Shopify Advanced Plan Review: Power Up your Online Business

As your business scales new heights, your online store needs to keep pace. Shopify offers a range of plans to cater to businesses of all sizes, but for those experiencing significant growth, the Advanced Plan might be the missing piece. 

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dissect everything you need to know about the Shopify Advanced plan. We’ll delve into its features and pricing structure and compare it to other plans to help you determine if it’s the perfect fit for your flourishing business. So buckle up and get ready to unlock the potential of your Shopify store with the power of the Advanced Package!

1. What is the Shopify Advanced plan? 

Shopify Advanced plan is one of the higher-tier plans designed for stores that require more advanced features and capabilities. If your venture is growing and looking for more features to scale up, this plan is right for you. It includes all the features of the Basic Shopify plan and the Shopify plan, plus some additional benefits, which will be discussed later in this post.

This plan costs $299 monthly, but the price might vary slightly depending on your region. Additionally, Shopify often offers introductory discounts or promotions, so be sure to check their website for the latest pricing details.

Like the other Shopify subscription plans, the Advanced plan offers a 3-day free trial to explore its functionalities and see if it aligns with your business goals. This allows you to test the platform before committing to a paid subscription.

Check out our detailed Shopify review for guidance in using this platform. It offers a thorough examination of Shopify’s pricing structure and features.

2. What does the Advanced Shopify Plan include?

The Shopify Advanced plan equips you with a robust set of features designed to empower your growing business. This package goes beyond the basic functionalities of selling products online. It provides a comprehensive suite of features designed to help you manage a complex business, optimize performance, and achieve lasting growth.

Here’s a breakdown of Shopify Advanced plan features that unlock new possibilities for your business:

Features	Description
Online store	Build, customize, and manage your online store through an intuitive theme editor in the Shopify admin interface.
Brand assets	Easily add and manage your brand assets like logo, colors, and slogan.
Blog	Publish articles, promote events, and engage with customer feedback.
Unlimited products	Sell unlimited products and services.
Unlimited bandwidth	No charges for the number of visitors or uploaded files/photos.
Fraud analysis	Automatically detect and prevent potentially fraudulent orders.
Manual order creation	Easily create new orders and input payment details directly from your Shopify admin.
Discount codes	Offer discount codes and allow combining discounts to attract more customers.
Custom pricing by market	Set custom prices and percentage adjustments for specific countries or regions.
Abandoned cart recovery	Re-engage customers who exit the checkout process prematurely.
Shopify POS	Sell in physical stores or pop-up setups, all manageable through your Shopify admin and accessible via any browser.
Staff accounts	Add and manage up to 15 staff accounts.
Collaborator accounts	Grant restricted access to your store to designers, developers, and marketing experts with collaborator accounts (These accounts do not count toward staff account limits).
Customer support	Enjoy 24/7 chat support for troubleshooting and guidance.
Reports	Access detailed insights to track business performance.
Inventory locations	Manage inventory, fulfill orders, and sell products across up to 10 locations, including retail stores, warehouses, and pop-ups
Checkout capacity	Increase 10x checkout capacity during sales events and queue excess shoppers to a waiting room.
Competitive transaction fees	Enjoy the competitive transaction fees compared to other lower plans.
Carrier-calculated shipping	Integrate third-party shipping services for up-to-date shipping rates and options with carrier-calculated shipping.
International commerce	Expand internationally with Shopify Markets effortlessly.

3. Shopify Advanced plan pricing breakdown

 

💡 Subscription fee:

• Monthly: $399 per month
• Annual: $299 per month (billed annually). Choosing the annual plan saves you $1,200 per year, a significant 25% discount.

💡 Transaction fee:

• Online credit card transactions: 2.5% + $0.30 USD per transaction.
• In-person transaction fees: 2.4%. Notably, the Shopify Advanced plan waives the in-person transaction surcharge.
• Third-party payment processors: Shopify also supports third-party payment processors, with transaction fees of 0.6%.

💡 Total cost breakdown:

Calculating your total cost depends on your sales volume and transaction types. Here’s a simplified example:

• Monthly subscription: $299 (assuming you opt for the annual plan)
• Let’s say you process 1000 online credit card transactions in a month with an average value of $50.
• Transaction fees break down as follows:
  • Online credit card fees: [(2.5% x $50) + $0.30] x 1000 = $1550
  • Third-party payment processor fees: 0.6% x $50 x 1000 = $300 

Adding your subscription fee and estimated transaction fees, your total monthly cost would be around:

• $299 (monthly subscription) + $1550 (online credit card fees) = $1799 if you use Shopify payments
• $299 (monthly subscription) + $1550 (online credit card fees) + $300 (third-party payment processor fees) = $2149 if you use third-party payment gateways

✨ Learn more: How Much Does it Cost to Build a Shopify Website in 2024

4. Try before you buy: Does the Shopify Advanced plan offer a free trial?

 

Before diving headfirst, Shopify understands the importance of trying before you buy. That’s why they offer a free trial for the Advanced plan (and all their other plans) to give you a taste of the platform’s functionalities and see if it aligns with your business needs.

The Advanced plan’s free trial typically lasts three days. This gives you a valuable window to explore the platform’s features and see how they can benefit your business. You can test features like the Advanced Report Builder, experiment with creating custom shipping options, or even see how additional staff accounts streamline your workflow.

Keep in mind that the free trial may have some limitations. For instance, processing live transactions might not be possible. However, this shouldn’t hinder your ability to explore the platform’s functionalities and assess its suitability for your needs.

To activate your free trial, visit the Shopify website, enter your email, and voila. Within seconds, you’ll be ready to explore the power of the Shopify Advanced plan. 

5. Who should consider the Shopify Advanced plan? 

The Shopify Advanced plan bridges the gap between basic plans and enterprise-level solutions. It’s ideal for businesses experiencing significant growth and facing limitations with their current plan. Here’s how you can determine if the Advanced plan is the right fit:

💡 Outgrowing the Basic Shopify plan: If you’re exceeding the sales volume or staff account limitations of the Basic Shopify plan, the Advanced plan offers more breathing room and advanced features to support your growth.

💡 High sales volume and transaction fee savings: With higher sales volume comes the potential for significant savings on transaction fees. The Advanced plan boasts lower rates compared to lower tiers.

💡 Need for advanced features: Do you crave deeper data analysis with custom reports? Do you require a larger team with assigned roles or want to explore international sales opportunities? The Advanced plan offers features like advanced reporting, increased staff accounts, third-party calculated shipping rates, and global commerce tools to empower your growth. 

6. Comparison of Shopify Advanced plan to other Shopify pricing options

Choosing the right Shopify plan depends on your business needs and growth stage. Here’s a breakdown of how the Shopify Advanced plan compares to other popular options:

6.1. Advanced Shopify Plan vs Shopify Plan

Feature	Shopify Plan	Shopify Advanced Plan
Monthly price(annual payment)	$79	$299
Ideal for	Growing businesses with moderate sales volume	Established businesses with high sales volume.
Additional staff accounts	5	15
Customer support	Get 24/7 support through live chat	Get 24/7 support through enhanced live chat
Reporting & analytics	Basic reports	Advanced reporting & analytics with custom reports
Checkout capacity	Standard	10x
3rd-party calculated shipping rates	❌	✅
Online standard card rates	2.7% + 30¢	2.5% + 30¢
Online premium card rates	3.3% + 30¢	3.1% + 30¢
In-person credit/debit transaction rates	2.5% + 10¢	2.4% + 10¢
Third-party transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments	1%	0.6%
Localized selling with custom markets	3 markets included	3 included + $59/mo per added active market
Duties and import taxes	❌	✅

The Shopify Plan is a good starting point for businesses that are just getting started or have a moderate sales volume. It offers all the essential features you need to launch and run your online store. 

However, if you’re an established business with high sales volume, the Advanced Shopify plan is a better option. It provides lower transaction fees, waives the in-person transaction surcharge, and unlocks advanced features like in-depth reporting, third-party calculated shipping rates, and full access to the Shopify API for deeper customization. The increased staff accounts also allow for better team management for larger businesses. 

Ultimately, the best plan for you depends on your specific business needs and growth trajectory.

6.2. Advanced Shopify vs Shopify Plus. Should you upgrade to Shopify Plus?

Feature	Shopify Advanced plan	Shopify Plus
Monthly price(annual payment)	$299	Starting at $2,300 USD/mo on a 3-year term
Ideal for	Growing businesses with high sales volume	Large enterprises with very high sales volume and complex business needs
Additional staff accounts	15	Unlimited
Customer support	Get 24/7 support via enhanced live chat	Get priority support by phone or live chat
Headless storefronts	1	25
Inventory locations	10	200
Checkout capacity	10x	40x
Shopify POS Pro (per location)	$89/mo	20 locations included or 200 with Shopify Payments
Shopify Payments	Competitive rates	Most competitive rates
Third-party transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments	0.6%	0.2%
Localized selling with custom markets	3 included + $59/mo per added active market	50 markets included
Checkout extensibility	❌	✅
Sell wholesale and DTC	❌	✅
Find high-intent customers at lower cost	❌	✅
Free expansion stores	❌	9
ShopifyQL Notebooks	❌	✅
Protects your online store from bots during flash sales	❌	✅
Exclusive API access and endpoints	❌	✅
Feature test drives	❌	✅
Schedule automated promotions, product releases, and online store updates	❌	✅
Custom app built with Shopify Functions	❌	✅
Shopify organizational admin	❌	✅
Shopify Plus Certified App Partners	❌	✅
Shopify Plus Academy	❌	✅
Shop Cash campaigns	❌	✅

The Advanced Shopify plan is a step up from the Shopify plan, offering lower transaction fees, advanced features like in-depth analytics, and support for high sales volume. However, Shopify Plus caters to a whole different level. It’s ideal for large, high-growth businesses with complex needs. 

Shopify Plus offers significant advantages, such as potentially even lower transaction fees based on negotiation, highly customizable reporting tools, advanced support for complex shipping scenarios, and extensive B2B functionalities. Additionally, Shopify Plus allows for managing multiple stores under one roof and provides dedicated support for custom app development. 

The key difference lies in scalability and customization. While Advanced Shopify helps established businesses thrive, Shopify Plus empowers them to excel at an enterprise level. For more details on this ultimate package, check out our Shopify Plus plan review and gain insightful information on how it can elevate your e-commerce business to new heights.

7. Conclusion

To wrap it up, eComStart has walked you through an in-depth look at the Shopify Advanced plan review, which bridges the gap between basic plans and enterprise-level solutions. With its robust features, cost-saving benefits, and support for growth, it offers a competitive edge in the ever-evolving landscape of online commerce. 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to elevate your business with the Shopify Advanced plan today. Take the next step towards success and unlock the full potential of your e-commerce venture. Sign up now and start maximizing your growth potential with the Shopify Advanced plan!

8. FAQs