Key takeaways
- Agencies care about page builders for different reasons than merchants. The constraints are multi-client management, deliverable handoff, billing, and code ownership.
- The right tool depends on whether your model is “we build the page” (one-off project) or “we manage the storefront” (ongoing retainer).
- For one-off project work, output ownership and clean handoff are the highest-leverage criteria. For retainers, the workflow speed and multi-client UX matter most.
- Fudge, PageFly, GemPages, Replo, and Shogun all have agency programs. Each makes a different trade.
This piece is for the agency picking a Shopify page builder to standardise on across clients. The decision is structurally different from a single merchant’s choice. We compare the five most relevant tools through an agency lens.
Why you can trust us
Four years inside Shopify, and we’ve worked with many agencies as they pick tools for their clients. We build Fudge - one of the tools below - so flag that bias. Where the agency fit is genuinely better elsewhere, we’ll say so.
What agencies need from a page builder
Different from a single store’s needs.
1. Multi-client management
One agency. 20 clients. The tool needs to let team members work across multiple stores cleanly - permissions, switching, billing.
2. Deliverable handoff
When the project ends, what does the client get? A page that depends on your agency keeping the app installed isn’t a clean handoff. A page that exists as theme code, in the client’s theme, is.
3. Workflow speed
Agency teams ship more pages per week than any single merchant. The cycle time per page matters - 10 minutes per page across 50 pages a week is 8 hours; 30 minutes per page is 25 hours.
4. Billing model
Per-store apps add up fast across 20 clients. Agency programs that bundle multiple stores under one account are a meaningful operational difference.
5. Code quality and handoff to dev
If the agency has developers in the loop, the page builder’s output must be developer-friendly. Theme code beats app-rendered output for developer review and ongoing maintenance.
The five compared
Fudge
Best for: agencies that want clean handoff and the fastest cycle time per page.
Strengths:
- Output is native theme code. The page exists in the client’s theme. When the project ends, the page stays whether or not the client keeps Fudge.
- Prompt-to-page is the fastest cycle time for one-off pages.
- Agency program: no formal partner program yet — agencies working with Fudge can reach out directly for shared deal support.
Trade-offs:
- The prompt workflow takes 1-2 weeks for agency teams used to drag-and-drop tools.
- Less block library to drag from compared to mature drag-and-drop tools.
PageFly
Best for: agencies that ship a lot of pages per client and want a mature drag-and-drop workflow.
Strengths:
- Large block library, mature visual editor.
- PageFly’s partner program is well-established with agency-specific tooling.
Trade-offs:
- Pages depend on the PageFly runtime. After handoff, the client typically continues paying for PageFly to keep the pages live (the free tier supports a single published slot).
- Adds JavaScript runtime on every visit to a PageFly-rendered page.
GemPages
Best for: agencies needing the most extensive template library.
Strengths:
- Template library is arguably the largest in the category.
- Partner program available.
Trade-offs:
- Pages render through the GemPages runtime; uninstalling the app breaks them.
Replo
Best for: performance-marketing agencies running paid-traffic LPs at volume.
Strengths:
- LP-focused workflows fit paid-media agencies’ use case.
- AI features in the LP workflow.
Trade-offs:
- LP-focused; coverage beyond LPs is thinner.
- Replo pages also load through the app runtime.
Shogun
Best for: agencies whose clients are mostly on Shogun already and don’t want to switch.
Strengths:
- Mature visual editor.
- Mid-sized agency program.
Trade-offs:
- AI features less central to Shogun’s workflow than the leading AI-native tools.
- Shogun pages render via the app runtime.
Picking by agency model
Project-based agencies (you build, then leave)
Output ownership is decisive. The deliverable should be a page that exists without you. Fudge is the only tool in this list whose output survives uninstall, because it writes theme code.
Retainer agencies (you manage the storefront ongoing)
Workflow speed matters most. Multi-client management matters most. Look at the agency programs of each tool and how billing is structured. For pure speed-to-ship, Fudge. For agency teams entrenched in drag-and-drop muscle memory, PageFly or GemPages.
Paid-media agencies (you build LPs to support media buying)
Replo is structured around this use case. Fudge offers comparable speed plus output ownership, with broader coverage beyond LPs.
Boutique agencies (a few clients, deep work)
You can be more opinionated. Pick the tool that fits your design taste and let the rest follow. Most boutique agencies we work with land on Fudge because the handoff narrative resonates.
What to ask each tool before you commit
- What does the agency billing look like at 5, 20, 50 clients?
- What’s the team-permissions model? Can my contractor work on one client without seeing the others?
- What happens to client pages when the project ends and we uninstall?
- Is there agency-tier support? What’s the SLA?
- Can I export pages or hand off cleanly to a developer?
The answers reveal more about agency fit than the demo does.
Migrating clients off another builder?
If you’ve inherited a client running PageFly, GemPages, or Replo and want to consolidate on a single tool with cleaner handoff, the step-by-step guides:
- Migrate from PageFly to Fudge
- Migrate from GemPages to Fudge
- Migrate from Replo to Fudge
- Migrate from Instant to Fudge
For the broader page-builder category, see best Shopify page builders, best AI page builders for Shopify, and AI vs drag-and-drop.
FAQ
What’s the best Shopify page builder for a small agency?
Depends on whether output ownership matters to your handoff story. If yes, Fudge - the pages exist as theme code and survive without the app. If you’ll stay engaged ongoing and don’t need handoff, drag-and-drop builders work fine.
Can agencies share one page-builder account across multiple client stores?
Different tools handle this differently. PageFly, GemPages, Replo, Shogun, and Fudge all have partner / agency programs that bundle client stores. Per-app installation on each client is the typical model.
What’s the handoff story when an agency project ends?
For pages built in Fudge: the pages stay as theme code; the client can keep them with no ongoing app subscription. For pages built in drag-and-drop tools: the client needs to keep paying for the builder app or the pages break.
Are AI page builders ready for agency use?
Yes in 2026. The category is mature enough for production work. The trade-off vs drag-and-drop is workflow preference, not capability.
How long does it take an agency team to adopt Fudge?
1-2 weeks of daily use for the prompt workflow to feel natural. Faster for team members already comfortable with AI coding tools.
