Freelancer vs agency for my Shopify project — which is better?

It's less freelancer-vs-agency and more about who actually does your work and how reliable they are. Agencies offer process and bench depth but you often pay for account managers and overhead, and your project may go to a junior. A strong solo developer or small studio gives you direct access to the person writing the code, usually faster and cheaper — the risk is bandwidth and bus factor.

Whatever the label, vet the same way: see real work they built (not just designed), check references, confirm fixed scope and code ownership, and make sure the person you talk to is the person doing the work. A great freelancer beats a mediocre agency and vice versa.