Compare · Shopify
Shopify gives you the tools. We give you the workflow.
The CLI is excellent. It just wasn't built to keep a client preview alive for six weeks, or to get four people to sign off.
Side by side
Four ways Shopify teams handle client work.
| CLI on your laptop | GitHub integration | Upload to their store | ThemeSync | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real store data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with your laptop shut | – | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Survives a quiet week | NoDev themes go after 7 idle days, and on logout 1,2 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Templates load on their real URLs | – | – | Only if published | Yes |
| Cross-browser and device screenshots | – | – | – | Yes |
| Clients comment on the page | – | – | – | Yes |
| Sign-off before launch | – | – | – | Yes |
| Warns about an untracked live theme | – | – | – | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free for 1 store |
Tool by tool
What each one nails, and where you're on your own.
Shopify CLI
Free · first-party- Nails it
- Local development with hot reload on real store data, Theme Check, and every push, pull and publish command.
- On your own for
- Keeping the preview alive after you close the terminal, alternate templates on real URLs, and review.
Building solo with nobody reviewing? The CLI alone is all you need.
GitHub integration
Free · first-party- Nails it
- Push to a branch and the theme updates. Editor changes flow back to git on their own.
- On your own for
- Repos with build tooling 3. It's reported to mirror 1:1 rather than honour ignore files 4, and JSON templates get conflict-prone 5.
We go the other way: Shopify is the source of truth, and pushing back is a deliberate click.
Theme Kit
Deprecated- Nails it
- It was the dependable workhorse for years, and Theme Access passwords still work with the CLI 6.
- Heads up
- Shopify points developers to Shopify CLI instead 7. CLI 2.x retired in May 2023 8.
Still on Theme Kit? We run the current CLI, so moving here handles the migration.
Page builders
Different job- Nails it
- Replo, Shogun, PageFly and friends let non-developers ship landing pages fast.
- Different job
- They build pages inside a store. They don't manage a theme codebase, QA or sign-off.
Neighbours, not rivals. Plenty of teams run both.
When we're not the answer
Better you know now.
- You work alone and nobody reviews it. The CLI is free and does the job.
- You want pixel-diffing in CI. We capture screenshots for people to sign off. Percy, Chromatic or Argos own automated diffs.
- You only need feedback. BugHerd gives you deeper task management than we do.
- You build landing pages, not themes. Grab a page builder.
- You need to self-host. We're hosted only, for now.
Sources
- Shopify CLI for themes: development themes and inactivity. shopify.dev
- Shopify CLI theme dev: dev themes are deleted on logout. shopify.dev
- Version control for Shopify themes: branch folder structure. shopify.dev
- Shopify Community: GitHub integration and ignore files. community.shopify.com
- Series Eight: multiple themes in one repo and JSON template conflicts. serieseight.com
- Manage theme access: Theme Access and Theme Kit passwords. shopify.dev
- Shopify/themekit: deprecation notice. github.com
- Shopify changelog: CLI 2.x deprecated May 31, 2023. shopify.dev
Platform features change. Points above are summarised in our own words from the linked sources at time of writing. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.