Technology · Shopify
Shopify Themes, Built to Update.
Anyone can bolt custom code into a purchased theme. Doing it so the theme can still be updated afterwards is the part that decides whether your store is still maintainable in two years.
Anyone can bolt custom code into a purchased theme. Doing it so the theme can still be updated afterwards is the part that decides whether your store is still maintainable in two years.
Shopify theme development covers three quite different jobs: customising a premium theme you bought, building a custom theme from scratch, and maintaining either one so it survives Shopify's platform updates. The third is the one nobody quotes for and everybody eventually needs.
| Job | What it means | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Theme setup & config | Installing a premium theme, brand styling, content population | ₹40,000 – ₹1,20,000 |
| Theme customisation | New sections, changed templates, custom Liquid on an existing theme | ₹1,50,000 – ₹5,00,000 |
| Custom theme build | Built from scratch against your design, using Online Store 2.0 sections | ₹6,00,000 – ₹15,00,000 |
| Theme maintenance | Updates, speed work, fixing what apps broke, keeping customisations upgrade-safe | Retainer |
Online Store 2.0 sections matter here: a theme built properly with them lets your marketing team rearrange pages without a developer.
The most common expensive mistake in Shopify theme work.
Custom code written directly into a purchased theme means that when the theme author ships an update, taking it overwrites your work. Most stores respond by never updating, and slowly fall behind on performance and features.
Built properly, customisations live in separate sections, snippets and assets so the base theme can still be updated. It costs slightly more up front and saves a rebuild in two years.
A cross-section of the brands we work with. Ask us for references in your category on a call.
Setting up and configuring a premium theme runs ₹40,000 to ₹1,20,000. Customisation is ₹1,50,000 to ₹5,00,000. A custom theme built from scratch is ₹6,00,000 to ₹15,00,000, depending on template count and complexity.
Buy, in most cases. Premium themes are well built, maintained by their authors and cover standard commerce mechanics. Build custom when the storefront experience is genuinely your differentiator or your merchandising does not fit standard structures.
Shopify's theme architecture that allows sections on every page rather than only the homepage, plus app blocks and metafields. It matters because it lets your marketing team restructure pages without a developer, which is where a lot of ongoing agency cost quietly goes.
Yes, and it is a regular request. The first step is an audit of what was changed and whether it was done in a way that permits theme updates. Sometimes the honest answer is that a rebuild costs less than untangling it, and we will say so.
Tell us what's broken. We'll tell you whether we're the right people to fix it, and if we're not, we'll say so.