You've probably had three Shopify developer quotes that don't make sense together. One came in at €1,200, another at €6,500, the third at €28,000. They all said they could "build the same thing." Either someone is wildly overcharging or someone is underbidding badly — and you can't tell which.
The honest answer is usually neither. The three quotes were for three different scopes that all sounded similar in the brief. This guide breaks down what Shopify developers actually charge in Ireland in 2026, what makes the price move, and the questions to ask so the quotes you get next time are comparable.
Three things drive almost all the variation in Shopify quotes:
Most quotes you've already received probably weren't comparing the same scope. That's the first thing to fix.
Hourly rates for Shopify development work, based on Cork and Dublin markets in 2026:
| Tier | Who | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Junior (1–3 years) | Freelancer, bootcamp grad, or junior at agency | €40–60 |
| Mid-level (3–6 years) | Freelancer or small studio | €60–90 |
| Senior / Shopify Partner (6+ years) | Verified Shopify Partner, app builders | €90–150 |
| Full-service agency | Cork or Dublin agency, includes PM and account overhead | €100–200+ |
| Offshore freelancer | Eastern Europe or India via Upwork / Toptal | €20–50 |
The rate isn't the point on its own — what you're buying for the rate is. A €100/hour senior Partner who bills 12 hours for a feature you'd been quoted 40 hours of junior time on is the cheaper outcome.
Cork has a small number of dedicated Shopify Partners. The Shopify Partner directory at partner.shopify.com lists verified partners by location, and the Cork count is in the low single digits. That's both a constraint and an opportunity.
When local Cork makes sense:
When remote (Ireland-wide or further) makes more sense:
For full disclosure: JMS Dev Lab is a verified Shopify Partner based in Cork with 12 apps shipped. We'd rather you have an honest read on the market than a sales pitch — so the framework here works whether you hire us or someone else entirely.
The biggest variable. Quotes for the same business need can vary 10x depending on whether the project is theme-level, app-level, or Functions-level. See the custom Shopify app vs App Store guide for the architectural distinctions, and hiring a developer for the first time for project framing.
Urgent scope adds 20–40% in most quotes. "We launch on Black Friday" is the most expensive sentence in retail.
Some quotes include 30 days of bug fixes after launch. Some quote that as a separate retainer at €200–1,500/month. Always ask which model the quote uses — otherwise you're comparing apples to apples-with-warranty.
Irish freelancers below €42,500 turnover are VAT-exempt. That means a €5,000 quote from a small freelancer is €5,000 invoiced, while a €5,000 quote from a VAT-registered agency is €6,150 invoiced. If your business is VAT-registered itself you can reclaim it — but the cash flow timing still matters.
Realistic ranges for common Shopify projects, sourced from current quotes in the Cork / Dublin market:
| Project | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Theme section / Liquid customisation | €300 | €1,500 |
| Full theme build (from starter theme) | €2,000 | €6,000 |
| Private Shopify app | €5,000 | €25,000+ |
| Shopify Functions integration | €8,000 | €30,000+ |
| Store setup, app config, training | €1,500 | €5,000 |
The "high" end of each range generally reflects either complex integrations with existing systems or agency overhead rather than agency expertise — you can usually find a senior freelance Partner who delivers near the lower end of "high" without the project-management layer on top.
Run any developer or agency through these before signing:
partner.shopify.com/profile/. Plenty of good developers aren't — but on Shopify-specific work, the credential matters.Theme-only developers and app builders look similar from the outside — both write Liquid, both use the Admin API. The difference shows up under pressure.
App builders have shipped through the App Store review process. They know which API endpoints are reliable, which webhooks fire late, where the rate limits bite, and how Shopify Functions actually deploys. They've debugged at 2am when an API deprecation snuck through. Theme developers learn this eventually too — but they pay for the lesson on your project.
For straight theme customisation, this doesn't matter. For anything app-adjacent, it's the difference between a clean handover and a 3am phone call in November.
Three reads to do before you sign any quote:
If you'd like a quote that actually engages with your scope rather than guessing at it, get in touch. Worst case, I'll tell you which app to install instead.
Tell me what you're trying to build. If an app already does it, I'll point you at the right one. If custom is the right call, I'll quote scope-by-scope so you can compare honestly.
Start a Free ConversationRelated reading: Hiring a Developer for the First Time: A No-Jargon Guide for Business Owners · How to Brief a Developer When You Don't Know What You Need · What Is a Shopify App and Why Would Your Store Need One? · Free Software Review.