When it comes to running an online business, choosing the right e-commerce platform is crucial. Two of the most popular options for scaling your business are Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify. In this comprehensive comparison, we will delve into the details of both platforms to help you make an informed decision based on your business needs.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, selecting the ideal e-commerce platform can be a pivotal decision for your business’s success. Two prominent contenders in this arena are Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify, each offering its own set of features and capabilities tailored to different business requirements. In this comprehensive comparison, we will dive deep into these platforms, dissecting their strengths and offerings to empower you with the knowledge necessary to make an informed choice that aligns perfectly with your unique business needs.

The e-commerce sector has evolved significantly over the years, and the emergence of these advanced Shopify solutions reflects the growing demand for flexible, scalable, and high-performance platforms. Whether you’re a burgeoning startup, an established business aiming for growth, or an enterprise-level company with intricate demands, there’s a Shopify solution designed to meet your aspirations.

To make an educated decision, we’ll explore various facets of both Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify, including pricing structures, key features, customization capabilities, and support offerings. Additionally, we’ll take a closer look at some of the industry giants that have leveraged the power of Shopify Plus to achieve remarkable success in the competitive world of e-commerce.

By the end of this detailed comparison, you’ll have a crystal-clear understanding of which Shopify variant aligns best with your business objectives, helping you chart a path towards sustained growth and prosperity in the digital marketplace. Let’s begin the journey of discovery into the world of Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify.

Shopify and Shopify Plus Plans

Let’s begin by exploring the basic plans offered by Shopify and Shopify Plus.

Shopify offers a range of plans to cater to businesses of all sizes:

1. Shopify Lite: Ideal for startups or those who want to sell on social media, starting at $9 per month.

2. Basic Shopify: Suitable for small businesses, starting at $29 per month.

3. Shopify: The standard plan for growing businesses, starting at $79 per month.

4. Advanced Shopify: Geared towards businesses with high-volume sales, starting at $299 per month.

On the other hand, Shopify Plus is designed for enterprise-level businesses with high traffic and complex needs.

Shopify Advanced Pricing and Fees

The Advanced Shopify plan encompasses all the features found in the Shopify plan, but with the added advantage of cost savings through reduced transaction fees and credit card rates. This renders the Advanced Shopify plan an excellent choice for entrepreneurs seeking to foster business growth, harnessing the power of data analytics to identify opportunities for enhancement and progression. When juxtaposing Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify, it becomes evident that the Advanced Shopify pricing is more budget-friendly, coming in at a flat rate of $299 per month. Furthermore, the Shopify Payments rates align with those of Shopify Plus, though there are additional costs associated with using an external payment gateway.

A notable disparity between Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify pertains to the number of stores available to merchants. With Advanced Shopify, businesses are restricted to a single storefront. For instance, a retailer operating two distinct stores—one in the US and another in the UK—would need to procure two separate Advanced Shopify plans, resulting in a combined monthly expenditure of $598. Additionally, these accounts would remain isolated from one another. In contrast, Shopify Plus offers merchants the convenience of accessing and managing all their stores through a single unified admin dashboard, streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency.

Advanced Shopify Features

Let’s explore some of the key features that make Advanced Shopify stand out:

Custom Report Builder: Advanced Shopify arms you with a powerful tool: the Custom Report Builder. This feature allows you to create tailored reports that provide insights into various aspects of your e-commerce operations. Whether you want to track sales trends, analyze customer behavior, or assess inventory management, this tool empowers you with the data you need to make informed decisions.

Advanced Shopify Calculated Carrier Shipping: Shipping logistics can be a significant concern for businesses, and Advanced Shopify takes this into account. With this feature, you gain access to real-time shipping rates, enabling you to offer accurate and competitive shipping costs to your customers. Additionally, you can create custom shipping rules, which is invaluable if you have unique shipping requirements or offer a range of shipping options.

Robust App Integrations: While all Shopify plans provide access to the Shopify App Store, Advanced Shopify offers a more extensive range of options and customization. You can choose from thousands of apps to enhance your store’s functionality, from inventory management and marketing automation to customer support and analytics. The increased capabilities of Advanced Shopify allow for more complex app integrations, making it suitable for businesses with intricate needs.

Abandoned Cart Recovery: Recovering potentially lost sales is crucial for any e-commerce business. Advanced Shopify provides advanced tools for recovering abandoned carts, helping you convert more visitors into customers. You can send personalized email reminders to customers who abandoned their shopping carts, enticing them to complete their purchase.

Gift Cards: Advanced Shopify includes the ability to sell and redeem gift cards. This feature can boost sales during holidays and special occasions, as customers often turn to gift cards as convenient presents.

Professional Reports: In addition to the Custom Report Builder, Advanced Shopify offers a variety of professional reports that give you deeper insights into your business performance. These reports cover areas such as sales, customers, and inventory, allowing you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your store.

Enhanced Customer Support: While not as comprehensive as the support provided by Shopify Plus, Advanced Shopify still offers priority customer support. You’ll have access to faster response times and assistance from Shopify’s support team, ensuring that any issues are addressed promptly.

Advanced Shopify equips businesses with the tools they need to manage and grow their e-commerce operations effectively. Whether it’s advanced reporting, shipping customization, or app integrations, these features make it a compelling choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking to take their online presence to the next level without committing to the full-scale enterprise solution offered by Shopify Plus.

What is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is Shopify’s enterprise-level solution, offering an array of features specifically designed to meet the demands of high-growth businesses.

Shopify Plus Pricing

While Shopify Plus does not disclose its pricing publicly, it is a more significant investment than Advanced Shopify. The exact cost depends on your business’s needs, so you’ll need to contact Shopify’s sales team for a personalized quote.

Shopify Plus vs. Advanced Apps

Both Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify offer access to the Shopify App Store, where you can find thousands of apps to enhance your store’s functionality. However, Shopify Plus provides more robust app integrations and greater customization options to meet your unique requirements.

Multistore & Multi-Currency

One prominent distinction when comparing Shopify Plus to Advanced Shopify is the ability of the Plus platform to accommodate the creation of up to 9 additional stores, complementing the main storefront. These additional stores often serve as unique, region-specific outlets, tailored to the location of the visiting customer. This strategic approach allows merchants to enhance customer trust and drive sales by delivering a highly personalized shopping experience rooted in the customer’s geographical context. It translates into offering customized product recommendations, multi-lingual storefronts, and transactions conducted in local currencies. With Shopify Plus, the scalability factor becomes more manageable, enabling businesses to effortlessly expand their reach to multiple locations and linguistic preferences.

One noteworthy advantage lies in the seamless centralization of inventory management, sales tracking, and customer engagement—all consolidated within a unified dashboard. This consolidation streamlines operations and empowers businesses to efficiently oversee their entire spectrum of product offerings, sales channels, and customer interactions. Furthermore, the provision of staff accounts with varying permission levels and the facilitation of partner collaboration within this integrated system contribute to making business operations smoother and more effective, particularly across diverse international markets.

Shopify Flow and Launchpad

Shopify Flow and Launchpad are exclusive features of Shopify Plus:

1. Shopify Flow: It allows you to automate tasks and workflows, saving time and reducing manual errors in your business processes.

2. Launchpad: This feature enables you to plan and execute product launches, flash sales, and other events with precision, ensuring a seamless customer experience during high-demand periods.

Shopify Plus Advanced Access to Code

One of the significant advantages of Shopify Plus is the increased access to the platform’s code. This allows for deeper customization and integration with other systems, making it an excellent choice for businesses with complex requirements.

Shopify Plus Merchant Success

Shopify Plus offers dedicated support to its merchants, ensuring that you receive the assistance and guidance needed to succeed. This includes a Merchant Success Manager who understands your business and helps you make the most of the platform.

Shopify Plus vs. Advanced Shopify

In summary, the choice between Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify depends on your business’s size, needs, and growth ambitions. Here’s a quick overview:

Shopify Advanced: Suitable for small to medium-sized businesses with moderate sales volume.
Shopify Plus: Tailored for enterprise-level businesses with high sales volume, complex needs, and global reach.

Shopify Plus vs. Advanced Shopify: Summary

In the dynamic realm of e-commerce, choosing the right platform can be the difference between stagnation and explosive growth. As we’ve explored the intricacies of Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify, it’s essential to summarize the key distinctions to facilitate your decision-making process:

Business Size and Growth Aspirations:

Advanced Shopify: Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses with moderate sales volume and straightforward requirements.

Shopify Plus: Tailored for enterprise-level businesses with high sales volume, intricate needs, and global ambitions.

Pricing:

Advanced Shopify: Offers a range of affordable plans to suit various budgets.

Shopify Plus: Requires a custom quote, with higher costs but potentially substantial returns for high-growth enterprises.
Features:

Advanced Shopify: Provides essential e-commerce features suitable for most businesses, including custom report building and calculated carrier shipping.
Shopify Plus: Offers advanced features like Shopify Flow, Launchpad, and enhanced code access, making it an excellent choice for complex business operations.

Customization and Integration:

Advanced Shopify: Offers a solid foundation for customization but with limitations compared to Shopify Plus.

Shopify Plus: Provides advanced customization options, deep code access, and superior integration capabilities for complex business processes.

Multi-Store and Multi-Currency Support:

Advanced Shopify: Limited multi-store support.

Shopify Plus: Excels in managing multiple stores and currencies, ideal for businesses with a global reach.

Support and Success Management

Advanced Shopify: Offers standard support services.

Shopify Plus: Provides dedicated support with a Merchant Success Manager to ensure your business thrives on the platform.

Your choice between Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify hinges on your business’s specific needs and growth trajectory. Advanced Shopify caters well to smaller to medium-sized enterprises, while Shopify Plus is the go-to solution for businesses with high sales volumes, global aspirations, and a thirst for advanced features and customization. By assessing your business’s unique requirements and aspirations, you can make an informed choice that paves the way for sustainable growth and success in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

Some of the biggest brands that use Shopify Plus include:

1. Tesla: The renowned electric car manufacturer trusts Shopify Plus to power its e-commerce platform.

2. Budweiser: The iconic beer brand uses Shopify Plus to manage its online sales and customer experience.

3. Kylie Cosmetics: Kylie Jenner’s cosmetics brand relies on Shopify Plus to handle its high-demand online sales.

4. MVMT: This popular watch and accessory brand chose Shopify Plus to support its rapid growth and global expansion.

5. Fashion Nova: A leading fast-fashion brand, Fashion Nova, uses Shopify Plus to manage its extensive product catalog and high traffic.

Conclusion

Both Shopify Plus and Advanced Shopify offer robust e-commerce solutions, but they cater to different business sizes and needs. Consider your business’s specific requirements, budget, and growth potential when making your decision. With the right choice, you can take your e-commerce business to new heights, just like some of the world’s biggest brands have done with Shopify Plus.