You have a Shopify store, a specific technical need, and this sentence in your head: "I need a Shopify developer." The real problem shows up right after. Where to find one, and how to know they're good before you hand over your store and your budget.
Because "Shopify developer" covers everything and anything. From the person who installs a free theme to the one who codes custom Shopify Functions. Here are the places to look, what each is worth, and what I'd check in your shoes.
Where to look, and what each route is worth
The Shopify Partners directory (formerly Shopify Experts). The official pool. The upside: these are people who work Shopify daily, with vetted profiles. The catch: the directory mixes freelancers and large agencies, and the ranking leans heavily on declared project volume, not necessarily quality on your specific need.
Freelance platforms (Malt, Comet, Upwork by region). Handy for comparing profiles, reading reviews and framing a budget. You'll find good Shopify freelancers there. Just watch the filter: "e-commerce" or "web" doesn't mean "Shopify specialist." Look at real Shopify projects, not the self-declared skill.
International marketplaces (Upwork, Fiverr). Low rates, huge supply, and a lottery on quality. It can help for a small, well-scoped task. For a job that touches your revenue, the communication and time-zone risk quickly outweighs the saving.
Agencies. With an agency, you take a team and an organization in one block, instead of a single developer. Comfortable for a big multi-skill project. Still check who codes behind the sales rep, I compared the two models in detail here.
Referral. The best source, by far. A Shopify developer recommended by a brand that's worked with them for 2 years has already proven themselves on the real thing. Ask around your e-commerce network before you even open a directory.
Developer, integrator, "expert": what the word hides
Three people can call themselves a "Shopify developer" and do different jobs.
The integrator installs and configures an existing theme, tweaks colors, connects apps. Useful for a simple launch, quickly outmatched once you need custom work.
The theme developer writes Liquid, builds sections, customizes deep. That's the profile for a store that has to break out of the mold.
The app developer builds apps, Shopify Functions, integrations with your ERP or PIM. The profile for heavy technical projects.
The word "expert" says nothing about which of these you're getting. Ask what the person actually codes, with examples, and you'll know who you're dealing with.
The 5 things to check before you sign
1. Who codes, concretely. On a project, ask this early: is the person I'm talking to the one who'll write the code, or someone else? At an agency, it's often another profile, sometimes junior, executing behind the sales rep.
2. Real Shopify projects, shown. Not a generic portfolio. Live Shopify stores, with what was done on them. A good dev shows you code or a live store without hesitating.
3. Specialization. A dev who does WordPress, Shopify and three other CMSes doesn't know Shopify's specific traps as well as a specialist. On a migration or a speed issue, that changes everything.
4. How they talk about SEO and performance. A good Shopify developer knows a store is also judged on its INP and speed, not just on how it renders. If they never bring it up themselves, be wary.
5. Communication. You'll be dealing with this person for weeks. A clear first call, precise answers, a readable quote: those are good signs for what follows.
How much a Shopify developer costs
A French Shopify freelancer usually bills between 60 and 120 € an hour depending on experience, or a flat rate for a scoped project. An agency costs more for the same scope, because you also fund its structure. I broke down the budgets by project type in my article on the price of a Shopify store.
The hourly rate alone doesn't say much. A dev at 100 € who fixes your problem in 3 hours costs less than a dev at 50 € who fumbles for two days. Look at the result delivered, not just the number on the quote.
A dev, or a team on demand
Sometimes you don't just need a developer. Your project also calls for design, content, acquisition. Hiring each profile separately takes time and nobody coordinates the whole thing.
That's where I work differently. I'm a freelance Shopify developer, and behind me a collective of e-commerce freelancers: UX/UI design, growth, content. You talk to me for the dev, and we build the team based on what the project needs, with no agency structure to fund.
If you just want a clear read on what your store needs before hiring anyone, that's exactly what I do in an audit. I look at your site, I tell you which profile will actually serve you, and what it costs.
