Shopify Plus vs Shopify : 11 Key Differences Between the Two

Updated 13 Feb 2024
Published 30 May 2023
Gaurav Sharma 1959 Views
Shopify vs Shopify Plus

Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur seeking the perfect eCommerce platform to launch your online store or an established enterprise aiming to scale your business to new heights, understanding the nuances between these two options is vital.

In this intriguing exploration, we will navigate through eleven key differences that set Shopify vs Shopify Plus apart, unraveling the mysteries of Shopify Plus store cost, Shopify b2b features, enterprise capabilities, and the exclusive Shopify Plus Benefits that come with the coveted Shopify Plus membership.

Join us on this exhilarating journey as we unravel the secrets of these two remarkable platforms and help you understand which is best for your online eCommerce store.

What is Shopify?

Shopify provides enterprises with a comprehensive solution to effectively showcase, market, and fulfill their products. This platform has gained widespread recognition for its user-friendly interface, making it particularly advantageous for entrepreneurs venturing into the realm of e-commerce.

With Shopify, the learning curve for new eCommerce store owners is notably minimized, enabling them to swiftly establish and manage their online presence.

Furthermore, small businesses are drawn to the platform’s enticing level of customization, allowing them to create a distinct and visually appealing brand identity.

What is Shopify and its features

Key features of Shopify include:

1. Shopify Point of Sale (POS)

Seamlessly integrating online and offline operations, Shopify offers a robust point-of-sale system. This feature empowers businesses to process transactions, manage inventory, and track sales data from both physical retail locations and online channels, ensuring a cohesive and streamlined customer experience.

2. Online Sales Channels

Shopify facilitates multi-channel selling by providing businesses with a diverse range of online sales channels. From websites and social media platforms to marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, merchants can effortlessly expand their reach and capture sales opportunities across various digital touchpoints.

3. Security Features

Recognizing the paramount importance of data security, Shopify implements robust measures to safeguard sensitive customer information and maintain a secure online environment. Through SSL encryption, fraud detection tools, and adherence to PCI DSS compliance standards, Shopify ensures the protection of both business and customer data.

Shopify developers can help businesses to further secure their custom Shopify stores by implementing additional security measures, such as two-factor authentication and password protection.

4. Mobile Functionality

In an era dominated by mobile devices, Shopify recognizes the significance of optimizing the shopping experience for on-the-go consumers. The platform offers mobile-friendly themes and responsive designs, allowing businesses to provide a seamless browsing and purchasing experience across smartphones and tablets.

Nevertheless, a considerable number of enterprises, precisely 32,763 brands, opt for the utilization of Shopify Plus, a premium variant of the platform.

What is Shopify Plus?

So, what is Shopify Plus? Shopify Plus is a premium upgrade to the standard Shopify platform, tailored specifically for large enterprises that engage in high-volume sales and shipments.

With its elevated Shopify Plus pricing structure, Shopify Plus offers an array of enhanced features, expanded storefront functionality, and comprehensive support, empowering businesses to reach new heights in their eCommerce endeavors.

what is shopify plus and its features

Key Shopify Plus development features:

1. Centralized Store Management

Shopify Plus for multiple stores allows enterprises to efficiently manage multiple stores from a single location using the powerful Admin feature. This centralized approach enables seamless control and coordination across all storefronts, streamlining operations and enhancing productivity.

2. Expanded Integrations & Features

With this Shopify Plus feature, businesses gain access to an extensive selection of integrations and features beyond those available in the standard Shopify plan. This includes third-party shipping rate calculators, enabling enterprises to provide accurate and dynamic shipping costs to customers.

Moreover, Shopify Plus supports integration with third-party payment processors, offering businesses more flexibility in accepting payments.

best Shopify Plus solution for your business

3. Unified Sales Data with Shopify POS Plus

Shopify Plus offers the integration of Shopify POS Plus, uniting sales data across physical stores and online channels. This integration provides enterprises with comprehensive insights into customer behavior, inventory management, and sales performance, allowing for informed decision-making and efficient resource allocation.

Shopify Integration Services can help businesses of all sizes to connect their Shopify store with other third-party applications and services. This can help businesses to automate tasks, improve efficiency, and gain insights into their customers.

4. Additional Permission Settings

Shopify Plus provides advanced permission settings, granting enterprises greater control over user access and management.

This functionality enables organizations to allocate distinct roles and permissions to their workforce, thereby facilitating secure and streamlined collaboration while protecting confidential information.

Read more: A Complete Guide to Hire the Best Shopify Development Company

Shopify Plus vs. Shopify: Pricing Options

Regarding pricing, the features of Shopify and Shopify Plus offer discrete alternatives designed to address diverse business requirements.

Shopify encompasses a selection of Shopify vs Shopify Plus pricing plans, encompassing Shopify Lite is available at a monthly rate of $9, Basic Shopify is priced at $29 per month, Shopify is offered at $79 per month, and Advanced Shopify is available at $299 per month.

Shopify vs. Shopify Plus

These plans establish a robust groundwork for businesses of varying scopes, furnishing a spectrum of features and functionalities tailored to their individualized demands.

In contrast, Shopify Plus is a robust solution tailored for enterprises and thriving businesses seeking enhanced capabilities. The Shopify Plus pricing is individually assessed, commencing at $2,000 per month, which establishes the foundation for the subscription fee.

It is essential to acknowledge that this monthly charge represents a starting point, as supplementary expenses including transaction fees, Shopify development, site launch, utilization of third-party services, and integration of add-ons are also applicable.

Shopify Plus vs Shopify: What’s the Difference?

Prior to delving into the comprehensive compilation of differences between Shopify Plus and Shopify, it is imperative to comprehend the importance of selecting the appropriate eCommerce platform for your enterprise. While both options offer robust solutions, each caters to different needs and aspirations.

Whether you are a small business seeking simplicity and cost-effectiveness or an enterprise aiming for unparalleled scalability and advanced features of Shopify and Shopify Plus, evaluating the disparities between Shopify vs Shopify Plus will help you make an informed decision.

If you decide that Shopify Plus is the right platform for your business, you may need to hire a Shopify developer to help you set up and customize your store. Shopify developers have the expertise and experience to help you get the most out of Shopify Plus.

Shopify vs Shopify Plus Whats the Difference

In the following sections, we will explore the key contrasts between these two powerful platforms, delving into their store costs, Shopify b2b features, enterprise suitability, exclusive Shopify Plus Benefits, and the role of Shopify Plus agencies.

Let’s embark on this enlightening journey to discover the ideal eCommerce solution for your unique requirements.

1. Shopify Plus: Merchant Success Manager

One of the notable differences between Shopify vs Shopify Plus platforms lies in the level of personalized support they offer to their users. While businesses using the standard version of the platform don’t have access to a dedicated Shopify account manager, Shopify Plus takes customer service to the next level through its merchant success program.

With these exclusive Shopify Plus features, users are paired with a designated Shopify Development Company merchant success manager who becomes their trusted ally, providing tailored guidance and support to enhance their eCommerce journey.

Imagine having a knowledgeable expert in your corner, assisting you with strategic planning, customizations, and integrations specific to your business goals. Yours assigned Merchant Success Shopify Development Company Account Manager serves as an indispensable asset, possessing a comprehensive understanding of your business and collaborating closely with you to enhance your Shopify Plus journey.

Whether you require aid in implementing exclusive Shopify Plus features, expanding your operations, or optimizing your online presence, this dedicated expert is available to provide guidance throughout the entire process.

The merchant success program offered by Shopify Plus not only fosters a strong partnership but also accelerates your business growth.

With their in-depth understanding of the platform and industry best practices, merchant success Shopify app development company account managers can provide valuable insights and recommendations to help you overcome challenges and seize opportunities.

From optimizing conversion rates to streamlining processes, their expertise empowers you to navigate the complex eCommerce landscape with confidence.

Also Read: How to Hire an Expert Shopify Developer?

2. Enhanced Checkout Control with Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus gives you in-depth control over your checkout page with Liquid, making it a popular choice for Shopify app developers. When it comes to the checkout page, Shopify Plus bestows upon merchants a remarkable level of control that standard Shopify pricing plans simply cannot match.

Imagine having the ability to shape and mold your checkout experience exactly as you envision it, creating a seamless and tailored journey for your customers.

This is where Shopify Plus shines, offering a level of customization that empowers businesses to go above and beyond. With Shopify Plus, the checkout page becomes a canvas for your creativity and branding, thanks to the powerful Liquid programming language. Here’s what makes this difference truly remarkable:

  • Customizable Checkout

While standard Shopify pricing plans allow for a checkout experience integrated with your online store’s theme, Shopify Plus takes it a step further. It offers in-depth customization options for your checkout page, allowing you to create a cohesive and branded experience that resonates with your customers.

This can be done using Shopify Theme Design & Development, which is a powerful tool that allows you to create custom themes for your Shopify store.

  • Liquid

This unique asset is exclusively available to Shopify Plus merchants. By leveraging Checkout. liquid, your checkout page becomes a self-contained entity, operating independently from your site’s theme file. This means that during the checkout process, no code from your theme file is displayed, ensuring a streamlined and focused experience for your customers.

hire dedicated Shopify developers

3. Staff Accounts

When it comes to managing your eCommerce business, having the flexibility to grant access to multiple staff members can be a game-changer.

This is where Shopify Plus takes the lead, offering an exciting advantage that standard Shopify plans do not provide unlimited staff accounts. Here’s why this Shopify Plus feature is particularly beneficial for eCommerce Development:

Staff Accounts

  • Enhanced Collaboration

With Shopify Plus larger companies, and enterprises can seamlessly provide access to their entire team. From marketing specialists and customer support representatives to inventory Shopify account managers and designers, every member can have their own staff account, fostering collaboration and ensuring everyone has the necessary access to contribute and excel.

  • Streamlined Workflow

Unlimited staff accounts eliminate the hassle of juggling limited slots and permissions. Your team members can log in to the Shopify Plus dashboard with their unique credentials, allowing them to perform their respective roles efficiently.

This streamlines the workflow, improves productivity, and empowers your team to work together seamlessly toward your business goals.

  • Scalability for Growing Businesses

As your business expands and your team grows, the unlimited staff accounts feature becomes even more valuable. You can rest assured that there are no concerns regarding supplementary Shopify Plus store costs or limitations pertaining to the allocation of access to new team members within your Shopify Plus store.

Shopify Plus offers a high degree of adaptability to accommodate your ever-changing requirements, thereby ensuring optimal efficacy and contribution from all parties involved.

4. Enhanced API Integrations in Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus, with its advanced capabilities, offers an enhanced range of API integrations compared to standard Shopify plans. This means that Shopify Plus merchants have the advantage of seamlessly integrating their eCommerce store with existing ERP or CRM systems, a feature not available to standard Shopify stores.

Enhanced API Integrations in Shopify Plus

This increased flexibility allows for more streamlined operations and enhanced customer experiences. Whether it’s creating unique gift cards for the Shopify POS, unifying customer logins across multiple platforms with Multipass, or retrieving staff permission information with User API, Shopify Plus empowers businesses with a wider array of API solutions to optimize their eCommerce features and operations.

5. Transaction Fee Variations

Shopify Basic vs Shopify Plus differs in their transaction fee structures. When using Shopify Payments, there are no transaction fees for both regular Shopify pricing plans and Shopify Plus.

However, if you opt for an external payment gateway, transaction fees apply. For Shopify Lite and Basic Shopify, the fee is 2% per transaction, 1% for Shopify, and 0.5% for Advanced Shopify.

Shopify Plus follows a similar pattern, with waived transaction fees for Shopify Payments, but charges of 2.15% + 30 cents for domestic transactions and 3.15% + 30 cents for international/Amex transactions when using external gateways. Consider these variations when choosing the best eCommerce platforms for your business.

6. Different Promotional Discounts

Shopify Basic vs Shopify Plus offers distinct approaches to promotional discounts, providing flexibility and convenience for different business needs. With Shopify’s standard plans, creating enticing discounts is made easy through the platform’s dedicated analytic dashboard.

Moreover, if you utilize Shopify’s integrated POS system, you can enable shoppers to redeem in-store discounts. For those utilizing Shopify Plus, the exclusive Launchpad feature becomes available, automating various aspects of promotional campaigns, flash sales, product releases, and discounts.

These diverse options empower businesses to tailor their promotional strategies and effectively drive sales, catering to the unique demands of their e-commerce stores.

7. International Advantage Of Shopify Plus

When it comes to catering to international and multi-currency sellers, Shopify Plus holds a clear advantage over its standard counterpart. The global marketplace demands versatility and adaptability, and Shopify Plus delivers precisely that.

Bold Multi-Currency is actively employed by over 6,061 live eCommerce websites, facilitating transactions for a vast customer base of 300 million Plus across numerous Shopify stores worldwide.

These merchants seamlessly ship their products to 175 countries on a daily basis, leveraging the capability to sell in 133 different currencies from a single store. Here’s why Shopify Plus is the go-to choice for businesses looking to expand their reach across borders:

International Advantage Of Shopify Plus

  • Comprehensive Global Sales Tools

Shopify Plus offers a suite of powerful features and tools specifically designed to facilitate international sales. With its comprehensive range of features, including multi-currency support and localized checkout experiences, this solution empowers businesses to effectively conduct operations across various countries and regions.

  • Clone Store/Multi-Store Feature

A notable attribute distinguishing Shopify Plus is its capacity to generate multiple iterations of an online store, each meticulously designed to cater to distinct target demographics.

This Shopify Plus feature, commonly referred to as “Clone Store” or “Multi-Store” in the realm of Shopify Plus, empowers businesses to personalize their stores according to location, language, currency, and regional preferences.

By delivering a localized customer experience, enterprises can effectively connect with diverse markets and stimulate enhanced conversion rates.

8. Enhanced Analytics Differentiate Shopify Plus

When it comes to analytics and reporting, Shopify Plus takes the crown by offering a more comprehensive and detailed suite of tools compared to standard Shopify plans.

While standard plans provide valuable insights, Shopify Plus takes it a step further, empowering businesses with robust analytics capabilities. Here’s what sets Shopify Plus apart:

Customizable Checkout Control with Shopify Plus

  • Advanced Reporting Tiers

Standard Shopify plans offer varying levels of analytics and reporting based on the pricing tier you choose. Every tier offers access to supplementary features and comprehensive reports, enabling you to obtain valuable insights into the performance of your business.

  • Expanded Reporting Features

As you progress through the various Shopify vs Shopify Plus pricing tiers, the reporting functionalities expand in scope. Under the “Shopify” plan, users are granted comprehensive access to a diverse array of essential reports, encompassing behavior reports, marketing reports, sales reports, retail sales reports, profit reports, and customer reports.

  • Custom Reports & Detailed Metrics

Advanced Shopify users can take advantage of custom reports, allowing them to tailor their analytics to specific business needs. Additionally, Shopify Plus users enjoy access to all available sales reports, including the insightful “average order value over time” report, which tracks the changes in average order value throughout your online sales journey.

9. Expanded Theme Selection with Shopify Plus

One of the key differences between Shopify vs Shopify Plus platforms lies in the flexibility and expanded options available to Plus subscribers. While regular Shopify users can access a range of themes, the Benefits of Shopify Plus are exponential because it allows users to add up to 100 themes to their accounts.

Theme Selection with Shopify Plus

Furthermore, Plus subscribers have the privilege of retaining seasonal versions of themes indefinitely, enabling seamless transitions between different looks throughout the year.

Additionally, Plus users can conveniently preview changes on multiple themes, ensuring a thorough evaluation of design variations before implementing them.

This enhanced theme and feature accessibility underscores the added value and customization possibilities that Shopify Plus brings to the table.

10. Language support

When it comes to language support, Shopify Plus takes the lead by offering a remarkable advantage over its counterpart. While Shopify restricts translations to just five languages, Shopify Plus amplifies this capability by providing support for up to 20 languages.

This extensive language selection empowers merchants to personalize their stores, fostering a deeper sense of engagement with customers and ultimately enhancing the overall shopping experience.

Through the implementation of this feature, Shopify Plus empowers businesses to overcome linguistic obstacles and effectively serve a broader range of customers, fostering a more inclusive and internationally-oriented client.

Read more: 15+ Best Shopify Apps to Help Grow Your E-commerce Store in 2023

11. Exclusive Features Differentiating Shopify Plus

One of the main distinctions between Shopify and Shopify Plus lies in the exclusive apps and features available to Shopify Plus subscribers.

While the regular Shopify plan offers a robust set of features suitable for most small businesses and single-store organizations, larger stores can benefit from the following remarkable offerings available only to Shopify Plus users:

Exclusive Features Differentiating Shopify Plus

  • Shopify Organization Admin

Effortlessly manage multiple stores under a single organization, streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency through a unified login.

  • Users

Expand your team by adding additional users and exercise control over login and editing permissions for your store, empowering collaboration while maintaining security.

  • Launchpad

Strategically plan and execute events such as promotions, restocks, and product drops with the ability to schedule and roll them out seamlessly, optimizing customer engagement.

  • Shopify POS Pro

Seamlessly synchronize your point-of-sale (POS) system with your brick-and-mortar store and other Shopify Plus multiple stores within your organization, enabling comprehensive management and analysis.

  • Wholesale Channel

Establish a separate but unified Shopify storefront exclusively for wholesale customers, providing a tailored shopping experience for this specific customer segment.

  • Shopify Flow

Automate essential workflows, such as updating inventory spreadsheets automatically after an order is created, saving time and improving efficiency.

  • Overview

Gain comprehensive top-level analytics across Shopify Plus multiple stores under your organization, enabling a holistic view of performance and insights for strategic decision-making.

  • Script Editor

Utilize the power of code to create personalized experiences for different customer segments, dynamically changing your store’s appearance and functionality.

  • Bulk Account Inviter

Easily invite large groups of users to activate their accounts on your store, simplifying the onboarding process, particularly beneficial after migrating to Shopify Plus.

  • Transporter App

Shopify Migration seamlessly ingests and integrates customer, product, and other vital data into your store, facilitating smooth data migration and integration processes. This can help you save time and money, and ensure that your data is accurate and up-to-date.

Plus also has key differences from some of the other Shopify plans availablein this article, you will learn about the differences between Shopify Plus and Advanced.

Shopify Plus developers to help you grow your business

Conclusion

In the vast world of eCommerce, choosing the right platform can make all the difference in the success of your online business. In this blog, we have explored the 11 key differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus, uncovering valuable insights that can guide your decision-making process.

From the ability to manage Shopify Plus multiple stores with ease and the flexibility of Shopify Plus store cost to the robust Shopify b2b features and tailored solutions for enterprises, Shopify Plus stands out as a powerful option for businesses looking to scale and thrive.

The extensive range of best eCommerce platform features, coupled with a dedicated analytic dashboard, offers unparalleled insights and control over your online operations.

Moreover, the exclusive Shopify Plus Benefits pave the way for enhanced customization, customer engagement, and global expansion. Whether you’re a small business with big ambitions or an enterprise seeking unrivaled capabilities, Shopify Plus proves to be a game-changer in the world of online retail.

Choose between Shopify vs Shopify Plus wisely, and embark on a journey of growth and success with the platform that best aligns with your unique goals and aspirations.

Gaurav Sharma

Gourav Sharma is a Digital Marketing Strategist at Arka Softwares, a leading web development company. He has 2 years of experience in the Information Technology industry. He spends his time reading about new trends in Digital Marketing and the latest app development technologies.

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