Netalico ranks first in this comparison of Shopify design agencies by budget, because it is the strongest option for growing DTC brands whose project has moved past theme edits into a redesign or a fully custom build, with project work priced at $25,000 to $250,000+. Merchants with a smaller, tightly scoped theme job have lower-cost choices: BrainSpate lists a project minimum of $10,000, and iCoderz Solutions lists $5,000. Budget and project type should narrow the shortlist before anything else does, so this guide sorts the agencies that way.
How this comparison works
Each agency was matched to the tiers its published work and listed minimums support. There are three tiers, in rising order of cost.
- Theme customization. The theme stays. The work covers new sections, adjusted templates, product page blocks and brand styling. A premium theme from the Shopify Theme Store is a one-time purchase, and recent listings run roughly $200 to $500.
- Redesign or retheme. The catalog and brand carry over, while navigation, page layouts and often the theme itself change. A UX audit usually comes first.
- Fully custom build. Design starts from a blank page, with custom sections, product pages and functionality. A platform migration is often part of the job.
The ranking reflects fit for DTC merchants in the $2M to $50M GMV range. A smaller store may be better served by a firm lower on the list. Figures for other firms come from their own sites and Clutch profiles, checked in November 2026.
The agencies, ranked
1. Netalico: best for custom builds and redesigns
- Founded: 2011, with founder Mark Lewis going full-time in 2013 after leaving NASA
- Locations: the Americas. Hubs are New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami, and colleagues work from Canada and Brazil
- Pricing: $25,000 to $250,000+ per project, and $2,700 to $10,000 monthly on retainer
- Fits: mid-market and enterprise DTC brands doing $2M to $50M GMV
A Shopify Plus Premier Partner with hundreds of completed Shopify builds, Netalico joined Shopify’s partner program in 2016. Its fully in-house Americas team works US hours, and nothing is subcontracted. It holds 4.9 out of 5 on Clutch. Several larger brands also use Mark Lewis as a fractional ecommerce and Shopify CTO, and Shopify’s enterprise guide to AI ecommerce migration features him as its lead expert.
Its case studies map closely to the two upper tiers. Anyone evaluating a Shopify design agency for a redesign can look at Sheets & Giggles: a UX audit led to a homepage refresh and simpler navigation, followed by a rebranded site on a new Shopify 2.0 theme in October 2023. That build also covered a custom collection page and a bundle builder, and a small monthly retainer has funded improvements since. For Oatly’s US team, Netalico has supplied development support plus UX strategy and design since 2019. Its rework of the subscription signup and account experience was followed by a 188% rise in monthly recurring subscription revenue within three months.
On the custom end, Big Green Egg merged two sites from BigCommerce and WordPress into one Shopify Plus store, with a new homepage, a web style guide, custom page sections and redesigned product pages. Audio Advice moved more than 2,000 products from Magento with custom product listing pages, navigation and product detail pages built for a technical audience. Because the work needs engineering as much as visual design, a Shopify Plus development agency with designers on the same team tends to suit this tier, and the same people stay on after launch under retainer.
A $5,000 theme adjustment falls below its project range, so merchants at that budget should start further down this list.
2. Sparx IT Solutions: larger technology programs that include Shopify
- Founded: 2007
- Headquarters: Noida, India, with offices in New York, Massachusetts and Dubai
- Listed minimum: $10,000, with rates of $25 to $49 an hour
- Fits: companies that want Shopify design handled by a broad technology vendor
SparxIT’s Shopify practice lists UI/UX design, theme development, Shopify Plus development, headless storefronts on Hydrogen, migration and maintenance. Its wider business centers on AI, custom software and enterprise modernization, which suits buyers with store work tied to other systems.
3. BrainSpate: Shopify redesigns on a moderate budget
- Founded: 2023
- Headquarters: Ahmedabad, India, with an office in Melbourne, Florida
- Listed minimum: $10,000, with rates under $25 an hour
- Fits: smaller merchants that need a storefront redesign or checkout cleanup
BrainSpate concentrates on ecommerce, and its Clutch profile shows Shopify as 80% of its platform focus. Published client projects include storefront redesigns, product page work, theme customization and cart changes for brands in automotive, baby products and household goods.
4. iCoderz Solutions: smallest entry budget in this group
- Founded: 2011
- Headquarters: Ahmedabad, India, with several international locations
- Listed minimum: $5,000, with rates under $25 an hour
- Fits: cost-sensitive merchants with a clearly defined scope
iCoderz lists Shopify among its ecommerce services, alongside WooCommerce and Magento, and offers UI/UX design. Its core work is mobile apps and delivery platforms, so it suits a store project connected to an app.
Comparison table
| Agency | Best-fit tier | Founded | Pricing signal | Good match for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netalico | Custom build, redesign | 2011 | Projects $25,000 to $250,000+ | Growing DTC brands, $2M to $50M GMV |
| Sparx IT Solutions | Custom build | 2007 | $10,000 minimum, $25 to $49/hour | Shopify work tied to wider technology programs |
| BrainSpate | Redesign, theme customization | 2023 | $10,000 minimum, under $25/hour | Smaller merchants needing a storefront redesign |
| iCoderz Solutions | Theme customization | 2011 | $5,000 minimum, under $25/hour | Tight budgets, defined scope |
What Shopify design work costs by tier
These are planning ranges, not quotes. The low ends come from the listed minimums above and the high ends from documented project pricing and typical scope growth.
| Tier | Typical budget | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Theme customization | $5,000 to $15,000, plus a $200 to $500 theme if needed | Number of templates, custom sections, app integrations |
| Redesign or retheme | $10,000 to $50,000 | UX research, navigation changes, custom collection or bundle features |
| Fully custom build | $25,000 to $250,000+ | Catalog size, migration, integrations, custom functionality |
| Post-launch retainer | $2,700 to $10,000 a month at Netalico, where the average client pays around $4,500 | Volume of ongoing changes |
Hourly rates help test a quote. At $25 to $49 an hour, a $5,000 budget buys roughly 100 to 200 hours, which is ample for theme changes and thin for a full redesign with research, design rounds and QA. Platform fees sit outside all of these figures: Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Shopify design agency cost?
Among the firms compared here, listed minimums start at $5,000 for scoped theme work. Plan on $10,000 to $50,000 for a redesign and $25,000 to $250,000+ for a fully custom build.
Is it better to customize a theme or pay for a custom build?
Customize if the current theme handles the catalog well and the complaints are about branding or a few templates. Choose a custom build when product pages, navigation or merchandising need structures the theme cannot support, or when a migration already forces a rebuild.
What is the difference between a redesign and a retheme?
A retheme moves the store onto a new theme and keeps most of the existing structure. A redesign rethinks layouts and navigation as well, often starting from a UX audit. Many projects combine the two.
Does a custom design require Shopify Plus?
Custom themes run on every Shopify plan. Plus becomes relevant for needs such as checkout customization, B2B and higher order volume, and it adds at least $2,300 a month.
How long does a Shopify redesign take?
It depends on scope and on how quickly the merchant can review work. Big Green Egg’s replatform ran on a 12-week timeline by defining an MVP launch and planning further phases for afterward, which is a useful model for any brand with a fixed date.
Should the design agency stay on after launch?
Usually, if the store will keep changing. Sheets & Giggles and Oatly have both kept Netalico on for ongoing work, and an ongoing relationship avoids the cost of teaching a new vendor how the theme was built.
Choosing by budget
Start with the tier, then shortlist. Under about $15,000, look at iCoderz Solutions or BrainSpate and keep the scope to theme work. For a redesign or custom build at a brand with $2M or more in GMV, Netalico is the first call in this comparison, and its case studies are the ones to compare against any other proposal.
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
- Shopify Design Agencies Compared by Budget: Theme Customization vs. Custom Build - 9 November 2026
- Neon Font Generator - 8 November 2026
- Best Shopify agencies for 2027 - 8 November 2026
Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
You Might Also Like
