When you start an eCommerce business, the first decision you'll have to make is which platform to use for your eCommerce store. Shopify is one of the most trusted names in the eCommerce space, with more than 4.5 million Shopify stores as of early 2024. And that number is growing.
If you decide to go with Shopify for your eCommerce needs, which plan is best for your business? Below, we're going to dive into Shopify vs Shopify Plus to give you the info you need to make your decision.
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Shopify Plus vs Shopify: What Is the Difference?
The easiest way to understand the difference between Shopify Plus vs Shopify is to think about them as two completely separate business models.
Shopify
Shopify Basic is ideal for solo entrepreneurs who are just starting on their eCommerce journey. However, any of the three Shopify plans can be scaled as your business grows. There are three tiers within Shopify, and New eCommerce entrepreneurs can start with the basic plan and upgrade to higher plans as their business grows.
The three tiers are:
- Basic
- Shopify
- Advanced
Each of these plans has its own separate pricing and features. We'll go into more detail in the sections below.
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus is an enterprise-level system that was launched in 2014 as a customizable and scalable solution. If your business takes off and you start expanding into added locations or franchising, that's where Shopify Plus is an excellent solution. Shopify Plus gives business owners advanced control and more choices for their stores and websites.
Business owners should consider these factors when deciding if Shopify Plus is right for them.
- Annual revenue
- Number of employees who need user accounts
- Intensity and frequency of repetitive tasks
Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Features
Shopify
Features vary within the three Shopify plans, with the Advanced plan having more features than the plans at the lower tiers.
All three Shopify fans have these features:
- Unlimited products
- Collaborator accounts
- 24/7 live chat support
- Sales channels
- Headless storefronts
- Analytics
- 10 inventory locations
- Ability to build custom apps
- Standard checkout capacity
- Gift cards
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Free SSL certificate
- Discount codes
- Customer segmentation
- Marketing automation
- Unlimited contacts
- eCommerce automations
- In-person selling
- Shopify point-of-sale for an additional fee
- Shipping labels
- Fraud analysis
The Shopify and Advanced plans have these additional features:
- Additional staff accounts
- API PII access
- Increased discounts for shipping
- USPS small-package discounts
- Shipping insurance
- 10X checkout capacity (Advanced plan only)
- 3rd party calculated shipping rates Advanced plan only)
- Enhanced live chat (Advanced plan only)
- Custom analytics and support (Advanced plan only)
Shopify Plus
In addition to all of the features in the Shopify plans, Shopify Plus also has all of these features:
- Exclusive Shopify API access
- Multi-currency selling features
- Unlimited account users/staff accounts
- Upgraded and hyper-customized checkout process
- 200 point-of-sale pro locations
- Localized global selling (50 markets)
- Wholesale and B2B selling options
- Custom app built with flexible personalizations
- Access to all of the Shopify point-of-sale tools
- Customized analytics and reports
- ShopifyQL notebooks
- Free expansion stores
- Avalara tax automation (additional paid service)
- Shopify Plus Academy
- Stop Cash campaigns
- Shopify Plus Certified App Partners
- Shopify organization admin
Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Costs
One of the most important things to consider when choosing Shopify vs Shopify Plus is the pricing.
Shopify
Within Shopify Basic, there are three standard pricing plans: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced. The prices below are the starting prices. To estimate your Shopify store costs, be sure to include credit card fees and the costs of any apps or add-ons you use. You can also enjoy significant discounts if you pay yearly instead of monthly.
- Basic: $39 per month ($29 per month when billed annually)
- Shopify: $105 per month ($79 per month when billed annually)
- Advanced: $399 per month ($299 per month when billed annually)
For point-of-sale pro versions, add an additional monthly fee of $89.
Shopify Plus
To use Shopify Plus, you'll have to get in touch with a Shopify representative because the pricing is complex. The fees for this plan are based on sales volume, and the monthly fee for Shopify Plus is billed on terms of one year or three years. When getting started, the minimal cost of Shopify Plus for a three-year term is $2,300 per month.
Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Benefits
Shopify
Entrepreneurs who want to get their Shopify store up and running quickly will benefit from any of the three Shopify plans. Shopify is the perfect solution if you're a one-person shop and will be doing most of the work by yourself. With Shopify, you'll enjoy these benefits:
- Affordable cost
- Scalable features
- Basic CSS or HTML editing, but no coding knowledge required
- Ease of set-up
- Access to third-party apps to help you run your store more efficiently
Shopify Plus
With Shopify Plus, store owners have the most advanced Shopify version. This means your business has these benefits:
- More flexibility
- Greater customization options
- Higher-level customer support
- Access to your Shopify store's underlying code
- More integrations
- End-to-end automated workflows for your company's key processes
Groove Can Help You Meet Your eCommerce Goals
Any of Shopify's three plans work well for individuals and small businesses who need core eCommerce tools for their business. Alternatively, Shopify Plus is the best solution for business owners who need enterprise-grade features.
Do you need an expert to advise you on whether Shopify vs Shopify Plus is your best solution? Groove Commerce is here to help with all things eCommerce development. Get in touch with us today for a consultation.
