Scaling Sales on Shopify: The Power of a Smooth Experience

Over five million businesses, from startups to global brands across 175 countries, use Shopify. This article compares Shopify’s standard plans with its enterprise solution, Shopify Plus, to help you decide when to upgrade.

Shopify is a powerful all-in-one ecommerce platform for multi-channel selling, localized experiences, and centralized business management. It includes tools for managing orders, products, content, and customers, enabling online growth. The Shopify App Store offers thousands of integrations, and the platform is constantly evolving as a highly scalable solution.

For rapidly growing businesses with high sales volumes, Shopify Plus, used by nearly 40,000 brands globally, might be the better choice.

We’ve compared Shopify and Shopify Plus to help you determine the best fit. Shopify also provides detailed analytics and built-in security features.

As your business scales and operations become more complex, standard Shopify plans might not suffice. Shopify Plus is specifically designed for high-revenue, global brands ready for significant growth.

This article, from experts at Shopify development company, breaks down the pricing, features, and benefits of Shopify Plus to help you identify the right time to upgrade. Contact us if you’re unsure if Shopify Plus is the right move for your business.

Upgrading to Shopify Plus means joining leading brands like Allbirds, Heinz, Red Bull, and Staples, who trust it for their high-volume ecommerce needs. Shopify Plus is the preferred platform for fast-growing enterprises seeking power, flexibility, and scalability.

Considering Shopify Advanced? See our comparison of Shopify Plus vs. Advanced plans.

Is Shopify Plus the Next Step for Your Expanding Business?

Shopify began in 2006 with the goal of empowering small and medium-sized businesses in the online marketplace. However, as your business flourishes, its intricacies naturally increase—and that’s precisely where Shopify Plus steps in to provide a robust solution.

So, what distinguishes Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus represents the enterprise-level evolution of Shopify, specifically engineered to cater to high-volume brands and rapidly scaling enterprises. While retaining the intuitive dashboard and fundamental features of standard Shopify, it amplifies capabilities with sophisticated integrations, enhanced customization options, greater bandwidth capacity, dedicated priority support, and exclusive tools tailored for large-scale operations.

Opting for Shopify Plus empowers you to construct a highly bespoke ecommerce storefront capable of evolving in tandem with your growth trajectory. It proves particularly advantageous for brands requiring advanced functionalities to elevate average order values, optimize conversion rates, and efficiently manage substantial traffic and sales volumes—all while preserving optimal speed and unwavering stability.

Nevertheless, Shopify Plus isn’t a universal solution. For small to medium-sized businesses with straightforward needs, a standard Shopify plan may offer ample functionality. However, if your scaling business encounters limitations with your current setup, exploring an upgrade to Shopify Plus could be a strategic move.

Uncertain whether Shopify Plus aligns with your business’s future? Our experienced team is available to guide you through the decision-making process, ensuring you select the most suitable option to propel your continued success.

Is the Leap to Shopify Plus Worth the Investment?

Many rapidly expanding brands eventually contemplate upgrading to Shopify Plus – and with good reason. However, before taking the plunge, it’s essential to weigh the financial implications against the enhanced benefits.

Shopify Plus unlocks a suite of advanced functionalities not available on standard plans. These include access to exclusive applications, complete customization of the checkout process, the ability to develop bespoke applications, and the utilization of Shopify’s B2B capabilities.

Furthermore, you’ll gain:

• Increased checkout capacity (handling more transactions per second)
• Priority support for merchants
• Lower transaction fees
• Enhanced control and scalability

For brands experiencing rapid growth, Shopify Plus can be a transformative solution – and when compared to platforms like Magento, it often presents a lower overall cost of ownership and a faster route to market.

Still uncertain if it’s the right move for you? We can evaluate your current infrastructure and growth projections to determine if Shopify Plus is the optimal next step.

Decoding the Cost of Shopify Plus

When comparing Shopify and Shopify Plus, grasping the pricing structure is crucial to assess the financial viability of an upgrade for your business.

Unlike standard Shopify subscriptions, Shopify Plus employs usage-based pricing, meaning its cost scales in relation to your monthly sales volume. As your revenue increases, Shopify provides more resources and support, which is reflected in the pricing model.

• Base Price: Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 USD per month.
• Revenue-Based Fee: Once monthly revenue exceeds $800,000 USD, the cost transitions to 0.25% of your monthly revenue.

Example:

• With $1 million USD in monthly sales, your Shopify Plus fee would be $2,500 USD.
• You would need to achieve $16 million USD in monthly sales to reach the maximum capped fee of $40,000 USD.

This adaptable pricing structure makes Shopify Plus accessible for growing businesses while ensuring it scales in proportion to your expansion.

Understanding Shopify Plus Transaction Fees

In addition to the monthly subscription, Shopify Plus merchants also incur transaction fees, which vary based on the origin of the customer’s credit card. Typically, these fees range from 1.6% to 2.3%, but we recommend contacting us for the most up-to-date rates.

A significant advantage of Shopify Plus is its reduced transaction fees compared to standard Shopify plans – a considerable benefit for high-volume stores aiming to maximize profit margins.

Utilizing Shopify Payments helps you avoid supplementary costs. If you choose a third-party payment gateway, Shopify levies a 0.5% fee per transaction. However, some third-party processors offer highly competitive rates, making it a worthwhile consideration depending on your specific setup.

Is Now the Time to Upgrade to Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus isn’t a universal solution; many businesses find the standard Shopify plans perfectly adequate. However, as your business expands, its needs might surpass the capabilities of those standard offerings.

Typically, we see businesses begin to consider Shopify Plus when their annual revenue approaches $950,000 USD. Yet, revenue alone isn’t the sole indicator for an upgrade. The crucial factor is whether your business requires advanced features or enhanced efficiency that standard Shopify simply cannot provide.

Shopify Plus is ideally suited for rapidly scaling businesses demanding greater control, customization, and performance. It encompasses all the features of the standard Shopify platform—such as content management and a drag-and-drop store editor—along with additional tools designed for larger teams, higher sales volumes, and more intricate operations.

A significant advantage? Speed. While traditional enterprise platforms can take up to 18 months to develop, a Shopify Plus store can be launched in as little as 90 days.

Let’s delve deeper into the features that distinguish Shopify Plus.

Shopify Plus: Enhanced Dashboard, B2B Tools & Custom Checkout

Apps & Integrations:

Shopify boasts thousands of apps to enhance your store, but many sophisticated functionalities come with recurring monthly fees. These can include tools for loyalty programs, subscriptions, upsells, automation, reviews, and more. While costs vary, many of these apps prove to be worthwhile investments by driving increased sales.

With Shopify Plus, your developers gain greater flexibility to build custom features without relying on third-party apps, potentially leading to long-term cost savings. Additionally, you gain access to exclusive Shopify Plus apps not available on other plans.

Built-In Security & Hosting:

Shopify and Shopify Plus manage all hosting, maintenance, updates, and security, freeing you from concerns about servers or technical issues. You benefit from:

• Ultra-fast loading speeds powered by Shopify’s global server network (CDN)
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Capacity for up to 10,000 transactions per minute
• Integrated bot protection and robust data security

Unlike platforms such as Magento or WordPress, there’s no need for self-managed servers, resulting in both time and cost savings.

Priority Support & Expert Help:

Shopify Plus provides access to Shopify’s premium support:

• 24/7 live chat, phone & email support
• Shopify Plus Academy & comprehensive learning resources
• For larger brands: a dedicated Merchant Success Manager

You also have the option to engage Shopify Plus Partners for specialized needs, although additional fees may apply.

Sell Globally with Shopify Markets:

While all Shopify plans support international sales, Plus elevates this capability:

• Sell in up to 50 markets from a single store
• Utilize 9 additional expansion stores for distinct regions
• Customize by region: languages, currencies, domains, and content
• Ideal for brands with a significant international presence.

Automate with Shopify Flow & Launchpad:

Shopify Flow (now available on all plans) streamlines daily tasks through automation, such as:

• Sending discount codes after a second purchase
• Generating support tickets for negative reviews

Shopify Plus includes Launchpad, enabling you to schedule major events in advance, such as:

• Product launches
• Flash sales
• Campaign rollouts

All-in-One Dashboard for Teams:

Shopify Plus equips your team with a powerful, centralized dashboard to manage all aspects of your business—from staff accounts and user permissions to store data and performance analytics. With unlimited staff accounts and granular access controls, it’s designed for growing teams managing multiple stores, facilitating streamlined operations, enhanced collaboration, and a clear overview of your business.

Built-In B2B (Wholesale) Selling Tools:

Selling wholesale? Shopify Plus simplifies this with a dedicated B2B channel, allowing you to:

• Create password-protected wholesale storefronts
• Offer tailored pricing, order limits, and product visibility for individual customers
• Establish unique payment options like deposits and net payment terms
• Customize messaging and visuals for wholesale buyers using the theme editor

Full Checkout Customization:

Standard Shopify plans offer limited customization of basic visuals like your logo or colors. With Shopify Plus and checkout extensibility, you gain complete control over the checkout experience. Developers can:

• Add custom fields and upsells
• Modify the checkout layout
• Implement unique discount logic using Shopify Functions
• Align the checkout flow with your brand identity

Extra Features Included with Shopify Plus

Beyond the primary distinctions between Shopify and Shopify Plus, several other valuable features are exclusive to the Plus plan:

• Unlimited staff accounts: Unlike Shopify Advanced’s limit of 15, Shopify Plus allows your entire team access to the system.
• More inventory locations: Manage up to 200 locations (compared to 10 on other plans), ideal for businesses with multiple stores, warehouses, or retail outlets.
• Faster, stronger checkout: Shopify Plus offers a 40x greater checkout capacity during peak times, ensuring smooth handling of large sales events.
• Higher API limits: Benefit from 10x the API call limits for advanced custom setups or integrations.
• Headless-ready: Operate up to 25 storefronts under a single account (compared to just 1), perfect for global or multi-brand operations.
• Advanced customization: Deeply tailor the customer experience, from fonts and colors to scripts and discounts.

Making the Choice: Shopify vs. Shopify Plus for Your Business

We’ve explored the key distinctions between Shopify and Shopify Plus, highlighting the features that hold the most weight when considering an upgrade. While Shopify Plus undeniably offers enhanced power and flexibility, it’s not always the optimal solution for every business.

Before committing to an upgrade, it’s a prudent step to consult with an expert and carefully assess both your current operational demands and your future growth aspirations. We trust that this guide has provided valuable clarity in navigating your options.

Still feeling uncertain? Don’t hesitate to connect with our  custom Shopify development team—we’re readily available to assist you in selecting the plan that best aligns with your unique business requirements and objectives.