Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which One to Choose for Your Online Store in 2023
Shopify is a user-friendly ecommerce platform for launching your online store. It is a commercial platform with five distinctive plans Lite, Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus. Each package has substantial features necessary for handling a growing business.
However, only the last plan called Shopify Plus is ideal for running an enterprise doing multiple millions in sales. The upgraded ecommerce plan is explicitly designed to handle large-scale enterprises.
This blog discusses Shopify vs Shopify Plus — both are popular options for running online stores, but one works for small & mid-scale businesses, while the other works for mid & big business brands.
Main Packages Available with the Shopify eCommerce Platform
Shopify Lite Plan
Shopify lite is the starter pack and only provides you with POS or the option to sell via other channels. It starts at just $9 per month.
Basic Plan
The Basic plan provides a simple ecommerce site for launching the online store. It is ideal for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses.
- 2 staff accounts
- 24/7 support
- Unlimited products
- Online store with a blog
- Sales channels
- Free SSL certificate
- Discount codes
- Manual order creation
- Abandoned cart recovery
Shopify Plan
It is similar to the basic plan but offers more features and is ideal for running a mid-scale business. Additional features include the following:
- Gift cards
- Report Builder
- More POS features
Advanced Shopify
Thi plan lets you access a larger number of staff accounts, report builders, and third-party shipping solutions. The Shopify vs. Shopify Plus comparison can also be understood as the Advanced Shopify vs. Shopify Plus comparison.
Shopify Plus
This plan provides you with everything the other plans offer, with the following additional features:
- API Access
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Exclusive apps
- High-end customization
Choosing various Shopify plans depends mainly upon the business needs and requirements. It is ideal to go with the Shopify or Advanced Shopify plan when you have a small or mid-scale business that is manageable with little customization and does not require access to exclusive eCommerce features. Dedicated Shopify developers can significantly customize the store outlook & features when you choose the Shopify Plus plan for the online store.
Shopify vs Shopify Plus — What Are The Differences?
When Should You Upgrade To Shopify Plus?
It’s best to upgrade to Shopify Plus when the transaction volume and the client traffic have grown significantly and your online store has more than 100 users per minute. In numbers, such massive traffic may earn you a monthly sales gross of $700,000 or above.
Overall, upgrading to the Shopify Plus plan lets you experience the following:
- Handle an unlimited number of sales staff
- Option of buying online, picking up in store
- Access custom-printed receipts
- Capabilities to define staff/user roles & permissions
- Leverage unlimited registers
- Access to creating purchase orders
- Attribute sales to particular staff members
- Run your online store across 1,000+ locations
Exclusive Features You Get With Shopify Plus
Choosing Shopify Plus for your online store lets you access several out-of-the-box features for running the online store.
API Access
Although other Shopify plans also provide API access, Shopify Plus lets you with enhanced API call limits. It means you can manage high-volume orders with external third-party integrations.
Customization in the Checkout Process
The most notable benefit of Shopify Plus is to help you create an advanced tailored performance for the online store. Shopify development services let you create a customized checkout experience and resolve technical issues negatively affecting users.
Larger Bandwidth
Greater bandwidth is necessary for you to handle many online shoppers surfing your web store. With Shopify Plus, you can access unlimited bandwidth and 200TB of storage, facilitating high traffic and sales.
Access to Shopify Flow
With ShopifyPlus, you get access to Shopify Flow largely responsible for business automation of the following aspects:
- Client support
- Marketing
- Inventory management
- Order management
- Risk management
Launchpad for Handling Large Events & Flash Sales
Large eCommerce businesses deploy events like product launches and flash sales. Such events require precise control and automation of repetitive tasks. Launchpad is a Shopify Plus tool for handling such activities via planning & automation capabilities. It lets you apply discounts to various products and provides an analytics platform for creating reports.
Wrapping Up
The right Shopify Plan depends on your current business requirements. For example, if you want to try your hands with eCommerce and want a dedicated site, it’s best to choose Shopify lite. However, you can select the Basic plan when you need a dedicated site.
The Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus plans are best suited for established businesses. Whatever strategy you choose, hiring developers to tailor the storefront that is unique and matches brand values is advisable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How to Upgrade to Shopify Plus?
You can simply click over the upgrade icon and follow the step-by-step process for upgrading to Shopify Plus. A Shopify development company can help you upgrade to the Shopify Plus version.
Q2. Is it worth upgrading to Shopify Plus?
Upgrading to Shopify Plus will help you with easy online store management if you have a high traffic and sales volume.
Q3. How many orders can Shopify Plus handle?
It can handle 10,000+ transactions per minute, which means a very high level of scalability for the webstore.
