Themepunk FAQ

Shopify's default Online Store 2.0 (OS 2.0) themes feature a range of sections you can use to design your Shopify store to make it unique and fit your brand.

Even though these themes come with a nice choice of sections, Shopify has intentionally omitted some common sections you see in premium themes. Also, because Shopify's own themes are free of charge, they have fewer store design elements than premium, 3rd-party themes, and they are also less versatile in terms of configuration options.

Theme Extensions are design elements like sections, blocks and templates that give you more options for designing your Shopify store without the need to buy a premium theme or install an app.

Theme Extensions are delivered as code snippets and step-by-step instructions for installing them into a theme. When you purchase a Theme Extension, you only pay once and you can use it on as many stores as you like.

If you want to upgrade from one of Shopify's free themes to something more powerful, you basically have three options: Buy a premium theme, install apps or hire a developer to add the features you want.

Premium Themes

Premium OS 2.0 themes cost upwards of $200 USD, with some of the most feature-rich themes costing over $300 USD. These themes of course come with lots of features, but if you only need one or two things Shopify's free themes don't offer, buying a whole new theme is overkill.

Apps

Another way to add features to your store is by using apps. There are all kinds of apps that add various things like slideshows, badges and more to your store. While apps are definitely a viable option, they come with some downsides, too.

Apps typically incur an ongoing cost, which can add up over time. Even $5 a month adds up to $60 a year, and with some apps you even lose the features they provide if you ever decide to uninstall them.

Hiring a Developer

Hiring a developer to add custom features to a theme is the most flexible, but also the most expensive option. Experienced Shopify developers are in high demand and cost upwards of $70 USD per hour. Even adding a simple feature can take two hours, so you can imagine how quickly costs can add up when you hire someone to do theme customizations.

Theme Extensions are the Better Choice

Theme Extensions allow you to upgrade Shopify's free themes with just the features you need, at an affordable price and without all the downsides of premium themes, apps and theme customizations.

Theme Extensions are compatible with all free Shopify themes, namely:

• Colorblock
• Craft
• Crave
• Dawn
• Refresh
• Ride
• Sense
• Studio
• Taste