Shopify and Shopify Plus are two leading eCommerce platforms globally, used by millions of businesses to deploy eCommerce websites. The Shopify platform is designed for small and medium-sized enterprises, providing basic, user-friendly features for building and managing eCommerce websites. According to Builtwith, over 4 million active Shopify stores are currently worldwide.

On the other hand, Shopify Plus is specifically crafted for large-scale enterprises, offering advanced features, customization options, and flexible scalability. Builtwith statistics indicate that there are over 44 thousand active Shopify Plus websites globally.

What are the differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus? Which platform should you choose to build your eCommerce websites? This article will focus on clarifying the differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus in three aspects: cost, features, and support capabilities, to help you choose the most suitable platform for your needs and goals.

Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Pricing

The first distinction and crucial criterion to consider between Shopify and Shopify Plus are the license fees and transaction fees. Shopify and Shopify Plus offer different solution packages with varying pricing to suit businesses with different budgets and scales.

Shopify Pricing 

Shopify offers three main pricing plans: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced, priced at $25, $65, and $399 per month, respectively. Also, Shopify has a special solution package called Shopify Starter at $5/month, enabling you to sell on social media and chat apps.

*Note: The mentioned fees apply to the Vietnamese market, and platform license fees may vary depending on the region or country.

Beyond the license fees, you also need to consider the transaction fee when using different payment methods. Shopify offers its payment method called Shopify Payments, allowing you to effortlessly accept all major payment methods on your eCommerce website.

If using Shopify Payments, you don’t have to pay any transaction fee to Shopify.

On the other hand, If you don’t use Shopify Payments and select one of many third-party payment service providers supported by Shopify, you’ll pay transaction fees of 2%, 1%, and 0,5% for the Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans, respectively.

Shopify Plus Pricing

Since Shopify Plus is designed for large businesses, the pricing structure for the Shopify Plus package is variable and depends on the individual deployment requirements and revenue of each business. According to Shopify, the initial cost for using Shopify Plus is $2,000/month, with subsequent increases based on monthly revenue.

Specifically, when the revenue of a Shopify Plus store reaches $800,000/month, the platform will apply a charge of 0.25% of the monthly revenue. It’s worth noting that the fee will not exceed $40,000/month and $480,000/year.

Similar to the Shopify pricing plans, Shopify Plus supports both Shopify Payments and third-party payment service providers. However, the transaction fees associated with Shopify Plus are lower compared to regular Shopify plans. If you don’t use Shopify Payments, you’ll incur a transaction fee of 0.15% on each transaction.

Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Feature

When it comes to features, Shopify Plus excels by providing a range of advanced features for you to customize your eCommerce websites, aiming to deliver a unique experience for customers.

Related Reading: 6 key Shopify Plus features

Custom checkout page & cart

Most Shopify businesses typically utilize either the available free or paid themes on Shopify, encountering several limitations when customizing the checkout or cart pages. However, with the implementation of Shopify Plus, you can leverage Shopify Scripts to tailor small code segments, enabling the creation of a personalized shopping experience for customers at the cart and checkout pages.

Automation

The Shopify pricing plans provide a set of built features for businesses to automate eCommerce and marketing operations. On the other hand, with the deployment of Shopify Plus, businesses can utilize specialized tools to automate eCommerce processes, such as:

• Shopify Flow: The most advanced eCommerce automation tool recommended by Shopify for all businesses implementing Shopify Plus.
• LaunchPad: An automated scheduling tool for running promotional campaigns, flash sales, or launching events for new product releases.

Shopify POS

For all Shopify businesses, the Shopify POS feature is included in the standard service package known as POS Lite, but it has limitations in terms of features and POS usage locations. To unlock more advanced features and extend the POS capabilities, Shopify businesses need to upgrade to the POS Pro package, priced at $89 per month per location.

On the other hand, Shopify Plus businesses enjoy free access to POS Pro for their initial 20 locations. This implies that businesses implementing Shopify Plus can leverage advanced POS features, including BOPIS deployment, unlimited user accounts, omnichannel selling, inventory management, and more.

B2B Feature 

This feature is specifically designed for Shopify Plus businesses, facilitating B2B transactions directly through the eCommerce website without reliance on third-party apps or alternative solutions. You can set up catalogs, payment terms, and company profiles, and customize prices specifically for B2B customers.

This provides the flexibility to develop a website that serves B2B and B2C customers or craft a specialized platform dedicated to B2B clients.

Wholesale feature

The wholesale feature is specifically designed for Shopify Plus merchants. This feature allows you to customize the wholesale website interface differently from the regular eCommerce site, adjust pricing, and establish a distinct ordering process specifically for wholesale customers. You can also choose to showcase products intended for wholesale transactions exclusively on the Shopify Plus wholesale website.

Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Resources

Shopify 

For Shopify businesses, they can access support 24/7 throughout the entire process of building and advancing their eCommerce website through channels like the hotline, email, or chatbox. Additionally, Shopify provides resources for businesses to enhance their eCommerce operations, including:

• Shopify Learn: Numerous free online courses featuring leading experts in eCommerce, including Daymond John, a renowned figure from the popular TV show Shark Tank. The courses cover topics such as goal setting, effective marketing, sales strategies, and efficient customer care.
• Shopify Blog: The blog articles on Shopify delve into the latest trends in eCommerce marketing. These regularly updated posts, enriched by the unique perspectives of top experts, can prove valuable for startups or businesses venturing into the realm of eCommerce.

Shopify Plus

In addition to the support services available through the hotline, email, or chatbox, businesses utilizing Shopify Plus enjoy enhanced access to educational resources and support:

• Merchant Success Program: This program connects businesses with Shopify’s specialized team, offering assistance throughout the implementation of their eCommerce website, covering aspects such as customization and integration.
• Shopify Plus Partner: A collaborative platform for developers, solution providers, and technology experts, facilitating the deployment of eCommerce solutions specifically tailored for Shopify Plus.
• Shopify Plus Academy: Offering a variety of courses and webinars, this resource helps businesses optimize the development of their Shopify Plus website.
• Shopify Plus Facebook Community: A dedicated space for Shopify Plus businesses to connect, share practical insights, discuss business solutions, and explore potential collaborations. 

Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which version is right for you?

Here is an overview of the significant differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus platforms. The decision on which platform is most suitable depends on each business’s scale and deployment requirements.

For startups or small to medium-sized enterprises with minimal customization requirements and a desire for quick product launches, regular Shopify solutions may be more suitable.

On the other hand, large-scale enterprises with high integration and customization needs should prioritize Shopify Plus. 

With years of experience deploying Shopify Plus eCommerce websites for leading businesses such as Vinamilk and Suzuverse, SECOMM boasts a professional team with exceptional technical skills and in-depth knowledge of the Shopify Plus platform.

Contact SECOMM or call the hotline at 028 7108 9908 to deploy Shopify Plus today!