E-commerce · Feb 8, 2026 · 11 min read
The headless e-commerce stack we use in 2026
Next.js + Medusa + Stripe + Algolia. Why we left Shopify, and when you shouldn't.
When Shopify is the right answer
If you sell under €500K/year, have a small team, and need to ship in two weeks — use Shopify. The platform fee is worth not building infrastructure.
When headless wins
When custom checkout matters. When your product configuration is complex. When you need to integrate with a B2B ERP. When you've outgrown the platform's design constraints. When the platform fee exceeds €30K/year.
The stack
- Frontend: Next.js with App Router, ISR, and edge rendering
- Backend: Medusa for products/orders, self-hosted on a €40/mo VPS
- Search: Algolia (or Meilisearch for cost savings)
- Payments: Страйп + local providers (Яндекс.Касса, Tinkoff)
- CMS: Sanity for marketing content, Medusa admin for catalog
- Email: Resend + React Email templates
Ready to ship a site that actually sells?
Free 20-minute consult. We'll review your current site, point out the 3 biggest leaks, and tell you what we'd build instead.