Hire Headless Commerce developers
Headless commerce developers who build a custom Next.js, Hydrogen or Nuxt storefront on a commerce back end through APIs.
- Medusa releaseMedusa v2.19released August 2026, per Medusa's August 2026 newsletter
- Medusa AdminVite 7, React Router 7v2.19 breaking change: needs Node ^20.19.0, ^22.12.0 or a newer LTS
- Saleor releaseSaleor 3.22.69patch release on the 3.22 line, September 2026
Checked September 2026 · Medusa blog, Saleor GitHub releases
Headless commerce separates the storefront from the commerce engine: a custom front end built in Next.js, Shopify Hydrogen or Nuxt talks to the back end through APIs for products, carts, checkout and orders. The back end can be a SaaS platform such as Shopify or BigCommerce, or an open-source engine such as Medusa or Saleor that you host yourself.
It suits businesses that have outgrown theme limits or need content, performance or multi-channel control, but it is more to build and maintain than a themed store. You can hire headless commerce developers by the project, by the hour or monthly.
What a Headless Commerce developer does
- Build storefronts in Next.js, Hydrogen or Nuxt against Shopify, BigCommerce, Medusa or Saleor APIs
- Set up and customise open-source commerce back ends such as Medusa (Node.js) and Saleor (Python, GraphQL)
- Connect a headless CMS for content-rich product and landing pages
- Implement cart, checkout, payments (Stripe, Razorpay) and order flows over APIs
- Handle caching, incremental rendering and search to keep product pages fast
- Integrate ERP, PIM and search services with the commerce back end
What businesses build with it
- Brands wanting a fully custom storefront design and faster page loads
- Content-led stores that mix editorial pages with shopping
- One commerce back end feeding a website, mobile app and in-store screens
- Marketplaces or B2B portals needing custom logic an off-the-shelf theme cannot handle
- Self-hosted commerce with Medusa or Saleor to avoid platform lock-in
Why teams choose it
- Front-end teams can change design and content without touching the commerce engine
- The same APIs serve web, mobile and other channels
- Open-source engines give full control of data, hosting and custom business logic
- Trade-off: two systems to build, host and maintain, so upfront cost and ongoing effort are higher than a themed store
Roles people hire for
- Headless Commerce Developer
- Next.js Storefront Developer
- Medusa / Saleor Developer
- E-commerce Solutions Architect
Common questions
Do we actually need headless commerce?
Often not. If a well-built theme on Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce meets your design and speed needs, it is cheaper to run. Headless makes sense when you need a custom experience, several channels or business logic the platform cannot support.
Should we use a SaaS back end or an open-source engine like Medusa or Saleor?
A SaaS back end such as Shopify or BigCommerce handles hosting, checkout compliance and upgrades for you. Medusa or Saleor give full control of data and logic, but you host, secure and update them yourself.
Will a headless store be better for SEO?
It can be, because you control rendering, page speed and markup, but only if the storefront is built with server-side rendering, proper metadata and redirects. A poorly built headless site can rank worse than a standard theme.
Often used with
Hire Headless Commerce developers
Need a Headless Commerce developer?
Tell us what you are building. A few lines is enough. We reply by email, usually the same working day.