Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which One is Right for Your Business?

Nowadays, when it comes to building the best eCommerce website, the first platform that comes to mind is Shopify. In fact, over 5.4 million websites around the world are currently running on the Shopify platform. So yes, it’s a favorite among the eCommerce websites around the world. But what about Shopify Plus? What does that bring to the table?

What’s the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus? Well, for one, the latter is an advanced version. What else? Our eCommerce development company has years of experience with both. So through this blog, we’ll provide you with the best info on Shopify vs Shopify Plus. Let’s get straight into it.

Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Comparison Table

The aim of both Shopify and Shopify Plus is to help you create the best eCommerce websites. But the approach is a little different. But before we get into comprehensive differentiation, let’s look at overviews of both.

Overview of Shopify

Shopify is a comprehensive e-commerce platform that empowers businesses of all sizes to create, manage, and grow their online presence. It provides a user-friendly interface and a wide range of tools to help you build a professional online store without the need for extensive technical knowledge.

With Shopify, you can easily design your store’s appearance, add products, manage inventory, process payments, and market your business to a global audience. Its intuitive platform allows you to focus on what matters most: growing your brand and reaching your customers.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, Shopify offers the flexibility and scalability to meet your business needs.

Overview of Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is not just a bigger version of Shopify; it’s a fully-hosted, enterprise-grade ecommerce platform designed to catapult high-growth brands and large businesses to new heights. Think of it as the luxury suite of ecommerce solutions, offering unparalleled scalability, customization, and support.

With Shopify Plus, you can:

• Elevate your brand: Craft a truly distinctive online presence.
• Optimize operations: Streamline workflows and boost efficiency.
• Expand your reach: Sell globally and across multiple channels.
• Drive explosive growth: Scale your business without limitations.

But if a good eStore built on Shopify is what you seek, then another way to go about it would be with our professional Shopify development company. We will give you outstanding services and support for it.

But of course, you may still have a confusion on which among Shopify and Shopify Plus would be suitable for you. So let’s look at a more comprehensive comparison between the two.

Comprehensive Difference Between Shopify & Shopify Plus

Shopify and Shopify Plus are both powerful ecommerce platforms, but they cater to different needs and scales. Let’s compare them on a few key factors.

Customization

Shopify offers a wide selection of free and paid themes. You can customize these using the theme editor, which allows for changes to fonts, colors, layout to some extent, and adding basic features. However, you’re somewhat limited to the theme’s original structure.

While you can add your logo and customize colors, the checkout process itself is fairly standardized. You can’t significantly alter the layout or functionality. This can be a drawback if you want to create a truly unique brand experience.

On the flip side, with Shopify Plus, you get access to all the same themes along with the themes’ code (Liquid). That means, you can heavily modify the theme, creating unique layouts, features, and a completely bespoke storefront. For anyone wanting to stand out, this can be truly game changing.

Plus, you gain access to Shopify Scripts, which are small pieces of code that let you customize almost every aspect of the checkout experience. Think personalized discounts, dynamic shipping rates, custom payment options, etc.

Verdict

Shopify Plus is the clear winner in terms of customization. It provides the tools and flexibility to create a truly unique and tailored online store. If having complete control over your store’s design and functionality is a priority, Shopify Plus is the way to go.

Target Audience

Shopify is best for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with growing online sales. Think startups, entrepreneurs, and businesses with a limited budget but aiming for steady growth.

These businesses need an affordable, user-friendly platform to establish their online presence, manage their products, and process orders efficiently. They might not require extensive customization or advanced features at this stage.

Best examples include a local bakery selling online, a clothing boutique with a growing online following, etc.

Shopify Plus, on the other hand, is best for high-growth businesses and large enterprises with significant online revenue and complex needs. These are companies with established brands and large customer bases.

These businesses require a robust platform that can handle high traffic, large order volumes, and complex operations. They prioritize scalability, customization, and advanced features to optimize their online store and provide a seamless customer experience.

Best examples include a large electronics retailer or maybe a multinational company with multiple online stores.

Verdict

If you’re just starting out or have a smaller business, Shopify would be plenty to get your eStore up and running. But if you’re a larger, established business with ambitious growth goals, Shopify Plus would be more suitable.

Scalability & Performance

Shopify‘s standard plans can handle a decent amount of traffic and orders, especially if you optimize your store and use a fast theme. However, during peak periods like flash sales or Black Friday, you might experience slower loading times or even temporary downtime.

You share server resources with other Shopify merchants. This means your store’s performance can be affected by traffic surges on other stores. And there are limits on API calls and bandwidth. That can restrict how fast your store can process data and handle large volumes of requests.

On the flip side, Shopify Plus is built to handle massive traffic and order volumes without compromising performance. This platform can accommodate rapid growth and sudden spikes in traffic with ease. That means a smooth shopping experience, even during the busiest periods.

The “Plus” often provides dedicated server resources or cloud hosting, giving your store more power and stability. This means your store’s performance isn’t affected by other merchants.

And there are no restrictions on bandwidth, so you can handle high traffic and large file uploads without worrying about exceeding limits.

Verdict

Shopify Plus is the undisputed champion when it comes to scalability and performance. It’s designed to support high-growth businesses and provide a consistently fast and reliable experience for their customers, no matter how large they become.

Security

Shopify, by itself, is Level 1 PCI DSS compliant, which is the highest level of security certification for processing payment information. That means they meet strict standards for data protection and encryption.

All Shopify stores come with a free SSL certificate, which encrypts data transmitted between your store and your customers’ browsers. This helps protect sensitive information like passwords and credit card details. You also get a built-in fraud analysis tool for identifying and preventing fraudulent orders.

On the contrary, Shopify Plus includes all the same security features as the standard plan, which means same base level protection. Plus, you get additional security options, like 2FA. It adds an extra layer  of security to your store’s admin. And there are custom SSL certificates and much more.

You also get easier integration with enterprise-grade security solutions, like intrusion detection systems and vulnerability scanners.

Verdict

In terms of security, the standard Shopify, by itself, is pretty good, and suitable for most businesses. But Shopify Plus can be better when it comes to peace of mind and advanced options for businesses handling sensitive data.

Automation

Shopify can automate some basic features like abandoned cart recovery emails and automated discount codes. You can use third-party apps to ensure more complex workflows, but there will be some limitations compared to the “Plus”.

On the flip side, Shopify Plus lets you automate a wider range of tasks, like order management, inventory management, and even marketing strategies.

With the “Plus”, you can automate the order to specific fulfillment centers, get alerts when the stock runs low. You can even automatically adjust the prices, segment customers, personalize email campaigns, and trigger targeted promotions based on customer behavior.

Then there’s Launchpad which can help you automate tasks related to flash sales, product launches, and other time-sensitive events.

Verdict

Shopify Plus is the clear winner in terms of automation. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools to automate complex tasks, saving you time and resources while improving efficiency.

Analytics

Shopify offers a decent overview of your store’s performance with some pre-built reports on:

• Sales: Track sales over time, by channel, or by product.   
• Customers: Analyze customer behavior, demographics, and purchase history.   
• Products: See which products are selling well and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Marketing: Track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.

A visual dashboard displays key performance indicators (KPIs) and trends related to your niche as well as industry. So you can make better data-driven decisions.

Beyond the basic analytics, Shopify Plus platform can leverage the ShopifyQL Notebooks. Through it, you can create custom reports, analyze data, and uncover hidden trends. That allows for much more detailed analysis compared to standard reporting.

Verdict

Shopify Plus offers a significant advantage in terms of analytics. It provides the tools and flexibility to dive deep into your data, uncover valuable insights. It’s just a matter of timing. These analytics tools will be valuable further down the journey rather than at the start, at which point basic Shopify will be much better.

Support

Shopify, by itself, is an excellent platform when it comes to support. It offers you 24×7 support through channels like email, phone, and live chat. Plus, its help center gives you access to a range of articles, tutorials, and FAQs.

There are even community forums where you can connect with other Shopify merchants to ask questions and get advice.

Shopify Plus, on the other hand, offers you priority support with faster response times and quicker resolutions, along with a dedicated success manager. They act as your personal advisor helping with onboarding and setup, technical specifications, strategic planning, and exclusive resources. 

Verdict

Although Shopify Plus offers personalized attention with the success manager, the level of support from Shopify would still be more than adequate for 90% of the merchants.

So you see both Shopify and Shopify Plus are adequate; it’s just a matter of the business they are supporting. You can, of course, consult with our Shopify experts to see which plan would be suitable for your eCommerce business. We will help identify the resources and execute the due processes accordingly.

But still, let’s see which of these plans should be chosen?

When to Choose Shopify & Shopify Plus?

Well, you have settled on using Shopify. But which one? One of the standard plans or the “Plus”? Well, there are a few scenarios where you may make this decision. Let’s see.

Choose Shopify if:

• You’re a small to medium-sized business: Shopify’s standard plans are perfect for businesses with moderate sales volume and simpler needs.   
• You need an affordable solution: Shopify offers tiered pricing plans that are budget-friendly, especially for startups and growing businesses.   
• Ease of use is a priority: Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and easy setup, making it ideal for those without technical expertise.   
• You need basic features: Shopify provides all the essential features to run an online store, including product management, order processing, and basic marketing tools.   

Choose Shopify Plus if:

• You’re a high-growth business or large enterprise: Shopify Plus is designed to handle high traffic, large order volumes, and complex operations.   
• Scalability is essential: You need a platform that can grow with your business and handle increasing demands without compromising performance.
• Customization is important: You want full control over your store’s design and functionality to create a unique brand experience.
• You need advanced features: You require advanced features like automation, wholesale channels, and dedicated support to optimize your operations.
• You have a larger budget: Shopify Plus has a higher price tag, but it offers a comprehensive suite of features and support to justify the investment.

Ultimately, the best choice between Shopify and Shopify Plus would depend on your business niche and needs, your growth aspirations, and of course, how much you’re willing to spend. Make sure you consider every single aspect talked about above and consult with our Shopify development agency to get the best idea on how to proceed.

FAQs on Shopify vs Shopify Plus

So, What’s the Final Verdict? Shopify or Shopify Plus?

It’s not that simple. Shopify is designed for small to medium-sized businesses with basic ecommerce needs. Shopify Plus, on the other hand, is built for high-growth brands and large enterprises requiring scalability, customization, and advanced features.

Although inexpensive, Shopify (standard) lacks some much-desired features. Likewise, although fully loaded, Shopify Plus is much more expensive. Ultimately, the best platform is the one that aligns with your business goals, current needs, and future aspirations.

So, if you need help with your eCommerce aspirations and have consider Shopify platforms as your path, consult with our Shopify professionals today!