Shopify vs Shopify Plus - Finding the Right eCommerce Plan

If you’ve come anywhere near the eCommerce industry in the last decade, you would have heard of Shopify. This eCommerce platform simplifies online store setup and management for merchants globally. With more than 1 million merchants using the platform, Shopify is the go-to platform for your online store.

However, you may be a little confused which Shopify plan to get started with. Shopify Plus is an enterprise-level platform by Shopify with functionalities that supercharge your store’s functioning.

With this blog, we want to simplify your research process. Let’s dive into the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus.

Overview of Shopify vs Shopify Plus

Shopify — Scalable eCommerce Platform

As you know, Shopify is an eCommerce platform built to power online stores across the globe. Shopify provides merchants with a suite of services to run their online business all in one place— payments, marketing, shipping, customer engagement, etc.

Who it’s for: If you’re just starting out your eCommerce business, growing brand, or a medium-sized store.

Here are 5 features of the Shopify platform that makes it a top choice for online stores of every size.

1. Built to scale from the start

The one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for anyone, especially for eCommerce stores. This is why Shopify evolves with you, whether you’re just starting your eCommerce store or growing your business. The platform is built in such a way that you can upgrade your plan as your sales and your store grows. There are 3 plans— basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. While all 3 plans provide 24/7 support and unlimited products, merchants on higher plans have more staff accounts they can create, gift cards, advanced report builder, custom shipping rates, and lower transaction fees.

2. Inventory management

Shopify allows you to add an unlimited number of products despite the plan you are on. It has collections and tags, two features that simplify how you categorize your inventory. Shopify’s product pages are sleek and neat, with every field required to ensure your product page looks and reads credible.

3. Easy store design

Setting up your Shopify store doesn’t take more than a day. This is because of how easy it is to design your storefront. With its drag and drop builder, merchants don’t need to hire designers to set up the store the way they want to.

Shopify has a collection of themes— free and paid— which merchants can choose from. Once they choose a theme, merchants can immediately move around different sections of the store design, customize the copy and color, and add their brand touch to make their website reflect their brand.

4. Round-the-clock support

Shopify’s support team is always on the clock to help you troubleshoot your issues at any time of the day. Their round-the-clock support is available over chat, email, or a call. This means that merchants facing any issues with their store can get instant help and avoid losing revenue because of the problem they are facing.

5. Multiple sales channels

You can set up other sales channels beside your own website to sell your products. Amazon allows you to set up shop options on Facebook, Amazon, Pinterest, Messenger, Etsy, eBay, and Instagram. Besides this, they can also embed a buy now button when mentioning their brand on a blog to connect with their checkout.

Shopify Plus — Enterprise eCommerce Platform

Now, if your store is too big for Shopify to handle its enterprise platform, Shopify Plus is the right choice for you. Shopify Plus is built for enterprise businesses that have a large number of orders on a daily basis. Currently, 5,300+ online stores use Shopify Plus to handle its enterprise business. The pricing for Shopify Plus starts at $2,000 per month. However, interested merchants can request a specific quote, based on their revenue generated.

Who it’s for: This platform is used by global brands, especially merchants with thousands of orders in a day.

If you are wondering what makes Shopify Plus a choice for large stores like Fashion Nova and Kylie Cosmetics, here are 5 features that make this enterprise platform worth the investment:

1. Dedicated account manager

Besides the 24/7 support, Plus merchants also get a dedicated manager for their store. This person is your go-to Shopify expert. They help you from launch to account management, setting up your store along with any code edits and custom themes you want to implement. This account manager ensures your store has everything it needs to run smoothly.

2.  Specialized apps

While the apps on the Shopify App Store are available for merchants on any plan, there are a few apps that are exclusive to Plus merchants.

• Shopify Flow: Set up automated tasks, from tagging loyal customers, sending order requests, support messages on Slack, automated marketing, etc.
• Launchpad: Plan and automate flash sales, product launches, and sales campaigns.
• Script editor: Personalize your shopping cart or checkout experiences, from automatic discount application to custom payment options.
• Transporter app: Import customers, products and order records into your Shopify store.
• Bulk Account Inviter: Invite your customers to activate their accounts on your online store. This is especially helpful if you've migrated from another platform to Shopify Plus.
• Wholesale channel: Process a high volume of B2B sales.

3. Integrate with existing software

Plus merchants have access to Shopify's API which allows them to connect with apps outside of the Shopify ecosystem. They can integrate with high-end software for different requirements like logistics, customer relationship management, warehouse management, product information management, enterprise resource planning, global fulfillment partner, etc.

4. Plus community

Plus merchants have a tightly-knit community who they can talk to about their store and any questions they have. Plus merchants have an exclusive Facebook community where they share their experience about running their business.

Besides that, they get access to beta programs and features as well as the Shopify Plus Academy that gives specific about the problems and use cases that Plus merchants need guidance on.

5. In-depth analytics

Shopify Plus provides in-depth analytics to its merchants. While the Shopify dashboard does power you with data helpful to make smart decisions for your online store, the Plus analytics goes a step further. It connects with the best analytics tools to help Plus merchants get into the details of their store’s data.

We hope this helped you understand Shopify and Shopify Plus a little better. There’s one thing clear— unless you’re an enterprise business, Shopify is your best choice. Once your brand grows and starts processing orders in thousands, Shopify Plus would be the obvious option for your store, and an easy transition too.

Not sure if your brand is ready to move to Shopify Plus or need help making that decision?
Reach out to our Shopify experts today!