What's The Difference Between Shopify & Shopify Plus

Do you use Shopify or are you interested in adopting it as your eCommerce platform? Shopify is an incredible tool that makes online business simple. They are always adding features and the latest resources to equip your business for great results.

Over the years, Shopify has expanded to serve as many businesses as possible. You might have an idea only. You might be a startup. You might be a small business or an established large company. Either way, Shopify has created the infrastructure and tools to fulfill all needs. To learn more, check out this resource on the best features of Shopify to boost sales.

Consequently, this also means there are different versions and packages. That can be hard when you are trying to decide which one is best for you. You don’t want to go too basic or too big depending on your needs and budget.

If you’re trying to choose between Shopify or Shopify Plus, you can learn the difference right here.

Identifying Your Needs

Hundreds of business models exist today. Each one has different needs and it’s important to identify what they are.

For example, if you are a brand new startup, you need to be able to scale your resources with the business. Thankfully, Shopify has many different options for you. You can pick a lower tier and upgrade as the business grows.

If you have a large business that has been around for a while, you have to look for bigger infrastructure and enterprise solutions. Your databases and processes will have a big impact on whatever platform you choose.

If you have had your brick-and-mortar business for years and never ventured online, then you will also have unique needs. You need to transition old systems and processes into modern ones. Your business model will need to be improved on and the software you use to sell and manage your products will play a pivotal role.

Shopify offers many of these solutions. Pick the one that works best for you.

What is Regular Shopify?

Source: Shopify Plus

The flagship version of Shopify offers all the essential needs for an eCommerce business or a business moving part of their store online. You get your online storefront, unlimited products, staff counts, 24/7 support, sales channels, and inventory locations. You can also create orders manually, offer discount codes, gift cards, and an abandoned cart recovery program. You get a shipping discount of up to 77%-88% depending on the tier you choose. These features are incredibly effective for building your business.

The platform offers the average business more than they need to optimize their online company.

Shopify has three tiers you can choose from:

• Basic Shopify- $29 monthly

This package offers everything mentioned at the beginning of this section. If you want to test Shopify out or you are starting a business online, this is the perfect choice to start with. The great thing about subscriptions is that you can easily upgrade when needed, making platforms like Shopify an easy choice to scale. You can also sell in 133 currencies and up to 5 languages, making you truly global!

The credit card rates, at the time of publication, are 2.9% + 30 cents USD online and in-person 2.7% + 0 cents USD through Shopify Payments.

• Shopify- $79 monthly

This package increases your inventory locations (when assigning inventory to stores, warehouses, etc.) from 4 to 5. It adds 3 more staff accounts from the original 2. You also get access to reports that help you analyze the business.

The transaction rates with Shopify Payments are better too at 2.6% online and 2.5% in-person. You have the option for international domains for better-targeted SEO, and international pricing for a more effective sales outreach.

• Advanced Shopify- $299 monthly

This is a great option for growing companies. It includes all the benefits of the other packages but at a larger scale to help with the growth.

Staff accounts are now at 15, giving your team full access to perform their responsibilities for the store. You have up to 8 inventory locations. Your report system is now advanced, offering state-of-the-art analytics for your store. Your transaction fee rate goes down to 2.4% across the board through Shopify payments. You also get variant pricing per country, making it easier to adjust for the cost of living and the exact audience.

What is Shopify Plus?

Source: Shopify Plus

While Shopify might fulfill most small and growing business needs, these tools may not be enough for your brand. You are a large company and you need bigger resources and platforms that allow you to run and optimize on the corporate level.

Shopify Plus is the answer to your needs. At USD 2,000 per month (or variable fees for high-volume businesses), they provide a robust platform. Brands like Heinz, Allbirds, and Rothy’s trust the platform.

They eliminate many of the high costs associated with hosting and infrastructure. They get rid of annoying and costly needs for upgrades and security patches. Shopify Plus gives you more control so that you can avoid outsourcing many of your adjustments or needs. They also take care of performance and load testing so you don’t have to.

They state, "Do more for less. Slash unnecessary on-premise costs from your budget forever. Shopify Plus empowers you to make changes fast with a small, nimble team—without wasting your time or money.” It’s the ultimate eCommerce and all-in-one platform for your business needs.

CIO Simon from Staples Canada says, “We’re on a journey of digital transformation, which is why we bet on Shopify Plus as our core platform. What used to take 200+ people in my past life, now we can do with 20. That’s a huge operational benefit.” The platform makes large-scale businesses run better and simpler.

They boast 18% higher conversion (with Shopify Pay) and 60% quicker checkout. There are built-in AR features and 3d media capabilities. They are built for the future. While your business works to get ahead, Shopify Plus is already there, waiting for you, offering the tools you need.

Which Should You Choose?

Whether it’s the three packages available in Shopify or Shopify Plus, there’s a perfect fit for you. Decide on what you think would work best for your business and customers. Shopify is a great platform that makes it possible to grow in today’s faster-moving business and technology landscape. And if you’re new to Shopify and want to start, Shopify offers a Free Trial that you can test-drive for 30 days to see how you like the platform and the features.