Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Key Differences

Shopify is an e-commerce CMS (Content Management System) ideal for sellers who want to simply create their online store. It is an easy-to-access, intuitive, personalized, and, above all, suitable solution for online sales. However, for several years now, the platform has been offering two distinct options: Shopify and Shopify Plus. Both solutions have their advantages, but also their disadvantages, and store owners are sometimes confused by the information provided. The two concepts are, in fact, different and have distinct functionalities. Shopify or Shopify Plus: which to choose? The following comparison should allow any e-commerce merchant to make an informed choice. If you have a migration or redesign project under Shopify, contact us.

Shopify and Shopify Plus: definitions

Shopify and Shopify Plus are two offerings from the same Canadian company. However, they do have some differences.

Shopify, the e-commerce platform for SMEs

Shopify is an e-commerce platform very popular with e-merchants, offering them the possibility to create an online store very simply. This online store builder, in fact, offers very accessible options, allowing anyone to create an e-commerce site in just a few clicks. Very intuitively, it is possible to create a product catalog, integrate different payment methods, and configure various delivery methods.

Shopify offers three different plans:

• Shopify Basic, for e-merchants just starting their business;
• Shopify, the most standard version, recommended for small and medium-sized e-merchants;
• Shopify Advanced, intended for well-developed stores and managers who want to benefit from comprehensive reports.

These have distinct prices, but also different functionalities such as the number of people who can act on the site's back-office or the level of detail of the generated management reports.

Shopify Plus, the e-commerce CMS dedicated to large companies

Shopify Plus is an e-commerce platform primarily designed for large enterprises that manage large-scale stores. The CMS offers advanced features for customer service, automation tools, and payment options. Shopify Plus also provides more solutions for customizing the online store.

Ultimately, it is the premium version of Shopify. Website hosting and natural referencing are more efficient. Sites designed with Shopify Plus are faster and their performance is optimized. It is also possible to translate the site into different languages and currencies. Finally, Shopify Plus allows you to benefit from an administrator account that can view all sales made across all back-offices.

Shopify and Shopify Plus: the main differences

Shopify and Shopify Plus have some differences. Shopify Plus generally offers a more complete solution, with unique features.

Number of employee accounts

With Shopify Plus, it is possible to create an unlimited number of employee accounts with access to the platform. On Shopify Basic, only five employee accounts can be created (or fifteen with Shopify Advanced).

Support offered

Shopify Plus's support service is more comprehensive than Shopify's. The support is entirely personalized, and the online store owner benefits from a single point of contact to answer their questions.

With Shopify Plus, it's also possible to access Shopify Plus Academy, which provides a comprehensive collection of resources (lessons, courses, workshops, etc.) for online store owners to fully develop their business.

Automations offered

The automations offered on Shopify Plus are much more numerous than on Shopify. The site owner has a large number of tools to automate time-consuming tasks and save valuable time. Specifically, Shopify Plus offers the following modules:

• Shopify Flow, to easily automate store and application tasks and processes;
• Launchpad, to schedule key events and promotions.

Shopping experience

Unlike Shopify, with Shopify Plus, it is possible to customize the user experience through:

• checkout customization (payment gateway, cart discount, etc.);
• the use of augmented reality and 3D videos so that customers can visualize products sold in 360 degrees;
• fully customizable responsive themes.

Website translation into different languages

On Shopify Plus, entrepreneurs can truly engage in international commerce as they can change the store's language and currency.

This option is, of course, available on Shopify, but it is limited to two different languages. Conversely, on Shopify Plus, translation is possible into up to twenty languages. The site owner can also create nine additional stores under the same brand.

Pricing

Finally, the prices offered for Shopify or Shopify Plus are far from the same. On Shopify, the e-merchant can opt for three different plans with varied features:

• Shopify Basic, at€27 per month, which is the CMS's basic plan;
• Shopify, the standard plan, which costs €79 per month;
• Shopify Advanced, which costs €289 per month and is the most comprehensive plan.

On Shopify Plus, prices start at $2,500 per month and vary depending on the size of the online store to be managed.

Comparison table of the two e-commerce CMSs

As explained previously, Shopify and Shopify Plus have certain distinctions. The following summary table outlines the main differences between the two e-commerce platforms.

	Shopify	Shopify Plus
Target	E-commerce businesses with average sales volume	SMEs and large companies with significant sales volume
API rate limit	Maximum two sales per second	No limit
Store customization	Customizable site excluding checkout	Fully customizable site
Task automation	No	Yes
Back-office accounts	5 with Shopify Basic 15 with Shopify Advanced	Unlimited
Report generation	Yes, but with limited information	Yes, comprehensive
Sales commissions	From 2% to 0.5%	0.15%
Currency creation	Single currency	Multi-currency
Support	Yes, non-personalized	Yes, fully personalized
Price	From $29 to $299 per month	Starting from $2,500 per month

How to choose between the two offerings?

To make a choice, the site owner must first ask themselves the following question: do I have a large company or an SME? An SME manager who works alone and generates an average sales volume would be better off opting for Shopify, unless they need the functionalities exclusively available on Shopify Plus.

A large company manager, with more than fifteen employees and significant sales volumes, should, on the other hand, opt for Shopify Plus, which offers more suitable functionalities.

Ultimately, opting for Shopify Plus becomes advantageous when the site owner wants to offer a more complete user experience to their customers, sells products internationally, and generates a significant number of sales. Indeed, Shopify is designed for businesses starting in online sales. Shopify Plus, on the other hand, is aimed at major e-commerce players. Finally, the two CMS platforms offer the same standard attributes, but Shopify Plus provides more possibilities in terms of personalization, scalability, and user experience.

You now have a clearer understanding of the major differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus. Before making a decision and choosing one or the other of the two CMSs, it is preferable to assess your ambitions and activity. Although it is always possible to migrate from Shopify to Shopify Plus or vice versa, it is best to start on a good foundation from the outset to avoid any additional administrative procedures.