What’s the Difference Between Shopify vs Shopify Plus
Shopify and Shopify Plus are two ecommerce platforms created by Shopify, Inc. While both provide powerful tools to create customized online stores, the decision between “Shopify vs Shopify Plus” depends on the needs of the business. Shopify Plus and Shopify are suited for businesses at different stages.
Shopify caters to small and midsize businesses looking for an easy-to-use commerce platform. The Shopify app store gives access to thousands of apps to enhance store functionality.
Shopify Plus offers enterprise-level capabilities, security, and support. It is designed to scale with high-volume brands processing millions in sales. Customizations and integrations are also easier with direct access to Shopify developers.
Key Takeaways
- Shopify offers a user-friendly platform and extensive app store, which is ideal for small to midsize businesses. Shopify Plus provides enterprise-grade capabilities and support for high-volume brands.
- Shopify offers monthly subscription plans ranging from $29 to $299. Shopify Plus requires a minimum monthly fee of $2,300.
- Shopify can handle hundreds of thousands of products and transactions per month. Shopify Plus easily scales to millions of products and orders.
- Both platforms offer security features like SSL encryption. Shopify Plus provides additional enterprise security capabilities.
- Shopify offers 24/7 chat and email support. Shopify Plus assigns expert merchant success managers to provide personalized account guidance.
A Head-to-Head Comparison Between Shopify and Shopify Plus
| Feature | Shopify | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Themes | Around 100 free and paid themes | Around 30 premium, customizable themes |
| Customization | Limited theme customization | Fully customizable storefronts |
| Products | Up to 10,000 variants | Unlimited products |
| Transactions | Thousands per minute | Tens of thousands per minute |
| Support | Email, chat, forums | Dedicated merchant success manager |
| Pricing | $29 – $299 monthly plans | Minimum $2,300/month |
| Scalability | Good for SMBs | Built for enterprise |
| Security | SSL, PCI compliance | SOC 2, data residency |
| Payments | Popular options built-in | Advanced customization |
| Taxes | Automatic calculations | Enterprise tax engine |
| Shipping | USPS integration | Advanced custom shipping |
| Apps & Integrations | Shopify app store | Custom integrations |
Shopify vs Shopify Plus Features
Both Shopify and Shopify Plus provide powerful features to create customized online stores. Here is an overview of the key capabilities offered:
Store Setup and Design
- Themes: Both platforms offer free and paid themes. Shopify has around 100 free and paid themes, and Shopify Plus has around 30 premium themes designed for higher-volume stores.
- Customization: Shopify stores can edit theme code and CSS, but with limitations. Shopify Plus offers more customization flexibility, including custom storefront design.
- Pages and menus: Both let you easily create pages and menus with drag-and-drop functionality. Shopify Plus supports larger menu systems for bigger catalogs.
Products and Inventory
- Product types: Both platforms allow physical, digital, and service products. Advanced product types are available on Plus.
- Inventory management: Both offer inventory tracking. Shopify Plus has advanced functionality like bulk uploads and reporting.
- Order management: Both have real-time order tracking and management tools. Additional customization is available on Plus.
Payments, Taxes, and Shipping
- Payments: Both offer features to accept credit cards, PayPal, and other popular payment methods. Shopify Plus has more advanced options.
- Taxes: Automatic tax calculations are available on both platforms. Shopify Plus has enterprise-grade tax tools.
- Shipping: Both platforms offer discounted USPS rates. Plus offers additional shipping customizations and rates.
Marketing Tools
- SEO: Both platforms are optimized for search engines. Shopify Plus offers advanced SEO capabilities.
- Email marketing: Integrates with email providers like MailChimp on both platforms. More sophisticated options are available with Shopify Plus.
- Abandoned carts: Automated abandoned cart recovery tools are available on both platforms.
- Analytics: Shopify provides basic analytics and reports. Robust advanced analytics are available with Shopify Plus.
Sales Channels
- Online store: Feature-rich online stores can be built on both platforms.
- Retail & POS: Shopify offers a Shopify POS and Retail Kit for brick-and-mortar sales. These are available as add-ons for Plus.
- Social selling: Shopify includes integrations for selling on social channels. Also available as an add-on for Plus.
- Marketplaces: Both support selling on marketplaces like Amazon. Shopify Plus offers more advanced management.
- Global sales: Both platforms facilitate cross-border trade and international sales.
App Store and Integrations
- Shopify app store: Shopify has an extensive app store with thousands of apps. Apps are certified for Plus for enterprise reliability.
- Integrations: Shopify offers some basic integrations. Shopify Plus can integrate with virtually any API-based system.
- Customization: Apps can extend Shopify’s functionality, whereas Shopify Plus can be fully customized as needed.
The goal is to shape brand perception and get target audiences to engage with and mention the brand positively vs. chasing keyword ranks. Quality and engagement are prioritized over-optimization.
Ease of Use: Shopify vs Shopify Plus
For small businesses new to ecommerce, Shopify offers easier onboarding and usability. Shopify Plus provides a more customizable platform that may require more technical skills.
Shopify
Shopify is designed to provide a user-friendly experience even for owners with minimal technical expertise. Key factors that enhance usability for novices include:
- Simplified setup: Guided step-by-step setup makes it easy to get your store up quickly.
- Responsive themes: Extensive theme store with designs optimized for desktop and mobile.
- Intuitive interface: Admin dashboard uses recognizable icons and clear menus. Easy to navigate the backend.
- Detailed documentation: Comprehensive docs allow users to self-serve answers to common questions.
- Active community: Vibrant community forums provide peer knowledge sharing.
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus gives seasoned users more control via customization. The added complexity requires more technical prowess.
- Designer support: Building a truly custom store design requires designer expertise.
- Developer resources: Custom apps and complex integrations need developer skills.
- Specialized support: Managing scaling complexity benefits from specialized expertise.
- Merchant success manager: A dedicated support manager provides tailored guidance.
Shopify Plus provides enterprise stores with the flexibility required for their business model. The platform caters to the technical teams that guide these high-growth brands.
For business owners who are less concerned with advanced customization, Shopify’s simplicity lowers the barrier to selling online. Shopify Plus gives larger brands the sophistication their complex operations require.
Shopify vs Shopify Plus Pricing
Shopify offers subscription plans tailored for different business sizes and stages. Shopify Plus is focused on established high-volume brands that are ready to scale.
Shopify Pricing Plans
Shopify offers four monthly subscription plans:
- Basic Shopify: $29/month
- Shopify: $79/month
- Advanced Shopify: $299/month
The main differences come down to transaction fees, functionality, and support:
- Transaction fees: Shopify Lite has no transaction fees. The other plans have reduced rates from 0.5-2%.
- Features: Advanced has more features, such as advanced report builders.
- Support: More live support channels come with higher Shopify plans.
The flexibility allows businesses to select the right level and pay only for the services needed. Shopify also provides a cost calculator that estimates monthly expenses based on sales.
Shopify Plus Pricing
As an enterprise solution, Shopify Plus uses a fundamentally different pricing model:
- Monthly Platform Fee: Minimum of $2300/month
- Transaction Fee: 0.25% after the first $1M in sales
- Setup Fees: Requirement for agency/consulting partners
- Customizations: Additional charges if full-service support is required
There are no fixed tiers or packages. Because Plus caters to established brands at scale, pricing aligns with usage. The fees provide access to all Shopify Plus features and enterprise-grade support. Some other pricing factors include:
- Predictability: No surprise fees. Monthly subscription fees are predictable based on sales volume.
- Flexibility: The open pricing structure allows room to negotiate terms that fit your business model.
- Value pricing: Higher costs provide high-value services like a dedicated Merchant Success Manager.
- Growth opportunities: The pricing adjusts seamlessly as your sales volume increases over time.
Shopify Plus aligns costs more closely with the value enterprises gain from the robust platform, scalable infrastructure, and tailored support.
Scalability: Shopify and Shopify Plus
The platforms vary significantly in their ability to scale. Shopify can support fast-growing SMBs, while Shopify Plus is built for massive enterprises.
Shopify Scalability
For small businesses, Shopify provides ample headroom to grow over time. The maximum capacities will support most SMB needs:
- Products: Up to 10,000 product variants
- Orders: Can process thousands of orders per minute
- Traffic: Tested to handle up to 400+ orders per minute
Shopify offers tools like load balancing and caching to improve site performance. Response times remain fast even during high-traffic periods like Black Friday.
While Shopify can comfortably scale to support larger SMBs, it cannot match the capacity required for true enterprise support.
Shopify Plus Scalability
Shopify designed Plus to handle massive traffic and order volumes required by large-scale brands.
- Products: Billions of SKUs supported
- Orders: Designed to process tens of thousands of orders per minute
- Traffic: Infrastructure load tested for Black Friday-level traffic every day
Shopify Plus is built on a cloud-based architecture optimized for security, reliability, and scalability. The platform leverages tools like AI search, GraphQL, and automatic caching.
Enterprises running complex operations across multiple sales channels trust Plus to handle their peak demands and growth. The platform scales seamlessly with their business.
For small businesses expecting hypergrowth, exploring Plus may future-proof their ability to scale. However, for most SMBs, Shopify offers ample capacity to grow successfully for years before maxing out capabilities.
Security: Shopify Plus vs Shopify
Security is a top priority for any commerce platform. Both Shopify and Shopify Plus provide robust security to protect your business and customers.
Shopify Plus Security
Shopify Plus offers additional measures to accommodate sensitive enterprise security requirements:
- Data residency: Ability to configure where customer data is stored to meet regulations.
- Access control: Sophisticated tools limit data access only to authorized teams.
- Third-party audits: Maintains compliance with stringent security standards like SOC 2.
- Dedicated security: Enterprise-grade infrastructure independently audited for security.
- Incident response: Optional hands-on security management services are available.
Enterprises with highly sensitive data appreciate the granular control, audited infrastructure, and expert incident response Shopify Plus can provide.
For typical SMBs, Shopify’s default security measures offer ample protection. Overall, both platforms utilize enterprise best practices to secure merchant data at each stage of operations.
Shopify Security
Shopify utilizes various proven security measures across its infrastructure and services:
- Secure hosting: Shopify partnerships with trusted data centers and cloud providers like AWS.
- SSL encryption: Forces HTTPS connections and uses TLS to protect all data transmission.
- PCI compliance: Shopify is Level 1 PCI compliant, meaning very secure credit card data handling.
- Fraud analysis: Uses AI and automated tools to detect fraudulent transactions.
- Backups: Nightly backups ensure merchant data can be restored in case of incidents.
Shopify provides ample security for typical SMB ecommerce sites. Certain high-risk industries may require additional measures, but Shopify covers essential security needs for most.
Support: Shopify vs Shopify Plus
Shopify provides small businesses with more self-serve support. Shopify Plus offers specialized hands-on support assigned to each merchant.
Shopify Support
Shopify offers the following helpful support resources for merchants:
- 24/7 live chat: Quick answers to common questions and issues.
- Support tickets: Email ticketing system for inquiries that require deeper investigation.
- Phone support: available toll-free number for high-priority issues.
- Guides and docs: Extensive articles and documentation covering platform questions.
- Shopify forums: Active community forums to crowdsource answers.
- Shopify app support: App developers often provide support for their respective apps.
Merchants can often find answers to routine issues through self-service channels. Overall, the support provides helpful guidance when getting started with Shopify and running a store.
Shopify Plus Support
Given the enterprise-level investment, Shopify Plus provides more high-touch support:
- Merchant success managers: Dedicated support representatives provide tailored 1-on-1 guidance.
- Onboarding specialists: Get stores quickly up and running with onboarding assistance.
- Technical account managers: Provide hands-on assistance adapting Shopify Plus to your unique technical needs.
- Partner support: The nominated agency/partner provides additional support services.
- Operational support: Available for managing campaigns and events like Black Friday.
- Premium phone support: Priority 24/7 phone support with faster response SLAs.
Shopify Plus merchants have a trusted team that provides white-glove assistance before, during, and after migrating to the platform. This support aligns with the significant operational investment these brands are making.
For smaller merchants, Shopify’s self-serve support typically provides the information needed to resolve issues and grow successfully on the platform. But Plus delivers dedicated coaching.
Final Thoughts
Shopify and Shopify Plus each cater to merchants at different business stages. Shopify offers an accessible solution for small businesses to establish an online presence quickly. Lower pricing plans and integrations with services like payments and marketing streamline the launch of an e-commerce store.
As merchants scale towards millions in sales, Shopify Plus becomes the ideal platform: the enterprise-grade security, customizable features, and dedicated support teams position brands for managed hypergrowth. Plus, it helps enterprises sell across multiple channels and geographies seamlessly.
The right choice depends on your current size and future aspirations. Smaller brands can benefit from exploring Shopify with the peace of mind that Plus offers a growth upgrade path. Meanwhile, Plus allows larger brands the sophisticated customization required for complex operations.
FAQs About Shopify and Shopify Plus
Is Shopify better than Shopify Plus?
Shopify is better suited for small businesses. Shopify Plus is the better choice for larger enterprises. The ‘better’ option depends on your current size and future goals.
When should I upgrade from Shopify to Shopify Plus?
Most experts suggest upgrading once you exceed $1 million in annual sales volume. At this larger scale, enterprise features and support often become more important.
Can Shopify Plus handle a million products?
Yes, Shopify Plus can comfortably handle catalogs with millions of products. Enterprise-level caching, indexing, and infrastructure allow Plus merchants to scale to enormous product catalogs.
Is Shopify Plus easy to use?
Shopify Plus offers enterprise-grade power and customization, so it may require developer and expert assistance to fully leverage the flexibility. However, the platform is still intuitive enough for administrators.
Does Shopify Plus have different themes?
Yes, Shopify Plus offers around 30 themes designed for high-volume stores. The themes are fully customizable using Liquid and other developer resources.
Is Shopify Plus worth the extra cost?
For high-volume merchants processing over $1 million in annual sales, Shopify Plus likely offers a positive ROI. The enterprise features, scaling capacity, and tailored support often justify the added costs.
Can Shopify integrate with ERP?
Yes, Shopify offers some integrations for connecting to ERP systems like NetSuite and SAP. Shopify Plus provides more robust capabilities to customize complex ERP integrations as needed.
