Shopify is one of the biggest ecommerce platforms on the market today, helping over two million daily users to not only build their own online stores but also build their brand and cultivate an online community, too.
But with various packages and pricing options available, Shopify newbies are often left questioning which Shopify plan is right for them. In this blog, we’ll explain the differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus, so you can make an informed decision when setting up your ecommerce store, and know when it’s time to upgrade in the future.
Shopify summed up
A widely-used platform (there are currently over 5.5 million live Shopify stores), Shopify changed the ecommerce scene by allowing anyone with the platform and an idea to start their online venture. Unlike some of its competitors, a team of website developers is not required to get started, thanks to the simple interface and the genius integration of Shopify apps. As a result, billions of customers around the world benefit just as much as Shopify merchants do, as creating sleek and user-friendly websites that cater to specific customer needs has never been easier.
Shopify has facilitated approximately $1 trillion in total sales, and is widely used by small to medium-sized businesses. Shopify Plus was developed and designed to suit the needs of larger enterprise businesses and was an exciting development for Shopify back in 2014.
Technically, Shopify Plus works in a very similar way to the more basic version, but is built to handle far more products and transactions than a regular Shopify store is capable of.
So, how do you know if Shopify Plus is right for you? Let’s start by looking at some simple pros and cons of each platform.
Shopify pros & cons
Shopify has some great ecommerce features such as abandonment cart recovery, discount codes and auto calculate shipping prices, to name a few, which are much better than the majority of other online store platforms out there.
The platform also allows you to sell across multiple channels such as Facebook, Instagram and Amazon which are vital channels for many ecommerce brands. However, there are some cons to Shopify, such as transaction fees if you don’t use Shopify Payments.
Naturally, the more basic versions of Shopify come with limitations. For example, you can only add up to two staff accounts and you’ll also lack any checkout customisation abilities. This can hinder growth, meaning you’ll eventually have to advance to the next pricing plan to hit bigger targets.
Shopify Plus pros & cons
Shopify Plus can handle over 10,000 transactions per minute, can operate with unlimited staff accounts and includes personalised, dedicated help and support which makes it the perfect platform for a large business.
However, the main thing to consider here is that Shopify Plus is only sustainable if you’re an enterprise-level business. Prices are of course higher than those of any other Shopify Plan, so serious thought and consideration needs to be put into the decision to invest in the platform. Ultimately, to be able to run your business on Shopify Plus you must have the time and resources to invest in your website; whether this be by hiring an external agency or training yourself.
So, how does each platform perform? Below, we analyse some of the key areas to consider.
Design Flexibility
Shopify
Design flexibility is an important aspect to consider when choosing what platform will be best suited for your business, as how your online store looks can play a big part in the initial attraction for customers to shop and invest in your brand. Currently, Shopify offers over 100 themes to work from, but only 13 of these are included free with the standard package – the remaining themes cost between $100 – $500. The themes are available in a variety of languages and for deeper control, Shopify offers a coding theme called Liquid, which enables you to write lines of code to change your theme’s appearance. You can of course opt for a custom Shopify theme, which offers a greater control over the look, functionality and user journey of your website, but you’ll need an experienced Shopify developer to build this from scratch.
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus offers you a lot more when it comes to design flexibility. You get your own dedicated launch manager to assist you during the build phase, and make sure that your website can be fully integrated. They’re even able to write lines of code for you to create your perfect design. You can also edit your checkout page, which is something you’re not able to do with the original Shopify, meaning every aspect of your website matches your unique brand aesthetic.
Analytics & Reporting
Shopify
Analysing and reporting on your site’s performance is essential for an online business and luckily Shopify makes this as easy as it can be with its own dedicated analytics dashboard. This dashboard allows you to see an overview of your sales and custom reports such as demographics, user behaviour, etc. The dashboard, which is somewhat similar to Google Analytics, also allows you to see your site performance live in real time, giving you minute-by-minute data so you can see exactly how many users are on your website at any given moment.
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus has partnered with industry-leading analytics companies such as Glew and Looker, and brings you up-to-date data and insights, making sure big ecommerce giants are armed with detailed, accurate information to help them make wider business decisions.
Help & support
Shopify
No one likes getting stuck and Shopify has your back with 24/7 support via phone, email and live chat. You can also search through guides in its fantastic Help Centre so you feel supported at every step of your Shopify journey.
Shopify Plus
As you can likely guess, Shopify Plus gives you a little extra support. It provides you with an impressive, dedicated launch manager to help you get set up, plus your dedicated merchant support manager to help you with any site queries post-launch.
Pricing & transaction fees
Shopify
Shopify is a very affordable platform and comes with three core pricing plans; Basic Shopify (£19/month), Shopify (£49/month) and Advanced Shopify (259//month). Each plan offers you crucial features like multi-channel integration and global localised global selling, with extra added-value features incorporated in each tier. With a fixed plan, you know exactly what you’re paying and what you’re getting, and you can also use their free 14-day trial to ‘try before you buy’.
Shopify Plus
In contrast, Shopfiy Plus pricing is a little less clear-cut. Prices start from $2,300 for a three-year term, but exact costs will depend on various factors such as your store’s monthly sales volume, which will determine how much you pay in transaction fees. In order to get a bespoke quote, you must contact Shopify Plus directly to discuss your business model, turnover and marketing needs and then a tailored price will be offered.
To get an idea of how much you could pay, let’s imagine that your sales are up to $800,000 per month. In this instance, you’d pay around $2,000 per month for your Shopify Plus plan. Anything above this margin can vary up to the ceiling price of $40,000 per month, so as you can see, there can be quite a huge variation in cost, and while the platform does offer a wide range of useful features, the choice to upgrade or migrate should be carefully considered. It’s always best to speak to Shopify directly or go through a trusted Shopify agency to see if Shopify Plus fits your budget.
Scalability & expansion
Shopify
With Shopify Markets, you can sell in 150+ countries around the world from a single store. This means you can focus on expanding your business while Shopify handles localisation, shipping, pricing, duties and compliance for you. While Shopify Markets is available on all pricing plans, the Advanced and Plus tiers offer a wider range of features. Core features include:
- Selling in 136 currencies
- Local payment options with Shopify Payments
- Selling in up to 20 languages
- Custom domains to optimise for different search platforms
- Smart settings that optimise market operations
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus was designed with selling internationally in mind, making it the ideal platform for brands looking to expand into international markets and maintain a strong international presence. Plus-only features include:
- Estimated duties and taxes
- Ability to customise catalogues and storefront per market
- Estimate and collect duty and import taxes at checkout
- Manage fulfilment locations per market
Shopify vs Shopify Plus: FAQs
When should I upgrade to Shopify Plus?
According to Shopify, brands typically upgrade to Shopify Plus when their online sales reach about US$80,000 per month, but individual needs may vary. If you feel like your current platform is hindering your business growth but aren’t sure what to do next, feel free to contact us to get the ball rolling.
How do I upgrade to Shopify Plus?
Upgrading to Shopify Plus is pretty simple. Once you’ve signed up, Shopify will upgrade your store within business 24 hours. You’ll receive an email notifying you that the upgrade is complete, followed by an introduction email containing all of the links you need to get started.
Is Shopify Plus worth it?
Many Shopify users will find themselves asking the question, is Shopify Plus worth it? But the answer depends on a number of factors, and individual business circumstances. We’d recommend speaking to a Shopify expert with experience in moving from Shopify to Shopify Plus before making any decisions.
What is the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus?
Shopify is a complete ecommerce platform that allows pretty much anyone to start and manage an online store, with three different pricing plans to choose from depending on the size of your business and your budget. Shopify Plus differs because it’s built for enterprise-level ecommerce businesses – brands who are already achieving high levels of revenue and rapid growth.
How does Shopify Plus work?
Shopify Plus is an ecommerce software system. It offers unlimited staff accounts, so that you can customise permissions based on role and responsibility level, allowing your team to log into your dashboard and perform actions like uploading products, creating product collections/categories and reporting – basically everything needed to run a successful online store. If additional functionality is required, you can browse thousands of apps in the Shopify App store, meaning you can customise your store to suit your business needs in a quick and simple way, whether it be integrating a subscription service or translating your content for overseas markets.
See for yourself
Browse one of our Shopify Plus client’s websites, Yogamatters, and see first-hand how a website on this platform is able to operate, as well as how it feels and looks. To learn more about the build and design process for this site, read our Shopify Plus case study.
If you’re still unsure on which platform will be the ideal one for your business, or you’re looking to migrate to Shopify Plus, get in touch and one of our experts will be happy to answer all of your burning questions.
