Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which is Better?

Shopify is one of the first names that comes to mind when it comes to setting up an online store. But it doesn’t end there. With Shopify, you have two options to go about: the normal Shopify and the Shopify Plus.

While Shopify serves as a robust solution for small to medium-sized enterprises, Shopify Plus is tailored for larger businesses with advanced requirements. Choosing between the two involves understanding their distinct features, scalability, and pricing structures.

Through this blog, I’ll explain how the eCommerce experts compare Shopify vs Shopify Plus and choose between them. But first, let’s discuss these two platforms in detail.

Shopify vs. Shopify Plus: Comparison Table

When choosing the right eCommerce platform, understanding the core differences is essential for making an informed decision.

While both platforms are designed to help businesses build and manage their online stores, the choice ultimately depends on your business size, goals, and growth potential.

Category	Shopify	Shopify Plus
Pricing	Starts at $29/month, with transaction fees.	Starts at $2,300/month, with lower transaction fees.
Scalability	Handles small to medium traffic and order volume.	Scales with high-volume traffic, large orders, and complex product catalogs.
Customization	Basic customization options for themes and design.	Full control over checkout, themes, and integrations.
Automation	Limited automation tools.	Advanced automation with Shopify Flow.
Support	24/7 support via phone, email, and chat.	24/7 priority support with a dedicated account manager.
Integrations	Access to a wide range of apps.	Exclusive apps, private integrations, and advanced APIs.
Security	SSL certificates, PCI compliance.	Enhanced security features with increased monitoring.
Internationalization	Multi-currency and multi-language support.	Advanced multi-currency, multi-language, and international tools.

Shopify provides a great solution for smaller businesses and startups, offering affordability and essential eCommerce features. Shopify Plus, however, is built to support high-volume businesses and enterprises, offering advanced customization, automation, and scalability.

If you are confused about which one would be best for your business, opt for our professional Shopify development services. Or, let’s go ahead and look at the detailed overviews of the two.

Overview of Shopify

Shopify is a user-friendly eCommerce platform designed to help businesses set up, manage, and grow their online stores with minimal effort. The platform offers a variety of built-in tools and resources to make the entire process, from store setup to marketing and payment processing, simple and straightforward.

Key Features of Shopify

• Online Store Creation: Shopify provides a vast selection of templates to help you build an attractive online store. Customization options allow for tweaking design elements, so it’s easy to create a professional-looking storefront without needing technical expertise.
• Payment Processing: Integrated with multiple payment gateways, Shopify lets you process payments securely, offering a smooth and reliable checkout experience for your customers.
• Marketing Tools: The platform includes essential tools for email marketing, discount codes, and SEO optimization. They are all designed to help you grow your customer base and increase sales.
• App Integrations: Shopify’s App Store offers a wide variety of apps that integrate seamlessly with your store. That helps you add additional functionalities like inventory management, CRM, and more.

Ideal Users for Shopify

Shopify is best suited for startups and small businesses. If you’re just beginning your eCommerce journey and need an easy-to-use, budget-friendly solution, Shopify offers everything you need to create a successful online store.

In summary, Shopify stands out as a versatile and accessible platform that empowers small businesses and entrepreneurs to establish and grow their online presence with ease.

Overview of Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level version of Shopify, designed to support high-volume, fast-growing businesses. With advanced features, customizable options, and dedicated support, Shopify Plus is built to scale with your business as it grows.

It comes at a higher price point than standard Shopify plans, but the added features and support can be a worthwhile investment for qualifying businesses.

Key Features of Shopify Plus

• Higher Transaction Volume Capacity: Shopify Plus can handle a much larger volume of orders, making it suitable for high-traffic stores with thousands of transactions per minute.
• Advanced Automation and Workflows: With Shopify Flow, businesses can automate tasks like order processing, inventory management, and customer segmentation, saving time and improving efficiency.
• Dedicated Account Manager: Shopify Plus users receive personalized support, including a dedicated account manager to help guide your business as it scales.
• Exclusive App Integrations and APIs: Shopify Plus grants access to private apps and offers more extensive API integrations, which allows businesses to connect their store with a wide range of third-party tools and services.
• Customizable Checkout: Shopify Plus allows you to fully customize the checkout process using Shopify Scripts, offering a unique and tailored experience for your customers.
• Greater Control Over Branding: You can control every aspect of your store’s design, from themes to custom features, giving you complete control over your brand’s online presence.

Ideal Users for Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is designed for established businesses, high-growth companies, and enterprises that need scalability, advanced features, and specialized support. If your business is handling high volumes of traffic or sales and requires customized solutions, Shopify Plus is the ideal choice.

Difference Between Shopify & Shopify Plus

Now that you understand the basics of Shopify and Shopify Plus, it’s time to look at how they compare based on some crucial factors.

Scalability

Shopify is designed for small to medium-sized businesses, Shopify offers reliable performance for growing businesses. However, it might start to show limitations during massive traffic spikes or very high order volumes. You may encounter API rate limits or performance bottlenecks if your business experiences exponential growth.

On the contrary, Shopify Plus is engineered for high-volume merchants and enterprises and can handle extreme traffic and order volumes with virtually no performance degradation.

It offers higher API call limits, dedicated resources, and infrastructure optimized for high-volume transactions. This ensures smooth operation even during peak seasons or large-scale product launches.

Verdict

For businesses anticipating rapid scaling or already experiencing high sales volumes, Shopify Plus is the clear winner. Shopify is suitable for businesses with moderate growth projections.

Customization

Shopify offers a wide range of themes and customization options through its theme editor and Shopify Liquid templating language. However, direct access to the checkout’s code (checkout.liquid) is restricted for security reasons. This limits advanced customization of the checkout experience.

Shopify Plus, however, provides full access to the checkout.liquid file, allowing for extensive customization of the entire checkout process. This includes the ability to implement custom integrations, personalized checkout flows, and unique branding.

Plus also offers more robust APIs and integrations for deeper customization across the entire platform.

Verdict

If complete control over the checkout experience and advanced customization are crucial, Shopify Plus is essential. But normal Shopify provides sufficient customization for most standard eCommerce needs.

Payment & Shipping

Shopify integrates with a wide range of payment gateways and shipping carriers. Transaction fees may apply depending on your chosen plan and payment gateway. Shipping options are generally standard, with integrations for calculating shipping rates and generating labels.

On the flip side, Shopify Plus offers lower transaction fees (0.2% third-party transaction fees) due to higher processing volumes. It provides more advanced shipping options, including negotiated rates with carriers, multi-warehouse management, and complex shipping rules.

This platform also supports more complex payment integrations and customizations.

Verdict

For businesses processing high volumes of transactions and requiring advanced shipping functionalities, Shopify Plus offers significant advantages.

Security

Shopify provides robust security measures, including PCI DSS compliance, SSL certificates, and fraud analysis tools. It handles most of the security infrastructure, reducing the burden on merchants.

Shopify Plus, though, inherits all of the security features of Shopify and adds enhanced security measures due to its enterprise focus. It offers advanced fraud analysis tools, dedicated security support, and higher levels of compliance for large organizations.

Verdict

Shopify Plus edges over the basic option with its enhanced security features and support, which is better for enterprise-level businesses.

Pricing

Shopify offers various tiered plans with increasing features and capabilities, starting from $29 per month. Pricing is generally suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. Transaction fees apply unless you use Shopify Payments.

Shopify Plus, on the other hand, starts from $2300 per month. While it has a higher price tag, the added features, scalability, and support can justify the cost for high-volume businesses.

Verdict

For businesses on a tight budget or with lower sales volumes, Shopify is the more cost-effective option. But very high-scale business might be able to justify the Shopify Plus prices with the scalability and security capabilities.

Choosing between the two can be a little difficult still. But you can hire our professional Shopify development company to get a clear idea on how to proceed with your eStore development and management.

When to Choose Shopify & Shopify Plus?

When trying to choose between Shopify and Shopify Plus, there are some specific scenarios to consider.

Choose Shopify if:

• You’re a small to medium-sized business or a startup.
• You have a limited budget and need a cost-effective solution.
• You’re primarily focused on online sales and don’t require complex multi-channel integrations.
• You need a user-friendly platform with easy setup and basic customization options.
• You anticipate steady but not explosive growth in sales volume.

Choose Shopify Plus if:

• You’re a large enterprise or a high-growth business.
• You need advanced features, scalability, and high performance to handle large sales volumes and traffic spikes.
• You require extensive customization options, especially for the checkout experience.
• You need advanced automation tools to streamline operations and manage complex workflows.
• You require dedicated support and account management.
• You plan to sell across multiple channels (online, wholesale, international).
• You prioritize enhanced security features and compliance for large organizations.

Ultimately the choice between these two depends on your specific business needs, available resources, and growth plans.

If you anticipate rapid growth or have complex requirements, Shopify Plus would be a worthwhile investment. But if you are just starting out or are in the early stages of the business journey, basic Shopify is what you should go for.

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FAQs: Shopify vs Shopify Plus

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Which is better: Shopify or Shopify Plus?

The answer, as with many business decisions, is “it depends.” There’s no single “better” platform; the ideal choice hinges entirely on your specific business needs, current size, and future ambitions.

Shopify is ideal for startups and growing businesses needing a user-friendly, affordable platform with essential eCommerce tools. Shopify Plus, on the other hand, is designed for high-volume, enterprise-level businesses requiring advanced features, scalability, and dedicated support.Both options offer powerful capabilities, ensuring you have the resources needed to thrive in the competitive world of eCommerce. If you need help choosing between them and getting on with your eCommerce journey, let’s connect today!