What will you learn from the article?
- What are the key differences between Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus plans?
- What influences your plan choice – price, fees, features and scalability?
- What features do both plans offer and how do they differ in terms of personalization and customer service?
- When should you consider switching from Shopify Advanced to Shopify Plus?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of both plans and how will they impact the growth of your online store?
When deciding to implement Shopify, the question of Advanced Shopify vs. Shopify Plus often arises. What are the key differences and key features? What are the advantages and disadvantages of Shopify Advanced? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of Shopify Plus? When is it worth upgrading from Shopify Advanced to Shopify Plus? We answer this question in this article.
Key differences
When creating a Shopify Advanced vs Shopify Plus comparison, we will first consider the key differences by analyzing these components: price, commission, key features (including advanced Shopify features and Shopify Plus features), scalability and performance, personalization, customer service.
Price
The price of Shopify Advanced vs Shopify Plus is one of the main factors that encourage entrepreneurs to choose a specific license.
Below is a comparison table:
| Shopify Advanced | Shopify Plus | |
| Fee | $299/mo if you pay for a year upfront or $399/mo if you pay month-to-month | $2,300 (three-year contract) or $2,500 (one-year contract) |
As you can see in the table, you can pay for Shopify Advanced on a monthly basis or by paying for a year in advance – then it's $100 cheaper per month.
Paying for Shopify Advanced for a year upfront costs a total of $3,588, while paying month-to-month over the course of a year costs $4,788 per license.
Shopify Plus, on the other hand, is paid on a monthly basis and its price depends on the number of years the contract is signed for:
- annual contract: $2,500/month
- three-year contract: $2,300/mo
Shopify Plus calculation example:
The owner of xyz store decides to sign up for a one-year contract with Shopify Plus, which will cost him a total of $30,000 per year for Shopify. After one year, he decides to extend the contract for another year, which adds another $30,000 to the cost. This happens again in the third year of operation, so he incurs another annual fee of $30,000. In total, over the three years, the total license fee amounted to $90,000 (approximately PLN 357,000 (conversion rate: 1 USD = PLN 3.97)).
If this owner had immediately decided to sign a three-year contract, his annual fee would have been USD 27,600, and the total for three years would have reached USD 82,800 (approximately PLN 328,000 (the same conversion rate as above, i.e. PLN 29,000 less than with an annual renewal contract).
Commission
Commission is also a very important component in the Shopify Advanced vs. Shopify Plus comparison. For store owners who don't have Shopify Payment enabled (and this payment method isn't yet available in Poland), an additional commission should be factored in:
- Shopify Advanced 0.6% per transaction
- Shopify Plus 0.2% per transaction
Key Features
advanced Shopify features
Shopify Plus features
Scalability and performance
The following comparison table shows the scalability and performance of Shopify Advanced vs Shopify Plus:
| Shopify Advanced | Shopify Plus | |
| Scalability | Shopify Advanced is suitable for companies that are in the phase of dynamic growth. The store can handle a large number of products and orders, but capacity constraints may arise at very high volumes. The 15-account limit may not be sufficient for larger teams. |
Shopify Plus is ideal for large businesses and brands that need advanced scalability. There are no practical limits on the number of products and orders, allowing you to freely scale your operations. The ability to create an unlimited number of employee accounts, which is certainly crucial for large teams. |
| Efficiency | Shopify Advanced uses the same core infrastructure as other Shopify plans, providing high performance but without additional optimizations for extreme loads. Offers advanced reporting tools to help you monitor your store's performance |
Shopify Plus uses a more advanced infrastructure that is optimized for heavy loads and high traffic. Additional personalization options and dedicated resources like the account manager help optimize store performance. Better server availability and optimized page load times, which is crucial for large e-commerce operations. |
Personalization
Personalization and all issues related to UX and UI design also remain very important.
Shopify Plus offers greater store and user interface customization options for the final step of the shopping process, checkout. Editing this element isn't available with other licenses, including Shopify Advanced.
Customer service
When comparing Shopify Advanced vs Shopify Plus, it's also worth considering customer service issues:
Shopify Advanced: 24/7 customer support via email and chat. There's also an extensive help center with a vast database of articles, tutorials, and helpful videos.
Shopify Plus: a dedicated manager and much more advanced technical support (chat, phone, email), as well as access to Shopify Plus Academy and educational resources available only to Shopify Plus store owners.
Advantages and disadvantages of Shopify Advanced
Below we summarize the key advantages and disadvantages of Shopify Advanced:
Advantages of Shopify Advanced
- Cost:
- For the range of functionalities we receive, the monthly fee is relatively affordable
- Functionality includes:
- Advanced Reporting: Access to advanced analytical tools and financial reports
- 15 administrative accounts
- 3rd-party calculated shipping rates, which are not available for lower plans
- Customer service:
- 24/7 support: 24/7 technical support via email and chat
- Ease of use:
- Intuitive interface: A simple and intuitive user interface that makes it easy to manage your store, even for those without advanced technical knowledge
Disadvantages of Shopify Advanced
- Personalization limitations:
- Less flexibility: Fewer store customization options compared to Shopify Plus.
- Some advanced features missing:
- Lack of automation: No advanced workflow automation tools like Shopify Scripts and Shopify Editor available in Shopify Plus.
- No module for sales in the B2B model.
- Additional costs:
- Apps and Integrations: The need to use paid apps and integrations to extend store functionality.
Advantages and disadvantages of Shopify Plus
Key pros and cons Shopify Plus :
Advantages of Shopify Plus
- Scalability:
- No limits: Ability to handle an unlimited number of products, orders, and employee accounts.
- For the price of one license we get the opportunity to create 10 stores
- Functionality:
- Advanced B2B Features: Built-in features to support wholesale and B2B relationships, such as dedicated wholesale platforms.
- Automation: Shopify Plus allows you to automate various business processes, which increases operational efficiency.
- Access to advanced APIs: Expand your store integration and customization capabilities with advanced APIs.
- Customer support and service:
- Dedicated Account Manager: A personal account manager provides personalized support and advice.
- 24/7 Support: 24/7 technical support via phone, email, and chat with priority access to Shopify experts.
- Personalization and branding:
- Checkout Customization: The ability to customize the checkout process, which can lead to higher conversion rates.
- Additional resources and tools:
- Shopify Plus Academy: Access to exclusive educational resources and training.
- Launch Engineer: Assistance with store migration and launch by a dedicated engineer.
Shopify Plus Disadvantages
- Cost:
- High price: Shopify Plus is significantly more expensive than other Shopify plans, starting at $23,000 per month.
- Complexity:
- Full use of advanced features and integrations may require developer support or services and expertise. Shopify Partner .
- Additional costs:
- Additional fees for apps and integrations: While Shopify Plus offers advanced features, many businesses still need paid apps and integrations, which of course increases the overall cost.
When should I upgrade from Shopify Advanced to Shopify Plus?
When should you upgrade from Shopify Advanced to Shopify Plus? We'll answer this question with five points:
1. Rapid Growth and High Sales Volume
- Increased traffic and sales: If your store starts to generate a lot of traffic and orders increase significantly, Shopify Plus can provide better scalability and performance.
- Unlimited resources: With no limits on the number of products, orders, or employee accounts, you can freely scale your operations without worrying about exceeding your limits.
2. The Need for Advanced Personalization
- Customize your payment process: If you want to tailor your payment process to your customers' specific needs, Shopify Plus offers more options.
- Advanced branding features: Full control over your store's design and appearance, which can increase conversions and customer loyalty.
3. International expansion
- If you're planning to expand internationally, Shopify Plus offers enhanced support for international sales, including creating 9 additional store versions.
- Global Infrastructure: Enhanced server infrastructure for fast page loads and reliability across geographic markets.
4. Need for Advanced Support and Advice
- Dedicated account manager: If you need more personalized support and advice to help you grow your business, Shopify Plus offers a dedicated account manager and top-tier technical support.
- Migration and launch assistance: A dedicated engineer helps you migrate and launch your store, which can be crucial when transitioning to a new plan and migrating to Shopify Plus.
5. B2B Sales
- B2B support: If you plan to expand into wholesale or have complex business models, Shopify Plus offers dedicated features to support B2B sales.
- Advanced integrations: The need for more advanced integrations with ERP, CRM, or other business tools may require the functionality offered by Shopify Plus.
Summary
The Shopify Advanced vs. Shopify Plus comparison is a very interesting topic and certainly requires entrepreneurs to carefully consider which plan will be more cost-effective and bring more benefits to their specific e-business. It's worth noting that when choosing the Shopify Plus plan, there's no option to cancel the license payment during the contract period (annual or three years), so there's definitely no room for hasty decisions.
- Price and commission differences : Shopify Advanced starts at $299 per month (depending on payment plan), while Shopify Plus costs $2,300-$2,500 per month. Shopify Plus also has a lower transaction commission (0.2%) compared to Shopify Advanced (0.6%).
- Scalability and performance : Shopify Plus offers better scalability, supporting unlimited products, orders, and staff accounts, making it ideal for large businesses. Shopify Advanced is more limited in this regard.
- Customization options : Shopify Plus allows for advanced customization of the checkout process, which is not possible with Shopify Advanced. It also offers better integration options with external systems.
- Support and customer service : Shopify Plus provides a dedicated account manager and 24/7 technical support, while Shopify Advanced offers standard email and chat support.
- When to switch to Shopify Plus : Switching to Shopify Plus is worthwhile if you have rapid sales growth, need advanced personalization, are looking for international expansion, want dedicated support, or are selling B2B.
