ShopifyHydrogen
I build headless Shopify storefronts on Hydrogen — Shopify checkout and inventory behind a fast, custom React front end. Shipped for beauty brand Siella, who wanted a flagship store that didn't look like a theme.
What I build with it
Custom storefronts on Hydrogen, Shopify's React framework, deployed to the edge. You keep Shopify's checkout, payments, and inventory; I replace the theme with a front end that's yours — fast product pages, content-driven landings, and a CMS your marketing team can actually edit. No Liquid, no fighting a theme.
Why it wins for the client
Themes hit a ceiling — speed, design, and anything custom all get expensive at once. Hydrogen lifts that ceiling: server-rendered React means a store that loads fast and ranks, with full freedom over UX and brand. You get Shopify's reliability under a storefront that looks like nobody else's.
Where I've shipped it
I built Siella Beauty on Shopify with a Next.js front end — a flagship store, not a template. It's the same headless commerce muscle behind larger builds like Geely's regional e-commerce. I've shipped commerce for brands like NIO, Geely, and Emarat, so I know where headless pays off and where a plain theme is the smarter call.
Who it's for
For brands that have outgrown a Shopify theme and want a storefront that performs — DTC and beauty labels, founder-led commerce, retailers scaling up. I work with startups and brands across Tashkent and Dubai, often as the senior engineer or fractional CTO who owns the build end to end.
Why I build with it
Keep checkout, drop the theme
Shopify still runs checkout, payments, and inventory. I swap the theme for a custom React front end, so the reliable parts stay and the limits go.
A storefront only you have
For Siella Beauty I built a flagship store, not a template — full control over UX and brand, so the storefront looks like nobody else's.
Fast where Google looks
Hydrogen renders React on the server at the edge, so product pages load fast and rank — speed a Shopify theme can't reach.
Built with it
FAQ
Is Shopify Hydrogen good for a custom storefront?
Yes — that's exactly what it's for. Hydrogen is Shopify's React framework for headless stores: you keep Shopify's checkout and back office but build a fully custom front end on top, with no theme limits on design or speed.
When should I pick Hydrogen over a standard Shopify theme?
Pick a theme if you want to launch cheap and fast and the design fits. Pick Hydrogen when performance, a distinct brand, or custom UX matter more than setup cost — typically once a theme starts blocking what you want to build.
Hydrogen or MedusaJS — which should I choose?
If you want Shopify's checkout, payments, and ecosystem to just work, Hydrogen is the faster, safer path. Medusa makes sense when you need to own the commerce backend itself. I help clients make that call up front — I've shipped both.
How much does Shopify Hydrogen development cost?
It depends on scope — a focused flagship storefront is a different number from a full multi-market build. I scope it tightly before quoting, so you get a real range with no padding rather than a vague estimate. Share your catalog and goals and I'll give you one.
Do you build Shopify Hydrogen stores for clients in Dubai or Uzbekistan?
Yes. I'm based in Tashkent and work with clients across the UAE, including Dubai — having shipped commerce for regional brands like NIO, Geely, and Emarat. Remote, async, and used to multi-market, multilingual stores.
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