The market for Shopify help has grown crowded enough that filtering by reputation alone doesn’t work anymore. Anyone can claim to be a “Shopify expert” in a bio, and Shopify’s own partner directory lists thousands of agencies with wildly different levels of actual experience. What separates a genuinely strong partner from a middling one usually comes down to a handful of things that don’t show up in a quick portfolio scroll: whether they hold Shopify Plus certification for enterprise-level work, whether their case studies include real, checkable numbers instead of vague claims, and whether their current clients are still working with them a year later.
A Shopify store built by someone who does this every day looks different from one built by a founder squeezing it in between everything else. The difference usually isn’t the theme they picked, it’s the hundred small decisions around checkout friction, page speed, and mobile layout that a specialist gets right by default and a generalist has to learn the hard way. Below are ten agencies and studios that build and optimize Shopify stores for a living, each verified against their current website and service list rather than pulled from an old, unchecked roundup.
What You Actually Get From Hiring a Specialist
- Custom builds instead of default templates: A specialist tailors design and functionality to your brand rather than shipping a slightly modified stock theme.
- A store that’s easier to use, not just prettier: Professionals think about navigation and checkout friction, not only visual polish.
- Faster, more stable pages: Page speed and error-free functionality directly affect conversion rate, and this is where most DIY builds fall short.
- Technical SEO handled correctly from launch: Structured data, clean URLs, and crawlability set up right the first time instead of retrofitted later.
- Architecture built to grow: A well-planned store scales with new product lines and traffic spikes instead of needing a rebuild in two years.
With that filter in mind, here are ten agencies and studios currently active in the Shopify ecosystem, each checked against their own site and current service offering rather than pulled from an outdated list.
Best Shopify Designers and Developers
1. We Make Websites
We Make Websites has built a reputation on Shopify Plus builds for international brands, and its client roster reflects that scale. Founded in 2011, the studio runs offices in both London and New York and has stayed consistently active in the Shopify Plus partner ecosystem for over a decade.
Key Features:
- Shopify Plus Partner status with a long-running track record.
- Strong internal UX and UI design practice, not outsourced.
Specializations:
- Custom Shopify theme development.
- B2B and B2C commerce builds, including headless and composable architecture.
Notable clients: Good American, UFC, Hasbro, and Levi’s Dockers, among other internationally recognized brands.
Headquarters: London, UK, with a second office in New York.
2. Pixel Union
Pixel Union takes a different approach than most agencies on this list: rather than building fully custom sites from scratch for every client, it develops and sells a lineup of premium Shopify themes, including Empire, Atlantic, Tailor, and Startup, then supports merchants in customizing them. The company operates under Tiny, alongside sister brands like Dribbble and Flow, and reports being trusted by more than 700,000 Shopify merchants.
Key Features:
- A catalog of premium, actively maintained Shopify themes.
- Proven track record supporting large-scale, high-traffic stores.
Specializations:
- Theme design and UX for fashion, apparel, and lifestyle brands.
- Theme-level app development for Shopify.
Notable work: Their Tailor and Empire themes are widely used across the apparel and lifestyle category, backed by a dedicated help center.
Headquarters: Victoria, Canada.
3. Blackbelt Commerce
Blackbelt Commerce is a family-run, New York-based Shopify Plus agency founded by Victoria and Cesar Beltran. Despite the boutique size, it has built a substantial reputation, with more than 178 client reviews and a claimed 98% client renewal rate, numbers that are harder to fake than a polished portfolio page.
Key Features:
- Certified Shopify Experts with a strong referral-driven client base.
- Fast turnaround times relative to larger agencies.
Specializations:
- Shopify app integrations and custom functionality.
- Conversion rate optimization for existing stores.
Notable clients: Metro School Uniforms, Erica Wilson, and Judith Leiber.
Headquarters: New York, USA.
4. Fuel Made
Fuel Made pairs Shopify design and development with Klaviyo email marketing, holding both a Shopify Plus Partner badge and Klaviyo Master Elite status. That combination matters because email remains one of the highest-return channels for ecommerce, and having the same team handle the store and the retention marketing avoids the usual handoff friction between separate vendors.
Key Features:
- Data-driven design process backed by measurable case study results.
- Dual expertise across store development and lifecycle email marketing.
Specializations:
- Conversion rate optimization.
- Email marketing automation through Klaviyo.
Notable clients: The Office Oasis, Boody, and Halfday.
Headquarters: Portland, USA.
5. Blend Commerce
Blend Commerce has carved out a specific niche as a conversion rate optimization agency for Shopify, rather than positioning itself as a general design and development shop. That focus has paid off in industry recognition, including CRO Agency of the Year honors from the European Agency Awards and the Global Agency Awards.
Key Features:
- Deep specialization in Shopify Flow automation.
- An audit-first methodology before any redesign work begins.
Specializations:
- Conversion rate optimization and A/B testing.
- Custom Shopify app development for subscription and retention flows.
Notable clients: A client base spanning beauty, wellness, and pet product brands, with projects typically starting around $3,500.
Headquarters: Warwickshire, UK, with additional US and Australia contact offices.
6. Metizsoft Solutions
Metizsoft Solutions is a larger development shop based in Ahmedabad, India, with over 14 years in business and a claimed 3,000-plus delivered projects across its service lines. Shopify and ecommerce development remain a core offering alongside the company’s growing focus on custom software and AI-driven tooling, which is worth knowing if you want a vendor unlikely to disappear mid-project.
Key Features:
- Budget-friendly pricing relative to Western agencies.
- Around-the-clock support coverage.
Specializations:
- Shopify app development and store customization.
- Multi-channel and multi-language ecommerce integrations.
Notable work: Multi-language store builds for international brands and inventory automation for retail clients.
Headquarters: Ahmedabad, India.
7. Coldsmoke Creative
Coldsmoke Creative has held Shopify Plus Partner status since 2016 and works with established mid-market brands generating between $20 million and $200 million in annual revenue. That client profile pushes the agency toward more technically demanding projects, including Shopify Hydrogen headless builds, rather than the smaller storefront work some other agencies on this list handle.
Key Features:
- Long-standing Shopify Plus Partner status.
- Experience with over 250 brands across apparel, beauty, and food and beverage.
Specializations:
- Headless Shopify development using Hydrogen.
- Advanced analytics implementation for enterprise-level stores.
Notable clients: BYLT Basics, ILIA Beauty, and Bodega.
Headquarters: Based in the United States, serving established mid-market and enterprise brands nationally.
8. Velstar
Velstar is a Liverpool-based agency that pairs Shopify design and development with in-house marketing services, an unusual combination that means a client doesn’t have to hire a separate SEO or paid media team once the store is live. The agency has built a track record scaling stores well past their initial launch traffic rather than just handing off a finished build.
Key Features:
- Shopify marketing expertise built into the same team that handles development.
- A track record scaling stores through sustained traffic growth, not just a launch spike.
Specializations:
- Shopify SEO optimization.
- Multi-currency and international store setups.
Notable clients: A portfolio including luxury lifestyle and fitness apparel brands.
Headquarters: Liverpool, UK.
9. Speed Boostr
Speed Boostr fills a gap the bigger agencies on this list don’t really serve: fast, affordable fixes for a specific problem rather than a full custom build. As a Certified Shopify Expert focused primarily on site speed, the team runs stores through a proprietary analyzer, then works from a checklist to cut load times, alongside smaller theme customization and SEO tasks priced in tiers rather than by the hour.
Key Features:
- Fast turnaround on scoped, well-defined tasks.
- Tiered package pricing instead of open-ended hourly billing.
Specializations:
- Shopify site speed optimization.
- Ongoing store maintenance and minor theme customizations.
Notable tools: Their own custom Shopify apps, including a file optimizer and a tipping app, both listed in the Shopify App Store.
Headquarters: Operates primarily as a remote, US-facing team.
10. Happy Cog
Happy Cog is a full-service digital agency rather than a Shopify-only specialist, which shows in the breadth of its client work across strategy, branding, and platform development. Shopify sits alongside several other content and commerce platforms in its service list, making it a reasonable fit for a brand that wants one agency handling everything from identity design through to the storefront build.
Key Features:
- Strong emphasis on brand storytelling within store design.
- Experience managing large-scale platform migrations.
Specializations:
- Shopify theme customization tied to broader brand identity work.
- Complex, multi-system Shopify integrations.
Notable work: Multi-store rollouts for apparel brands and subscription-model redesigns.
Headquarters: Philadelphia, USA.
Shopify Plus Versus Standard Shopify: Why the Distinction Changes Who You Hire
Several of the agencies above, We Make Websites, Blackbelt Commerce, Fuel Made, and Coldsmoke Creative, specifically hold Shopify Plus Partner status. That badge isn’t just a marketing checkbox. Shopify Plus is a separate, higher-tier product built for merchants doing significant volume, and it unlocks capabilities standard Shopify doesn’t offer: custom checkout customization, higher API rate limits, multiple storefronts under one account, and dedicated infrastructure that handles traffic spikes during major sales events without buckling.
An agency without Plus-specific experience can still build a perfectly good standard Shopify store, but they’re often not equipped to work with Plus-only features like Shopify Functions or checkout extensibility, and they may not have hit the specific scaling problems that come with a store doing millions in monthly revenue. If you’re already on Plus, or expect to move to it within the next year, narrowing your search to agencies with a demonstrated Plus track record will save you from a mid-project realization that your chosen partner is learning the platform’s more advanced constraints on your dime.
On the other side of that line, if you’re running a smaller store on standard Shopify, an agency built around enterprise Plus work may simply be the wrong fit regardless of how impressive their client list looks. Their pricing, process, and minimum engagement size are usually calibrated for a different kind of client, and a smaller studio or a theme-focused shop like Pixel Union will typically get you a better outcome per dollar spent.
How These Agencies Actually Price Their Work
Pricing across this list varies by an order of magnitude, and the model matters as much as the number. Blend Commerce publishes a starting figure of $3,500 for CRO engagements, which gives you a concrete anchor point most agencies won’t offer upfront. Speed Boostr uses tiered packages, Starter, Professional, and Entrepreneur, which makes budgeting predictable if your need fits neatly into one of those buckets.
The larger, full-custom shops, We Make Websites, Blackbelt Commerce, and Coldsmoke Creative among them, tend not to publish pricing at all, because a Shopify Plus build with custom functionality genuinely varies too much project to project to quote a flat number. Expect a discovery call and a scoped proposal rather than a price list. Metizsoft Solutions sits in a different pricing tier entirely, since its India-based team structure generally makes custom development more affordable than agencies based in the US or UK, though that comes with the usual tradeoffs of coordinating across time zones.
Whatever the model, ask directly what happens after launch. Some agencies fold a maintenance retainer into the initial project cost, while others treat launch as the end of the engagement and charge separately for anything after. Knowing which one you’re getting before signing avoids an unpleasant surprise the first time something breaks after a Shopify platform update.
Red Flags Worth Watching For
A portfolio full of logos with no description of what the agency actually did on each project is one of the more common red flags. Did they design the site, build it, migrate it from another platform, or just install a theme and swap the colors? A credible agency will be specific about their exact role, because vague credit-claiming is an easy way to pad a portfolio with work that was mostly done by someone else.
Another warning sign is an agency that won’t name a single current client you can contact. Case studies with real numbers matter, but so does knowing the relationship is ongoing rather than one project that ended badly and was never mentioned again. Most of the agencies above, Blackbelt Commerce in particular with its published renewal rate, make this easy to verify because they’re transparent about client retention rather than hiding behind polished but unverifiable claims.
Finally, be cautious of any partner that pushes you toward the most expensive custom build before understanding your actual traffic and revenue. A store doing a few thousand dollars a month in sales rarely needs a six-figure headless Hydrogen build, no matter how compelling that pitch sounds. The right agency scopes the project to where your business actually is, not to where a sales team wants it to be.
Matching the Agency to Your Actual Stage
A pre-launch brand with a modest budget rarely needs the same partner as an established company doing eight figures in annual revenue, and treating this list as one undifferentiated pool of options is how a lot of founders overspend. If you’re launching your first store and need something functional and fast, Speed Boostr or a theme-driven approach through Pixel Union will get you further per dollar than a full custom build from an enterprise-focused shop.
If you’re past that stage and fighting a specific conversion problem, an agency built around measurement, like Blend Commerce, will diagnose the actual bottleneck rather than just redesigning the site and hoping it helps. And if you’re operating at real scale with a Shopify Plus subscription already in place, the enterprise-grade shops on this list, We Make Websites, Blackbelt Commerce, and Coldsmoke Creative among them, have the infrastructure experience to handle headless builds, multi-region storefronts, and traffic spikes that would strain a smaller studio.
One more thing worth checking regardless of which agency you’re considering: ask for a reference client who is still working with them, not just a past project in the portfolio. Agency-client relationships in ecommerce tend to be ongoing rather than one-and-done, and a current client is a much stronger signal of quality than a screenshot of a site that agency hasn’t touched in two years.
It’s also worth asking how a prospective agency handles a store’s data during and after migration, particularly if you’re moving off another platform. A rushed migration that loses historical order data, customer accounts, or SEO equity from old product URLs can cost a business months of recovery time, and the agencies with real enterprise experience, We Make Websites and Blackbelt Commerce included, will walk you through exactly how they preserve that information before you sign anything. An agency that can’t answer that question clearly probably hasn’t handled a migration of meaningful size before.
Elevate Your Shopify Store With the Right Experts
Choosing the right Shopify designer or developer can make a real difference in how your store performs after launch, not just how it looks on day one. Whether you need a simple theme customization or a full Shopify Plus migration, the agencies listed here each bring a distinct specialty to the table. Evaluate their case studies, current client relationships, and pricing model against your actual stage and budget rather than picking whichever name sounds most familiar.
None of these ten are interchangeable, and that’s the point of breaking the list out by specialty rather than treating “Shopify agency” as a single category. A founder chasing a quick, affordable fix and an operations team managing an eight-figure Plus store are solving completely different problems, and the agency that’s right for one is often the wrong choice entirely for the other. Take the time to match the specific gap in your project, speed, conversion, migration, or full custom design, to the team built around solving that exact problem, and the odds of a smooth engagement go up considerably.
A final practical step before you commit: request a short paid trial project or a paid audit rather than jumping straight into a full engagement. It costs little relative to a full build, and it tells you quickly how an agency communicates, whether they hit a deadline, and whether their recommendations match what you already know about your own store.