Custom eCommerce or an existing platform?

Yes, completely free. No email, no signup. We built it because the same question — Shopify or custom? — comes up on almost every initial call we take. It made sense to make the framework available to everyone.

The 7 questions cover the signals that most reliably separate platform-fit from platform-ceiling cases. We've been using this framework with clients for years. That said, it's a starting point — edge cases exist, and a 20-minute conversation will give you a more nuanced answer than 7 yes/no questions.

Document the specific limitations — the exact workarounds you're maintaining, the features your team is asking for that don't exist, the integrations that keep breaking. Those specifics are the build brief for a custom platform. Bring that list to any conversation about a custom build.

Magento sits between Shopify Plus and a full custom build. It handles large catalogs and B2B features better than Shopify, but has high total cost of ownership — expensive developers, heavy hosting requirements, and a complex upgrade path. In most cases where Magento is being considered, a custom build on a modern stack is comparable in cost and significantly more maintainable long-term.

Not necessarily. The recommendation is about the right technical approach, not a specific vendor. That said, if you decide to build and want to talk through scope and fit, we're happy to have that conversation without a pitch attached.

If the result is a platform — evaluate Shopify, WooCommerce, or Wix and get started. If the result points toward custom, the next step is a scoping conversation: what you need, what it would cost to build, and what timeline makes sense. That conversation is free and takes about 30 minutes.