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COMPARISON

Custom-coded website
or Shopify?

Unlike a custom-coded website, which is built page by page around one brand, Shopify gives a merchant a ready platform with built-in product, cart and payment tools, which means less custom design flexibility but faster access to store features that already work. The right choice depends on how many products you sell, how often they change and who manages the site day to day.

By coding agency · Updated: · 4 min read

Choose Shopify when

  • You sell physical products with variants (size, color, stock) that change often
  • You want built-in checkout, shipping and inventory tools without building them from scratch
  • Non-technical staff need to add and edit products regularly
  • You are comparing platform subscription costs against a one-time build

Choose a custom-coded website when

  • You need a tailored product, service or brand presentation and a customer journey defined around your workflow
  • You want a distinctive layout that does not read as a template
  • You need a specific customer journey that a store theme does not fit well
  • You prefer no mandatory monthly agency fee (the $600 custom website has none)

What both options share

Every package from coding agency includes an admin dashboard, responsive layouts, essential technical SEO foundations and 10 days of free follow-up after delivery. Choosing Shopify or custom code changes how the site is built and managed; it does not change that baseline.

Cost comparison

At coding agency, a custom website costs $600 with no mandatory monthly agency fee. Shopify setup starts from $300 plus $30/month in agency fees: from $660 over the first year before Shopify subscriptions, domains, paid apps and payment fees. Custom websites also have separate hosting and domain costs. Compare the complete first-year budget and scope rather than the setup prices alone.

Payment and delivery for a store in Lebanon

Before choosing the platform, confirm your business location, currencies, payment-provider eligibility and delivery zones. Lebanon is not listed among supported Shopify Payments countries when this guide was reviewed. A store may instead need an eligible third-party provider or a supported manual payment method. Confirm availability and account requirements before promising a checkout option.

Write down who will add products, update stock and handle orders. If your workflow differs from a standard store, compare the custom scope with the platform approach before deciding.

Packages discussed in this guide

Review each package's scope and agency fees before requesting a quote. External costs are separate from setup prices.

Compare all current website packages and prices

Official references

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Frequently asked
questions.

01

Is Shopify cheaper than a custom website?

The setup price is lower ($300 vs $600), but Shopify adds a $30/month agency fee plus Shopify's own platform subscription, both separate from the custom website's one-time $600 with no monthly agency fee. Compare the full first-year cost, not just setup.

02

Can a custom-coded website include an online store?

E-commerce options are scoped case by case within a custom-coded project. For a large or frequently changing catalogue, Shopify's built-in store tools are usually the more practical fit.

RELATED READING

Website Cost in Lebanon 2026: Price GuideWordPress vs Custom Website: A Lebanon Business Guide

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