How-to's · Shopify · 3 min read
Shopify vs Shopify Experts: What's the Difference?
Short answer
Shopify is the ecommerce platform and company. Shopify Support helps with the platform itself, such as account, billing and how features work. Shopify Experts are independent agencies and freelancers listed in Shopify's Partner Directory who you can hire for design, development, marketing, migration and other custom work.
New merchants often blur three different things: Shopify the platform, Shopify's support team, and Shopify Experts. Knowing who does what saves time and helps you get the right kind of help.
Shopify: the platform
Shopify is the company and software that powers your store: hosting, checkout, admin, themes, payments, apps and sales channels. You pay Shopify a monthly plan fee plus transaction-related costs.
Shopify Support
Shopify's support team helps you with the platform itself:
- Account and billing questions
- How features work
- Domain connection issues
- Payment and payout questions
- Troubleshooting platform problems
Support is included with your plan, through the Help Center, chat and other channels depending on your plan and region. Learn more in how to call Shopify.
What support does not do: design your custom theme, write code for you, run your ads or build your marketing strategy.
Shopify Experts (Partners)
Shopify Experts are independent agencies and freelancers listed in Shopify's Partner Directory. They offer paid services such as:
- Store setup
- Theme customization and custom theme development
- App development and integrations
- Store migration from other platforms
- Marketing, SEO and email marketing
- Conversion optimization
- Photography and content
- Strategy and consulting
You hire and pay them directly. They are not Shopify employees.
Side-by-side
| Shopify | Shopify Support | Shopify Experts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who they are | Platform and company | Shopify's help team | Independent agencies and freelancers |
| Cost | Plan fees | Included with plan | Paid separately |
| Helps with | Running your store software | Platform questions and issues | Custom design, development, marketing |
| Example | Checkout, hosting | "How do I set up shipping zones?" | "Build a custom product configurator" |
When to use support vs an expert
Use Shopify Support when:
- Something on the platform is not working as expected
- You need to understand a feature
- You have billing or account issues
Hire an expert when:
- You need custom design or code
- You are migrating a large store
- You want marketing strategy or execution
- You lack time to set up the store yourself
How to find and vet an expert
- Browse the Partner Directory by service, budget, language and location.
- Check reviews and portfolios of similar stores.
- Request proposals from two or three partners.
- Ask about process, timeline and costs in writing.
- Confirm code ownership and access: you should own your store and accounts.
- Start with a small project to test the relationship.
Read is it worth hiring a Shopify expert for help deciding whether you need one at all.
Other types of help
- Shopify Community forums: other merchants and partners answer questions.
- Shopify Help Center: official documentation.
- App developers' support: for issues with specific apps.
- Marketing specialists: see what a Shopify marketing expert does.
What to include in a brief for an expert
A clear brief gets better proposals and fewer surprises:
- Background: what you sell, who your customers are, your current theme and apps
- Goal: what success looks like, such as a faster product page or a migrated catalog
- Scope: pages, features and integrations involved
- Examples: sites or features you like
- Budget range and timeline
- Access: what accounts the expert will need
Ask each partner to restate the project in their own words. Misunderstandings show up early that way.
Tips for working with experts
- Write a clear brief with goals, examples and budget
- Give staff or collaborator access rather than sharing your password (see how to add a user to Shopify)
- Agree on milestones and testing
- Keep backups of themes before major changes
Frequently asked questions
Do Shopify Experts work for Shopify?
No. They are independent businesses and freelancers. Shopify lists them in its Partner Directory but does not employ them.
Is Shopify Support free?
Shopify Support is included with Shopify plans. It helps with platform questions but does not build custom designs or run your marketing.
How do I find a Shopify Expert?
Use the Shopify Partner Directory to browse partners by service, location, budget and reviews, then contact a few to compare proposals.
Sources and further reading
Platform features, prices and policies change. Check the official help pages linked above before you act on a detail that matters to your store.