Shopify vs. Shopify Plus: Which is Better for You?

Overview of Shopify and Shopify Plus

Shopify is an eCommerce platform that offers an all-in-one solution for businesses to create, manage, and grow their online stores. It caters to small and medium-sized businesses and provides various plans, including Basic, Shopify, and Advanced tiers.

Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level version of Shopify designed for high-growth and high-volume businesses. It offers advanced features, higher levels of customization, and dedicated support that cater to large-scale operations.

Key Differences Between Shopify and Shopify Plus

To determine which platform best fits your needs, let’s explore the main differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus across different categories:

1. Pricing

• Shopify: Shopify offers tiered pricing plans, including Basic Shopify ($39/month), Shopify ($105/month), and Advanced Shopify ($399/month). These plans offer access to standard features, including website design, payments, product management, and marketing tools.
• Shopify Plus: The cost of Shopify Plus varies based on your business needs, but it generally starts at around $2,000 per month. It is designed for large-scale businesses with high sales volumes, and pricing can be negotiated based on the complexity and size of your store.

Which is better?
For small to medium-sized businesses or those with limited budgets, standard Shopify plans are more economical. Shopify Plus is suitable for larger enterprises or stores with high sales volumes where the additional cost is justified by increased capabilities and revenue potential.

2. Customization and Design

• Shopify: Standard Shopify offers a wide range of free and premium themes, which can be customized using the built-in theme editor. While customization options are flexible, more advanced changes may require knowledge of Liquid (Shopify’s templating language) or developer assistance.
• Shopify Plus: In addition to the same themes and customization options as Shopify, Shopify Plus users gain access to advanced features like the Script Editor, allowing merchants to create personalized checkout experiences and automate discounts, shipping rules, and payment options. This provides a greater level of control and flexibility.

Which is better?
If you need deep customization and want to create a highly tailored user experience, Shopify Plus is the better option. However, for businesses with more straightforward design needs, standard Shopify plans should be sufficient.

3. Scalability

• Shopify: Shopify is scalable and supports businesses of various sizes. It can handle growing traffic, product catalogs, and sales volumes, but there are some limitations on customizations and speed optimizations compared to Shopify Plus.
• Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus is built to support enterprise-level scalability. It offers high-capacity servers, a 99.99% uptime guarantee, and the ability to handle peak sales periods, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with ease. Additionally, Shopify Plus allows for up to 10 stores under a single account, which is ideal for global expansion.

Which is better?
For businesses expecting rapid growth, global expansion, or seasonal traffic spikes, Shopify Plus offers unmatched scalability. Shopify is still an excellent option for small to mid-sized stores but may face challenges under heavy demand.

4. Checkout Customization

• Shopify: The checkout process for Shopify is relatively standard across stores, with limited options for customization. While you can add your brand’s logo, colors, and some text, more intricate changes to the checkout flow are restricted.
• Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus users can customize their checkout experience extensively using Shopify Scripts. This feature allows for tailored promotions, discounts, customized shipping options, and more, enabling businesses to optimize conversions at the checkout stage.

Which is better?
For businesses that require a customized checkout experience to drive conversions or improve user experience, Shopify Plus is the clear winner. For those content with a more standardized checkout, Shopify suffices.

5. Integrations and Apps

• Shopify: The Shopify App Store offers thousands of apps and integrations for all Shopify users. These include apps for marketing, customer support, analytics, SEO, dropshipping, and more.
• Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus users have access to all standard Shopify apps but can also leverage exclusive integrations with enterprise-level software, including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems. Shopify Plus also provides access to a Merchant Success Manager to assist with app integration and optimization.

Which is better?
For businesses with complex needs that require seamless integrations with enterprise tools, Shopify Plus is ideal. However, most small to medium-sized businesses will find that Shopify’s extensive app store meets their requirements.

6. Automation Capabilities

• Shopify: Standard Shopify plans provide basic automation capabilities, primarily focused on marketing and order management, such as automated emails and inventory alerts.
• Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus offers advanced automation through Shopify Flow, a tool that allows merchants to create complex workflows and automate processes like inventory management, order tagging, customer segmentation, fraud prevention, and more.

Which is better?
For large businesses that need to streamline processes and reduce manual tasks, Shopify Plus provides valuable automation tools. Small and mid-sized stores may find Shopify’s basic automation capabilities sufficient.

7. Multi-Channel Selling

• Shopify: Shopify allows users to sell on multiple channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and eBay, with integrations that simplify multi-channel management.
• Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus takes multi-channel selling to the next level by offering the ability to create up to 10 stores under one account, which is ideal for brands expanding into different regions, languages, and currencies.

Which is better?
Shopify is excellent for businesses looking to expand their reach across a few channels, while Shopify Plus is better suited for enterprises with complex multi-channel and multi-region strategies.

8. Customer Support

• Shopify: Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat for all users.
• Shopify Plus: In addition to standard support, Shopify Plus users receive dedicated, priority support through a Merchant Success Manager, who provides personalized guidance and strategic advice.

Which is better?
For businesses that require ongoing support and personalized service, Shopify Plus’s dedicated support is a major advantage. Smaller stores may find standard Shopify support sufficient for their needs.

9. Security and Compliance

• Shopify: All Shopify stores benefit from PCI DSS compliance, SSL certificates, and other standard security features that protect customer data and payment information.
• Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus goes further by offering advanced security features, including the ability to customize security settings and access to enhanced compliance resources. This is crucial for large businesses handling sensitive data.

Which is better?
For high-volume stores and businesses that require advanced security measures, Shopify Plus is the better choice. Standard Shopify plans offer reliable security for smaller businesses.

10. Enterprise-Level Features

• Shopify: While Shopify offers essential eCommerce features, it lacks some of the advanced tools found in Shopify Plus.
• Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus offers enterprise-level features such as wholesale channels, advanced API access, customizable reports, and access to Shopify Plus Academy (exclusive training resources).

Which is better?
For businesses with enterprise needs, such as wholesale management or advanced API integrations, Shopify Plus is the superior option. Smaller businesses will find standard Shopify features adequate.

Comparison Table