Where the monthly fee usually goes
Platforms like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace charge monthly because they host your store, run their infrastructure, and maintain the platform for you. That's a fair trade for many businesses — but it means your costs scale forever, even after the store stops needing active changes.
How a custom-backend store avoids that
When we build on Firebase, Supabase, Appwrite, Directus, or Backendless, the store is deployed as static files to Netlify — which has a generous free tier — while your product, order, and customer data live in your own backend project, which you own and control directly.
What you're responsible for
Since there's no platform middleman, you're the one holding the keys: your Firebase/Supabase project, your domain, your hosting account. We hand over full access and documentation at delivery, so you're never locked into needing us for basic operation.
Where the trade-off is
You give up the instant app ecosystem that Shopify offers — there's no one-click install for a loyalty program or advanced email flow. What you gain instead is a store with zero ongoing platform cost and an admin panel built specifically around how your business operates.
Ready to own your store outright with zero recurring platform fees? Explore our available store solutions to see which backend fits your business.