Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a concern that I believe resonates with many developers and creators in this community.
Currently, accessing Shopify’s Headless app requires a Basic plan subscription, which feels excessive for users who only need backend functionality. Here’s why this matters:
Many of us myself included use Shopify purely as a backend. We don’t rely on the native storefront at all. Instead, we leverage Shopify’s powerful infrastructure (products, orders, inventory) via the Storefront API and connect it to custom frontends built with tools like Framer, Webflow, or other modern frameworks.
For this workflow, the Starter plan ($5/month) would be the ideal solution yet we’re forced to pay for features we’ll never use.
Why this change makes sense:
Developers building headless storefronts don’t need Shopify’s frontend.
No-code creators using Framer or Webflow only need API access.
Cost efficiency why pay for unused features?
Business opportunity for Shopify attracting more developers and technical users.
This would be a win-win: Shopify gains a broader developer audience, while users get fair pricing for their exact needs.
Has anyone else encountered this issue? And is this something the Shopify team could comment on perhaps as part of the roadmap?
Looking forward to your thoughts!