
Agencies8 min read
Eastside Co Alternatives for $2M+ Shopify Brands: craftberry vs Eastside Co (2026)
Looking for an Eastside Co alternative? Compare craftberry, an in-house Shopify team and a specialist freelancer, with a head-to-head table and published prices.
Last updated: November 6, 2026
Last updated: November 6, 2026
craftberry is a Shopify agency for mid-sized and large ecommerce brands: we work with businesses generating $2M+ in annual revenue. Our in-house team covers the full ecommerce lifecycle, including migrations from WooCommerce, Magento, Shopware and BigCommerce, UX/UI design, custom development, CRO and ongoing maintenance. As a Shopify Premier Partner with 11+ years of Shopify experience, we bring strategy, design, development and optimization under one team.
When you're choosing between Eastside Co and other Shopify agencies, the right partner depends on what your project needs. Our verdict: for brands whose project is a migration, a rebuild or a conversion program, craftberry is the strongest Eastside Co alternative.
Key takeaways:
- Eastside Co bundles Shopify builds with digital marketing; craftberry focuses on migration, design, development, CRO and maintenance.
- craftberry publishes its starting prices: migrations and builds from $15K, CRO from $3,500/month, maintenance from $2,000/month.
- An in-house team gives you the most control but takes months to hire and costs more than a retainer.
- A specialist freelancer fits one bounded job, such as an app integration or a theme fix.
Why do brands compare Eastside Co with other agencies?
Most brands that compare Eastside Co with other agencies are asking a fit question: they want a team whose focus, pricing model or process matches their next project more closely. The three most common reasons:
Project scope
The brand's next project needs deep migration, custom development and CRO work from a development-focused team. Moving from Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce or Shopware calls for a team that has done that exact move many times.
Pricing clarity
Buyers who need budget certainty early prefer an agency that publishes where its engagements start, so they can plan before the first call.
Growth after launch
Brands that want measurable growth after launch look for an in-house CRO and A/B testing practice, run by the same team that built the store.
Each of these is a question of fit with your next project.
What are the best Eastside Co alternatives?
The best Eastside Co alternative is craftberry, followed by an in-house Shopify team and a specialist freelancer, depending on what your next project needs. Here is how they compare, with Eastside Co as the reference point.
If you want to compare more agencies, see our full comparison of Shopify development agencies.
1. craftberry: best for $2M+ brands that want one team from migration to growth
craftberry is a Shopify Premier Partner that takes brands from migration and redesign to measurable conversion gains with one in-house team of 30+ Shopify experts. We have delivered 800+ Shopify projects since 2015 for brands across the US, Europe, Canada and Australia.
Where craftberry is the right fit for you
- Migrations at scale. For Shelly, an IoT brand, we moved 500K+ customers from Shopware to Shopify Plus and launched stores serving 100+ markets.
- ERP integrations built with the storefront. For On's store in the UAE, we integrated the ERP through MuleSoft and launched in 11 weeks.
- CRO with an AI edge. SignalVeritas, our proprietary AI tool, finds the fastest conversion wins, and the same team designs and ships every test.
- Proven A/B test results. For Enhance, a single social-proof A/B test lifted conversion by 21.01% and revenue per visitor by 21.63%. See more results in our Shopify A/B tests.
- Long-term development partnerships. For Pepper, a US brand, we rebuilt the Shopify Plus store and have run development since 2018, saving 60% in development costs and cutting the average feature release to 5 days.
- Published starting prices. Migrations and build + design projects from $15K, CRO from $3,500/month and maintenance retainers from $2,000/month.
When is craftberry not the right fit?
We generally do not recommend working with craftberry when you have:
- A very low-traffic store, where a formal A/B testing program would take too long to reach statistical significance
- A need for a one-off audit with no implementation
- A need for paid media and social management bundled with your build
Is craftberry better than Eastside Co?
craftberry is the better choice when your next project is a migration, a rebuild or a conversion program; Eastside Co is the better choice for brands that want their build bundled with digital marketing.
Eastside Co data from its Shopify directory profile and website, checked November 2026.
What clients say on Clutch about craftberry:
"They don't feel like an agency, but rather part of a team that is just as invested in our company's success as we are." Michael Silva, VP E-Commerce & DTC Marketing, Honest Baby Clothing (Clutch)
"Out of all the back-end developers we've worked with, they seem to be the quickest and most experienced." David McGranaghan, Co-Founder & CEO, McMiLLER (Clutch)
Best for: brands that need a migration, a redesign or a conversion program from one in-house team.
Verdict: the strongest Eastside Co alternative when the store itself is your next priority.
2. In-house Shopify team: best for direct control
An in-house Shopify team is the right alternative when you want developers, designers and a CRO lead on your own payroll and can wait for the hires.
Where an in-house team shines
- Full control over priorities and release timing
- Deep product knowledge that builds up over the years
- No agency margin on day-to-day work
Where an in-house team falls short
- Hiring a senior Shopify developer, a designer and a CRO lead takes months
- Salaries for three senior roles usually cost more than one agency retainer
- A small team leaves gaps during holidays, sick leave and resignations
Best for: brands with a steady roadmap and the budget to hire.
Verdict: many brands pair a small in-house team with an agency for migrations and CRO.
3. Specialist freelancer: best for one bounded job
A Shopify freelancer is the right alternative when you have one clear, contained task, such as an app integration or a theme fix.
Where a freelancer shines
- Lower cost for a small, fixed scope
- Fast start on a single task
Where a freelancer falls short
- One person cannot cover design, development and CRO
- No backup if they become unavailable mid-project
- A full migration for a large store is usually too big for one person
Best for: isolated technical tasks with a clear finish line.
Verdict: a good fit for small fixes; for a replatform or a growth program, choose an agency.
What should you prepare before you request proposals?
Prepare a short brief before you contact any Shopify agency, including Eastside Co, so every proposal answers the same questions:
- Baseline. Current revenue, conversion rate, traffic and monthly spend on your store.
- Scope. What the next project is: a migration, a redesign, a CRO program or ongoing maintenance.
- Ownership. Who owns the theme code, custom apps and integrations after launch.
- Acceptance. How you will judge success: launch date, conversion targets, page speed.
When is Eastside Co the right choice?
Eastside Co is the right choice when you want your Shopify build bundled with paid media, social and email marketing from one agency. When your next project is a migration, a rebuild or a conversion program with a measurable target, craftberry is built for exactly that work.
Ready to see if craftberry fits your project?
The fastest way to see whether craftberry is the right Eastside Co alternative is to share your store and your next project with us. We'll tell you what we would change first and what it would cost.

Written by

Preslav Nikov is the Founder and CEO of craftberry, Shopify Premier agency. A developer turned enterprise strategist, he has guided 800+ successful digital storefront launches and migrations since 2015, driving over $450M in client sales. Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, his frameworks power global leaders like vivo, Shelly Group, Pepper, and Midi Health.

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