Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Key Differences You Must Know

Shopify has earned the reputation of being a complete ecommerce web development platform available in the market today. It has been by thousands of merchants to build their individual e-commerce stores and earned them huge revenue of $55 billion in sales.

Shopify UAE is ideal choice for small and medium sized business, whereas newly arrived Shopify Plus is apt choice for large scale businesses. Although they work similarly, but later one is capable of handling much more than regular Shopify – for instance, Shopify Plus can handle more than 10,000 transactions per minute! So how can we make out which Shopify platform is appropriate for you? And what does Shopify Plus do for you?

This is exactly where we can help you. Here at Pro Web, we’re committed to design your first ecommerce store on the best ecommerce web design platform for all your requirements. We’ve got the expertise of developing robust online stores and tested them thoroughly. We’re in a position to brief you about the key differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus, and which is right one for you.

Keep on reading as we discussed how these platforms work, the pros and cons, and the key areas that’ll help you to make decisions.

• Pros and Cons:

Shopify

Shopify Plus

Do you want to know why Shopify Plus is perfect choice – click here to explore 10 factors why Shopify Plus is good choice for ecommerce web development.

• Working Process

We will commence by clearing up that Shopify and Shopify Plus work in the same way.

Here you’ll get the same dashboard, editor, and help center for information. People gets confused over Shopify Plus, but not because of its working, but because of it’s capabilities.

Both Shopify and Shopify Plus offers you everything required for building and customizing your e-commerce store, moreover later one goes a step further:

For example, Shopify offers you free shipping, flat rates, or live calculated rates. But with Shopify Plus you can apply a shipping script for configuring precise rates. In brief you can anytime change your shipping options on the basis of client tags, cart content, or minimum order value with greater control, both in setup and customization.

Who Utilizes Shopify/ Shopify Plus?

Shopify is prominently used by majority of ecommerce businesses. It has several plans –starting from $29/month to $299/month – accessible to companies. Shopify Plus has been choice of flagship retailers; Red Bull, Budweiser and Kylie Jenner.

• Flexible Designing

Both Shopify and Shopify Plus provides you 60+ themes for building your ecommerce store. 10 themes are free and 59 are paid, costing around $140 and $180.

Also these themes are available in several languages, giving you the facility to set-up an online store for targeted audience in specific demographic region in their native tongue. The languages include English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Brazilian Portuguese.

All the basic customization is performed through Shopify editor. After adding your products, just decide where to display and divide them in category pages.

However for deeper control, you’ll require coding. This is where Shopify theme language, Liquid, comes to play. Liquid is where coding is done alter your theme’s appearance.  Those who can’t code, must not panic, there are plenty of guides around to help you out.

Like discussed above, Shopify Plus is best for enterprise-level businesses and those already on that level might have a website. Shopify Plus offers you dedicated launch manager to ensure that your ecommerce store gets fully integrated with Shopify. It will help you write codes to get up and running on Shopify custom theme.

Another difference is the ability of editing checkout pages, but Shopify doesn’t allow customization of checkout page now whereas Shopify Plus offers you this option.

To conclude Shopify Plus offers more – you get launch manager, capability to edit checkout pages, which can’t be done with a regular Shopify plan.

• E-commerce Features

These are really different in Shopify and Shopify Plus. Here we’ll discuss some important available features, then move ahead with exclusives of Shopify Plus.

1. Multi-Channel Integration

May sounds complicated but Shopify allows you to sell products directly on marketplaces, like Amazon, eBay and social media platforms like FaceBook and Instagram. If a customer doesn’t require leaving in the purchase, they’re more likely to buy.  It’s a great feature for diversifying revenue streams, it also gives you a more potential customers – genius.

2. Abandoned Cart Recovery

If any customer visits online store, add items in cart but leaves without purchasing, Shopify sends them reminder in-form of an automated email on your behalf to check whether they’re still interested in buying the products.

This could help in recover up to 25% of otherwise lost sales which is just too good to miss out on.

3. Multi-Currency Selling

Shopify has payment processor which let’s your e-commerce store to automatically adjust the currency for products based on customer’s location.

The product prices will amend according to on-going currency exchange rates that are ideal for selling internationally. The currencies supported are: GBP, EUR, USD, CAD, AUD, HKD, NZD, JPY and SGD.

Shopify Plus Exclusive Features

1. Flow

It lets you tailor the first impression individually, once they sign-up on your site. You can track purchases and alter homepage to match the products they might be interested in. Tailoring your storefront for individual customers is a sure way of increasing sales.

2. Script Editor

The script editor is mentioned above, but it’s more useful. One can create script for line items and payment methods with customization of your online store in every aspect as detailed and precise as you like. Shopify doesn’t allow to have the same level of sophisticated tools as Shopify Plus like script editor and flow to offer a more advanced service over the tools available on Shopify.

• Analytics

Shopify is equipped with dedicated analytics dashboard for complete overview of your online store’s sales and custom reports. There is a live view showing minute-by-minute data. It is helpful for 99% of ecommerce businesses to get insights they need. However, Shopify Plus goes one step further.

Shopify Plus partners industry leaders like Glew and Looker, for bringing you up-to-date, data and insights. This helps ecommerce giants with all required information to make big business calls in a split second.

Shopify Plus takes analytics to next level through advanced integrations for expert, detailed data and information.

• Help & Support

Shopify offers 24/7 support via phone email and live chat. You can also search through guides in its fantastic Help Center. Shopify Plus gives you access to all the same support… and then some.

You will get dedicated, personal support with Shopify which is must for large businesses, as well as massive corporations.

Here you’ll get an MSM (merchant success manager) to help you be successful with complete guidance on how to use Shopify Plus, keeping abreast with industry trends, and strategic coaching.  Shopify Plus wins again with personalized support to give you impressive extra of a dedicated launch-manager for your site succeed.

• Pricing and Transaction Fees

Shopify offers 3 pricing plans: Basic Shopify ($29/month), Shopify ($79/month) and Advanced Shopify ($299/month).

These are equipped with all necessary features; multi-channel integration and abandoned cart, but there are a few differences. For creating and selling gift cards, you’ll require Shopify or Advanced Shopify plan.

Here Advanced Shopify gives you more insight through professional reports and third-party calculated shipping rates.

Shopify offers 14-day free trial, meaning if you don’t like, simply don’t invest in a plan. But Shopify Plus pricings is less visible and you need to contact directly. There you can discuss business model, month-wise turnover and marketing requirements to agree over a suitable price.

If your monthly sales fall between $0 to $800,000, Shopify Plus plans tend to be around $2,000/month. Anything above that will vary, right up to Shopify Plus’ ceiling price of $40,000.

The transaction fees also works in much the same way. With Shopify its fixed according to transactions, but with Shopify Plus, they’re negotiable (estimated around 1.6% + 30¢ per transaction).

Another important feature is 3D Secure which protect merchants from any possible frauds while processing credit card transactions!

Shopify Plus is bit-expensive and less visible. You also require getting a quote for Shopify Plus, meaning it can be tailored to your business.

• Final Verdict

When it comes to Shopify vs Shopify Plus, you’re looking at 2 platforms having same hymn sheet. It’s just with Shopify Plus; you require a choir and vocal coach!

Shopify is good for small to medium sized ecommerce businesses needing powerful platform to grow. Later one is apt for enterprise-level businesses looking to sell thousands of products every single day.

Currently, Shopify powers over half a million ecommerce websites whereas Shopify Plus powers 2,500. So If you’re not an ecommerce elite, don’t bother, its equipped with all necessary tools for mid-level seller to an online empire – to give your business wings.