Shopify vs Sanity + Next.js: Choosing the Right Platform for Modern Websites

So you’re thinking about moving your website and wondering what’s best: Shopify or a headless setup with Sanity + Next.js? First things first: there’s no “one-size-fits-all.” It’s all about what your goals are and how you work.

Both platforms are solid—they just shine in different ways. Shopify is like a fully-loaded toolbox for ecommerce. Sanity + Next.js is more like giving you raw materials and letting you build exactly what you want (with a bit more work upfront).

Here’s a friendly guide to help you figure out which one makes sense for your situation.

Start With Goals, Not Platforms#

The biggest mistake is picking a tool before thinking about what you actually need. Ask yourself:

• Do I need something that just works out of the box?
• Do I need full control over content, layouts, and design?
• How important is page speed, flexibility, and marketing campaigns?

Once you know the answers, the platform choice becomes way easier.

Shopify at a Glance#

Shopify is commerce-first. It’s fantastic if selling products is the main thing and you want a stable, predictable setup.

👍 Pros:

• Everything ecommerce-related is built in (payments, shipping, checkout)
• Tons of apps and integrations
• Easy for non-technical teams to manage
• Quick to launch

👎 Cons:

• You’re mostly working with themes, sections, and templates
• Complex layouts or super custom pages can feel awkward
• Heavy reliance on apps can increase cost and slow things down

Bottom line: Shopify is great if your goal is “get the store running fast and reliably.”

Sanity + Next.js at a Glance#

Sanity + Next.js is content-first and flexible. You get full control over layouts, pages, and content structures. This approach is perfect if marketing, storytelling, or brand experience is just as important as selling stuff.

👍 Pros:

• Flexible content modeling for exactly what you need
• Great CMS experience for editors and marketing teams
• Modern design, fast page speed, and performance you control
• Scales well as your content and campaigns grow

👎 Cons:

• Requires a developer to set up
• Ecommerce features aren’t built-in (though they can integrate with Shopify or other backends)
• More upfront work than “click install theme”

Bottom line: Go headless if you want freedom, flexibility, and control.

Key Comparison Areas#

Here’s a friendly, high-level breakdown:

Flexibility for Marketing#

• Shopify: The Theme Editor lets non-technical teams build most pages without code. For complex layouts or custom campaigns, developers can extend with the Liquid programming language or via third-party apps.
• Sanity + Next.js: Visual editing and structured content give full flexibility, but advanced layouts usually require some programming (easier to implement than on Shopify).

Bottom line: Both can handle sophisticated marketing experiences: Shopify with templates plus optional coding, Sanity with full freedom that may involve dev.

CMS & Editing Experience#

• Shopify: Easy content editing within templates; developers can add more advanced functionality if needed.
• Sanity + Next.js: Structured, visual content editing allows rich workflows, but setting up advanced flexibility usually requires developer support.

Bottom line: Both offer strong CMS experiences: Shopify is simpler out of the box, Sanity is more flexible with some upfront programming.

Performance & Page Speed#

• Shopify: Performance depends heavily on theme quality and installed apps. Third-party scripts can accumulate quickly.
• Next.js: Static generation, edge rendering, and fine-grained performance control are built in.

For brands where performance is a competitive advantage, a React-based frontend often provides more headroom.

Design Systems & Modern UX#

• Shopify: Theme customization can go far, but highly custom interactions may fight the platform.
• Sanity + Next.js: Design systems, animation libraries, and modern UX patterns integrate naturally.

This is especially relevant for brands with strong visual identity requirements.

Optional Blog & Content Marketing#

• Shopify: Blogging exists, but is basic and less flexible for complex editorial workflows.
• Sanity: Content marketing is a core strength—structured posts, authors, categories, and long-term scalability come naturally.

If blogging is “optional now but likely later,” this difference matters.

Developer Experience: Liquid vs React#

• Liquid (Shopify): Purpose-built and approachable, but limited. Even simple data transformations (like creating arrays or reusing logic) can feel hacky.
• React (Next.js): Familiar to modern frontend developers, with a rich ecosystem and composable patterns.

Most experienced developers today prefer React for maintainability and long-term scalability.

AI Tooling: Sidekick vs Sanity AI Assist#

• Shopify Sidekick: Focused on store operations, reporting, and commerce-related tasks.
• Sanity AI Assist: Oriented toward content creation, structuring, and editorial workflows.

Each aligns closely with the platform’s core philosophy.

Pricing & Cost of Ownership#

• Shopify: Predictable base pricing, but costs can grow with:
  • Paid themes
  • Transaction fees
  • Third-party apps (subscriptions, reviews, personalization, etc.)
• Over time, app subscriptions (e.g. Recharge, loyalty tools, upsell tools) can quietly compound.
• Sanity + Next.js: Costs are more modular:
  • Hosting
  • CMS usage
  • Development and maintenance

While less “plug and play,” this often leads to more intentional spending aligned with actual needs.

Real-World Scenarios (Anonymized)#

Two different clients migrated away from WordPress, each choosing a platform that best fit their goals and both were successful.

One client, an ecommerce-focused brand, moved to Shopify because they wanted to:

• Reduce maintenance and plugin conflicts
• Improve reliability and checkout stability
• Simplify day-to-day operations for non-technical staff

Shopify’s commerce-first platform gave them a stable, low-maintenance foundation, allowing the team to focus on selling products instead of managing their site.

Another client, a marketing-led organization, chose Sanity with a Next.js frontend using SanityPress to address constraints in WordPress:

• Limited flexibility for landing pages and campaigns
• Slow page performance and template restrictions
• Need for a scalable content system

The headless setup gave them full control over content, design, and performance, enabling faster iteration without replatforming again.

Key takeaway: Both migrations worked well because the platform choice followed clear goals: Shopify for operational simplicity and commerce, Sanity + Next.js for flexibility and marketing-driven experiences.A Note on Hybrid Approaches

It’s worth emphasizing: this is not always an either/or decision.

Shopify integrates well as a commerce backend, while Sanity and Next.js handle content and presentation. For many teams, this hybrid model offers the best of both worlds.

Final Thoughts#

• Choose Shopify if ecommerce is the primary driver and speed to launch matters most.
• Choose Sanity + Next.js if flexibility, performance, and marketing-driven experiences are critical.
• Consider a hybrid approach if you want Shopify’s commerce strengths without sacrificing content freedom.

If you decide to go the Sanity + Next.js route, frameworks and starters (like SanityPress!) provide a production-ready foundation that follows best practices while remaining fully customizable.

Ultimately, the right choice is the one that best supports your goals today, without limiting where you want to go tomorrow.