When should I move to Shopify Plus?

You can move to Shopify Plus if you're experiencing growing pains on your current plan. Here are the key signs: - Explosive sales & complex catalogs: Shopify Plus scales effortlessly, handling millions of transactions and keeping your inventory organized. Plus, with 200 inventory locations support, you can strategically position stock for faster fulfillment globally. - International domination: You are planning to sell internationally with multi-currency support and localized storefronts (up to 50 markets) for a seamless customer experience. - Multi-store management: You can create unique storefronts for each brand, all under one centralized hub. - Advanced marketing needs: You crave features like personalization and automation for a sophisticated marketing approach. Shopify Plus allows segmentation-based personalization, tailoring product recommendations and marketing messages to specific customer groups. - Customization: You need extensive control over your store's look, checkout, or integrations. - Support priority: You desire a dedicated account manager and faster response times.

Which Shopify plan is best for dropshipping?

The best Shopify plan for dropshipping depends on the stage of your dropshipping business. For example, if you are just starting out, you can consider Shopify Basic at $39/month. This plan provides the essentials for launching your dropshipping store, including adding products, managing orders, and basic marketing tools (email marketing, social media integration). It's cost-effective for starting small. If you are a high-volume dropshipping business, Shopify Plus will be a better choice. It offers: Effortless scaling for massive orders Customized experiences to match your brand Powerful product catalog & inventory management Data insights to target new markets & brands Wholesale-ready features (Multiple customer groups, wholesale pricing rules, minimum order quantities, wholesale user accounts, etc.) Shopify Plus empowers high-volume drop shippers to streamline operations, personalize the customer experience, and achieve explosive growth.

Shopify Advanced vs Plus: The Ultimate 2024 Showdown

Are you a Shopify entrepreneur ready to take your business to the next level? But feeling stuck between choosing the Shopify Advanced vs Plus plan?

You’re not alone.

Both plans offer advanced features, but the perfect fit depends on your specific needs. This guide will unveil the hidden benefits, pricing structures, and how each plan empowers your scaling business.

Let’s get it straight!

1. Overview comparison between Shopify advanced vs plus

	Shopify Advanced	Shopify Plus
Target audience	Growing medium-sized businesses	Large, complex businesses with high volume
Pricing	$399/month (Monthly plan) (): $299/month for Annual plan*	Custom, typically $2500+ per month (1-year term) (): $2300/month for 3-year term*
Customizable checkout	Limited customization	Extensive customization with checkout.liquid and apps
Staff accounts	Up to 15	Unlimited
Wholesale/B2B features	Limited	Dedicated features for B2B operations
Promotion options	Basic options (discounts, coupons)	Advanced options with Scripts
eCommerce automation tools	Limited	Extensive with Flow, Scripts, and Launchpad
Additional resources	Basic Shopify resources	Dedicated Merchant Success Manager, exclusive resources
Checkout capacity	10x checkout capacity	40x checkout capacity
Inventory management	10 inventory locations	200 inventory locations
Analytics & Reporting	Basic reporting	Advanced reporting and custom dashboards
API Access	Basic API access	Extensive API access
Security & Compliance	Level 1 PCI DSS compliant	Level 1 PCI DSS compliant, additional security features
Support	24/7 live chat and email support	24/7 live chat, email support, and dedicated Merchant Success Manager

We can see that the key differences between Shopify Advanced vs Plus are target customers, key features, and cost.

🔶 Shopify Advanced is ideal for established businesses experiencing steady growth.

Think of Advanced as a feature-rich upgrade to the basic Shopify plans. You’ll get everything from the lower tiers, plus advanced reporting, carrier-calculated shipping rates, more staff accounts, and lower transaction fees.

🔶 On the flip side, Shopify Plus is for high-volume merchants with complex needs.

It takes everything from Shopify Advanced and cranks it up a notch. You’ll gain on top of Advanced features with additional functionalities like wholesale channels, custom storefront development, a dedicated account manager, priority support, and API access for advanced integrations.

Regarding plan cost, Shopify Advanced offers a fixed monthly fee, making it easier to budget for. Shopify Plus, however, requires a custom quote based on your specific needs and the level of service required.

Generally, Plus comes at a significantly higher price point than Advanced.

2. Shopify Advanced: A detailed breakdown for growing businesses

Shopify Advanced plan, the highest tier within the standard Shopify plans, is a mid-range plan designed for businesses on the rise. It offers a significant jump in features compared to basic Shopify plans, making it a compelling option for those seeking more control, automation, and international capabilities.

2.1. Features

Shopify Advanced bridges the gap between basic Shopify plans and the high-end Shopify Plus. Here’s a breakdown of its key features that empower you to take your online store to the next level:

Built-in theme editor: Offer basic customizations to your theme without extensive coding knowledge.
Advanced reporting and analytics: Gain valuable insights into your sales performance with in-depth reports and analytics
Shopify Markets access: Simplify international selling by allowing you to expand your reach beyond borders and tap into new markets.
Configure regional settings: Tailor your store’s settings based on specific regions for a localized experience.
Duty and tax calculations: Automatically calculate and collect duties and import taxes for international shipments, ensuring compliance and a smooth customer experience.
Fraud protection and SSL Certificates: Prioritize security with built-in features like SSL certificates that encrypt customer data and ensure secure communication between your store and customers.
Seamless POS integration: Shopify POS (Point of Sale) integrates seamlessly with your online store, allowing you to sell products in person at pop-up shops, markets, or brick-and-mortar locations.
Shipping discounts: Benefit from real-time shipping rates and substantial discounts offered by major carriers through Shopify Shipping.

2.2. Pricing

Monthly Plan	$399/month ($299/month for annual billing)
Credit card fees (Online)	2.5% + $0.30
Angelica Credit card fees (In-person)	2.4% + $0.10
3rd-party payment providers	0.6%
Shopify Tax pricing	A 0.35% calculation fee applies after the first $100,000 in sales each year. (): The following fee caps apply 0.99 USD order cap / 5,000 USD yearly cap.*
Additional fees	App fees, theme fees, domain registration

2.3. Limitations

Product upload limits: Shopify technically allows unlimited products, but there’s a catch. After exceeding 50,000 products or variants, you’ll be limited to creating only 1,000 new ones per day.
Limited customization: Advanced offers more customization than basic plans, but it may not be as flexible as Shopify Plus or some self-hosted platforms.
Staff account limits: Advanced allows 15 staff accounts, which might be insufficient for very large teams.
Potential for API rate limit issues: Even with increased API rate limits on Advanced, there’s still a possibility of hitting limits if you have a complex store with numerous integrations and automation.

2.4. Pros & cons

	Pros	Cons
Features	– Unlimited bandwidth & products – Advanced reporting & analytics – Shopify Market – Fraud protection & SSL certificates – POS integration – Advanced shipping discounts & real-time rates – Up to 15 staff accounts	– Limited checkout & theme customization – Limited functionality with Shopify Flow – No dedicated functionalities for B2B operations
Pricing	– Offers a significant jump in features compared to basic Shopify plans at a reasonable price point. – Lower transaction fees with Shopify Payments compared to third-party gateways.	– Additional functionalities may require apps with monthly fees

2.5. Who is Shopify Advanced best for?

Shopify Advanced is ideally suited for established businesses experiencing significant growth and requiring a feature-rich platform to manage their online store.

Established businesses: Growing beyond basic Shopify plans and need advanced features.
High sales volume: Handle large traffic and product catalogs.
Data-driven decisions: Leverage advanced reporting and analytics.
Team management: Up to 15 staff accounts for efficient collaboration.
Budget-conscious: Significant features jump at a reasonable price.

Try Shopify Advanced plan now!

3. Shopify Plus: Enterprise eCommerce for high-volume businesses

Shopify Plus offers a significant leap in customization, automation, B2B functionalities, scalability, and control compared to Shopify Advanced.

It’s ideal for businesses that have outgrown the limitations of Advanced and require a feature-rich, enterprise-grade platform.

3.1. Features

Shopify Plus offers a significant leap in functionalities compared to Shopify Advanced, empowering you to scale your online store and operations to new heights. Here’s a breakdown of key Shopify Plus features:

Extensive checkout customization: Create unique and branded checkout experiences to optimize conversions.
Shopify Scripts: Automate complex workflows and processes beyond the capabilities of Shopify Flow in Advanced.
B2B features: Manage wholesale channels, create customer groups with specific pricing and discounts, and leverage advanced quoting functionalities.
Dedicated Account Management: Receive personalized support from a team of Shopify Plus experts to ensure success on the platform.
Increased staff accounts: Manage large teams with more than 15 staff accounts.
Advanced promotions: Create gift cards, loyalty programs, product bundles, automatic discount and targeted promotions to automate complex campaigns and abandoned cart recovery.
Extensive API access: Integrate your store with various applications and services using APIs for functionalities like marketing automation or accounting software.

3.2. Pricing

Monthly Plan	Custom, typically $2500+ per month (1-year term) (): The price will be $2300 per month if you opt for a 3-year term.*
Credit card fees (Online)	Quote-based, typically lower for high-volume
Angelica Credit card fees (In-person)	Quote-based, typically lower for high-volume
3rd-party payment providers	0.15%
Shopify Tax pricing	A 0.25% calculation fee applies after the first $100,000 in sales each year. (): The following fee caps apply 0.99 USD order cap / 5,000 USD yearly cap.*
Additional fees	Potential for additional fees based on integrations, customizations, enterprise-grade features, development, and account management services

Grab 25% off for annual billing now!

3.3. Limitations

Cost: Shopify Plus plans are significantly more expensive than Shopify’s basic plans, making it cost-prohibitive for some smaller businesses.
Payment gateways: Shopify Payments, a built-in payment processing option, doesn’t support all countries or product categories (like CBD). Additionally, Shopify Plus offers a limited selection of third-party payment gateways compared to some other platforms.
Development resources: Leveraging the full potential of Shopify Plus, especially with custom app development or complex API integrations, might require in-house development expertise or hiring external agencies, adding to the cost.

3.4. Pros & cons

	Pros	Cons
Features	– Built to handle high-volume traffic and large product catalogs. – Offer enterprise-grade features (Order management, customer segmentation, advanced analytics, etc.) – Huge app ecosystem to extend functionalities – Optimize checkout for faster conversion rates. – Offer personalized support from a team of Shopify Plus experts.	– Steeper learning curve due to extensive features, potentially requiring additional resources or expertise.
Pricing	– Compared to self-hosted platforms, lower costs for maintenance, security, and upgrades.	– The cost of Shopify Plus might not be worthwhile for businesses with lower sales volume or simpler needs.

3.5. Who is Shopify Plus best for?

Shopify Plus is an enterprise-grade eCommerce platform designed for high-growth businesses and established brands. It’s ideal for businesses that:

Have high sales volume and anticipate significant growth
Need a scalable and customizable platform to handle complex operations
Sell across multiple channels, including online stores, international markets, and physical retail locations
Require advanced features like B2B feature sets, headless commerce, and custom app development

4. Shopify Advanced vs Plus: A detailed comparison of features

4.1. Website customization

When comparing Shopify Plus vs Shopify Advanced, you will see both offer website customization options, but Shopify Plus provides significantly more flexibility and control. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:

	Shopify Advanced	Shopify Plus
Theme customization	Limited editing with Shopify’s theme editor (visual editor)	Extensive editing with access to the Liquid template language (code editing)
Code access	Limited access to theme code sections	Full access to theme code and files
App integrations	Wide range of apps from the Shopify App Store	Wide range of apps from the Shopify App Store, plus the ability to build custom apps

4.2. Product listings

	Shopify Advanced	Shopify Plus
Basic Listing Features	✓ (Title, Description, Images, Variants, Pricing, Inventory)	✓ (Title, Description, Images, Variants, Pricing, Inventory)
Advanced Listing Features	Up to 25 images, Basic filtering (category, tag, price)	Unlimited images, Advanced filtering (custom criteria), Faceted search, Product bundling/discounts, Wholesale pricing
Customization	Limited (Theme editor adjustments)	Extensive (Liquid templates, custom fields, custom product pages)
Scalability	Moderate product catalogs	Large & complex product catalogs

In the realm of Advanced Shopify vs Shopify Plus, both allow you to create product listings, but Shopify Plus offers a significant leap in features and customization.

Shopify Advanced is suitable for stores with a moderate number of products. Performance might be affected by a very large product catalog.

Whereas, Shopify Plus is designed to handle large and complex product catalogs with high performance. It can efficiently manage millions of products with intricate variations.

4.3. Transaction fees

	Shopify Advanced	Shopify Plus
Credit card fees (Online)	2.5% + $0.30	Quote-based, typically lower for high volume
Credit card fees (In-person)	2.4% + $0.10	Quote-based, typically lower for high volume
Transaction fees (3rd-party payment processor fee)	0.6%	0.15%

4.4. Payment options

Both Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus support a wide range of payment gateways, including Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal, and many others.

Shopify Advanced allows you to use a wider range of external payment gateways, but you’ll incur an additional fee on top of Shopify’s standard transaction fee (2.5% + $0.30) per transaction.

Shopify Plus offers the possibility of negotiating lower transaction fees with external payment gateways. This is because Shopify Plus merchants typically process higher sales volumes, making them more attractive to payment processors.

4.5. Marketing tools

	Shopify Advanced	Shopify Plus
Basic Marketing Tools	✓	✓
Advanced Marketing Tools	– Discount codes & coupons – Basic customer segmentation – Abandoned cart recovery (basic)	– Advanced customer segmentation & targeting – Automated marketing workflows – Personalized product recommendations – Gift cards & certificates – Multi-channel marketing campaigns – Customizable checkout experiences – Headless commerce for advanced integrations
Analytics & Reporting	Basic sales reports: – Analyze by product, variant, collection – Analyze buying behavior, top customers, purchases, location – Track sales by region, referral source – Analyze trends over time, seasons, and campaign effectiveness	Advanced reporting & analytics with deeper customer insights: – Advanced filtering and segmentation capabilities (specific customer segments, product categories, or timeframes) – Deeper data (customer lifetime value, abandoned cart rates, marketing campaign ROI) – Advanced integrations to connect your Shopify data with other business tools and platform

4.6. Customer support

	Shopify Advanced	Shopify Plus
Support Channels	24/7 live chat, phone support (limited hours), email support	24/7 priority live chat, dedicated account manager, phone support, email support
Support Level	Standard support response times	Faster response times, proactive account management
Additional Resources	Access to the Shopify Help Center and community forums	Access to exclusive resources and educational materials

5. Shopify Advanced vs Plus: How to choose the perfect fit for your business?

When comparing Shopify Plus vs Advanced to choose the best one for your business, you should consider the factors below.

5.1. Business needs

Sales volume:

Shopify Plus is designed for high-growth businesses with large sales volumes. Shopify Advanced has a flat monthly fee, but Shopify Plus may have additional transaction fees depending on your sales.

Number of stores:

Shopify Advanced restricts you to one store. If you need multiple stores, like separate locations for different regions, Shopify Plus is the only option.

Customization needs:

Shopify Plus offers greater customization options, including a customizable checkout experience and the ability to build custom apps through Shopify Functions.

B2B needs:

If you sell to other businesses (B2B), Shopify Plus offers features specifically designed for B2B sales, such as custom pricing and quantity rules.

5.2. Budget

When it comes to Shopify Advanced vs Plus pricing, note that Shopify Advanced has a fixed monthly fee, while Shopify Plus has a minimum monthly fee or a variable fee based on your sales volume.

5.3. Technical expertise

Shopify Plus requires more technical expertise to take full advantage of its features. You may need to hire developers to build custom apps and integrations. Shopify Advanced is generally easier to use for businesses with less technical knowledge.

5.4. Growth trajectory

Make sure that you carefully consider your business’s growth potential when choosing Shopify Advanced vs Plus. If you anticipate significant growth in sales and product complexity, Shopify Plus might be a better long-term investment.

Ultimately, the best way to choose is to carefully assess your business needs, consider your budget, and project your future growth.

Both plans offer a Shopify free trial, so you can also take advantage of that to test out the features and see which platform feels like a better fit for your business.

6. Conclusion

Don’t let your growth be limited by your Shopify plan. Whether you choose Advanced or Plus, you’re unlocking a new level of control and functionality for your business.

And also, with eComStart resources, are you ready to propel your Shopify store to the next level? Let’s go today!

7. FAQs

What is the difference between Shopify plans?

Shopify offers several pricing plans to cater to businesses of various sizes and needs. Here’s a simpler breakdown of the key differences between Shopify plans:
– Starter ($5/month): Very basic plan for testing online sales with limited features.
– Basic ($39/month): Ideal for starting businesses with essential eCommerce functionalities.
– Shopify ($105/month): Good for established businesses with a growing product catalog and need for inventory management.
– Advanced ($399/month): Targets growing businesses with advanced marketing and customization needs.
– Plus (custom pricing): Best for high-volume businesses requiring extensive features, customization, and dedicated support.
You can check further on an in-depth review of Shopify pricing plan to see which plan is the one you are looking for.

When should I move to Shopify Plus?

You can move to Shopify Plus if you’re experiencing growing pains on your current plan. Here are the key signs:
– Explosive sales & complex catalogs: Shopify Plus scales effortlessly, handling millions of transactions and keeping your inventory organized. Plus, with 200 inventory locations support, you can strategically position stock for faster fulfillment globally.
– International domination: You are planning to sell internationally with multi-currency support and localized storefronts (up to 50 markets) for a seamless customer experience.
– Multi-store management: You can create unique storefronts for each brand, all under one centralized hub.
– Advanced marketing needs: You crave features like personalization and automation for a sophisticated marketing approach. Shopify Plus allows segmentation-based personalization, tailoring product recommendations and marketing messages to specific customer groups.
– Customization: You need extensive control over your store’s look, checkout, or integrations.
– Support priority: You desire a dedicated account manager and faster response times.

Can you change from Shopify to Shopify Plus?

Yes, you can absolutely change from Shopify to Shopify Plus! Shopify offers a smooth upgrade process to transition your store from a lower plan (like Shopify or Advanced) to Shopify Plus.
Here’s how it works:
Contact Shopify: You can initiate the upgrade process by contacting Shopify’s sales team. They can discuss your business needs and ensure Shopify Plus is the right fit.
Data migration: Shopify will assist you with migrating your store data, including products, customers, orders, and historical data, to Shopify Plus.
Platform transition: Shopify will guide you through the setup process on Shopify Plus, ensuring your store functions smoothly on the new platform.

Which Shopify plan is best for dropshipping?

The best Shopify plan for dropshipping depends on the stage of your dropshipping business.
For example, if you are just starting out, you can consider Shopify Basic at $39/month. This plan provides the essentials for launching your dropshipping store, including adding products, managing orders, and basic marketing tools (email marketing, social media integration). It’s cost-effective for starting small.
If you are a high-volume dropshipping business, Shopify Plus will be a better choice. It offers:
Effortless scaling for massive orders
Customized experiences to match your brand
Powerful product catalog & inventory management
Data insights to target new markets & brands
Wholesale-ready features (Multiple customer groups, wholesale pricing rules, minimum order quantities, wholesale user accounts, etc.)
Shopify Plus empowers high-volume drop shippers to streamline operations, personalize the customer experience, and achieve explosive growth.

Does Shopify Plus take a percentage of sales?

No, Shopify Plus itself does not directly take a percentage of your sales. However, there are two cost considerations related to sales volume on Shopify.
– Transaction fees: All Shopify plans, including Plus, have transaction fees associated with each sale you make. These fees are a percentage of the total order value, plus a fixed amount per transaction.
– Revenue-based fee (Optional): While the base fee for Shopify Plus is a minimum monthly amount (usually $2,500), there’s an alternative pricing option. You can choose to pay a fee based on a percentage of your monthly sales. You can contact the Shopify team for more detailed information.

Author: Kathy Ella

Kathy Ella is an eCommerce expert with nearly 5 years of experience helping businesses start and grow online stores. She gives simple advice to make launching and managing an online store easier for everyone. See her LinkedIn profile here

Shopify Advanced vs Plus: The Ultimate 2024 Showdown

1. Overview comparison between Shopify advanced vs plus