Next.js Headless
Shopify Standard
Shopify Hydrogen
Performance (Lighthouse)
95–100
50–75
80–95
Transaction Fees
None
0.5–2% (with non-Shopify payments)
0.5–2% (with non-Shopify payments)
Vendor Lock-in
No lock-in
Strong (Shopify dependency)
Medium (Shopify backend remains)
Development Effort
High (from €8,900)
Low (theme customization)
Medium (React skills required)
GDPR & Data Protection
Full control
US servers, restricted
US servers (Shopify backend)
Customizability
Unlimited
Liquid template limited
High (React)
Next.js Headless wins in 4 of 6 categories
Vorteile
- No Shopify lock-in: backend freely selectable
- No transaction fees with your own payment provider
- Best performance: Lighthouse 95–100
- Full GDPR control through your own servers
- Unlimited customizability
- Backend can be Shopify, Medusa.js, WooCommerce or custom
Nachteile
- Highest development costs (from €8,900)
- Shopify app ecosystem not directly usable
- Requires React/Next.js developers
Best for: Companies that want to grow, need full data control and do not accept platform dependency.
Shopify shop with 200+ products, performance issues
Shopify Hydrogen or Next.js HeadlessDepends on whether Shopify should remain as the backend. Hydrogen is the faster path, Next.js Headless the cleaner solution.
New e-commerce project, budget over €10,000
Next.js HeadlessNo lock-in, best performance, full GDPR control. The right start for a scalable platform.
Small Shopify shop, satisfied with performance
Shopify Standard (keep)If performance is sufficient and you are happy with Shopify, there is no compelling reason to switch.
B2B shop with customer pricing and ERP integration
Next.js HeadlessShopify fundamentally cannot cover B2B requirements sufficiently. Custom headless is the only scalable solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shopify Hydrogen is Shopify's own React framework for headless commerce with Shopify as the backend. Next.js Headless is an open approach that uses Shopify optionally or replaces it entirely. Hydrogen stays inside the Shopify ecosystem; Next.js Headless is independent of it.
It depends on whether Shopify is used as the backend. With pure Next.js Headless and your own backend (e.g. Medusa.js or Payload CMS): no Shopify fees. With Shopify Headless (Shopify as the backend): ongoing monthly Shopify fees and transaction fees remain.
A typical Shopify migration takes 6–12 weeks. Simpler shops (up to 500 products, few integrations) are ready in 6 weeks. More complex setups with ERP integration and heavy customization need 10–16 weeks.
With a full switch to your own headless backend: Shopify apps are no longer directly usable. Their functions must be built yourself or replaced through API integrations. That sounds like a disadvantage but often means less overhead and better performance.
For small shops with up to 200 products that want to launch quickly and have no performance demands or B2B requirements. Also suitable as an entry solution if a migration to headless is planned later.
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