Decoupled Shopify storefronts for total design freedom
Hydrogen or Next.js frontends powered by Shopify's commerce engine. For brands that need performance and design flexibility beyond what a standard Shopify theme can deliver.
The commerce engine of Shopify. The freedom of the modern web.
Headless Shopify separates the frontend presentation layer from Shopify's commerce backend. Your storefront is built in React with Hydrogen or Next.js, calling Shopify's Storefront API for products, collections, cart and checkout. The result is a store that performs at a different level and can be designed without the constraints of Liquid.
It is not the right approach for every brand. Headless adds complexity and cost. But for high-volume stores where performance directly impacts revenue, or brands with genuinely custom UX requirements, it opens up things a standard Shopify theme cannot.
No Liquid constraints. Build exactly what you imagine.
A standard Shopify theme has architectural limits. Sections, blocks and Liquid templates define the boundaries of what is possible. Headless removes those constraints entirely. Any layout, any interaction, any UX pattern. All designed and built without fighting the theme system. The frontend is yours.
90%+ Lighthouse scores. Sub-2s load times. Every build.
Server-side rendering, edge caching and optimised asset delivery mean headless storefronts consistently outperform Liquid themes on raw performance metrics. We target 90+ Lighthouse scores and passing Core Web Vitals as a baseline, not a target. Benchmarked throughout development and monitored after launch.
Stores we have built on Shopify
Everything that makes Shopify reliable stays in place.
Going headless does not mean leaving Shopify's strengths behind. Payments, checkout, inventory, fulfilment, apps and analytics all stay on Shopify. The frontend changes. The backend does not, and neither does the confidence that comes with it. We also integrate headless CMS platforms like Contentful or Sanity for editorial teams that need a proper content workflow separate from the commerce layer.
Common questions about headless Shopify
When performance is directly impacting revenue, or when your UX requirements genuinely cannot be achieved in a Liquid theme. For most growing brands, a well-built Liquid theme performs excellently. We will tell you honestly which approach is right for your situation.
Headless builds are more complex than standard Shopify development and priced accordingly. Projects typically start from £40,000 + VAT. We scope everything in detail before any work begins.
Most Shopify apps are designed for Liquid themes. In a headless build, some apps require custom integration work. We audit your app requirements during discovery and flag anything that needs special handling.
Yes. Shopify's checkout is retained in a headless build. Custom checkout experiences, including checkout extensibility, are available on Shopify Plus.
Hydrogen is Shopify's own React-based framework, optimised specifically for Shopify storefronts. Next.js is more flexible with a larger ecosystem but requires more configuration for Shopify. We recommend the right choice based on your specific requirements.
Yes. We have taken existing Shopify stores and rebuilt the frontend as a headless storefront while keeping the Shopify backend intact. We audit the existing store first to understand what is involved.
What our customers are saying
“We're absolutely thrilled with the work Limely have done for us. Taking our website to the next level with Magento 2 was the best thing we ever did, we'll be continuing to work together for the foreseeable!”
“We are really pleased with our new website and the support and great service Limely have provided during the whole process. Not only are Limely excellent at what they do, but are a friendly, approachable team who put their clients' best interest at the forefront of their work.”
“The site itself looks great but the way that the whole team were prepared to go the extra mile, including helping me with the brilliantly-written content shows how much they care about their work. Thank-you to the whole team and I look forward to working with you again soon!”
“I was very pleased with the quality of the websites which Limely built for us. They took a complicated brief and created a bespoke solution which kept everything as simple as possible. The team are a pleasure to work with and I wouldn't hesitate in working with them again for future projects. An excellent web agency.”
“Our brief was a custom website, with lots of complicated functions along the way, and Limely have smashed it and built us an amazing website. Would 100% recommend to anyone looking to have a new website created, their knowledge, experience and professionalism is the best.”
“What can I say... the guys at Limely are a dream to work with! Not only have they made our website something to be incredibly proud of but we have made some fab friends in them! Thank you so much for everything!”
Paul Hambidge
Factory Direct FlooringReady to build a headless Shopify storefront?
Tell us about your performance requirements and design ambitions. We will tell you honestly whether headless is the right call.