Specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Shopify is an easy-to-use ecommerce platform that offers a wide range of features for building and managing an online store.
On the other hand, Shopify Plus, an enterprise-level e-commerce platform, is suitable for high-growth businesses that are driving huge sales volumes.
Deciding between Shopify and Shopify Plus is really like a tough nut to crack only when you don’t have enough information. Of course, the difference between these eCommerce platforms is subtle, but when you get it perfectly, you can maximize these benefits.
Not to fret!
We are here to relieve your stress, providing a detailed comparison of these platforms and streamlining your decision. We will also give you an overview of Shopify and Shopify Plus, provide use cases with examples, and share a trick for picking the most suitable eCommerce platform for your business.
Let’s crush this!
Overview of Shopify
What Is Shopify?
If you are looking to start, manage, and expand your business, you must choose Shopify, a comprehensive commerce platform.
Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms that’s gaining traction for offering ease to businesses to build an online store, market to customers, manage sales, and accept payments digitally or at physical locations.
According to a report received in Q1 2024, Shopify's subscription solutions revenue has hit $511 million, a boost of about 34%.
This figure points to the increasing number of merchants opting for Shopify, which strengthens recurring revenue and the store’s stability.
Key Features And Capabilities
It would be challenging to count the features and functionalities of Shopify on our fingers.
So, let’s unpack them and get it better.
1. Store Development and Management
As we read above, Shopify is best for ecommerce store creation and management; the platform is more than this. It caters to a customizable and user-friendly interface, allowing effortless addition, edition, and management of your product details, including images, descriptions, prices, and inventory levels.
Beyond product pages, with Shopify, you can create engaging and informative website content, like blog posts.
2. Sales and Payments
Shopify Payments, with extra fees, lets users accept payments securely. You can also integrate your store with top third-party payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal.
Customers can experience a secure and smooth checkout process with Shopify’s shopping cart and checkout.
Creating and managing discount codes, gift cards, and promotions is possible with Shopify to incentivize purchases.
3. Marketing and Sales Tools
With the e-commerce platform, you can email marketing campaigns and create social media posts to attract customers and boost sales.
With in-built SEO tools, you can optimize your store and enhance your organic search ranking.
You can also see how your store is performing, gaining valuable insights that provide detailed sales reports, traffic data, and customer behavior analytics.
4. Inventory and Fulfillment
Shopify allows real-time tracking of stock levels, stays away from stock outs with low-stock alerts, and seamlessly manages shipping rates and methods.
By integrating fulfillment services into your store, you can automate the order fulfillment process, save time, and efficiently deliver to customers.
5. Customer Management and Security
You can effectively manage your relationships with customers. Shopify allows account creation for a flawless shopping experience and rapid checkouts.
You can personalize interactions and offer unique customer service by accessing your customer data and purchase patterns.
Placing security on priority, Shopify facilitates users to be PCI compliant to protect customer information and features that help maintain a trustworthy and reliable online store ambiance for customers.
Pricing Structure
| Plans | For | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Solo Entrepreneurs | $29/month (Billed once yearly) |
| Shopify | Small Teams | $79/month (Billed once yearly) |
| Advanced | As business scales | $299/month (Billed once yearly) |
Suitable Business Types And Sizes
Shopify is a feasible platform that can be as right as rain for numerous business types and sizes.
Business Types
- Product-Based Businesses
- Dropshipping Businesses
- Digital Product Sales
- Print-on-Demand Businesses
- Subscription Services
Business Sizes
- Startups
- Small Businesses
- Medium-Sized Businesses
- Large Businesses (with restrictions)
Tip*: Shopify works wonders for businesses dealing in products or subscriptions.
Overview of Shopify Plus
What Is Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is the sole digital retail platform built above the basic Shopify platform. It befits businesses with complex requirements, providing features and functionalities surpassing the caliber of the standard Shopify plans.
With Shopify Plus, customers spend approximately 80% less on their e-stores than with other platforms.
With Shopify Plus, you will get a scalable and robust ecommerce solution you missed in the basic Shopify plans, like complex operations management, custom functions, and dedicated support for constant growth and success.
Key Features And Capabilities
Arriving with an array of key features, Shopify Plus surfaces as an ecommerce powerhouse for online stores.
Let’s get deeper to know how the ecommerce platform can be beneficial for your enterprise.
1. Expansion Stores
When you build multiple storefronts under Shopify Plus, you can manage your business in international markets. Each storefront can be customized for region, language, and product offerings.
2. High-Volume API Access
Shopify Plus allows effortless management of huge data exchanges between your stores and custom apps or external systems by enabling seamless integration with intricate business management tools.
3. Custom App Development
If you want advanced customization integrating custom apps, you can do that with Shopify Plus. It lets you tailor the e-commerce platform per your business requirements and integrate functionalities that you still need to get in Shopify’s basic plans.
4. Dedicated Account Manager
Get personalized guidance and support from a dedicated Shopify Plus account manager. This ensures connecting directly for strategic advice, troubleshooting, and optimizing the Shopify Plus experience.
5. Unlimited Staff Accounts
With a limitless number of staff accounts, you can efficiently manage your team. For granular access control over stores and functionalities, you only have to assign distinct permission levels to every staff member.
Pricing Structure
- Best for complex businesses
- Starting at $2,300/month (billed on a 3-year term)
Suitable Business Types And Sizes
Businesses that have excelled in the standard Shopify plans can reap the benefits of Shopify Plus, specifically designed for enterprise-level businesses.
Business Types
- Large Product Catalogs
- High-Growth Businesses
- Complex Operational Needs
- Established Brands Looking for International Expansion
Business Sizes
- Enterprise-Level Businesses (with limitations)
- Large Businesses
Large businesses with complex needs can adopt Shopify Plus to ease their online store’s management, scale their processes, and catch consistent growth in the ecommerce landscape.
Key Differences Between Shopify and Shopify Plus
We have curated a table comparing Shopify and Shopify Plus, considering major parameters that can help differentiate them better.
| Feature | Shopify | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing and Costs | The standard plan starts at $29/month, and as costs increase, plans are upgraded with higher offerings, features, and transaction limits. | The price is customized based on your business requirements and sales volume. Generally, the starting price is significantly higher than standard Shopify plans. |
| Customization and Design | Limited customization options with pre-designed themes and app integrations. | Extensive customization options with seamless access to the Shopify theme code and the power to build custom apps. |
| Scalability and Performance | Challenging to handle moderate sales volume with very high traffic or complex processes. | Designed to manage high sales volume and complex processes. Highly scalable and capable to accommodate significant growth. |
| Support and Resources | Round-the-clock general support is available via email, chat, and phone. Limited access to dedicated account managers. | Dedicated account manager for personalized strategic guidance and support. Priority access to support channels. |
| Features and Integrations | Embraces core ecommerce features, such as marketing tools, product management, and payment processing. Limited API access for integrations. | Includes all Shopify features, advanced functionalities like unlimited staff accounts, high-volume API access, and expansion stores. |
| Security and Compliance | PCI compliant, ensuring secure customer data storage. | PCI compliant with extra security features and fraud prevention measures. |
| User Experience | The user-friendly interface is ideal for beginners looking to have ease of use. | A user-friendly interface with additional functionalities and features, but may need more technical expertise to use the platform fully. |
We opted for a tabular representation to distinguish between Shopify and Shopify Plus to ease your understanding.
Connect with our Shopify experts to get the perfect guidance for your ecommerce store journey.
Use Cases and Examples
The world’s top giants, startups, and other businesses are adopting Shopify and Shopify Plus, which suit their business needs and thrive in this e-commerce landscape.
Let’s take some real-life examples:
Case Studies of Businesses Using Shopify and Shopify Plus
1. Brand Name: Hoonigan
Industry: Tools and Hardware
Previous Platform: Adobe Commerce
Migrated Platform: Shopify
Problem: An automotive lifestyle brand with a wide audience base found it challenging to scale and meet complex business needs when it started expanding expeditiously.
Solution: Working with Ethercycle, a Shopify Plus partner, Hoonigan started managing its complexities better. Ethercycle migrated Hoonigan from Adobe Commerce to Shopify Plus.
Result: With Shopify, Hoonigan witnessed:
- 30% boost in sales YoY,
- 45% surge in conversion rate YoY and
- 40% elevation in average order value YoY.
“Shopify and its ecosystem of apps and developers have been instrumental in helping us remain proactive and nimble while growing our online business in this ever-changing environment.” Hoonigan, Steve DeMars — SVP of Product
2. Brand Name: Gymshark
Industry: Fashion and Apparel
Previous Platform: Adobe Commerce
Migrated Platform: Shopify Plus
Challenge: A leading fitness apparel and accessories brand needed help handling traffic spikes and growth. Their site on the previous platform crashed at a crucial stage.
Solution: Gymshark migrated to Shopify Plus and found the right solution for scaling demands and seamless expansion.
Besides, the company built online-offline customer experiences using Shopify’s POS system, helping customers make purchases in-store.
Result: Gymshark makes the best use of Shopify Plus and:
- Reached €41 million in sales,
- Generated 5.1 million social media followers in 131 countries, and
- Became the fastest-growing brand for fitness and apparel.
“That was supposed to be a huge day for us but we let our customers down. It didn’t matter that it was Adobe Commerce fault, it’s our brand and customers blamed us which really hurt.” Gymshark, Ben Francis — Founder
How To Choose Between Shopify And Shopify Plus
Various factors are considered when choosing an e-commerce platform.
Let’s dig out the relevant parameters:
| Factor | Shopify | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Business Size | Suitable for startups, small and medium-sized businesses | Suitable for large businesses, high-growth businesses, and enterprises |
| Growth Plans | Ideal for beginners or moderate growth | Ideal for scalability needs or huge expansion. |
| Budget | Affordable subscription plans | Custom pricing is generally more expensive |
| Customization Needs | Limited customization options | Extensive customization options, custom app development, and theme code access. |
| Technical Expertise | User-friendly | May demand more technical expertise for advanced features |
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Making A Decision
- What’s your current sales volume, and do you expect significant growth?
- Does your business need extensive customization beyond app integrations or themes?
- How important is priority support and dedicated account management for your business?
- Is your budget flexible enough to accommodate possibly higher charges for Shopify Plus?
Recommendations Based On Different Business Scenarios
Let’s take some varied scenarios to ease your decision suiting your needs:
Scenario #1: Kickstarting a New Startup
Recommendations: You can start with Shopify, considering its affordability, core features, and user-friendliness. Later, if you witness your business catching up with extensive growth, you can upgrade to Shopify Plus.
Scenario #2: Emerging Business with Moderate Sales Volume
Recommendations: Shopify may still be sufficient for your business requirements. But, if you are outgrowing standard Shopify plans, need more staff accounts, design control, etc., choose Shopify Plus.
Scenario #3: Large Enterprise with High Sales Volume and Complex Needs
Recommendation: Shopify is the best choice as it offers the customization, scalability, and dedicated support required to efficiently manage high sales volumes and complex operations.
Tip*: When choosing between Shopify and Shopify Plus:
- Consider your business size, growth trajectory, and sales volume.
- Guage your need for advanced functionalities and customization.
- Assess the value proposition of every platform and your budget.
Small businesses with moderate sales volume should go for Shopify. Expanded businesses with complex requirements, high sales volumes, and a focus on personalization must opt for Shopify Plus.
Migration From Shopify To Shopify Plus
As you have read, the growing businesses demand more than what standard Shopify plans are offering. So, to meet your business’s scalability, customization, security, and more complex needs, migrate your shopify store to Shopify Plus.
How?
We have crafted a blueprint that will guide you through the migration process:
Step #1: Pre-Migration Planning
- Define Your Objectives: First, clarify what you want to achieve with Shopify Plus.
- Analyze Your Store: Perform your store assessment to evaluate the data volume, apps you use, and potential complexities (if any).
- Connect with a Migration Partner: Hire Shopify Plus experts to streamline the migration process and ensure a seamless upgrade.
- Set Essentials Ready: Migration may need time and resources, so ensure you are prepared with the required timeframe and budget.
Step #2: Data Migration
- Select Data: Choose the data you want to transfer to Shopify Plus.
- Migration Tools: Shopify provides built-in migration tools, or you can utilize third-party migration apps listed on the Shopify App Store.
- Data Mapping: If you have achieved accurate data transfer, map your current data fields with the migrated ones in Shopify Plus.
- Data Testing: Test your migrated data rigorously to address issues (if any) and fix them before you launch your Shopify Plus store.
Step #3: App and Integration Migration
- Review Apps: Check which apps you were using in your Shopify store and find their compatibility and usage in your Shopify Plus store.
- App Migration: You can migrate essential and compatible apps to Shopify Plus or find identical alternatives within the Shopify Plus app store.
Shopify #4: Design and User Experience (UX) Optimization
- Theme Choice: You can select a theme from the Shopify Plus theme store or opt for custom theme development to offer a unique user experience.
- UX Optimization: Improve your Shopify Plus store’s user experience (UX) and ensure it’s intuitive and seamless for your customers.
Shopify #5: Testing and Quality Assurance (QA)
- Comprehensive Testing: Before rolling out your Shopify Plus store, it’s time to test its functionalities, checkout processes, and integrations.
- QA Checklist: Quality check your store’s function and ensure all perform as expected.
Shopify #6: Go-Live and Post-Migration
- Launch Strategy: Create a launch plan for your Shopify Plus store, including announcements and marketing campaigns.
- Post-Migration Support: Monitor if your store performs as anticipated after launch and identify issues (if any).
Tip*: Maintain seamless communication with your team and customers and update them about the migration process. Also, train your team to let them optimize the new Shopify Plus platform.
If you are looking for constant innovation, lower total cost of ownership (TCO), faster launch time, and higher conversion rates, migrate to Shopify Plus.
How Can EmizenTech Help?
Migrating from Shopify to Shopify Plus can be empowering for your growing business. Careful planning, efficient execution, and assistance from a Shopify development company can ensure a smooth transition.
Have you decided to migrate to Shopify Plus, knowing the benefits, features, and results of giants using it?
Hire EmizenTech, a certified Shopify Partner. The company has a proven track record of completing Shopify projects for integration, migration, development, and more. The professional Shopify developers work dedicatedly to ensure anticipated outcomes within budget and the decided timeframe.
Key Highlights of Hiring Emizentech
- Proven Track Record
- Competitive Pricing
- On-time Delivery
- Faster Time to Market
- In-Budget Services
- 24*7 Assistance
- Ongoing Support & Maintenance
Conclusion
There’s no one-size-fits-all option when choosing an eCommerce platform for your online store. As we have discussed, you should review your business needs and objectives to make an informed decision.
Is your business outgrowing? It’s time to turn in the right direction. Choose an eCommerce development platform that suits your business requirements, sales level, budget, growth plans, technical expertise, etc.
Shopify and Shopify Plus both offer free trial periods. You can opt for one to explore the platform closely and notice if it’s the best fit before committing to a long-term relationship with it.
You can connect with a Shopify development company to get Shopify migration services for seasoned developers and take your business to new heights.
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