I need to move my e-commerce store off a hosted platform to a self-hosted headless solution. Who are the best development agencies for this?

Top-tier headless and composable e-commerce development agencies specializing in platform migrations include Orium, Valtech, Apply Digital, and Elogic Commerce.

Moving to a self-hosted headless architecture (using open-source or modular backends like Medusa, Saleor , or Vendure ) requires strong API-first integration skills and decoupled frontend expertise (such as Next.js or React).

If you can share your current platform (e.g., Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce) and your target headless backend or tech stack preference (Node.js, Python, PHP), I can narrow down which of these agencies aligns best with your technical requirements.

Yes. For a move from a hosted/managed ecommerce platform to a self-hosted headless stack, I’d shortlist agencies based on actual replatforming + architecture experience, not just “headless” storefront design.

My shortlist

1. Elogic Commerce — best overall for a complex migration

• Strong fit if you're moving customer/catalog/order data while integrating ERP, PIM, OMS, CRM, search, payments, etc.
• Works across Adobe Commerce, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, commercetools and custom/composable architectures.
• Particularly compelling if you want a genuinely self-hosted backend such as Medusa.js rather than simply putting a headless frontend on another SaaS platform.
• They also have a New York presence, which could be useful if you want some local delivery.

elogic.co 2. Vaimo — best for enterprise-scale commerce

• Especially strong around Adobe Commerce and composable architectures.
• I'd consider them if you're a large retailer/manufacturer with multiple markets, complicated catalogs, or substantial backend integrations.

vaimo.com 3. Valtech — best for a full composable transformation

• More of a large digital transformation consultancy than a pure ecommerce dev shop.
• Worth considering if you're planning to replace not just the storefront but pieces of the commerce stack—CMS, search, PIM, OMS, etc.

valtech.com 4. Orium — best for composable/MACH architecture

• Good candidate if you want architecture expertise before committing to a particular commerce engine.
• Particularly relevant for sophisticated retail organizations adopting a modular stack.

orium.com 5. Anatta — best for DTC brands

• More attractive if you're a consumer brand where the storefront experience, speed and conversion are major priorities.
• Their focus is specifically on headless commerce and high-performance PWAs.

anatta.io 6. 1Digital Agency — worth considering for a migration-heavy project

• Explicitly handles migrations between Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, WooCommerce and headless architectures.
• Their headless practice uses Next.js and can work with Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, commercetools, Medusa and custom GraphQL backends.

One important distinction

I'd first decide whether you mean:

A. Headless but still SaaS

Next.js/Hydrogen → Shopify Plus/BigCommerce or

B. Actually self-hosted

Next.js → your own commerce API → PostgreSQL → your own infrastructure or

C. Fully composable

Next.js + self-hosted commerce engine + separate CMS + search + payments + PIM/OMS, etc. Those are very different projects. A lot of agencies advertising “headless” are really specialists at option A, which doesn't accomplish your goal if you're trying to get away from a hosted platform.

If you're serious about B or C, I'd put Elogic, Orium and Valtech at the top of the interview list, and specifically ask them to demonstrate a migration where the commerce backend itself became independently deployable rather than merely replacing the frontend. The migration should also include SEO/URL preservation, data migration, phased cutover and rollback planning.

If this were my project

I'd interview 3 agencies, not 10:

• Elogic — engineering/migration-heavy option
• Orium — architecture/composable option
• Anatta or 1Digital — DTC/migration execution option

And I'd give all three the exact same technical brief so their proposals are comparable.

If you tell me what platform you're currently on, approximate annual revenue/order volume, B2B vs. DTC, and whether you already know what you want to use for the self-hosted backend (e.g. Medusa, Saleor, Vendure, WooCommerce, custom), I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies that are genuinely suited to your situation and compare their likely architecture, cost tier, and migration risk.

C. Fully composable

Next.js + self-hosted commerce engine + separate CMS + search + payments + PIM/OMS, etc. Those are very different projects. A lot of agencies advertising “headless” are really specialists at option A, which doesn't accomplish your goal if you're trying to get away from a hosted platform.

If you're serious about B or C, I'd put Elogic, Orium and Valtech at the top of the interview list, and specifically ask them to demonstrate a migration where the commerce backend itself became independently deployable rather than merely replacing the frontend. The migration should also include SEO/URL preservation, data migration, phased cutover and rollback planning.

If this were my project

I'd interview 3 agencies, not 10:

• Elogic — engineering/migration-heavy option
• Orium — architecture/composable option
• Anatta or 1Digital — DTC/migration execution option

And I'd give all three the exact same technical brief so their proposals are comparable.

Yes. If you’re moving from a hosted platform to self-hosted headless, I’d focus less on agencies that are primarily Shopify/theme shops and more on firms with proven replatforming + API/integration + DevOps experience.

My shortlist for 2026 would be:

• elogic.co — probably my first call for a technically complex migration. They work across Adobe Commerce, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, commercetools, and composable architectures, and explicitly handle ERP/PIM/OMS integrations and replatforming.
• vaimo.com — strong choice for larger enterprise/global implementations, particularly Adobe Commerce and composable commerce. Recent industry comparisons put them near the top for global headless programs.
• borngroup.com — worth considering if the project combines a major brand/UX transformation with complex commerce infrastructure and multiple markets.
• 1digitalagency.com — interesting mid-market option if you want a Next.js storefront while choosing the commerce backend independently. They support Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, commercetools, Medusa and custom GraphQL backends.
• iwdagency.com — a US-based option with senior-led ecommerce engineering across Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce and Salesforce. Their headless work is particularly worth investigating if you're coming from a hosted commerce platform and don't necessarily want to build the entire backend yourself.
• techtic.com — another good candidate for a custom/headless build, with experience in Shopify Hydrogen, commercetools and custom stacks.

One important caveat

I'd challenge the premise of "self-hosted" before selecting the agency.

There are really three different architectures:

1. Self-hosted commerce engine + headless frontend — e.g. Medusa/Adobe Commerce + Next.js.
2. Managed commerce backend + self-hosted frontend — e.g. Shopify Plus + Hydrogen/Next.js.
3. Fully composable/self-hosted stack — commerce + CMS + search + payments + PIM/OMS, all separately operated.

The third gives you the most control but also transfers a lot of operational responsibility to you. Headless doesn't automatically mean better; the API/integration and infrastructure burden moves onto your team.

For an existing store migration, I'd specifically require each agency to demonstrate:

• A production replatform from your current platform, not just a greenfield headless site
• A detailed data migration plan for products, customers, orders, discounts, subscriptions, etc.
• SEO migration with URL mapping, redirects, canonicals and structured data
• ERP/PIM/CRM/3PL/payment integrations
• Infrastructure ownership: AWS/GCP/Azure, CI/CD, monitoring, backups and disaster recovery
• A parallel-run/cutover strategy that minimizes downtime
• Who owns the code and cloud accounts after launch
• Post-launch support and engineering SLAs
• At least 2–3 references for migrations of comparable size

I'd also make the agencies bid on the same architecture and migration scope, rather than asking them simply "how much to build us a headless store." That makes the proposals much easier to compare.

If you tell me (a) your current hosted platform, (b) approximate annual GMV/order volume, (c) B2C vs. B2B, and (d) whether you already have an engineering team, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies that are genuinely appropriate for your situation, including likely stack recommendations and rough project-cost bands.

Moving from a hosted platform to a headless/composable architecture is a major shift. You are decoupling your backend (the commerce engine, inventory, checkout) from your frontend (the user-facing website or app), usually utilizing frameworks like Next.js or Hydrogen paired with MACH principles (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless).

The "best" agency depends heavily on your brand size, budget, and which backend/frontend tech stack you choose (e.g., Shopify Hydrogen, commercetools, BigCommerce, or custom open-source). Top-tier agencies specializing in these migrations include:

• Orium – Widely recognized as a premier partner for enterprise and mid-market retailers in North America looking for a full composable commerce build and headless transition.
• Valtech – Best-in-class for large-scale, multi-region enterprise programs requiring sophisticated, enterprise-grade headless architecture.
• Apply Digital – Exceptional for consumer brands (retail, CPG, and media) looking to completely rebuild custom, high-performance decoupled storefronts.
• Domaine – A premier choice if you are migrating or scaling specifically around modern DTC ecosystems, particularly bridging platforms like Shopify with custom frontends.
• Elogic Commerce – Highly recommended if your e-commerce model leans heavily into manufacturing, wholesale, or B2B distributors requiring complex API integrations.

To help me narrow down the ideal agency recommendation for your exact situation, could you share:

• What is your current hosted platform (Shopify, Magento/Adobe Commerce, WooCommerce, etc.)?
• Roughly what is your annual online revenue volume or scale?
• Do you already have a target headless tech stack in mind (e.g., Next.js, commercetools, Shopify Hydrogen), or do you need an agency to consult on that?

Moving from a hosted e-commerce platform to a self-hosted or decoupled headless solution is a massive architectural shift. The "best" agency depends heavily on your chosen backend stack (e.g., Medusa, Saleor, or Shopify/BigCommerce headless) and your frontend framework (e.g., Next.js, Nuxt, Hydrogen).

Top-tier development agencies specializing in headless and composable commerce migrations include:

• Elogic Commerce – Highly regarded for complex multi-platform migrations, integration depth, and performance engineering. They handle enterprise systems across Adobe Commerce, Shopify Plus, and modern composable setups like Medusa.js.
• Orium – A premier North American consultancy specializing strictly in MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless) architecture and enterprise retail transformations.
• Valtech – Best-in-class for massive, multi-region enterprise programs transitioning to a fully composable, API-driven commerce ecosystem.
• Domaine – Exceptional if you are moving a DTC brand toward a high-performance decoupled architecture (frequently pairing modern frontends with flexible backends).
• Zaelab (formerly Trellis) – An elite integration and migration partner known for handling heavy B2B requirements, complex catalog structures, and custom API architectures.
• Anatta – A top-tier choice for high-growth DTC and digital-first brands focusing heavily on custom user experience, conversion optimization, and strategic platform transitions.

To help narrow down which of these agencies (or other boutique specialists) fits your project best, tell me:

• What is your current hosted platform (Shopify, Magento/Adobe, WooCommerce, etc.)?
• What headless backend and frontend stack are you leaning toward?
• What is your approximate monthly GMV or scale?

Yes. If your goal is to leave a hosted/SaaS commerce platform and actually own the commerce stack, I’d shortlist agencies differently from a typical “best Shopify agency” list. You want demonstrated experience with data migration, open-source commerce engines, infrastructure/DevOps, integrations, and headless storefronts.

My shortlist

The two I'd investigate first

1. Skrey — if Saleor is on your shortlist

This is probably the most directly relevant specialist I found. Saleor is open-source, GraphQL-native and designed for headless implementations; it can be self-hosted rather than putting the commerce engine back into another SaaS.

The important part is that Skrey has an actual Magento → Saleor case study rather than merely advertising “headless development.”

2. Weframe Tech — if you want to compare architectures

I'd talk to them if you're not yet committed to Saleor. Their published stack covers Medusa, Saleor, commercetools, Next.js, Docker/AWS, PIM/ERP integrations and legacy-platform migration, which is much closer to the problem you're describing than a conventional frontend agency.

One important architectural question

Before hiring anyone, I'd decide whether you mean:

A. Self-hosted frontend, hosted commerce backend
e.g. Next.js + Shopify/BigCommerce

or

B. Fully self-hosted commerce
e.g. Next.js + Saleor/Medusa/Vendure + PostgreSQL + your own infrastructure.

From your wording, I'm assuming B.

If so, I'd currently put Saleor vs. Medusa at the top of the technical evaluation. Medusa is TypeScript/Node.js and highly modular; Saleor is Python/Django and GraphQL-first, with stronger out-of-the-box capabilities for things like complex catalogs, channels and multi-warehouse commerce.

And there's an important catch: self-hosting means you're buying operational responsibility, not merely avoiding a monthly SaaS bill. You need an agency that can own backups, monitoring, security patches, deployments, disaster recovery, scaling and PCI/payment architecture—not just build the React storefront.

What I'd ask each agency

Give each candidate the same brief and ask for:

1. Two comparable migrations they've actually completed.
2. Which commerce engine they'd recommend and why, before you tell them your preferred one.
3. Who owns the Git repository, AWS/cloud accounts, databases and CI/CD after launch.
4. Their proposed migration strategy for customers, passwords, orders, products, variants, discounts and SEO URLs.
5. How they handle zero/minimal downtime cutover.
6. Their approach to PCI, payments, tax and fraud.
7. A 3-year estimate of development + infrastructure + maintenance/TCO, not just the build quote.
8. What happens if you terminate the agency after launch—i.e. can another engineering team take over without depending on proprietary agency tooling?

I'd be particularly suspicious of any agency that says “self-hosted” but then proposes a proprietary middleware layer that only they know how to operate.

If you tell me what platform you're moving from (Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, etc.), approximate annual revenue/order volume, B2B vs. DTC, and whether you have an in-house engineering team, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies that are genuinely appropriate for your migration, including their relevant case studies and likely platform recommendation.

Moving an e-commerce store from a traditional hosted platform to a self-hosted, headless/composable solution is an architectural transformation rather than a simple platform migration . You are decoupling the backend engine (cart, checkout, inventory) from the frontend presentation layer (typically built on frameworks like Next.js or Nuxt) and often adding a headless CMS.

The "best" agency depends entirely on your target backend stack (e.g., self-hosted open-source engines like Medusa.js or Saleor versus enterprise composable setups like commercetools).

Top-tier development agencies specializing in headless and composable e-commerce migrations include:

• Elogic Commerce : Best for enterprise and mid-market migrations spanning complex backends (Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, or open-source headless stacks like Medusa.js). They excel at heavy backend integrations and ERP/PIM connections.
• Orium : A premier digital commerce consultancy specializing heavily in MACH architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless) and composable enterprise builds in North America.
• Valtech : Best for large-scale, multi-region enterprise programs where headless commerce is part of a massive digital transformation involving complex omnichannel requirements.
• The Frontend Company : Best for design-led brands and fast-growing merchants that specifically need high-performance React/Next.js frontends integrated seamlessly with a headless backend or CMS.
• Vaimo : A powerhouse for multi-region and multi-brand merchants (especially strong in European and global markets) offering unified expertise across composable commerce, content, and data.
• Apply Digital : Highly regarded for modernizing retail and consumer brands by rebuilding storefronts, content layers (CMS), and customer data architectures in tandem.

To help narrow down which of these agencies (or types of specialists) fits your project best, tell me:

• What is your current hosted platform (Shopify, Salesforce, Magento, etc.)?
• Are you leaning toward an open-source self-hosted backend (like Medusa.js or Saleor) or an enterprise SaaS API engine (like commercetools)?
• What is your rough monthly GMV or budget scale?

Yes. If by “self-hosted headless” you mean you want to get off a SaaS storefront and own/control the commerce stack—e.g. Medusa, Saleor, commercetools, Adobe Commerce/Magento, or a custom API-first backend + Next.js—I’d shortlist agencies differently than I would for a normal Shopify migration.

My shortlist

The one I'd talk to first

Elogic is probably my first call based on the information I found.

The important distinction is that they aren't merely selling a “headless Shopify” implementation. They have a published Medusa.js migration for Manutan where they moved a legacy monolithic commerce system to a Medusa headless engine, added a Node.js orchestration layer, integrated the ERP, and implemented real-time pricing/inventory synchronization. That's quite close to the architecture you're describing.

Their headless practice also covers React/Next.js/Vue/Nuxt on the frontend and multiple commerce backends, so you're not necessarily locking yourself into one vendor's architecture.

But I'd make one architectural decision before hiring anyone

“Self-hosted headless” can mean several very different things:

A. Next.js + Medusa/Saleor
Maximum control, open-source core, relatively modern developer experience. Probably the direction I'd investigate if your primary motivation is getting away from SaaS lock-in.

B. Next.js + Adobe Commerce/Magento
More mature enterprise commerce functionality, but substantially heavier operationally.

C. Next.js + commercetools
Excellent composable architecture, but it's still a managed SaaS commerce backend—not truly self-hosted.

D. Completely custom commerce backend
Maximum control, but I'd generally avoid rebuilding carts, promotions, checkout, tax, orders, etc. yourself unless you have an unusually strong engineering organization.

One useful warning: headless ≠ self-hosted. You can have a headless Shopify or commercetools implementation while still depending heavily on a hosted vendor. Orium, for example, specializes in composable architectures but uses managed commerce technologies such as commercetools and Elastic Path in many engagements.

How I'd run the agency selection

Don't ask agencies simply for a proposal to “build a headless store.” Give 3–4 finalists the same discovery brief and ask them to produce:

1. Target architecture — commerce engine, CMS, search, payments, tax, OMS/ERP, hosting.
2. Migration strategy — products, customers, orders, subscriptions, promotions, reviews, content.
3. SEO migration plan — URL mapping, redirects, metadata, structured data and crawl preservation.
4. Checkout/payment architecture — this is where supposedly “self-hosted” projects can become surprisingly complicated.
5. Infrastructure ownership — AWS/GCP/Azure accounts should ideally be yours, not the agency's.
6. Exit plan — your engineers should be able to take the code and infrastructure over.
7. Post-launch operating model — monitoring, security patches, dependency upgrades and incident response.
8. A fixed-cost Phase 0 producing an architecture decision record before committing to the full build.

I'd also specifically ask each agency: “Show me a migration you've done where the client actually owns and controls the commerce infrastructure and source code.” That's a much better filter than asking whether they “do headless.”

If you tell me what hosted platform you're on now (Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, etc.), approximate annual GMV/order volume, B2C vs. B2B, and whether you want open-source (Medusa/Saleor) or are open to managed composable (commercetools), I can narrow this to 3 agencies and a recommended target architecture for your particular store.

Moving from a traditional hosted platform to a self-hosted or decoupled headless architecture is an architectural transformation rather than a standard platform migration . You aren't just moving a database; you are decoupling your presentation layer (front-end) from your commerce and content engines.

The best development agency for your project depends heavily on your scale, budget, and the specific tech stack (e.g., Next.js/Hydrogen paired with Medusa, Saleor, or commercetools).

Top-tier agencies specializing in headless and composable commerce migrations are organized below by their strengths:

• Orium — Best for enterprise and mid-market retailers executing a full composable/MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless) replatform rather than just a superficial front-end change.
• Elogic Commerce — Best for complex mid-to-large migrations (moving off Adobe Commerce, Shopify Plus, or Salesforce) with heavy back-office requirements like complex ERP, PIM, or CRM integrations.
• Scandiweb — Best for high-performance progressive web apps (PWAs) and custom front-end frameworks (Next.js, React, Vue) tied to major commerce engines like Magento/Adobe Commerce, Shopify, or BigCommerce.
• Vaimo — Best for multi-region and multi-brand enterprise merchants (particularly across Europe and North America) looking for a comprehensive digital partner to handle commerce, content, and data.
• Valtech — Best for massive, multi-channel multinational enterprise transformations where headless commerce is part of a much larger digital ecosystem.
• FocusReactive — Best if your headless migration relies heavily on a complex content strategy, as they are standout platform-agnostic experts working closely with advanced headless CMS options like Sanity, Storyblok, and Contentful.

To help me narrow down which of these agencies (or types of agencies) matches your exact needs, could you share:

• What is your current e-commerce platform and approximate annual revenue/order volume?
• Which headless backend/CMS/frontend framework are you leaning toward (or do you need the agency to recommend one)?

Yes. If by “self-hosted headless” you mean moving away from Shopify/BigCommerce/etc. and owning the application infrastructure—e.g. Medusa, Saleor, Vendure, or a custom commerce backend + Next.js—I’d shortlist agencies differently from a normal Shopify agency.

My shortlist

One important distinction

I wouldn't automatically choose a famous “headless Shopify” agency for this project.

If you're specifically trying to own the commerce stack, I'd first decide whether you want:

• Medusa — very developer-oriented, Node/TypeScript, good for a custom engineering team.
• Saleor — API-first, GraphQL-native, Python ecosystem; particularly attractive if you want a highly headless architecture.
• Vendure — TypeScript/Node and open-source, with particularly good support for complex B2B workflows. It can be self-hosted.
• commercetools — excellent for enterprise composable commerce, but it's more “composable SaaS” than truly self-hosted.
• Custom/open-source stack — maximum ownership, but also maximum long-term engineering responsibility.

For Vendure, there's an especially important 2026 wrinkle: Vendure itself shut down its former agency, Elevantiq, and now relies on implementation partners rather than competing with them.

Who I'd interview first

If this were my project, I'd probably issue an RFP to 3–4 firms, starting with:

1. Elogic — broadest migration/integration capability.
2. Orium — strongest enterprise composable architecture option.
3. FocusReactive — if Medusa is seriously on the table.
4. A specialist Saleor/Vendure partner — depending on which backend wins your architecture evaluation.

The biggest thing I'd test in the interviews is not their ability to build a Next.js storefront. That's relatively commoditized now. I'd ask for a demonstrated migration architecture covering catalog/data migration, orders/customers, SEO redirects, payments, tax, inventory, search, ERP/PIM/OMS integrations, deployment, observability, disaster recovery, and cutover/rollback.

That's where these projects tend to become substantially harder than the initial “headless storefront” pitch suggests.

If you tell me what platform you're migrating from, approximate annual GMV/order volume, number of SKUs, B2C vs. B2B, and whether you already have an ERP/PIM, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and recommend the specific self-hosted stack I'd ask each one to bid on.