Shopify Partner

A Shopify Partner is an agency, freelancer or app developer registered with the Shopify Partner Program to build, migrate, develop apps for or grow stores for clients.

What the Shopify Partner Program is

Anyone can sign up as a Shopify Partner for free. You get a dashboard to set up stores for clients, development stores for testing, and access to documentation and training. Shopify also has higher tiers for partners who build more stores and meet certain requirements, and a separate status for partners who work with Shopify Plus clients.

Worth knowing: "Shopify Partner" says something about registration, not about quality. A partner badge on its own is no guarantee.

What to look for when choosing

Real cases. Stores that are live, ideally in your sector or at your level of complexity.

What they will not do. A good agency also says no, or recommends another platform when Shopify does not fit.

Who does the work. A fixed team, or resold freelancers?

After launch. Who maintains the store, and who grows it with SEO, CRO and campaigns?

Migration experience. If you come from another platform, ask how they protect your rankings.

Reviews. In the Shopify Partner Directory and on Google.

Partner, freelancer or agency?

A freelancer is flexible and often cheaper, but you depend on one person. An agency brings design, development and marketing together in one team, which matters on bigger builds and for growth after launch. Which one fits depends on your budget, your timeline and how much you do in-house.

How 6th Man works

6th Man is a Shopify team from Ghent that builds stores, migrates them to Shopify and grows them. You work with the same fixed team from design to growth. See our work or read how we build custom Shopify stores.

Related terms

Shopify

Shopify Plus

Growth marketing