What Is Shopify Plus? Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons Explained

What is Shopify Plus? Is it the right choice for your business? Many businesses face challenges like slow performance, limited customization, and checkout restrictions as they expand. When standard Shopify plans no longer meet these demands, Shopify Plus offers the scalability, automation, and flexibility needed to support high-growth brands.

In this guide, we’ll dive deep into:

• Shopify Plus is much different from standard plans, and there will be more learning curves.
• For brands with multiple stores, Shopify Plus may still have certain limits.

By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of whether Shopify Plus is the right fit for your business and how it can help you scale efficiently.

What Is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is an advanced version of Shopify designed for fast-growing businesses that need more power, flexibility, and support. It’s built for brands handling high sales volumes, typically making $1M+ in annual revenue, managing thousands of orders daily, or expanding into new markets.

With Shopify Plus, you get advanced customization, automation tools, and dedicated support - features not available on standard Shopify plans. It’s perfect for businesses that need a scalable, high-performance platform to keep up with growth.

Since Shopify Plus is a fully hosted SaaS platform, it takes care of security, software updates, and server performance, so you can focus on growing your business instead of dealing with IT issues.

Many top brands choose Shopify Plus to support their growth with ease. Image source: FashionNova

Shopify Plus Pricing

Shopify Plus offers a tiered pricing structure that varies based on business size and revenue. Its plan starts at $2,300 per month for a 3-year term or $2,500 per month for a 1-year term.

For more complex and high-volume businesses, Shopify Plus applies a variable platform fee based on revenue and business model:

• 1-Year Option: 0.4% of direct-to-consumer (D2C) revenue and 0.18% of B2B revenue (minimum $2,500).
• 3-Year Option: 0.35% of monthly sales volume (minimum $2,300).

These fees cover access to core features like unlimited staff accounts, up to 200 inventory locations, 9 expansion stores, up to 100 themes, 200 POS pro locations, and priority 24/7 support.

💡 Tip: Shopify Plus pricing isn’t set in stone! Businesses can negotiate customized pricing based on their sales volume, business model, and growth potential. Shopify’s sales team often provides tailored deals, so don’t hesitate to ask for discounts or flexible terms to get the best value for your investment.

Do you want a detailed, customized pricing plan for your business? Leave your information, and we will assist you by directly contacting the Shopify Plus sales team to provide you with the most personalized and practical support.

Shopify Plus vs. Shopify Standard Plans

Shopify Plus comes with advanced capabilities not available on standard Shopify plans. While standard Shopify plans like Basic, Shopify, and Advanced are great for small to medium-sized businesses, Shopify Plus caters to larger operations and enterprises with more complex needs.

Here’s a quick comparison:

📌 Read more in our detailed Shopify review to find out which solution is best for your store!

Who is Shopify Plus Ideal For?

Shopify Plus is a great choice for businesses that are experiencing rapid growth and require advanced tools to streamline their operations. These include:

• B2B Businesses: Companies that sell to other businesses need bulk ordering capabilities, custom pricing, and advanced account management tools.
• D2C Brands: Direct-to-consumer brands focus on customer experience, personalization, and seamless checkout optimization.
• Global Scaling Businesses: Companies expanding internationally require multi-currency support, localized storefronts, and region-specific marketing tools.

Each of these business types has unique challenges, and Shopify Plus provides tailored solutions to help them overcome scaling issues and optimize their eCommerce performance.

Shopify Plus Benefits: 7 Key Advantages & Features

1. Handle Big Business with Ease

Handling large-scale sales and high-traffic events is crucial for fast-growing businesses. Shopify Plus is designed to manage massive order volumes efficiently, ensuring smooth operations even during peak shopping seasons. 

With 99.9% uptime, businesses using Shopify Plus experience uninterrupted service, even on high-demand days like Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM). This level of reliability prevents revenue loss and keeps customers satisfied.

Gymshark is a fitness brand that has scaled successfully with Shopify Plus. During BFCM, it handled millions of visitors without any downtime, proving Shopify Plus's reliability.

Shopify Plus also supports up to 10,000+ transactions per minute, making it the perfect solution for businesses experiencing frequent sales surges. Whether it’s a viral product launch or a seasonal sale, Shopify Plus ensures your store remains fast and fully functional.

2. Higher Customization for Store & Checkout 

A smooth and personalized shopping experience is key to success in eCommerce. Shopify Plus provides advanced customization tools, allowing businesses to create online stores that reflect their unique brand identity and customer preferences.

With Liquid code and APIs, Shopify Plus users have full control over their store’s design. This means businesses can modify layouts, add custom features, and create a shopping experience that perfectly aligns with their brand. Unlike standard Shopify plans, this level of customization helps businesses offer a distinctive and engaging storefront.

Shopify Scripts takes personalization further by enabling businesses to customize the checkout experience. Merchants can add automated discounts, dynamic pricing, and exclusive promotions for different customer segments. These tailored features help improve conversion rates and boost customer satisfaction.

For example, Bombas, a well-known clothing brand, uses Shopify Scripts to provide exclusive discounts and loyalty rewards to regular customers. This strategy has significantly improved customer retention and strengthened brand loyalty.

To enhance the checkout process even more, businesses can integrate third-party tools for extra functionality. Take a look at some of the best checkout apps that can transform your customers’ checkout experience:

• ReConvert – Enables post-purchase upsells and thank-you page customization to increase average order value (AOV).
• Bold Upsell – Offers one-click upsells and cross-sells before, during, or after checkout.
• Honeycomb Upsell & Cross-Sell – Helps merchants create customized discount offers during checkout.
• Recharge – Perfect for brands selling subscriptions, allowing automated recurring billing.

Features like one-click upsell and tiered pricing discounts help businesses streamline the buying journey and increase the average order value. This makes Shopify Plus an excellent solution for businesses focused on maximizing revenue.

You can level up your store’s design and checkout experience with Megamog, the ultimate high-converting theme for megastores and wholesale brands. With stunning visuals and built-in B2B features, it helps you create a professional, high-performing store effortlessly. Pair it with Shopify Scripts and upsell apps to optimize checkout, boost conversions, and maximize revenue.

3. Automate and Manage Stores Easily

Among the most valuable Shopify Plus features is its powerful automation and management tools, which help businesses streamline multiple stores and large-scale operations.

Launchpad, an exclusive Shopify Plus feature, allows merchants to automate product launches, flash sales, and marketing campaigns. Businesses can schedule promotions, apply discounts, update themes, and track real-time analytics - without manual work. It’s especially useful for high-traffic events like Black Friday, ensuring smooth and hassle-free operations. For even more automation, Shopify Flow will help you streamline tasks like order management, customer segmentation, and inventory updates.

Shopify Plus also provides a centralized dashboard - Shopify Plus Admin - where businesses can manage multiple stores from one place. This is especially useful for brands operating across different regions or managing various product lines under the same umbrella.

For brands looking for expert guidance, dedicated support from Shopify Plus comes in the form of Launch Managers and Account Managers. These specialists help businesses optimize their setup, integrate essential tools, and scale efficiently.

4. Expand Globally Without Hassle

Expanding into international markets requires managing multiple storefronts efficiently. Shopify Plus simplifies this with its multi-store capabilities, allowing businesses to operate different storefronts for various regions, languages, and currencies - all from a single dashboard.

Brands can create localized shopping experiences tailored to each market’s specific needs. Shopify Plus provides multi-currency checkout options, ensuring a smooth buying experience for global customers. This feature eliminates currency conversion confusion and improves customer satisfaction.

A great example is Heinz, which leverages Shopify Plus to manage multiple international stores while maintaining a consistent brand experience. This approach allows businesses to scale globally without operational bottlenecks.

Additionally, Shopify Plus supports localized payment gateways, making it easier for businesses to cater to regional preferences and boost conversion rates. By offering familiar and trusted payment options, brands can build customer trust and encourage repeat purchases.

5. Lower Costs & Transaction Fees

Compared to platforms like Magento, Shopify Plus is more affordable, often reducing development and maintenance costs by 30-50%.

For example, while Magento can require over $100,000 annually in development and hosting, Shopify Plus offers a fully managed solution at a low cost. This makes it a more budget-friendly option for scaling businesses.

Additionally, Shopify Plus significantly reduces transaction fees. It charges only 0.2% per transaction when using external payment gateways, compared to the 0.6% to 2% charged on standard Shopify plans.

For high-volume sellers, these lower fees can result in substantial savings. The platform also offers negotiable credit card rates, with some Plus merchants reporting overall payment processing cost reductions of up to 40%.

6. Protect Business with Advanced Security

One of the most overlooked Shopify Plus benefits is its enterprise-level security. For enterprise businesses handling large transaction volumes, security is non-negotiable. Shopify Plus provides top-tier security and compliance features to protect both businesses and their customers.

With PCI DSS Level 1 Compliance, all transactions are securely encrypted, reducing the risk of data breaches and fraud. This ensures that customers feel safe making purchases, boosting trust and credibility.

Shopify Plus also includes built-in fraud protection tools that analyze transactions to identify suspicious activity, reduce chargebacks, and prevent fraudulent purchases. These automated tools save businesses time and money by minimizing risks associated with online transactions.

To maintain the highest security standards, Shopify Plus provides regular security updates and continuous threat monitoring. This proactive approach helps businesses stay ahead of potential cyber risks without needing manual intervention, ensuring a safe and seamless shopping experience for customers.

With these powerful benefits, Shopify Plus proves to be an ideal choice for businesses that are scaling rapidly and require an all-in-one enterprise eCommerce solution. 

7. Easily Build & Run Your Store

Running an eCommerce business is challenging enough - managing servers, security, and website updates shouldn’t be another headache. One of the biggest Shopify Plus advantages is that it’s designed to be simple, fast, and hassle-free, even for businesses without technical expertise.

Unlike other enterprise platforms, Shopify Plus doesn’t require coding knowledge to build and operate a store. With an intuitive dashboard, drag-and-drop tools, and customizable themes, businesses can launch and manage their websites with ease.

Shopify Plus is also a fully hosted platform, meaning all server management, security updates, and maintenance are handled automatically. In contrast, platforms like Magento require complex setup, manual updates, and ongoing technical management, making Shopify Plus a cost-effective and time-saving choice.

📝 If you're also looking into other platforms for large enterprises besides Shopify, read our article on Shopify's competitors.

Shopify Plus Drawbacks: What You Should Consider

While Shopify Plus offers numerous advantages, there are some potential downsides to be aware of. Understanding these challenges is essential to making an informed decision and finding ways to mitigate them effectively.

1. Managing Multiple Brands Is Complicated

Shopify Plus does not natively support multi-store setups, which can make managing multiple brands across different markets more complicated. Businesses may need to create and operate separate stores for each region, increasing operational workload.

Solution: For businesses running multiple brands, we recommend leveraging Shopify Plus’s robust third-party apps and integrations. These tools allow businesses to centralize workflows, sync inventory, and streamline reporting across multiple stores, making operations more efficient and scalable.

2. Limited Customization Compared to Open-Source Platforms 

While Shopify Plus provides greater flexibility than standard Shopify plans, it is still not fully open-source like Magento. This means that deep backend customizations and advanced integrations can be more difficult, mainly due to API limits.

One of the biggest recent changes impacting customization is Shopify’s API update in July 2024. This API update had tightened security, limiting how third-party apps and custom integrations access customer data. While these updates improve data protection, they also restrict certain custom features, which can be challenging for businesses that rely on deep backend modifications.

Additionally, Shopify updates its API more frequently, meaning businesses must regularly update their apps and custom solutions to keep everything running smoothly. If apps aren’t updated in time, some features may stop working, leading to extra costs for fixing or replacing them.

Solution: Businesses should work with Shopify Plus developers who stay informed about API changes and quickly adapt integrations when needed. To avoid disruptions, prioritize Shopify-approved apps that are actively maintained and updated to meet Shopify’s latest security standards. Keeping an eye on Shopify’s API roadmap allows businesses to plan ahead and stay prepared for future updates.

3. You May Rely Too Much on Third-Party Apps

Another challenge with Shopify Plus is managing multiple stores and third-party integrations. Shopify Plus requires separate storefronts for each region or brand, and this setup can become complicated and time-consuming, especially for businesses expanding internationally.

Another key issue is integration with third-party tools. Many advanced Shopify Plus features aren’t built-in, so businesses must rely on external apps for things like custom checkout, analytics, B2B solutions, and automation. While these apps enhance functionality, they also increase costs and require ongoing management.

Solution: To avoid unnecessary expenses and simplify operations, businesses should use high-quality, multi-functional apps that reduce the number of separate integrations needed.  

4. B2B Features May Not Be Enough

Shopify Plus does offer some B2B (business-to-business) tools, but they may not be enough for large wholesale businesses with complex needs. For large B2B businesses with multi-location fulfillment centers, global supplier networks, or intricate ordering processes, these limitations could create operational inefficiencies. If your business relies on complex pricing structures, customized bulk orders, or industry-specific B2B workflows, you might need third-party apps or external ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) integrations to streamline operations. 

Solution: Businesses that rely heavily on B2B transactions can enhance their Shopify Plus experience by integrating with specialized B2B software solutions. These tools provide robust features such as custom pricing, advanced wholesale management, and seamless customer segmentation to serve business buyers better.

Shopify Plus FAQ - What You Need To Know

1. What is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is Shopify’s enterprise plan for fast-growing businesses needing more power, flexibility, and automation. It offers advanced checkout customization, multi-store management, enhanced API access, and dedicated support, making it a scalable solution for high-volume sales, global expansion, and complex operations.

2. Is Shopify Plus really worth it?

Shopify Plus is worth it for businesses handling high sales volumes, international expansion, or requiring advanced customization. If your revenue exceeds $1M annually and you need scalable automation, custom checkout, and priority support, it’s a smart investment. However, smaller businesses may find standard Shopify plans more cost-effective. 

3. Who is Shopify Plus suitable for?

Shopify Plus is ideal for:

• High-growth brands processing thousands of daily orders.
• Global businesses managing multiple storefronts.
• B2B & wholesale sellers needing custom pricing & bulk orders.
• Subscription-based brands requiring advanced checkout options.

If standard Shopify limits your growth, Shopify Plus offers scalability and automation to streamline operations.

4. What is the difference between Shopify Plus vs. Shopify?

Shopify Plus offers more scalability, customization, and automation than standard Shopify plans. It can handle 10,000+ transactions per minute, offers checkout customization with Shopify Scripts, and provides multi-store support for selling in different regions. Shopify Plus users also get priority customer service and lower transaction fees. On the other hand, Standard Shopify is more budget-friendly but lacks enterprise-level features.

5. What are the key benefits of Shopify Plus?

Key benefits of Shopify Plus include scalability, advanced customization, powerful automation tools, seamless multi-store management, lower total cost of ownership, enterprise-grade security, and dedicated 24/7 phone support. Businesses can also leverage dedicated account managers and priority support.

6. What are the limitations of Shopify Plus?

While Shopify Plus offers many advantages, it has some limitations. These include higher costs for smaller businesses, dependency on third-party apps for some functionalities, and limited built-in B2B features.

After exploring what is Shopify Plus, evaluate your business needs, budget, and growth plans to decide if it’s the right fit. Make sure its features and pricing align with your goals before upgrading.

Thinking of upgrading to Shopify Plus? Contact us to learn how you can maximize its benefits and take your business to the next level!

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