Shopify Plus Review 2024: The Shopify Enterprise Plan

For growing ecommerce companies in search of next-level software, comprehensive platform customization options, and endless extensibility, Shopify Plus could be the perfect solution.

Since Shopify is one of my favorite ecommerce platforms, it’s probably no surprise that I’m a big fan of the company’s enterprise-level solution too.

Shopify Plus gives you all the user friendliness, convenience, and multichannel capabilities of Shopify, alongside some amazing extras.

It’s one of the most comprehensive platforms I’ve ever reviewed, and one of the easiest to scale, with endless support for customization, APIs, and even headless commerce.

But is Shopify Plus right for you?

Here I’ll share my insights into the strengths and weaknesses of Shopify’s most expensive plan, to help you decide if it’s worth the investment.

Key Takeaways

• Shopify Plus is the enterprise version of Shopify’s platform, with prices starting at $2,500 for a year’s subscription, or $2,300 for three years.
• With Shopify Plus, you get all of the features of Shopify Advanced, 200 inventory locations, priority support, localized global selling in 50 markets, and unlimited staff accounts.
• Shopify Plus includes the advanced version of Shopify’s point of sale software, Shopify POS Pro, for up to 200 locations.
• Vendors on Shopify Plus can access dedicated wholesale and B2B selling features, as well as more omnichannel sales opportunities.
• Priority support is included on all Shopify Plus plans, along with access to account managers, and the Shopify Plus Academy.
• With Shopify Plus, you get a fully customizable checkout experience, with 40 x the capacity of the standard Shopify checkout.
• Shopify Plus includes access to a range of unique integrations and API options, plus the option to build headless commerce experiences.

Shopify Plus Pros and Cons

What is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level version of Shopify, one of the world’s leading commerce platforms. Essentially, it’s a more advanced, flexible version of the Shopify platform you may already know and love.

The main difference is that Shopify Plus is intended for companies that want to run bigger stores, and create more unique experiences.

Like standard Shopify, Shopify Plus is a fully-hosted SaaS platform. However, it’s optimized for scalability.

You’ll gain access to things like an upgraded version of Shopify’s checkout, capable of processing more than 10,000 transactions per minute, as well as a 99.99% uptime guarantee.

What’s more, you’ll be able to expand beyond the boundaries of a traditional Shopify store, with support for sales in over 150 countries, endless omnichannel functionality, and access to innovative code customization solutions and APIs.

As a bonus, Shopify Plus can also integrate seamlessly with a host of tools, including apps specially designed for the enterprise platform.

It also comes with a white glove level of customer service, complete with 24/7 support and dedicated account management.

Shopify Plus Pricing

I’ll start this Shopify Plus Review with perhaps the most complicated topic: pricing. Standard Shopify plans feature easy-to-use, pricing tiers, so you know exactly what you’re going to be paying each month straight away.

For instance, Shopify Basic starts at $29 per month (if you pay annually).

Shopify Plus doesn’t have a “set” price, because the exact amount you pay will depend on various factors, such as the number of accounts you need, the various channels you’ll be using for sales, and how much support you need with APIs, integrations and more.

The good news is that unlike other ecommerce enterprise plans that give you absolutely no insight into what you can expect to pay, Shopify Plus is a little more transparent.

Shopify instantly tells you that plans start at $2,500 per month for a 1-year term, or $2,300 per month for a 3-year term.

That might not give you an exact figure to work with, but it’s more than you’ll get from most competitors. Obviously, this price tag definitely makes Shopify Plus less accessible to smaller companies, but it’s actually a relatively fair price tag.

The cost you’ll pay for Shopify Plus is about on par with what you could expect to pay for something like BigCommerce Enterprise, which offers similar functionality (full BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison here).

One point to keep in mind, is that you do get priority transaction fees with Shopify Plus, and you’ll pay less to use payment providers other than Shopify Payments.

For all other Shopify plans, using a third-party provider will cost you between 0.5% and 2%. With Shopify Plus, the fee is only 0.15%.

The Key Features of Shopify Plus

So, what sets Shopify Plus apart from Shopify from a functionality perspective? Well, first of all, you’ll have access to all the features you would get on Shopify’s “Advanced” plan, such as custom reports and analytics, and reduced card rates. However, you’ll also get:

Unlimited Staff Accounts, Stores and Partners

One thing that can make Shopify a little less appealing to some larger ecommerce companies, is that the standard plans do impose limitations on how many staff members you can add to the system.

In the Advanced plan, for instance, you’re limited to just 15 staff members.

With Shopify Plus, you can add as many people to your plan as you like. You’ll also have direct access to Shopify’s comprehensive partner network, so you can access expert assistance from collaborators all over the world.

There’s even the option to connect with industry-best system integrators, like IBM, Accenture, and Deloitte to help you build your store.

You can also create as many online stores as you like with the Shopify Plus account. However, you’ll only get your main store and 9 stores included in your plan as standard.

For any additional stores, you’ll pay another $250 per month.

Extensive Customization and API Options

The flexibility of Shopify Plus is probably the top reason I’d recommend using this plan, instead of the “Advanced” plan. While you can do a lot to customize your store on most standard plans, Shopify Plus eliminates any potential restrictions.

You can access headless commerce solutions, to build any DTC or B2B ecommerce experience you can imagine.

There’s the option to create incredible checkout and shopping experiences for your customers, with Shopify Functions.

You can also personalize the Shopify checkout, making granular changes to each payment page, and even the Shop Pay experience.

The ability to fully customize the Shopify checkout’s branding, design, and layout, add personalized discounts and messages to customers, and set custom pricing rules is fantastic for larger companies.

You’ll also have access to custom APIs that might be particularly appealing for your enterprise business, such as the “Gift card” API, and the “Multi-pass” option, which stops customers from having to log into your site multiple times.

Global Selling for Any Kind of Business

I think Shopify’s standard plans are already excellent for global, or multi-national companies. For instance, every account comes with support for 10 inventory locations, and options to create localized global selling experiences with Shopify Markets.

However, while Shopify’s standard plans limit you to 3 markets per store, Shopify Plus extends this limit to 50, meaning you can really take your global growth to the next level.

From your flexible admin interface, you can sync and track data from multiple stores and markets in one place.

Plus, you can create entirely unique experiences for every customer segment. This is crucial at a time when around 76% of customers say they’re more likely to buy a product when a website is available in their own language, and shows their preferred currency.

Plus, you’re not limited to B2C or D2C selling with Shopify Plus. You can also build and run a comprehensive B2B business, with personalized tools for wholesale buyers.

For instance, you can set net payment terms for B2B customers, create quantity rules, store credit card information in vaults, and enable self-serve purchasing and reordering.

Unmatched Bandwidth and Instant Access to New Features

Like most enterprise versions of ecommerce platforms, Shopify Plus comes with a major performance boost.

First, it gives businesses peace of mind, with a 99.99% uptime guarantee (on par with Squarespace and Wix’s enterprise plans).

You’ll also access a load-tested checkout, with 40 times the capacity of the standard Shopify checkout, as well as access to enhanced security features.

As an extra bonus, as a Shopify Plus customer, you’ll be the first to gain access to all the new and exciting features Shopify introduces.

Since 2020, Shopify has introduced more than 100 product updates every six months, so making sure you can leverage these new features first is great if you want to stay ahead of the competition.

Unique App Integrations and Advanced Automation

Shopify’s extensive app marketplace is one of the reasons I recommend the platform to so many business owners.

There are thousands of apps to choose from for customers on standard plans. However, as a Shopify Plus customer, you get access to a range of certified app partners, that design solutions specifically for Shopify Plus.

Additionally, if you don’t find an app you want in the marketplace, you’ll have the freedom to create your own connections using flexible APIs. You can even work directly with Shopify Plus partners and innovators to create apps specific to your store.

Plus, you’ll be able to take full advantage of Shopify Flow, Shopify’s comprehensive system for building automated workflows.

There’s even exclusive access to the Shopify Launchpad feature, which allows you to schedule, coordinate, and execute automated events, like product drops.

Next Level Omnichannel

Another big reason I love Shopify, is that it makes omnichannel selling so simple. Even with standard plans, you’ll have no problem taking advantage of multiple sales channels, from in-person selling through Shopify POS Lite, to social media and marketplace selling.

Shopify Plus takes this omnichannel experience a step further. You’ll have access to selling opportunities across 100 social media channels, and 80 online marketplaces, and you can automate all of your sales processes with Shopify Flow.

Plus, retailers with a brick-and-mortar presence gain access to Shopify POS Pro, the fully-featured version of Shopify’s point of sale system.

Each Shopify Plus account comes with 200 POS Pro locations, giving you all the features of Shopify POS Lite, plus advanced:

• Staff management: Unlimited staff accounts, and access controls.
• Inventory management: Full inventory accounts, purchase orders, and low stock alerts.
• Customer profiles: Rich customer profiling with real-time data and loyalty insights.
• Clienteling: The power to personalize customer experiences with preference tracking.
• Omnichannel selling: Seamless solutions for “Buy now pay in store”, endless aisle experiences, and more.
• Retail analytics: Real-time and historical insights into sales across both your online store, and your in-person locations.

Exceptional Customer Support

Finally, Shopify Plus customers get “priority” support from Shopify’s team, as well as access to endless guidance and assistance to help them increase their revenue.

Not only will any issues you encounter be fixed with break-neck speed, but you’ll also get your own:

• Solutions engineer: To fix problems that occur with your store.
• Merchant success manager: To help you find ways to boost revenue.
• Launch manager: To help you migrate to Shopify, or get your store up and running.

There’s also the option to tap into endless professional services from Shopify’s team and partner network, if you need assistance with things like building a headless commerce environment, or migrating your data into the platform.

Shopify Plus Integrations

All Shopify customers, including those with a Plus account, gain access to the robust Shopify app marketplace.

Here, you’ll find one-click integration options for thousands of apps and tools. You can access solutions for marketing automation, SEO, accounting and bookkeeping, employee management, payroll, dropshipping, and so much more.

However, as a Shopify Plus vendor, you’ll also be able to use a unique selection of apps, designed by Shopify Plus accredited partners.

Plus, you’ll be able to work with premier systems integrators to build, deploy, and integrate apps, and use Shopify Flow to connect your apps in workflows.

On top of all that, you’ll have endless API extensibility, so you can build and implement your own custom experiences into your store, either yourself, or with the help of a developer.

You can even create a headless commerce experience, by fusing Shopify’s ecommerce functionality with any front-end environment you choose.

Shopify Plus Customer Support & Security

As I noted above, Shopify Plus customers really do get a premium level of customer support. You’ll have 24/7 priority support for any technical issues, so any tickets you submit will instantly be pushed to the front of the queue.

You’ll also have various “account experts” on-hand you can reach out to whenever you have an issue or a specific request.

On top of that, you’ll have access to a huge range of professional services, offered by Shopify Plus partners, and community resources.

Shopify Plus even has it’s own selection of community forums, and the “Shopify Plus Academy” for online learning.

From a security perspective, you can expect a decent upgrade too. All Shopify Plus stores benefit from full end-to-end encryption, and advanced fraud and bot protection.

Shopify Plus vs The Competitors

In my opinion, Shopify Plus reigns supreme as the go-to solution for enterprise stores. However, there are some other great options out there. Here’s how Shopify Plus stacks up against the competition.

Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise

BigCommerce Enterprise is very similar to Shopify Plus. It also offers access to headless and composable architecture, more API options, and advanced customization.

However, I think Shopify gives you a lot more freedom to make granular changes to certain things, like the checkout experience. It’s also a lot easier to use than BigCommerce Enterprise.

While you do get a lot of support from BigCommerce when building your enterprise-level store, Shopify’s platform is much easier to manage and navigate.

I’ve also noticed that Shopify seems to innovate a lot quicker than BigCommerce. For instance, in the last couple of years, it introduced significant changes to its headless architecture, new Shopify Functions, and even AI tools.

Shopify Plus vs Wix Enterprise

Wix Enterprise is a great option for companies that are looking for something a little simpler than Shopify Plus.

While I think Shopify’s Enterprise platform is pretty easy to use overall, there’s still a lot of coding to get your head around, particularly if you want to customize the checkout, or make major changes to your themes.

Wix Enterprise is a bit more straightforward, with a simple drag-and-drop interface and no-code editor, as well as pre-built components and content blocks.

However, Shopify definitely gives you more freedom. There’s no headless commerce functionality from Wix, and the number of unique integrations and API options is limited.

Plus, the omnichannel functionality is pretty basic on Wix too, whereas with Shopify you can sell on countless channels. You even get access to Shopify POS Pro.

Shopify Plus vs Squarespace Enterprise

While I love Squarespace’s platform for it’s gorgeous templates and fantastic functionality, I’d only recommend Squarespace Enterprise to a handful of companies.

Specifically, this is probably the platform that’s right for you if you run a service-focused business, and need access to booking tools, and appointment scheduling capabilities.

Squarespace Enterprise offers exceptional security and reliability, like Shopify Plus, as well as access to extra features for customizing your site’s appearance.

However, the main benefits of Squarespace Enterprise lie in the access you’ll get to experts in things like site design and SEO. Shopify still wins overall for flexibility, and built-in functionality.

Shopify Plus Review: Conclusion

Overall, I think Shopify Plus is the best enterprise-level ecommerce platform out there.

It combines a great user-friendly experience, with endless customization options, flexible omnichannel selling, and even Shopify POS, the comprehensive POS software solution.

On top of all that, you get amazing customer service, access to endless experts to help you scale your store, and all of the staff accounts you could ask for.

If you’re looking to scale your business on a global basis, unlock new revenue channels, and turbocharge your sales, definitely consider upgrading to Shopify Plus.