Linkbase vs. Shopify

Shopify is the default choice for a reason — it's mature, battle-tested, and the ecosystem around it is enormous. Linkbase is a different shape of solution: a single-tenant Next.js platform from Minute.tech where every project gets its own codebase and database. Below is the honest read on where each wins.

TL;DR. If the business is mostly transactional and the product catalog is the star of the show, Shopify is probably the right call. If portfolio, case studies, or content depth are what actually sell the products — or you need real control over auth, data, and integrations — Linkbase pays off.

Quick comparison

Where Linkbase wins

Content + commerce in one CMS. Shopify's Pages/Blog are basic — Liquid theme edits, no structured fields, weak for case studies and portfolios. Linkbase's CMS lets you model case studies with custom fields and render them with the same care as a marketing site.
Single-tenant ownership. Your data, your infrastructure, your auth, your RBAC. No platform deciding to deprecate an app, raise transaction fees, or change checkout out from under you.
Cost ceiling. Shopify Basic is $39/mo before apps; a real store is typically $200–500/mo in apps plus Shopify Payments fees. A Linkbase build runs on Stripe fees plus a maintenance retainer — predictable.
Performance + SEO. Server-rendered Next.js with partial pre-rendering and full control of Core Web Vitals.
RBAC granularity out of the box. Shopify only gets serious staff-permission controls on Plus, which starts at roughly $2,500/mo.
SOC 2–ready compliance. Encrypted backups, PII deletion scheduler, audit log, session controls — useful when the business itself has compliance obligations.

Where Shopify wins

App marketplace. Reviews, loyalty programs, abandoned-cart recovery, advanced email flows, upsell widgets — all $20–50/mo apps on Shopify, all custom scope items on Linkbase.
Multi-channel selling. Shopify pushes products to Instagram, TikTok, Google Shopping, Amazon, Facebook, and POS in one click. Linkbase is website-only today.
POS & in-person. Shopify has hardware and retail integrations. Linkbase doesn't.
Mobile admin app. Owners can process orders from their phone on Shopify. The Linkbase admin works on mobile web, but it's not the same experience.
Shipping integrations. Shopify negotiates carrier rates and integrates natively with USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and dozens of 3PLs. Linkbase ships with a configurable shipping service — anything beyond flat rates is custom work.
Inventory depth. No multi-location stock, purchase orders, barcode scanning, or bundle logic out of the box on Linkbase.
Payment options. Stripe only by default. No Shop Pay, and Klarna/Afterpay/Affirm need integration work.
The "it just works" budget. Shopify is roughly $500/mo of stuff that works without anyone thinking about it. A Linkbase build needs a maintenance relationship — this should be in the contract from day one.
Ecosystem of dev talent. Replacing a Shopify dev is easy. Finding someone to take over a custom Next.js codebase is harder.

What "competitive single-tenant build" means in pitch terms

Project cost: higher upfront ($15–40k+ depending on scope) vs. Shopify's $2–10k theme + setup. Trading capex for opex savings.
Time to launch: longer than dropping into a Shopify theme.
Ongoing: a maintenance retainer is non-optional — frame it that way, not as a luxury. Roughly $500/mo is realistic for a small store; bigger ones need more.
Honest break-even. For a small store doing under $5k/mo, Shopify is cheaper all-in. Linkbase pays off when (a) content/portfolio is a core part of the brand, (b) revenue is high enough that Shopify Payments + app stack exceeds custom maintenance, or (c) there are governance/compliance reasons to own the stack.

Things to set expectations on up front

Every "plugin" on Shopify is a scope item on Linkbase. If you want it, you ask for it.
No abandoned-cart automations or review widgets out of the box. Buildable, not built.
No selling on social channels yet. Direct traffic and SEO are the channels Linkbase serves today.
Shipping rules beyond flat rates and free-shipping thresholds need custom integration.
Stripe is the payment processor. Adding alternatives (Klarna, Affirm) is integration work, not a checkbox.

The pitch line

Shopify is rented; Linkbase is owned. The trade is more upfront cost and a real maintenance relationship in exchange for never losing your data, your checkout, or your customizations to a platform decision — and case-study work that looks like a design studio's site, not a store with a blog tacked on.
If the business is mostly transactional and content depth doesn't matter, Shopify is the right call. If the portfolio is what sells the products, Linkbase is.

Have specifics worth talking through? Get in touch — the honest answer about which stack actually fits is always on the table.

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Linkbase vs. Shopify

Quick comparison

Where Linkbase wins

Content + commerce in one CMS. Shopify's Pages/Blog are basic — Liquid theme edits, no structured fields, weak for case studies and portfolios. Linkbase's CMS lets you model case studies with custom fields and render them with the same care as a marketing site.
Single-tenant ownership. Your data, your infrastructure, your auth, your RBAC. No platform deciding to deprecate an app, raise transaction fees, or change checkout out from under you.
Cost ceiling. Shopify Basic is $39/mo before apps; a real store is typically $200–500/mo in apps plus Shopify Payments fees. A Linkbase build runs on Stripe fees plus a maintenance retainer — predictable.
Performance + SEO. Server-rendered Next.js with partial pre-rendering and full control of Core Web Vitals.
RBAC granularity out of the box. Shopify only gets serious staff-permission controls on Plus, which starts at roughly $2,500/mo.
SOC 2–ready compliance. Encrypted backups, PII deletion scheduler, audit log, session controls — useful when the business itself has compliance obligations.

Where Shopify wins

App marketplace. Reviews, loyalty programs, abandoned-cart recovery, advanced email flows, upsell widgets — all $20–50/mo apps on Shopify, all custom scope items on Linkbase.
Multi-channel selling. Shopify pushes products to Instagram, TikTok, Google Shopping, Amazon, Facebook, and POS in one click. Linkbase is website-only today.
POS & in-person. Shopify has hardware and retail integrations. Linkbase doesn't.
Mobile admin app. Owners can process orders from their phone on Shopify. The Linkbase admin works on mobile web, but it's not the same experience.
Shipping integrations. Shopify negotiates carrier rates and integrates natively with USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and dozens of 3PLs. Linkbase ships with a configurable shipping service — anything beyond flat rates is custom work.
Inventory depth. No multi-location stock, purchase orders, barcode scanning, or bundle logic out of the box on Linkbase.
Payment options. Stripe only by default. No Shop Pay, and Klarna/Afterpay/Affirm need integration work.
The "it just works" budget. Shopify is roughly $500/mo of stuff that works without anyone thinking about it. A Linkbase build needs a maintenance relationship — this should be in the contract from day one.
Ecosystem of dev talent. Replacing a Shopify dev is easy. Finding someone to take over a custom Next.js codebase is harder.

What "competitive single-tenant build" means in pitch terms

Project cost: higher upfront ($15–40k+ depending on scope) vs. Shopify's $2–10k theme + setup. Trading capex for opex savings.

Time to launch: longer than dropping into a Shopify theme.

Ongoing: a maintenance retainer is non-optional — frame it that way, not as a luxury. Roughly $500/mo is realistic for a small store; bigger ones need more.

Honest break-even. For a small store doing under $5k/mo, Shopify is cheaper all-in. Linkbase pays off when (a) content/portfolio is a core part of the brand, (b) revenue is high enough that Shopify Payments + app stack exceeds custom maintenance, or (c) there are governance/compliance reasons to own the stack.

Things to set expectations on up front

Every "plugin" on Shopify is a scope item on Linkbase. If you want it, you ask for it.

No abandoned-cart automations or review widgets out of the box. Buildable, not built.

No selling on social channels yet. Direct traffic and SEO are the channels Linkbase serves today.

Shipping rules beyond flat rates and free-shipping thresholds need custom integration.

Stripe is the payment processor. Adding alternatives (Klarna, Affirm) is integration work, not a checkbox.

The pitch line

Shopify is rented; Linkbase is owned. The trade is more upfront cost and a real maintenance relationship in exchange for never losing your data, your checkout, or your customizations to a platform decision — and case-study work that looks like a design studio's site, not a store with a blog tacked on.

If the business is mostly transactional and content depth doesn't matter, Shopify is the right call. If the portfolio is what sells the products, Linkbase is.

Have specifics worth talking through? Get in touch — the honest answer about which stack actually fits is always on the table.