Hire a Shopify Developer
Hiring a Shopify developer is harder than it should be. The market is full of generalist web shops that added Shopify to a long list of platforms, freelancers who disappear mid-project, plus offshore teams where you spend more time managing than building. Picking the wrong one costs you weeks and real money.
We’re Victoria Garland Creative Inc., a Shopify-focused agency based in Fergus, Ontario. We’ve built exclusively on Shopify for 14+ years, with a team that includes ex-Shopify engineers. When you hire us, you work directly with the people writing the code, not a layer of account managers.
What You Can Hire Us For
Most of the work falls into a few buckets, and we handle all of them:
- Custom store design and development. Online Store 2.0 builds and redesigns, tuned for conversion and Core Web Vitals. See our Shopify web design and development service.
- Shopify app development. Custom private and public apps built on Gadget.dev by ex-Shopify engineers. Our own apps (JourneyGlow, PriceGlow, StockGlow, CrowdShop) ship on it every week. See Shopify app development.
- Platform migrations. Moving off WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce with full data transfer and SEO preserved. See our Shopify migration service.
- Shopify Plus. Checkout extensibility and Shopify Functions, plus B2B and multi-store builds. See Shopify Plus agency.
How Hiring Works
You don’t need a finished spec to talk to us. Most clients come with a goal (“we need to move off WooCommerce,” “our store is slow,” “we need a feature no app does”) rather than a detailed brief.
A discovery call sorts out what the work actually needs. From there you get a written scope with milestones and a fixed quote. If the project is small, we’ll say so. If an off-the-shelf app already solves your problem, we’ll tell you that too, even though it means less work for us. Honest scoping is the whole point.
Freelancer, Agency, or In-House?
The right way to hire depends on the work in front of you.
A freelancer is the cheapest option for small, well-defined tasks, but you carry the risk if they get busy or go quiet. An in-house developer makes sense once you have steady, full-time Shopify work to justify a salary. An agency fits the messy middle: you need design and development and a bit of app work, but not enough of any one to hire full-time.
We cover that middle. For a deeper comparison, see Shopify agency versus freelancer and how to choose a Shopify agency.
Work With a Specialist
We build for brands across Toronto and the GTA, Hamilton, Mississauga, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, and all of Ontario, plus clients across Canada and internationally. Browse our portfolio to see the range, or book a free discovery call to talk through your project.
Features
Custom theme and storefront development
Shopify app development on Gadget.dev
Platform migrations with SEO preserved
Shopify Plus and B2B builds
Process
We learn your goals and budget, then tell you honestly what the work needs.
A written scope with milestones and a fixed quote, so there are no surprises.
You work directly with the developer building your store, not an account manager.
We ship, then monitor and stay reachable. Ongoing retainers available.
Guarantees
Shopify only, for 14+ years
Direct access to your developer
Fixed-scope quotes before we start
We say no when custom isn't the right call
FAQs
How do I hire a Shopify developer through you?
Start with a free discovery call. We learn what you're building, then send a written scope with milestones and a fixed quote. If we're a fit, we book a start date. If we're not, we'll usually point you somewhere better. No pressure either way.
Should I hire a freelancer, an agency, or an in-house developer?
It depends on the work. A freelancer is fine for small, well-defined tasks. In-house makes sense once you have steady, full-time Shopify work. An agency fits when you need several skills under one roof (design, build, apps) without hiring three separate people. We wrote a full breakdown in our agency versus freelancer post.
How much does it cost to hire a Shopify developer?
Theme customization typically starts around $3,000-$8,000. Custom builds run $10,000-$30,000. Custom apps usually start in the low five figures. We scope every project before quoting and won't push a bigger build than you need.
Can I hire you for a small fix or just a few hours?
Yes. Alongside larger builds we take on ad-hoc development and small fixes, usually through a maintenance and support retainer so you have a developer on call without a full-time hire.
Do you work with stores outside Ontario?
Yes. Most of our work happens remotely with brands across Canada and internationally. We're based in Fergus, Ontario, and can meet in person across southwestern Ontario and the GTA for kickoffs and key milestones.
What makes your developers different from a generalist web shop?
We build only on Shopify, and have for 14+ years. We're the [Shopify expert](/shopify-expert/) you hire when generalist help has run out of depth, not a web shop that does WordPress and Squarespace on the side. That focus means faster builds and cleaner code, plus solutions a theme-only shop can't reach, like custom apps and Shopify Functions.
