cartd vs Shopify
Never write
Liquid again.
Shopify forces you into a frontend you did not choose. cartd gives you an API — build the storefront yourself, let an AI generate it, or start from a template. Your call.
Liquid is a fake language nobody asked for
You want to change how a section looks — you are digging through {% schema %} blocks, hunting {{ section.settings.whatever }} variables, praying the theme dev exposed what you need. You want a new component — you are writing Liquid, which is neither HTML nor a real templating language. It is an awkward in-between thing Shopify invented that has no use outside of Shopify.
Your frontend is a React app. You write components. No Liquid. No schema JSON. No {% %} anywhere.
CSS is an inspector-hunting nightmare
You want to tweak how something looks — you open DevTools, hunt for whatever arbitrary class name the theme dev decided to use (product__title--wrapper--inner), fight specificity wars against the theme stylesheet, then add a {% stylesheet %} block and hope it does not break on mobile or the next theme update.
You own the entire frontend. Your class names, your CSS, your structure. No theme to fight.
Checkout is a locked black box
No arbitrary custom JavaScript is allowed in checkout or order status pages. Customization is limited to what is available within Checkout UI Extensions and the Branding API. You are writing JSX inside Shopify's sandboxed runtime, not your own codebase.
Your checkout is just a React page. You own the entire flow — UI, logic, UX, analytics hooks. The API handles stock lock, payment capture, order creation. You render whatever you want.
You are paying for a frontend you do not want
Shopify raised prices roughly 30–35% between 2023 and 2024. A huge chunk of that cost is for their hosted storefront, themes, and Liquid editor — none of which you need if you are building your own frontend. You are paying a theme tax on every plan.
Pure backend. You pay for the API, the infra, the data layer. No theme tax. No storefront you will never use.
App store dependency hell
Loyalty? $29/mo app. Returns management? $49/mo app. Referrals? Another app. They stack fast. If a third-party app stops updating, it may affect your store's functionality. You are adapting your business around the platform, not the other way around.
Loyalty, returns, referrals, bundles, NDR management — all first-party, built into the API. No app stack. No third-party dependencies.
Variant limits that make no sense
Stores are limited to 100 variants per product. A shirt with 10 colors, 5 sizes, and 2 sleeve options hits that ceiling immediately. You either restructure your catalogue or pay for a third-party workaround.
No arbitrary variant limits. Variants are just data rows. Model your catalogue exactly as it exists in the real world.
Multi-warehouse is a paid upgrade
Multi-location inventory is gated behind higher Shopify plans. Basic stores get one location. If you have a warehouse, a dark store, and a retail outlet, you are paying for that privilege.
Multi-warehouse inventory, stock reservation per location, GRN, purchase orders, inventory adjustment logs — in scope from day one on every plan.
Shipping is surface-level
No NDR management, no RTO reconciliation, no auto courier assignment by pincode, weight, or COD rules. Just basic carrier rate cards. Indian logistics is complex and Shopify treats it as an afterthought.
Deep fulfilment built for Indian logistics — auto courier assignment, serviceability by pincode, NDR handling, RTO reconciliation, manifest creation, bulk label printing. Shiprocket, Delhivery, Bluedart native.
India is an afterthought
GST slabs and HSN codes do not exist natively. COD is bolted on via apps. UPI, wallets, BNPL are not first-class citizens. You are patching an American-built platform for Indian commerce.
Built India-first. GST and HSN native. COD management and collection tracking built in. COD vs prepaid split reporting. Razorpay and PayU primary, with full UPI, wallet, BNPL, and EMI support.
Real reporting is Plus-only
Basic stores get a basic dashboard. Cohort analysis, LTV, funnel reporting, custom reports — all locked behind the most expensive plan. You are paying a tax just to understand your own business.
Full analytics API from day one. Cohort analysis, LTV, conversion funnel, cart abandonment rate, RTO rate, coupon usage, custom report builder. No upgrade required.
You do not own your data
Your data lives in Shopify's infrastructure. Exports are limited. Querying raw data is painful. You are fully dependent on their data access policies — and if you ever leave, the migration is on you.
PostgreSQL on Neon — your schema, your data. Direct exports, data warehouse sync to Snowflake or BigQuery, full audit logs. Query anything, any time. Fork and leave whenever you want.
0
lines of Liquid you will ever write
100%
of the frontend belongs to you
₹0
transaction fee on every order
The backend is an API.
Your frontend is React.
No theme to fight. No Liquid to learn. No app store tax. Just an API that does commerce, and a frontend that does whatever you want.