URLs and field metrics
- Current plan and app invoices
- Catalog, checkout, and account requirements
- Analytics, consent, and integration map
- Content and merchandising workflow
- Traffic, timeline, budget, and acceptance criteria
M
Client receipt, on the record
“Hassan rebuilt MyCustomPatches, a WordPress + WooCommerce store, onto a custom Next.js storefront. PageSpeed went from 45 to 90+. Load time 3.2s to 0.7s. Fixed price. Unlimited revisions. Live at mycustompatches.net. Rated 5 stars on Clutch and GoodFirms.”
Matt Conner, owner, MC Patches LLC. Clutch review · GoodFirms review
I will do the same thing for your Shopify store in three weeks, or refund you in full. No hourly billing. No subcontractors. Hassan Jamal, Austin, TX.
Real Clients. Real Migrations.
We ship what we promise.
Four stores we built or migrated. Live URLs, verifiable PageSpeed scores, honest before/after numbers.
Custom Patches E-Commerce
Panda Patches
pandapatches.com
WordPress → Custom
Owned by co-founder Imran Raza, built and operated by PandaCodeGen. Migrated from WordPress + WooCommerce to a custom Next.js storefront with Square payments. Cut monthly tool bill from $200+ to about $55 (Supabase ~$25, Vercel ~$20, and ~$10 for the FAL Flux Schnell AI patch generator). 1 Million+ patches delivered.
92
PageSpeed
< 1s
Load Time
$145+/mo
Outcome
Custom Patches (US Market)
MyCustomPatches
mycustompatches.net
WordPress → Custom
Migrated from a slow WordPress + WooCommerce store. PageSpeed jumped 45 to 90+. Load time 3.2s to 0.7s. Featured 5-star Clutch + GoodFirms reviews.
95
PageSpeed
0.7s
Load Time
45 → 90+
Outcome
Luxury Leather DTC
Saforne
saforne.com
Custom Next.js Build
Handcrafted UK leather brand. Custom ecommerce with Stripe, Sanity, multi-currency support. Built in 2 weeks.
96
PageSpeed
< 1s
Load Time
Premium UX
Outcome
Editorial Magazine
Obare Magazine
obare.vercel.app
Wix → Custom
Editorial design magazine with 225K Instagram following. Migrated from Wix to custom Next.js.
95
PageSpeed
< 1s
Load Time
225K IG
Outcome
Evidence, not theater
Client words with a source you can open.
No stock portraits, rotating star theatre, or anonymous outcome claims. These are short excerpts from public review pages, linked so you can read the full context yourself.
Featured in
Woman’s World (opens in a new tab) quoted co-founder Hassan Jamal as an AI expert on remote AI-training work.
Client delivery
22 days
MyCustomPatches project delivery
Owner-confirmed project record, recorded July 21, 2026.
Hassan was available to me at any time, and his response time was always less than an hour.
Hassan was super helpful and communicative throughout the process.
They worked with me to make a website that I could afford.
Founder-affiliated, clearly labelled
Panda Patches is owned by a PandaCodeGen co-founder.
We built its platform but hold no ownership stake. It is presented as operating experience, not as an independent client endorsement.
How We Go Headless
Your existing Shopify store stays live. We build in parallel with AI-paired development. Three weeks to launch, not three months. Zero downtime.
01
Store Audit & API Architecture
Days 1-3We audit your apps, theme speed, and conversion data. Then we map how every feature connects through Shopify's Storefront API: products, cart, checkout, customer accounts. AI tooling compresses discovery from days to hours.
02
Custom Storefront Build
Days 4-14We build your new storefront in Next.js with AI-paired development: product pages that load instantly, a cart that never lags, and search that actually works. Every app feature gets rebuilt natively. Claude and Cursor handle scaffolding so we ship in weeks, not months.
03
Live Data Testing
Days 15-18We connect to your real Shopify data. Test every product, every variant, every checkout flow. Your team reviews and approves before anything goes live.
04
Launch & Optimize
Days 19-21We point your domain to the new storefront. Your Shopify dashboard stays exactly the same. Then we A/B test, monitor Core Web Vitals, and optimize conversion rates.
Profit Warning
The Shopify App Trap
These are the exact problems Shopify store owners tell us about before they switch:
App Fees Are Eating Your Profit Margin
Yotpo at $200/mo, PageFly at $100/mo, Rebuy at $150/mo, Bold subscriptions on top. Your apps cost more than your Shopify plan. That's $1,500+ per month going to SaaS fees instead of growth.
Every Second of Load Time Costs You 7% in Conversions
Every app injects JavaScript that loads before your customer sees a single product. At $100k/month revenue, a 2-second delay costs $14,000/month in missed sales. The 7% per second figure comes from Akamai's research on load time and conversions.
Shopify's URL Structure Is Capping Your SEO
Shopify forces /collections/ and /products/ into every URL. You can't clean them up. Competitors with custom storefronts rank for cleaner URLs. You're fighting Google with a built-in handicap.
Liquid Blocks the Checkout Experience That Converts
One-page checkout, custom upsell flows, subscription bundling. Liquid's template system has hard limits. Going headless means your checkout works exactly how your conversion data says it should.
Your Store Looks Like 50,000 Other Shopify Stores
Standard Shopify themes are deployed by hundreds of thousands of stores. Your competitors are literally running the same template. A custom storefront is the only way to build a brand experience that's 100% yours.
AI Search Won't Recommend a Slow Storefront
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews now answer 'where should I buy X?' directly. They surface fast, structured storefronts. Shopify's bloated JavaScript makes you invisible to an AI search layer that influences a growing share of buying decisions.
Real Reddit Threads. Verifiable.
What Shopify Merchants Are Actually Saying
Not curated testimonials. Real Reddit threads from Shopify store owners and solopreneurs. Click the links to verify every quote.
“
Most Shopify stores have 6 to 10 apps running. Every single one adds javascript to your storefront. Every script adds load time. Load time kills sales.
No-Comparison-5247 · r/Solopreneur OPVerify →
“
The apps you installed to fix conversions are sometimes what is breaking them. Worst ones: popup tools, review widgets, live chat. Loading on every page even when nobody needs them.
No-Comparison-5247 · r/Solopreneur OPVerify →
“
Slow load time is invisible until you measure it and by then you have already wasted budget testing creatives that never had a chance.
Ok_Parfait_4006 · r/SolopreneurVerify →
“
Most people do not realize that even after you uninstall an app, it often leaves ghost code in your theme.liquid that still tries to fetch assets. That is why your PageSpeed never improved.
modulus3029 · r/SolopreneurVerify →
“
Most Shopify stores are not losing on ads, they are losing on load time from bloated apps. Speed is a conversion lever people ignore.
Fast_Fly_8354 · r/SolopreneurVerify →
“
I had a store where I kept stacking apps thinking I was optimizing, turns out I was just slowing everything down. Removed a couple popup and chat tools and conversion actually went up without touching ads.
ProfessionalCut6138 · r/SolopreneurVerify →
Headless removes app bloat at the source. No ghost code. No render-blocking JavaScript. No silent conversion killer.
We rebuild Shopify stores headless on Next.js from $1,500 (most headless store rebuilds land $5,000 to $10,000). App functionality moves to native code. Your storefront loads in under 1 second. Same Shopify backend, same revenue, about 57x lower app fees.
See Headless Pricing → The Headless Advantage
Same Shopify Backend. 10x Better Frontend.
Going headless means you keep Shopify's powerful inventory, payments, and order management. But your customers see a lightning-fast, beautifully custom storefront that can convert at up to 2 to 3x the rate. If you want the revenue math first, read what a slow Shopify store costs you in revenue.
Theme to Custom
Safely migrate from Liquid to custom code with no downtime. Products, orders and customers are reconciled against a pre-migration export and any exceptions are reported before cutover.
Global CDN Delivery
Serve your store from the Edge. Instant loading in Dubai, New York, and London. Every millisecond faster = more conversions.
Custom Checkout
Bypass Shopify limitations. Integrate Stripe, custom upsells, and subscriptions exactly how you want them.
Honest Pricing
Agencies charge $30K plus.
We meet you halfway.
Fixed-scope pricing. No hourly traps. Start small, scale when ready.
Typical Agency
$30K to $60K+
8-12 week timeline. Hourly billing. You don't own the code.
PandaCodeGen
From $1,500
3 week timeline. Fixed price. You own 100% of the code.
Starter
Starting from $1,500
Ships in 1 to 2 weeks
Small catalog, simple migration. Our Starter tier.
- Custom Next.js storefront up to 20 products
- Shopify Storefront API integration
- Mobile-first responsive design
- 90+ Lighthouse handover target
- Sanity CMS for content
- 15 days of free post-launch support
Most Common
Growth
Starting from $3,500
Ships in 2-3 weeks
30-100 products. Custom features. Serious scaling.
- Everything in Starter
- Custom product filtering & search
- Advanced checkout flow
- Upsell and personalization logic
- Custom review system (no Yotpo)
- 30 days of free post-launch support
Scale
$5,000 to $10,000
Ships in 3 to 4 weeks
Subscriptions, custom logic, large catalogs, headless APIs.
- Everything in Growth
- Stripe Subscriptions (replaces Recharge)
- Custom admin dashboard
- Multi-currency + localization
- Custom loyalty/rewards logic
- 30 days of free post-launch support
All builds include: zero downtime migration, 301 redirect mapping, SEO preservation, your domain stays yours, you own 100% of the code.
Ready to Scale Your Store?
Option A
Shopify Optimization
Not ready for headless? We'll optimize your current Shopify theme for better speed, SEO, and conversions within the platform.
- Theme speed optimization
- App audit & cleanup
- SEO improvements
- Conversion rate fixes
- 30-day support
Recommended
Option B
Go Headless (Custom Coded)
A fully custom storefront that keeps Shopify's backend but eliminates all frontend limitations. The ultimate e-commerce upgrade.
- Under a second load times
- Zero monthly app fees
- Custom checkout flows
- 90+ PageSpeed score
- Unique brand experience
- Refund terms stated in the written scope
Project Scope Review
Start with evidence. Put the agreement in writing.
Discovery is used to understand the current system, desired outcome, constraints, and dependencies. Scope, commercial terms, targets, support, ownership, and remedies become commitments only when they are stated in accepted written project terms. Those may be a concise quote or order summary accepted in email or chat, or a more detailed agreement for regulated or complex work.
Diagnostic first
We begin with the URL, stack, content, integrations, analytics, and operational constraints. Automated audit output is treated as an estimate to investigate, not proof of revenue loss or a guaranteed business result.
Evidence before outcomes
Performance measurements and project examples are point-in-time references. Any target used for your project should identify the tested pages, tool, date, device profile, run method, exclusions, and acceptance rule in the written scope.
Scope before certainty
The proposal records what is included, what is excluded, required client inputs, dependencies, and how changes are approved.
Targets need a method
If a performance or visibility target is included, its measurement conditions and any agreed response are documented with it.
Terms belong in the proposal
Payment milestones, support coverage, ownership, licenses, handover, and out-of-scope work are confirmed in writing.
What should be documented before work starts
Use the discovery conversation to gather evidence, then rely on the written proposal for commitments.
← Swipe to see more →
| Review area | During discovery | In the written proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and exclusions | Inventory the current system, dependencies, and assumptions | List deliverables, exclusions, responsibilities, and change handling |
| Performance and acceptance | Record a dated baseline and identify client-controlled variables | Define the target, pages, tools, test conditions, and acceptance method |
| Commercial and handover terms | Discuss payment, support, ownership, access, and transition needs | State milestones, support coverage, licenses, handover, and remedies |
If a commercial term, target, or remedy is not in the written project terms accepted by both parties, this page should not be read as creating that commitment.
Common Questions
Everything you need to know about going headless.
How we reduce your risk
A 90+ handover target, measured before you sign off.
Every PandaCodeGen build carries a 90+ Lighthouse handover target on mobile and desktop for the representative pages named in your written scope, verified across three recorded runs before handover. If we fail to deliver what that written scope promises, the accepted terms set out the refund trigger and cure process. This is a lab acceptance target, not a promise about rankings, revenue, or field Core Web Vitals after third-party changes.
From the Blog
Research, case studies, and guides on headless e-commerce.
Why Go Headless with Shopify?
The performance case for decoupling your Shopify storefront.
Read moreShopify App Costs: The Real Bill
How app fees quietly eat your margins every month.
Read moreWhy Shopify Plus Is Still Slow
Liquid themes cap your speed even on enterprise plans.
Read moreYour Slow Shopify Is Losing Sales
Every second of load time costs you real revenue.
Read moreSpeed Fix That Lifts Conversions
How faster load times directly increase conversion rates.
Read moreWhat Is Headless Commerce?
A plain-English explainer for store owners and founders.
Read moreExplore More Services
Every platform migrates differently. Here is the right path for each.
WordPress Migration
Escape plugin bloat. Load under 1 second.
WooCommerce Migration
Cut $500/mo in plugins. Own your store.
Wix Migration
Break free from Wix limitations. Own your code.
Squarespace Migration
Outgrow templates. Build something bespoke.
Webflow Migration
Performance ceiling hit? Move to Next.js.
GoHighLevel
GHL site slow? Custom frontend, same CRM.
Custom Engineering
SaaS, dashboards, APIs built from scratch.
For Agencies
White-label dev partnership. You sell, we build.
Built by
H
Hassan Jamal
Lead Engineer. Headless Shopify builds that score 90+ on PageSpeed. Full storefront migrations from Liquid templates to custom Next.js storefronts, with zero downtime and zero lost orders.