Choosing the Right Tech Stack for E-Commerce
Building an online store? The tech stack decision will define your scalability, maintenance costs, and developer experience for years. Here's our framework for choosing.
The Landscape
Ready-Made Platforms
| Platform | Best For | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Quick launch, small-medium stores | $29-$299 |
| WooCommerce | WordPress users, flexibility | Hosting costs |
| Magento | Enterprise, complex catalogs | $2,000+ |
Custom-Built
| Stack | Best For |
|---|---|
| Next.js + Stripe | Custom experiences, headless |
| React + Medusa.js | Open-source Shopify alternative |
| Vue + Saleor | GraphQL-first, enterprise |
When to Build Custom
Build custom when:
- Your business model doesn't fit standard e-commerce (subscriptions, marketplaces, B2B)
- You need deep integration with existing systems
- Platform fees become a significant expense at scale
- You need complete control over the checkout experience
Our Recommended Stack
For most custom e-commerce projects:
- Frontend: Next.js with App Router (SSR for SEO, ISR for product pages)
- Payments: Stripe (best developer experience, global coverage)
- Database: PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM
- Search: Meilisearch or Typesense (faster and cheaper than Elasticsearch)
- Images: Cloudinary or imgproxy for on-the-fly optimization
- Email: Resend for transactional emails
Key Considerations
SEO — Product pages must be server-rendered. Next.js's generateStaticParams can pre-render thousands of product pages.
Performance — Every 100ms of load time costs 1% in conversion rate. Invest in image optimization and edge caching.
Mobile — 70%+ of e-commerce traffic is mobile. Mobile-first design is not optional.
Payments — Support local payment methods (iDEAL in Netherlands, Bancontact in Belgium, etc.).
Originally published on IceCat Studio Blog. Based on multiple e-commerce project deliveries.