Shopify has become a household name for e-commerce, offering user-friendly tools for businesses of all sizes. But as your business grows, you might wonder if Shopify Plus is the next step. Our customers often ask us: Which is better Shopify or Shopify Plus? So it’s finally time to answer that question. In this blog, we will discuss the key differences that set Shopify and Shopify Plus apart to help you make the best decision.
Finding the Right Fit for Your Business
The three main Shopify plans—Basic, Shopify, and Advanced—offer a solid foundation for users to launch, grow, and manage their businesses. Shopify enables you to create a tailored online store and sell across a variety of platforms. Including websites, mobile devices, physical retail locations, and channels like social media and online marketplaces.
With no coding skills required and 24/7 customer support, Shopify is an excellent choice for small businesses. As your business grows and your needs evolve, you can easily upgrade to a higher Shopify plan by adjusting your account settings.
However, if your business expands beyond online sales and now you’re not only managing an online store but also opening physical locations across the country it might be wise to consider Shopify Plus. Introduced in 2014, Shopify Plus is designed as a scalable, customizable enterprise solution, offering business owners enhanced options and greater control over their websites and stores.
Pricing
Shopify offers three-tiered pricing plans: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced. Each plan comes with a fixed monthly fee, ranging from €21 to €290, depending on the features and capabilities required. A free three-day trial is available for users to explore the platform before committing to a plan.
Shopify Plus operates on a different pricing model. It offers a more flexible approach with a base fee of $2,300 per month. However, additional charges may apply based on specific business needs and transaction volume. Once monthly sales surpass $800,000, Shopify Plus transitions to a revenue-based fee capped at $40,000 per month.
Shopify Features
Shopify is dedicated to ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty, which is why it offers some of the most competitive features in the e-commerce market. It starts by making storefront creation accessible to everyone, providing professional themes, branding options, domain names, and customizable features like blogging.
In addition, Shopify offers a range of shopping cart and store management tools, such as abandoned checkout recovery, automatic shipping rate calculations, customer profiles, and refund processing. The platform also supports robust marketing and SEO efforts, with features like Google Ads credits, discounts, and social media integrations. Users can benefit from detailed analytics, mobile app options, and various levels of product organization.
Lastly, Shopify provides 24/7 dedicated support, ensuring users have access to assistance at any time through email, live chat, or phone.
Shopify Plus features
Shopify Plus offers all the features of the standard Shopify plans, along with additional resources. Tailored to support merchants with higher revenue and sales volumes. One key feature is the Shopify organization admin. Which allows you to manage all the stores within your organization from a single dashboard.
Exclusive to Shopify Plus merchants, the management tools within the Shopify organization admin include advanced options like Users, Store, and Shopify Flow. Additionally, customers gain access to specialized apps designed for high-growth businesses, along with increased application programming interface (API) call limits, enabling deeper integration with custom apps.
Furthermore, Shopify Plus provides extra integrations and permissions, along with access to the Merchant Success Program, the Shopify Plus Partner Program, Shopify POS Pro, and a dedicated Shopify Plus Community on Facebook.
Let’s Compare
| Shopify | Shopify Plus | |
| Pricing | $29 per month for Basic, $79 per month for Shopify and $299 per month for Advanced (paid annually) | Costs begin at $2,000 per month for standard setups and integrations; for higher volume business structures, there is a variable fee option |
| Payment Processing Fees | • Basic: 2.9% plus 30 cents for online card sales, flat 2.7% for in-person sales • Shopify: 2.6% plus 30 cents for online card sales, flat 2.5% for in-person sales • Advanced: 2.4% plus 30 cents for online card sales, flat 2.4% for in-person sales | Credit card fees vary by country. 0.15% per transaction for third-party payment processors; if you use Shopify Payments, this fee is waived |
| Sales Limits | Technically unrestricted, but Shopify suggests a limit of 100,000. After exceeding that number, it may be time to compare your current plan with Shopify Plus | Unrestricted sales limits |
| Contract Requirements | Monthly, annually, or biennially | $29 per month for Basic, $79 per month for Shopify, and $299 per month for Advanced (paid annually) |
| Software Support | 24/7 live support via email, phone or chat | 24/7 live support via email, phone, or chat |
| Shop customization | Visual editor + access to Liquid programming tools | Sell unlimited products (including digital products), abandoned cart recovery, gift cards, and professional reports |
| Apps | Access to a variety of apps through the Shopify app marketplace | E-commerce businesses of any size, selling any products, who are netting under $1 million in annual revenue |
| Extra Features | Monthly, annually, or biennially | Everything from core Shopify + headless e-commerce and checkout extensibility |
| Best For | Sell unlimited products (including digital products), abandoned cart recovery, gift cards, and professional reports | Enterprise-level businesses that are consistently selling hundreds of thousands of products and bringing in well over $1 million annually |
Conclusion
Shopify is a versatile, user-friendly platform suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large brands. While many businesses will eventually need to upgrade their Shopify plans as they grow, moving to Shopify Plus is a significant step. Due to its higher costs, Shopify Plus is designed for enterprise-level sellers who need advanced support and have the financial resources to invest. Our teams’ conclusion: While both the free and paid versions are great, the free version is perfect for starters to try out the e-commerce scene and to save operational costs, on the other hand, it has many limitations. With time and the growth of assortment, Shopify Plus provides more functionalities and becomes a better option, but for a bigger cost. If your business isn’t generating millions in annual revenue, it’s best to stick with a standard Shopify plan until you’re ready to scale further.
Vaiva is a Marketing Specialist at Icecat with a passion for driving brand growth through innovative strategies. When she’s not busy with marketing campaigns, she enjoys traveling and discovering new cultures.
