What HeyCarson does

HeyCarson, operated by Carson eCommerce Inc. (Toronto, Canada), is a Shopify-focused freelancer marketplace founded in 2015 that connects eCommerce brands and agencies with vetted freelance Shopify developers and designers. The company serves primarily SMB Shopify merchants across verticals including fashion and apparel (Contessa Volpi, Super Mottle, Xena Workwear), jewelry (Azura Jewelry), food and beverage (Glanzberg Passion Wein), sports and recreation (Jeanne Marie Fitness), and broader eCommerce (Lashify, Midori, Iron, Maika, Desk), delivering both single-project work and ongoing technical support. Marketing claims 500+ brands served and 8,500+ projects completed, while the internal dashboard reports 50k+ projects with a 94.8% five-star rating.

The platform's core technology stack consists of a customer-facing project dashboard (CarsonDash, migrating to app.shopexperts.com), a Stripe/PayPal-backed escrow payment system, and two editorial review properties — Shopify Theme Reviews and Shopify App Reviews — each aggregating 1,200+ verified reviews with developer leaderboards. A Slack-based Shopify community, a Help Scout knowledge base, a content blog, and a partner referral portal (partners.heycarson.com) round out the surface. No public API is offered; project assignment and customer success are handled manually by a globally distributed internal team described as 15+ staff across multiple countries.

Revenue is generated by billing clients at a marked-up rate above independent-contractor compensation, starting at $80/hour billed to client. The two principal purchase formats are Support Packs — prepaid hourly bundles with 90-day validity, functionally subscription-like — and Custom Quotes, which are fixed-scope one-off project quotes with a 7-day revision window and 30-day reopen policy. Distribution is self-serve digital through the HeyCarson and shopexperts.com websites, supplemented by a tiered partner referral program (294 active partners, four commission tiers from 10% to 18% of first purchase plus 5% on repeat purchases at the top tier) and HeyCarson's official listing in the Shopify Experts directory. HeyCarson is privately held and founder-led with no disclosed external funding.

Name

HeyCarson

Legal name

Carson eCommerce Inc.

Website

https://heycarson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HeyCarson (Carson eCommerce Inc.) is a Toronto-based Shopify freelancer marketplace founded in 2015 connecting eCommerce brands and agencies with vetted developers and designers for project-based and ongoing Shopify work. The platform has served 500+ brands with 8,500+ projects completed under pay-as-you-go and prepaid Support Pack pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Project-based Development Services: HeyCarson charges clients for Shopify development and design projects, paying freelancers on a hourly basis while billing clients at a marked-up rate. Freelancer hourly rates start from $80/hour. Revenue is generated through the spread between freelancer compensation and client billing.
2. Support Packs (Prepaid Hourly Packages): Prepaid bundles of development hours valid for 90 days. Hours deducted based on actual time spent by freelancers upon task completion. Designed for larger stores needing ongoing technical assistance.
3. Custom Quotes (One-off Projects): Fixed-scope one-off project quotes with estimated time and cost provided before commencement. 7-day revision window post-delivery; projects can be reopened within 30 days of completion.
4. Partner Referral Commissions: Tiered commission program for Shopify theme companies, app companies, and agencies referring customers. Commission levels range from 10% to 18% of first purchases, plus 5% on repeat purchases for top-tier partners. Partners include Clean Canvas, Shogun, Rebuy, Archetype Themes, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

HeyCarson is a managed marketplace that connects eCommerce brands and agencies with vetted freelance Shopify developers and designers for single projects or ongoing needs. Customers submit requests via the website or dashboard; HeyCarson matches projects to freelancers, manages payments through escrow (Stripe and PayPal), and provides customer success support. The platform charges from $80/hour with no hiring fees and offers prepaid Support Packs and fixed-scope Custom Quotes.

Product overview

HeyCarson is a Shopify-focused freelancer marketplace and service platform offering two primary service tiers (Support Packs for ongoing prepaid support, Custom Quotes for one-off projects), complemented by editorial review platforms for Shopify themes and apps, a knowledge base, blog content hub, and a partner referral program. The company rebranded to Shopexperts in 2026 while maintaining the HeyCarson brand for its review platforms and educational content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CarsonDash: Internal customer dashboard platform for managing projects and interacting with freelancers

Products and services

• Custom Shopify Development & Design Services Core managed-marketplace offering that connects eCommerce brands and agencies with vetted freelance Shopify developers and designers for single projects or ongoing engagements. Includes custom theme development, app integration, and store customization. Targeted at Shopify merchants and agencies needing flexible Shopify expertise.
• Support Packs Prepaid bundles of developer hours valid for 90 days, with hours deducted based on actual time spent upon task completion. Designed for larger stores needing ongoing technical assistance or significant website update projects. Billed as a subscription-style package while pay-as-you-go hours are used.
• Custom Quotes One-off fixed-scope project pricing for well-defined Shopify tasks. Estimated time and cost are provided before project commencement; considered complete if no revision requests are made within 7 days from last delivery. Users may request to reopen within 30 days of completion.
• Express Projects Expedited delivery option for Support Packs and Custom Quotes projects, subject to an additional Express Fee. Eligibility confirmed by the assigned freelancer before commencement.
• Shopify App Reviews Independent review platform for Shopify apps featuring 1,200+ real user reviews, developer profiles, category rankings, ratings, and a developer leaderboard. Functions as a content and SEO asset supporting HeyCarson's marketplace position.
• Shopify Theme Reviews Independent review platform for Shopify themes featuring 1,200+ real user reviews, theme developer rankings, category-based browsing, and staff picks. Includes a theme developer leaderboard that ranks ecosystem participants by review quality and customer satisfaction.
• Partner Program Referral partnership program for Shopify theme companies, app companies, and agencies that refer merchants to HeyCarson. Offers a tiered commission (10–18% of first purchases, 5% of repeat purchases at the top tier); $175k in commissions paid out since 2019 with 294 active partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% faster project quotes, starts, and turnaround times compared to typical agencies or freelancers
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MaestroominorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopify theme company participating in HeyCarson's partner program, referring customers needing Shopify development services. Listed among leading Shopify theme and app companies partnering with HeyCarson.
• Archetype ThemesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopify theme developer and partner in HeyCarson's referral program, directing customers needing customization services to HeyCarson.
• RebuyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopify app company in HeyCarson's partner network, referring merchants needing implementation services.
• Clean CanvascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerClean Canvas is ranked #1 in HeyCarson's Shopify Theme Developer Leaderboard with 96 reviews, 92 replies, 89% recommendation rate, and 4.66 average rating. A flagship partner in HeyCarson's ecosystem with the highest-rated theme developer profile.
• ShogunminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopify page builder app company in HeyCarson's partner network.
• Out of the SandboxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopify theme company in HeyCarson's partner ecosystem, referring customers for development services.
• Shopify (Official Expert)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeyCarson is an official Shopify Expert service provider since 2015, listed in the official Shopify Experts directory. Shopify has featured HeyCarson as a reference for how brands should connect with experts, and HeyCarson's business model has inspired product decisions by Shopify itself.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary payment processing gateway used for all transactions on HeyCarson. Stripe handles credit card payments, with PCI-DSS compliance for secure payment processing.
• Facebook (Meta)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook remarketing service used for behavioral advertising to visitors who have previously visited HeyCarson.
• Google Ads (AdWords)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle Ads remarketing service for displaying targeted ads to previous site visitors.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Upwork: Upwork is the largest generalist freelance services marketplace, including substantial Shopify developer and designer talent. It competes with HeyCarson for merchants willing to hire and manage freelancers directly, though without HeyCarson's vetting, escrow, and project-management layer.
• Fiverr: Fiverr is a broad freelance marketplace with a significant Shopify development and design category. It overlaps with HeyCarson on the marketplace model and target buyer (SMB merchants) but does not offer HeyCarson's curated-vetting, escrow, and Shopify-specialized service layer.

Direct peers

• Strikepoint Media: Strikepoint Media is a Shopify-focused agency providing design, development, and CRO services to DTC brands. It overlaps with HeyCarson on Shopify development and theme customization work for growth-stage merchants.
• Storetasker: Storetasker is a Shopify-focused developer marketplace that connects merchants with vetted freelancers for projects and ongoing support. It is the closest direct competitor to HeyCarson, operating an analogous curated-talent marketplace model within the same Shopify ecosystem.
• Bluehour: Bluehour is a Shopify development agency that provides dedicated developers and designers to Shopify merchants on a subscription or project basis. It overlaps directly with HeyCarson's Support Packs and ongoing-development offerings and competes for the same merchant buyer.
• OuterBox: OuterBox is a full-service digital agency with a strong Shopify practice covering design, development, and marketing. It is comparable to HeyCarson on the agency side of the comparison and competes for merchants needing end-to-end Shopify builds.
• Smash Digital: Smash Digital is a Shopify agency offering design, development, and conversion-rate optimization services. It competes with HeyCarson for merchants seeking bundled Shopify design and development engagements.
• Ecomtomic: Ecomtomic is a Shopify and eCommerce development agency offering custom development, design, and growth services. It competes with HeyCarson for merchants seeking larger-scope Shopify projects and ongoing agency relationships.
• TaskHusky: TaskHusky offers on-demand Shopify development tasks handled by vetted experts, with a similar pay-as-you-go and prepaid-hours structure to HeyCarson's Support Packs. It targets the same SMB merchant segment needing small, recurring Shopify tweaks.
• WeCan Studio: WeCan Studio is a Shopify Plus agency specializing in custom theme development, migrations, and integrations. It is comparable to HeyCarson for larger and more technical Shopify projects, particularly on the Shopify Plus tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heycarson
• Xx.com/carsonhelps
• Facebookfacebook.com/1559363147670492

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HeyCarson