Do I own my Shopify theme/app code after the project ends?

You should own it — make that explicit in the agreement: full ownership of the final, paid-for deliverables transfers to you on full payment, with no licensing strings. That means you can edit it, hand it to another developer, or fork it freely. We transfer ownership on launch as standard.

Watch for arrangements where the developer keeps the code on their own license or platform and you're effectively renting it — that's how people get held hostage. If a quote doesn't address ownership, ask before you sign; a straight answer is itself a good signal.