Connected inventory
Bring inventory movements, reservations and thresholds closer to ordering and fulfilment processes.
Explore Operational Commerce →Looking for a Shopify alternative?
Shopify can be an effective way to launch and operate an online store. But when your business needs tailored workflows, closer control over infrastructure or connected operational tooling, a bespoke ecommerce platform may be worth exploring.
Shopify and bespoke ecommerce solve different problems.
For many businesses, a hosted commerce platform offers a practical combination of speed, integrations and managed infrastructure. Bespoke software becomes more compelling when the operating requirements are sufficiently specialised to justify owning and maintaining a tailored implementation.
| Consideration | Shopify | ORM Development |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Managed, hosted commerce platform. | Custom ecommerce infrastructure tailored to agreed requirements. |
| Getting started | Often faster to launch with established themes and integrations. | Scoping and implementation work before deployment. |
| Operational workflows | Native features, apps and custom development within platform constraints. | Workflows designed around the business, subject to scope. |
| Hosting & maintenance | Core platform hosting and updates are managed by Shopify. | Hosting, maintenance and support must be planned separately. |
| Costs | Plan fees and potentially additional app, transaction or development costs. | Higher implementation investment, plus hosting and any selected support or integrations. |
| Ownership | Merchant owns its content and data subject to Shopify's terms; the hosted platform remains Shopify's. | Implementation ownership and deliverables are defined in the project contract. |
Platform features, terms and pricing change over time. Evaluate the current Shopify offering and a scoped ORM proposal before deciding.
When your operations no longer fit the template.
Specialist workflows
Scope administrative tools, integrations and business-specific logic that reflect how your team operates.
Explore Custom Infrastructure →A tailored foundation
Start with the core capabilities needed to sell online and extend the implementation as requirements evolve.
Explore Core Commerce →Compare more than subscription fees.
A decision about ecommerce infrastructure should consider implementation, hosting, integrations, payment processing, support, migrations and the time your team spends operating the system. Bespoke is not automatically cheaper, and a managed platform is not automatically more expensive over every period.
ORM's ecommerce software cost calculator provides a starting point for modelling assumptions. Actual costs depend on your requirements and contracts.
Choosing a Shopify alternative
When is bespoke ecommerce software worth considering?
When essential workflows cannot be supported efficiently by your current platform, or integrations and recurring operational workarounds have become a significant cost. A bespoke implementation is an investment in software tailored to the business, so the expected benefits should justify development and maintenance.
Is ORM Development a hosted ecommerce platform like Shopify?
No. ORM Development provides scoped software implementations built around a reusable commerce framework, rather than access to a standard hosted software-as-a-service platform. Hosting, maintenance, ongoing services and ownership terms are agreed as part of each engagement.
Does a bespoke ecommerce platform remove all monthly costs?
No. Hosting, payment processing, domain registration, external services and any agreed support can still carry recurring charges. ORM does not require a standard Shopify-style platform subscription for its implementations, but total operating cost depends on the architecture and contract.
Can ORM support inventory and fulfilment workflows?
Yes. ORM's Operational Commerce offering includes inventory and fulfilment capabilities. Complex integrations, migrations and business-specific processes are scoped individually.
How much does a custom ecommerce implementation cost?
ORM's Core Commerce package starts at £4,995, with more extensive implementations priced according to scope. Use the cost calculator to explore assumptions and discuss a tailored proposal for accurate costs.
Find the right fit for your operation.
Tell us what your current ecommerce setup handles well, where it creates friction and what you'd need a replacement to deliver.