When should a UK business build a custom eCommerce platform?

Custom eCommerce makes commercial sense when: Shopify cannot support your pricing model (B2B customer-specific pricing, complex tiered pricing, quote-based pricing), you need marketplace functionality (multiple sellers, seller portals, commission management), your product catalogue has unusual structure (configurable products, subscription boxes with variable contents), or your Shopify/WooCommerce app stack is costing £3,000+/month (at that point, custom often has a better 3-year TCO).

Does Shopify satisfy UK Consumer Rights Act 2024?

Shopify provides tools for Consumer Rights Act compliance: 14-day returns window configuration, cancellation policy pages, and order management for returns processing. The CRA 2024 subscription rules (click-to-cancel, renewal reminders) are not fully automated in Shopify — they require apps (ReCharge, Skio) or custom development. ClickMasters builds CRA-compliant returns and subscription management for custom and headless Shopify platforms.

Shopify Vs Woocommerce Vs Custom Uk

Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Custom eCommerce — Which for UK Businesses? (2025)

Updated: July 20259 min read

🇬🇧 UK💷 GBP📊 Comparison🔒 UK GDPR⚖️ UK Law

Direct Answer

Shopify for most UK D2C businesses up to £5M annual revenue: fastest to market, best ecosystem, and Shopify handles UK VAT, Consumer Rights Act compliance, and PCI-DSS. WooCommerce for WordPress-heavy businesses where ownership of code and hosting cost matter. Custom eCommerce for: B2B with complex pricing, marketplace platforms, or businesses with requirements Shopify and WooCommerce genuinely cannot satisfy. ClickMasters builds custom and headless Shopify platforms. eCommerce platform choice is the most consequential UK digital commerce decision. Here is an honest comparison that includes UK-specific compliance, VAT, and Consumer Rights Act implications.

Factor	Shopify	WooCommerce	Custom (ClickMasters)
UK VAT handling	✅ Shopify Tax — automated	WooCommerce Tax (limited)	✅ Stripe Tax — automated
Consumer Rights Act cancellation	✅ Built-in 14-day returns workflow	Manual configuration required	✅ Built to UK CRA specification
PCI-DSS	✅ SAQ-A — Shopify handles card data	Depends on payment plugin	✅ SAQ-A — Stripe Elements
UK GDPR / PECR cookies	Shopify Cookie Banner (limited)	Requires plugin (CookieBot/OneTrust)	✅ Built-in to specification
B2B customer-specific pricing	Limited (Shopify B2B plan — expensive)	Possible with plugins	✅ Native — any pricing complexity
Annual cost (mid-size UK)	£800–£2,000/month (Shopify + apps)	£200–£600/month (hosting + plugins)	£5,000+ build once — low ongoing
Customisation ceiling	High (but bounded)	Very high (WordPress ecosystem)	✅ Unlimited
Time to launch	✅ 4–8 weeks	6–12 weeks	12–24 weeks
ClickMasters recommendation	D2C up to £5M, standard products	WordPress-heavy, cost-conscious	B2B, marketplace, complex requirements