How Much Does Headless Commerce Development Cost?Development Cost
Get a fixed price for your headless commerce project. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices.
IRPR builds headless commerce platforms that separate the frontend from the backend. We use Next.js, React, and Shopify's Storefront API to deliver fast, flexible storefronts that load in under 200ms.
A typical headless commerce project ships in 12-14 weeks with a fixed price between $100,000 and $350,000. Every delivery includes PCI-DSS compliance, full code ownership, and a CI/CD pipeline on GitHub Actions.
We work with DTC ecommerce brands tired of slow Shopify themes, B2B distributors needing custom catalog experiences, enterprise retailers migrating from legacy platforms, and agencies that want a white-label headless build for their clients.
Types of software we ship.
Headless Ecommerce Store
A custom frontend connected to Shopify or BigCommerce via Storefront API. React or Next.js. Average 30% faster time-to-interactive.
Headless CMS Integration
Headless CMS like Contentful or Strapi feeding product content to a Next.js storefront. Enables marketing teams to update pages without dev help.
Headless Checkout System
Custom checkout flow with Shopify Checkout Kit or Stripe. Supports multipage, one-page, and embedded checkout. Increases conversion by up to 15%.
Headless Product Catalog
Dynamic product listing with Algolia search and faceted filters. Handles 100,000+ SKUs with under 100ms query times.
Headless Search Engine
Custom search and autocomplete using Algolia or Elasticsearch. Built for high-volume catalogs. Reduces zero-result searches by 40%.
Headless Personalization Engine
Tailored product recommendations using segment data. Integrates with Klaviyo, Recharge, or custom ML models. Boosts AOV by 18-25%.
Headless Order Management
Centralized order dashboard pulling from Shopify, ERP, and warehouses. Automates fulfillment rules and sends real-time notifications via Twilio.
Headless Subscription Platform
Recurring billing and subscription management using Recharge or Stripe Billing. Supports prepaid, monthly, and custom cycle models.
We build for every business type.
Retail brands
B2B
Food and beverage
Digital goods
Subscription services
Headless commerce development costs explained
We break down the numbers so you know exactly what you are paying for.
A headless commerce build typically runs from $100,000 to $350,000 depending on the number of integrations, catalog size, and timeline. IRPR delivers every project on a fixed price after a two-week Roadmap phase.
The cost includes the frontend, API connections, payment integrations, and a full CI/CD pipeline. We use Next.js with Shopify or BigCommerce as the backend. All code is yours after launch.
How we price headless commerce differently
Most agencies hide costs. IRPR gives you a fixed price upfront.
We start with a two-week Roadmap that defines the full scope and timeline. After that, you get a single fixed price. No hourly billing, no change orders, no surprises.
Our senior engineers work async across time zones. That keeps costs lower than on-site agencies in New York or San Francisco. You pay for output, not office rent.
- Gives you a ballpark estimate with no fixed price
- Bills hourly with no cap on hours
- Does not handle PCI-DSS compliance
- Keeps the code in their private repo
- Uses junior developers for your project
- No CI/CD or monitoring included
- Fixed price after 2-week Roadmap
- No hourly billing - ever
- PCI-DSS compliant from day one
- Full source code in your repo
- Senior engineers only - 10+ years experience
- CI/CD pipeline with Sentry monitoring by default
The 6-step process to build your headless storefront
Every headless commerce project follows our product-engineering framework.
From idea to launch, we move fast. Each phase has a clear deliverable and a fixed duration. You see progress every two weeks.
IRPR uses the Idea-Roadmap-Product-Release cycle. By week 12 your store is live and handling real orders.
What ships with your headless commerce project
Every project includes these deliverables by default.
You get the complete source code, deployment scripts, and operational tools. Nothing is withheld. You can host anywhere you want.
IRPR's standard delivery includes monitoring, error tracking, and performance dashboards so your team can operate without us.
- Complete source code in your private Git repo
- CI/CD pipeline on GitHub Actions with automated tests
- Sentry error monitoring in staging and production
- Vercel or Netlify hosting with custom domain and SSL
- Shopify Storefront API integration with product sync
- Stripe payment gateway with webhook handling
- Google Analytics 4 and GA4 BigQuery export
- Postman collection for all API endpoints and webhooks
- Technical documentation with architecture diagrams
- 30-day post-launch support and monitoring
What we ship in this practice.
DTC clothing brand migrates to headless
Replaced a slow WordPress theme with a Next.js storefront. Page load time dropped from 4.2s to 0.9s. Conversion rate increased by 23% in the first month. Tech stack: Next.js, Shopify Storefront API, Algolia, Stripe.
B2B supplier launches custom catalog
Built a headless product catalog with role-based pricing for wholesalers. Time to market was 11 weeks. Monthly recurring orders grew by 40% after launch. Tech stack: Next.js, BigCommerce, Contentful, Auth0.
Meal kit company personalizes subscriptions
Integrated a headless personalization engine that recommends meals based on dietary preferences. Average order value rose 18% and churn dropped 12%. Tech stack: Next.js, Shopify, Recharge, Klaviyo, custom ML model.
Gaming platform sells digital items via headless store
Built a custom checkout flow for in-game items using Stripe and blockchain wallets. Handled 500,000 transactions in the first week with 99.9% uptime. Tech stack: Next.js, Stripe, Ethereum integration, Contentful.
Subscription box brand automates recurring billing
Replaced manual subscription management with a headless Recharge integration. Automated billing and skip/cancel flows saved the team 20 hours per week. Tech stack: Next.js, Recharge, ShipStation, Twilio.
Electronics retailer unifies multi-storefront experience
Consolidated three separate Shopify stores into one headless store with a single frontend. Reduced maintenance overhead by 60% and improved site speed by 35%. Tech stack: Next.js, Shopify, Contentful, Fastly CDN.
Why teams hire us.
Fixed price, not hourly
Every headless commerce project gets a fixed quote in the Roadmap phase (week 2). No hourly billing, no surprise invoices, no scope creep charges.
Senior engineers only
Our team averages 12 years of experience. No juniors. Every project is staffed with a lead engineer who has shipped at least 5 headless commerce builds.
PCI-DSS compliance from day one
We design every headless storefront to meet PCI-DSS Level 1 requirements. All payment data flows directly to Stripe or Shopify Payments - never touches your server.
Full code ownership
You own 100% of the source code after launch. No licensing fees, no black boxes, no vendor lock-in. Deploy anywhere: Vercel, Netlify, AWS, or your own server.
Async-first global team
Our engineers are distributed across 15 countries. We overlap 4 hours with US time zones and deliver work every weekday. No meetings overhead - we write everything down.
98% on-time delivery
Over 200 projects shipped, and 98% launched on or before the scheduled date. We use two-week sprints with clear milestones so you always know where the project stands.
Idea → Roadmap → Product → Release.
Every engagement runs through the same four-stage pipeline. Predictable by design.
Questions clients ask first.
Related services and industries.
Ready to build? Let's talk.
30-minute discovery call. No deck. We'll tell you honestly what it takes, how long, and how much.