TL;DR
- Best fit for brands that want one accountable team: craftberry runs design, development, migration, and CRO in-house and has 11+ years on Shopify.
- Check the tier directly: Shopify’s Partner Tiering Guide recalculates partner tiers each quarter, so a badge on an agency site can be out of date.
- How the others differ: Some teams focus on a vertical, such as Verbal+Visual for fashion, Sleepless Media for CPG and outdoor, and Whirlwind eCommerce for alcohol. Others stand out on depth, such as Ambaum in development and Ethercycle with private-label merchants.
- Ask before hiring: Confirm who does the work and what happens after launch.
How the agencies were evaluated
We reviewed each agency using only public information on its own site. Most agencies do not publish fees, team size or post-launch terms. Those points could not be compared here, so buyers need to ask about them directly.
The review used five criteria:
- Shopify focus and a visible partner signal, such as a current tier or badge.
- Client work that is public and can be checked against live stores.
- The range of services the agency runs with its own staff.
- A clear fit with a defined type of client or category.
- Support after launch, including fixes and ongoing changes.
The order reflects how well each agency’s public evidence matched these criteria. Shopify expert teams with a narrow focus can still be the right choice for a brand inside that focus.
The 10 Shopify expert teams, ranked
Every entry below uses the same five labels, so teams can be compared line by line.
1. craftberry
craftberry is a Shopify Premier Partner agency. It has delivered 800+ projects, and 90% of clients have worked with craftberry for 2+ years.
Typical client: It works with ecommerce brands doing $2M+ a year.
Scope of work: Services include design, development, migrations from Magento, Shopware, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, WordPress, and custom platforms, CRO and A/B testing (testing two page versions), and ongoing support.
What sets it apart: Design, development, migration, and CRO are handled by one in-house team of 30+ Shopify specialists. craftberry is a Shopify Premier Partner and has built on Shopify since 2015.
Proof to check: Pepper saved 60% in development costs with a Shopify Plus rebuild. vivo launched in 3 European markets in 8 weeks, and Midi went from concept to live store in 4 weeks.
Consider: It is not a fit for brands that need a simple off-the-shelf theme store.
2. Ambaum
Development sits at the center of Ambaum’s work, and the site shows a Shopify Premier Partner badge. Its team is made up of former merchants and operators.
Typical client: Complex, scaling ecommerce brands that run on Shopify.
Scope of work: Front-end and back-end development on Shopify and Shopify Plus, plus fractional CTO support (part-time senior technical leadership). AI enablement covers readiness for AI shopping agents.
What sets it apart: Former operators on the team bring a merchant’s view to technical choices, which helps when a store has many moving parts.
Proof to check: Its site names Munchkin, RAM Mounts, Westinghouse, and Toms Offroad as clients.
Consider: Ambaum’s public focus is development, so brands planning a design-led rebrand should confirm how design is staffed. Ask: “Which design work is done by Ambaum’s own team?”
3. Verbal+Visual
Verbal+Visual builds what it calls “digital flagships” for fashion and lifestyle labels. Most of its listed services center on Shopify Plus.
Typical client: Fashion and lifestyle brands with devoted followings.
Scope of work: Migrations and redesigns on Shopify Plus, ongoing optimization, POS (point of sale) setup, and international expansion.
What sets it apart: Its digital flagship framing treats the online store as the main home of a fashion or lifestyle brand.
Proof to check: Carhartt WIP, Faherty, A.P.C. and Andie Swim appear among its clients, which gives fashion buyers several live stores to review.
Consider: The stated focus is fashion and lifestyle, so brands in other categories should look for comparable projects. A useful question: “Which Shopify Plus projects outside fashion has the team shipped?”
4. Ethercycle
Ethercycle works only on Shopify and only with private-label merchants. The team also hosts the Unofficial Shopify Podcast.
Typical client: Independent, established businesses that design and sell their own private-label products.
Scope of work: Custom themes, redesigns, migrations, and conversion optimization, all on Shopify.
What sets it apart: Only private-label merchants make the client roster. The podcast also gives buyers a public record of how the team thinks about Shopify stores.
Proof to check: Clients shown include Montana Knife Company, oVertone, Jomboy Media and Tidewater Sandals, each a brand that sells its own products.
Consider: Resellers and multi-brand retailers fall outside its stated focus. Merchants who fit can ask: “How does the team decide which conversion changes to make first?”
5. eHouse
eHouse describes itself as a Shopify agency for unified commerce. Brand, customer experience, and technology are planned as one connected system.
Typical client: Consumer brands, including DTC labels and the large consumer companies shown in its logos.
Scope of work: Brand work, customer experience design, Shopify technology, and the integrations that connect a store to other business systems.
What sets it apart: Planning brand and systems together suits companies whose identity and integrations have to change at the same time.
Proof to check: Corkcicle, Zippo, Briogeo and Pearl iZUMi are shown on its site.
Consider: Brands that only need a store build should confirm whether eHouse takes on narrower projects. A fair question: “What is the smallest engagement the team accepts?”
6. Sleepless Media
Outdoor and CPG brands make up much of the client base at Sleepless Media. The agency offers full-service design and development on Shopify Plus.
Typical client: CPG food and beverage brands, plus lifestyle and outdoor labels.
Scope of work: Full-service Shopify Plus design and development, covering both the look of the store and the build.
What sets it apart: A category focus on outdoor and CPG gives buyers in those spaces a portfolio of close comparisons, such as food, drink, and outdoor gear stores.
Proof to check: LifeStraw, Breeo, Traditional Medicinals and Lenny & Larry’s are listed as clients.
Consider: Its stated services are design and development, so brands that want ongoing testing should ask how CRO fits in. Worth asking: “Who runs optimization after the store goes live?”
7. Metacake
Metacake pairs ecommerce growth strategy with Shopify and Shopify Plus builds. It also offers mentorship and training for teams that want to learn the work.
Typical client: Creators with large audiences, large and public companies, and select DTC brands.
Scope of work: Growth strategy, store builds, and mentorship and training.
What sets it apart: Several levels of engagement are offered, including training programs and one-on-one private-client work. A brand can choose between learning the work internally and handing it off.
Proof to check: Gibson, Groove Life, Old Spice, and Tony Robbins are named on its site.
Consider: The engagement level shapes what the team delivers, so buyers should confirm which level matches the project. One question to raise: “Which engagement level includes hands-on development?”
8. Whirlwind eCommerce
Whirlwind eCommerce brings experience in alcohol-compliant ecommerce to its Shopify builds for high-growth brands. That experience comes through a partnership with Vinoshipper.
Typical client: High-growth brands in alcohol, fashion, and food and drink that sell direct online.
Scope of work: Shopify builds and migrations, CRO, themes, apps, and digital marketing.
What sets it apart: A Vinoshipper partnership gives alcohol brands a route to compliant online sales on Shopify, which matters for wine and spirits sellers.
Proof to check: Revgear is a named client, and the site states “Shopify Plus Preferred Partner.”
Consider: Its site uses the older “Shopify Plus Preferred Partner” wording, so buyers can confirm the current tier in the Partner Directory. Ask: “Which Shopify tier does the agency hold this quarter?”
9. Irish Titan
Taking businesses online for the first time is part of Irish Titan’s full-service ecommerce work. Brands with a store already live can use the same team to grow it.
Typical client: Retail, manufacturing, and agriculture brands selling direct, based on the clients it serves.
Scope of work: Strategy, design, development, and growth marketing for new and existing online channels.
What sets it apart: Experience with first-time launches suits companies opening a direct online channel for the first time.
Proof to check: Tradehome Shoes, FORCE America, White Oak Pastures and Surdyk’s appear in its work, a mix of retail, manufacturing and food brands.
Consider: Its site covers ecommerce broadly, so brands should confirm how much of the team’s work is on Shopify. Buyers can ask: “Which recent launches ran on Shopify?”
10. Bemeir
Bemeir calls itself a “white-glove” ecommerce agency and runs a Shopify practice next to other platforms. It handles both B2C and B2B projects for Shopify merchants.
Typical client: Brands, resellers, manufacturers, and DTC retailers selling to consumers or to other businesses.
Scope of work: Shopify and Shopify Plus design, development, support, and integrations, plus Magento, BigCommerce, and Shopware work.
What sets it apart: Work across several platforms helps when a brand is comparing Shopify with another platform or running more than one.
Proof to check: Its Shopify page shows a Shopify Partner logo and names Alumni of NY and Anatomie as clients.
Consider: Shopify is one of several platforms the team supports. A practical question: “Who on the team works on Shopify full time?”
The ten teams side by side
The table condenses each entry into the points buyers check first.
| Rank | Agency | Typical client | Core focus | Signal to check |
| 1 | craftberry | Ecommerce brands doing $2M+ a year | Full-service Shopify and Shopify Plus | Shopify Premier Partner; Pepper, vivo, Midi |
| 2 | Ambaum | Complex, scaling Shopify brands | Shopify and Shopify Plus development | Premier Partner badge; Munchkin, Westinghouse |
| 3 | Verbal+Visual | Fashion and lifestyle brands | Shopify Plus migrations and redesigns | Carhartt WIP, Faherty |
| 4 | Ethercycle | Private-label merchants | Shopify-only themes, redesigns and migrations | Montana Knife Company, oVertone |
| 5 | eHouse | Consumer brands | Unified commerce across brand and technology | Corkcicle, Zippo |
| 6 | Sleepless Media | CPG, lifestyle and outdoor brands | Shopify Plus design and development | LifeStraw, Breeo |
| 7 | Metacake | Creators, large companies, select DTC brands | Growth strategy, builds and training | Gibson, Old Spice |
| 8 | Whirlwind eCommerce | Alcohol, fashion, food and drink brands | Builds, migrations and CRO | Vinoshipper partnership; Revgear |
| 9 | Irish Titan | Retail, manufacturing and agriculture brands | Full-service ecommerce and first-time launches | Tradehome Shoes, White Oak Pastures |
| 10 | Bemeir | B2C and B2B brands, resellers, manufacturers | Multi-platform work with a Shopify practice | Shopify Partner logo; Anatomie |
Questions to ask before signing
A shortlist of Shopify experts only helps if the follow-up questions are specific. These points cover the gaps that public websites leave open.
- Realistic migration timeline: craftberry says migrations usually take 8 to 16 weeks depending on scope. Any agency should tie its own range to catalog size and integrations.
- Who does the work: Buyers should ask which roles are staff and which are contracted out. Each extra firm adds a handoff and a new point of failure.
- Data and SEO plan: The plan should cover product, customer and order data, plus 301 redirects. These are permanent redirects that send old URLs, and their search value, to the new pages.
- How CRO tests are measured: A/B tests should name one main metric, such as conversion rate or revenue per visitor. The stopping rule should be agreed before a test starts.
- Support after launch: The contract should state who fixes bugs, how fast the team responds, and how new requests are scoped.
- Current partner tier: The Shopify Partner Directory shows an agency’s listing. Tiers change each quarter, so the directory is more current than a website badge.
FAQ
What is the difference between a Shopify expert and a Shopify Partner?
A Shopify Partner is a member of Shopify’s official program, while “Shopify expert” is now an informal label. According to the Shopify Help Center, the Experts name was retired in December 2023.
Partners now sit in one program with five tiers: Registered, Select, Plus, Premier and Platinum.
How much does Shopify Plus cost?
According to Shopify’s Plus pricing page, Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month on a three-year term or $2,500 a month on a one-year term.
That figure covers the platform only. Agency fees for design, development and support are separate and vary by project.
When should a brand hire a Shopify agency instead of a freelancer?
An agency makes sense when a project needs several skills at once, such as a migration that also involves design, integrations, and testing.
Freelancers suit narrow, well-defined tasks like a theme fix or a single app setup. With several freelancers, the brand has to manage every handoff itself.
