Making the Plus Decision
Shopify Plus is not just a more expensive plan. It unlocks capabilities unavailable on standard Shopify. Whether those capabilities justify the cost depends on your specific business needs.
This article helps you evaluate the decision based on features and financials, not marketing promises.
Key Plus Features
Understanding what Plus provides helps assess value.
Checkout customization
Standard Shopify offers limited checkout modification. Plus unlocks:
- Checkout UI Extensions for custom content and functionality
- Shopify Functions for custom discounts, shipping, and payment logic
- Ability to modify checkout behavior in ways not possible otherwise
If your business requires checkout customization beyond basic styling, Plus may be necessary.
B2B features
Plus includes native B2B functionality:
- Separate B2B storefronts or combined B2B/DTC
- Customer-specific price lists
- Company accounts with multiple buyers
- Payment terms and draft orders
- Quantity rules and order minimums
See B2B and wholesale on Shopify for details.
Shopify Flow
Flow automates workflows without code. While now available on some standard plans, Plus has the most complete Flow functionality and higher automation limits.
Scripts
Shopify Scripts allow custom Ruby code for discounts and shipping. Scripts are being deprecated in favor of Functions, but existing Scripts continue to work.
Launchpad
Schedule and automate product launches, sales events, and theme changes. Useful for flash sales and time-sensitive promotions.
Multiple expansion stores
Plus includes up to 9 additional expansion stores at no extra cost. Useful for international expansion with separate storefronts per region.
Higher API limits
Plus merchants get higher API rate limits, important for stores with heavy integration traffic or large catalogs needing frequent sync.
Dedicated support
Plus merchants get a Merchant Success Manager and priority support. For businesses where downtime costs money, this has value.
What Plus Does Not Provide
Common misconceptions about Plus:
Not faster hosting
Plus does not provide faster infrastructure. All Shopify stores run on the same infrastructure. Performance depends on theme and implementation.
Not more product limits
Standard Shopify already has generous product limits. Plus does not significantly increase these.
Not automatically better conversion
Plus provides tools, not results. Checkout customization can improve conversion, but only if implemented well.
The Financial Calculation
Plus starts at $2,000/month. Is it worth it?
Transaction fee consideration
Plus has lower transaction fees when using Shopify Payments. Calculate your transaction fee savings based on volume:
- Standard plans: 2.9% + 30¢ for online cards (varies by plan)
- Plus: Negotiable rates, typically lower for high volume
High-volume merchants may save enough in transaction fees to offset the higher monthly cost.
Feature value calculation
Quantify the value of Plus features you would actually use:
- B2B: What revenue would B2B channel generate?
- Checkout customization: What conversion improvement could you achieve?
- Automation: How many hours of manual work would Flow eliminate?
- Expansion stores: What is the value of separate international storefronts?
If these do not add up to more than the price difference, Plus may not be worthwhile yet.
Breakeven calculation
If Plus costs $20,000/year more than your current plan, you need $20,000 in combined savings and additional revenue to break even. Be honest about whether you can achieve that.
When Plus Makes Sense
Plus is clearly worthwhile when:
- You need B2B functionality that is not available otherwise
- Checkout customization is essential for your business model
- You are expanding internationally with multiple storefronts
- Your transaction volume makes the fee savings significant
- You need automation at scale that exceeds standard plan limits
When Plus May Be Premature
Plus is likely premature if:
- You want Plus for prestige rather than features
- Your volume does not justify the cost
- You are not ready to implement Plus features
- Standard plan limitations are not actually blocking you
You can always upgrade later. There is no advantage to upgrading before you need to.
Migration Considerations
Upgrading to Plus is straightforward technically. Your store, products, and customers remain the same. What changes:
- New features become available
- Billing changes to Plus pricing
- You get assigned a Merchant Success Manager
- Support channel changes to Plus support
There is no downtime. The upgrade happens immediately upon agreement.
For Shopify Plus capabilities, see Shopify Plus.
Working with LiftKit Digital
LiftKit Digital helps merchants evaluate the Plus decision and implement Plus features effectively. We do not recommend Plus unless it makes financial sense for your business.
To discuss whether Plus is right for you, get in touch.