Shopify introduced Horizon in its Summer ’25 Edition as a new free theme family. It came with ten presets, more than 30 content blocks, drag-and-drop theme blocks and an AI tool that generates custom blocks from a text description. We’ve built several stores on it since — including our own website. Here’s our honest take.
What Horizon does well
- Layout freedom. Theme blocks can be nested and rearranged, so you can build richer layouts without code.
- Modern, fast foundations. Clean code, modern CSS and a focus on performance.
- Presets for different industries. A strong starting point whether you sell fashion, food, homeware or services.
- AI blocks. Describe what you want and get a working block to refine.
- Free and maintained by Shopify. Regular updates and Theme Store support.
Where it falls short
- A learning curve. More flexibility means more settings. Teams used to Dawn can find it overwhelming at first.
- Customizations don’t carry over. Moving from an older theme means rebuilding custom code and sections — settings don’t transfer between different theme architectures.
- App compatibility. Most modern apps use app blocks and work fine, but older apps that inject code into theme files may need adjusting.
- Consistency takes discipline. When anyone can build any layout, pages can drift apart. A simple design system helps.
Who should switch
| Your situation | Our advice |
|---|---|
| New store or full redesign | Start on Horizon |
| Older theme, few customizations | Switch — plan a short rebuild |
| Heavily customized premium theme | Switch when you’re ready for a redesign |
| Peak season (e.g. BFCM) coming up | Wait until after peak |
How we move a store to Horizon
- Audit the current theme: sections, apps, custom code and tracking.
- Pick the closest preset and build on an unpublished copy.
- Rebuild custom features as editable sections or blocks.
- Test on real devices, check speed and place test orders.
- Publish at a quiet time and monitor for a week.
Source: Shopify’s Summer ’25 Edition announcement.
What to check before you switch
- Apps: list every app that touches your storefront and confirm it supports app blocks.
- Custom code: find anything added to theme files — tracking, custom sections, scripts — and decide what to rebuild.
- Content: collect banners, images and copy from the current home page and landing pages.
- SEO: page URLs don’t change with a theme switch, but check headings, structured data and internal links on the new theme.
- Speed: run a speed test on both themes with your real content.
FAQ
Is Horizon really free?
Yes. Horizon and its sibling themes are free in the Shopify Theme Store.
Will I lose my products or orders when switching themes?
No. Products, orders, customers and content are stored in Shopify, not the theme. A theme switch changes how your store looks and is laid out.
How long does a move to Horizon take?
A straightforward store can move in a few days. Heavily customized stores take longer because custom features need rebuilding.
Need a hand?
We build, customize and migrate stores to Horizon — with custom sections your team can edit. See our theme services — or ask for a free, fixed-price proposal.