The short answer
- Shopify theme
- A new store testing products, with a small catalog and a tight budget.
- Custom Shopify build
- A brand that sells on how it looks and feels, and has outgrown a template.
Shopify makes it possible to open a store in an afternoon. That is its strength and, eventually, its problem: thousands of stores start from the same few themes, and customers can tell. The question is not whether themes are bad. It is whether your store has reached the point where looking like everyone else costs you sales.
What each option costs in 2026
| Shopify theme | Custom Shopify build | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront | 24 free themes; paid themes listed at about $150–$430 | Huna custom builds from ₱70,000 |
| Shopify plan | Basic from $25/month, or $19/month billed yearly | Same — the plan does not change |
| How it looks | Shared with every store on the same theme | Designed around your brand and products |
| Speed | Fast until apps pile up for missing features | Features built in, fewer apps |
| Changes later | Limited to the theme’s settings | Anything, by the team that built it |
| Best for | Testing products quickly | A brand ready to look like itself |
Why themes get expensive later
A theme covers the common case. Anything outside it — a size guide that knows your products, bundles, a lookbook, a wholesale form — usually becomes an app, and most apps are another monthly subscription. A few apps in, the store is slower, the monthly bill has grown, and the theme still looks like the one your competitor uses.
A custom build moves that cost to the front. You pay once to have the features designed into the store, and keep paying only the Shopify plan and whatever apps you genuinely need.
Price a custom store.
Tell us what you sell and what the store has to do. Custom Shopify builds from ₱70,000, quoted within 24 hours.
Start with a theme if
A theme is the right call when:
- You are still finding out which products sell.
- The catalog is small and the product photos do the selling.
- You need to be live in days, not weeks.
Go custom if
A custom build pays for itself when:
- Your brand is part of what customers are buying.
- You are paying for several apps to fill gaps the theme leaves.
- The store has to do something specific — bookings, bundles, wholesale, multiple languages.
- You have proof people buy, and now want them to remember where.
What a custom build looks like at Huna
We design the store from the brand outward, build it on Shopify so you keep its checkout and payments, and hand over a site your team can update. Not every client needs Shopify: for Asana Ormoc the job was a studio site with its own booking system, and for Hulma Cebu a catalog and lead flow for architects. See more in our web design portfolio.
Questions people ask
How much does a Shopify website cost in the Philippines?
The Shopify Basic plan is $25 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly (October 2026). Themes are free or a one-time $150–$430. A custom Shopify build from a Philippine studio such as Huna Creatives starts at ₱70,000.
Is a custom Shopify theme worth it?
When your brand is part of what customers buy, or you are paying for several apps to cover features the theme lacks. For a new store still testing products, a theme is usually the better first step.
Can I switch from a theme to a custom build later?
Yes. Products, customers and orders stay in Shopify; only the storefront is rebuilt. Many stores start on a theme and go custom once sales are proven.
Does Huna Creatives set up Shopify themes?
No. Huna builds custom sites only. If budget is tight, the build is phased rather than replaced with a template.
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