What happens when you ask three Shopify agencies to quote on the same project?
I wanted to find out.
On paper, all three agencies were looking at...
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A spread from $3,000 to $20,000 on the same brief usually comes down to what each agency assumed was in scope, especially custom work and support after launch. Asking all three to price the same written checklist makes the gap much easier to read. Did any of them explain their number line by line when you asked?
Good question, and I should be upfront: the three quotes in the post are illustrative proposals built to show how scope changes price, not three real agency quotes, so I can’t point to one agency’s line-by-line breakdown. What I can say is that the checklist approach is what makes this work. When every agency prices the same written list (scope, revisions, migration limits, integrations, testing, post-launch support), the differences show up line by line instead of hiding inside one number. You’re right that custom work and support after launch are where the biggest gaps usually come from.
Thanks for being upfront about that. Illustrative quotes still show how scope moves price, and the checklist is the part a reader can reuse. Would you consider adding a copy-paste version of that checklist at the end of the post so people can send it straight to agencies?
Thanks, and yes, that’s a great suggestion. The checklist is the part readers can actually reuse, so it makes sense to have a version people can send to agencies without reworking it. I’ll add a copy-paste block at the end of the post.
Here’s roughly what it will look like:
If you’ve used a checklist like this with a real agency, I’d like to hear what you’d add.
A copy-paste block is what people will actually forward, so a short version near the top could help as well as the one at the end. Will you add a line asking agencies to say what is excluded from the quote?
This matches what I've seen too. Scope hides in the details, not the sticker price. Two proposals labeled "custom development" can mean completely different things depending on how many hours are actually behind that phrase.
The checklist idea at the end is the real takeaway here. Asking every agency the same structured questions (revisions, migration limits, post launch support, extra hourly rates) turns three incomparable numbers into something you can actually evaluate side by side. Most people skip that step and just anchor on the total.
Also agree that "unlimited revisions" is a red flag more often than a perk. Without a defined process it usually just means unclear expectations on both sides, which tends to cause more friction than a capped, well documented revision count would.
Thanks for reading it that closely! You're right that "custom development" is one of the most overused phrases in these proposals. I almost added a whole section just breaking down how differently agencies define that one term, because it came up in every single quote but meant something different each time.
The checklist point is exactly where I landed too. Once I started asking the same specific questions across all three, the pricing gap made a lot more sense. It stopped feeling like comparing apples to oranges and started feeling like comparing apples to slightly different apples, which is a much easier decision to make.
And yes, "unlimited revisions" without a process behind it is one of those phrases that sounds generous but usually just means nobody defined the finish line. A capped number with a clear approval stage has saved me more headaches than any unlimited clause ever has.
This matches what I've seen too. The scope difference between "Shopify website" quotes is huge, and it rarely shows up until you're mid-project asking why something you assumed was included costs extra. The checklist approach at the end is the real takeaway here. Getting every agency to answer the same list of questions (revisions, migration limits, integrations, post-launch support) turns three unrelated numbers into something you can actually compare. I'd add one more question to the list: what's the hourly rate for anything outside scope, and how is "outside scope" defined. That's usually where budgets quietly balloon after launch. Thanks for laying this out so clearly.
That's a great addition, thank you. The "what counts as outside scope" question is honestly bigger than most people expect going in. I've seen proposals that were reasonable on paper turn expensive fast because the definition of "extra work" was left loose. Appreciate you adding that to the checklist, it's a gap in my own writeup.
The line that stuck with me is "deliverables per dollar, not dollars alone." It's easy to anchor on the cheapest quote and only discover the gaps later, or assume the priciest agency is automatically the safer bet. Your point about vague "unlimited revisions" language is a good red flag too. Sounds generous until you realize there's no defined process behind it. Good breakdown.
Exactly, that line was the whole point I was trying to get across. The instinct to anchor on price is strong, and it took writing this out to see how misleading that instinct actually is. Glad the "unlimited revisions" flag landed too, it sounds like a selling point but it's usually the opposite. Thanks for reading closely.