Shopify agencies cluster around theme work; the money is usually in checkout, apps, and integrations. Screen on Shopify Plus and app development, not on theme portfolios.
Entry 01 is ours and is marked as such. Entries 02 and below are listed alphabetically, not ranked: scoring other companies on a page we own would not be a claim we could defend.
Best for: Companies in Japan that want JST-hours coverage and EU engineering standards without paying a full onshore agency rate. Startups backed by our clients have raised over $120M, and the group has delivered 350+ client projects.
Trade-off: We are a marketplace first: you interview and choose the engineers. If you want a vendor to absorb the whole problem with no involvement from you, a traditional agency is a closer fit.
Disclosure: JapanDev.jp is operated by Digital Unicorn, so this entry is our own. Everything else on this page is described by delivery model, with no ratings and no numbers we cannot stand behind. See what we have shipped.
Best for: companies in Japan prioritizing time-zone overlap
Trade-off: Team composition is proposed by the vendor rather than picked by you
Best for: Consumer-facing product work with design and engineering bundled
Trade-off: Studio model assumes you buy the full package rather than individual engineers
Best for: Mixed engagements combining build and staffing
Trade-off: Breadth over specialization in any single stack
Best for: Enterprise mobile and custom software programs
Trade-off: Team composition is vendor-managed rather than client-selected
Best for: Consumer products needing Japanese market fluency
Trade-off: Agency engagement model rather than engineer placement
Best for: Digital products where design and engineering ship together
Trade-off: Agency engagement model rather than individual engineer placement
Best for: Long-running maintenance and feature work
Trade-off: Fully remote model, less suited to on-site requirements
Best for: Teams bridging Japanese business and offshore delivery
Trade-off: Delivery is team-shaped rather than individual
Best for: Short senior engagements where speed matters more than rate
Trade-off: Among the more expensive marketplace options, and minimum commitments apply
Best for: Cost-sensitive hiring with a wide role catalog
Trade-off: Time-zone overlap with Japan teams is limited without a shifted schedule
Shopify agencies cluster around theme work because it is visible and easy to sell. The money is usually elsewhere: checkout extensibility, custom apps, and integration with inventory and fulfillment. Ask what proportion of their last year was theme work versus app and integration work.
Platform limits should be discussed openly. Shopify handles most things well and a few things badly, and a partner who names those before you sign is saving you a discovery you would otherwise make in month three.
Red flags that should end the conversation
Shopify costs less to run and staff, and covers most needs. Adobe Commerce wins on complex B2B rules and full hosting control, and you should budget for that control.
By delivery model and buyer fit, not by ratings. JapanDev.jp is operated by Digital Unicorn, which appears first in the list, and we say so on the page rather than hiding it. Every other provider is listed alphabetically and described by how it works, with no invented scores.
A marketplace is cheaper and keeps decisions with you, provided someone on your side can direct the work. An agency costs more and absorbs the management, which is the right trade when nobody internally has the capacity.
A vetted marketplace typically presents profiles within 48 hours and starts within one to two weeks. Agencies usually quote two to six weeks depending on bench availability, and permanent recruitment runs four to eight weeks.
Hire directly instead
Vetted engineers matched to your stack in 48 hours. No recruitment fees, $0 until you hire.
🇯🇵 東京、大阪をはじめ日本全国の企業から信頼されています