Shopify Advanced vs Plus: Compare Features, Pricing, Support

Choosing Between Shopify Advanced Vs Plus In 2025

Shopify offers a range of plans to support businesses at different stages. As brands grow, many reach a point where choosing between Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus becomes a key decision.

This article explains the core differences between these two plans. It outlines the pricing, features, and use cases to help merchants understand what each plan includes.

Each section is structured to break down the available information clearly. The goal is to provide a side-by-side comparison based on what is currently available as of June 16, 2025.

Overview Of Shopify Plans

Shopify provides four main subscription tiers: Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus. Each plan includes access to the Shopify platform, with increasing functionality and customization options as the tiers progress.

Most merchants begin with Basic or Shopify, then move to Advanced or Plus as their store operations become more complex. This article focuses on comparing Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus.

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What Is Shopify Advanced

Shopify Advanced is the highest standard Shopify plan before reaching the enterprise level. It costs $299 per month and serves businesses with growing sales that need more robust features.

The plan includes advanced reporting tools, calculated shipping rates, and lower transaction fees than the Basic and regular Shopify plans. For businesses using payment providers other than Shopify Payments, the transaction fee is 0.5%.

Advanced supports up to 15 staff accounts, making it suitable for teams that need multiple people managing different aspects of the store.

• Better reporting: Create custom reports about sales, inventory, and customer behavior
• Real shipping calculations: Show customers accurate shipping costs based on their location
• Lower fees: Pay less in transaction fees compared to lower-tier plans

What Is Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level solution for high-volume merchants and established brands. Starting at $2,000 per month, it's designed for businesses that have outgrown the Advanced plan.

The main differences include dedicated support through a Merchant Success Manager, fully customizable checkout experiences, and the ability to manage multiple storefronts from one account.

Plus also includes exclusive automation tools like Shopify Flow and Launchpad, which help streamline operations and manage complex business processes. Hunter Boots reported a 923% sales increase after implementing Shopify Flow-driven personalized marketing, which is exclusively available on the Plus plan.

• Dedicated support: Work with a Merchant Success Manager who knows your business
• Custom checkout: Change how your checkout works to match your exact business needs
• Multiple stores: Run up to 10 different stores from one dashboard

Key Differences Between Advanced And Plus

The main difference between Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus is scale. Advanced works well for growing businesses, while Plus is built for established brands with complex needs.

The support structure also differs significantly. Advanced includes standard Shopify support, while Plus provides a dedicated support manager who understands your specific business challenges. Additionally, for a merchant processing $500,000 monthly, the transaction fee difference translates to $2,500 on Advanced vs. $750 on Plus, making the premium plan cost-effective despite its higher monthly fee.

The support structure also differs significantly. Advanced includes standard Shopify support, while Plus provides a dedicated support manager who understands your specific business challenges.

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Pricing Comparison

The pricing difference between these plans is substantial. Advanced costs $299 monthly, while Plus starts at $2,000 monthly. However, transaction fees can change the total cost significantly.

For third-party payment processors, Advanced charges 0.5% per transaction, while Plus charges only 0.15%. This means high-volume stores might actually save money with Plus despite the higher monthly fee.

Let's look at a real example: A store processing $500,000 monthly through a third-party payment gateway would pay:

• On Advanced: $299 + $2,500 (0.5% of sales) = $2,799 total
• On Plus: $2,000 + $750 (0.15% of sales) = $2,750 total

In this case, the Plus plan actually costs less overall because of the lower transaction fees.

When To Consider Upgrading To Plus

The $1 million annual revenue mark often signals when Plus becomes worth considering. At this point, the savings from lower transaction fees start to offset the higher monthly cost.

Multiple store needs also drive upgrades to Plus. If you're expanding internationally or adding a wholesale channel, Plus allows you to manage separate storefronts for different markets or customer types.

Checkout customization is another common reason for upgrading. Only Plus merchants can modify how the checkout process works, adding custom fields, special discounts, or unique payment options.

• Revenue threshold: Annual sales over $1 million often make Plus cost-effective
• Multiple storefronts: Need separate stores for different countries or B2B sales
• Checkout control: Require custom fields, special discounts, or unique payment flows

Exclusive Plus Features Worth Noting

Shopify Flow is one of the most valuable Plus-exclusive tools. It automates repetitive tasks based on triggers you set up. For example, Flow can automatically tag high-value customers, reorder inventory when stock gets low, or alert your team about large orders.

Launchpad is another Plus-only feature that helps manage product launches and sales events. It can automatically change prices, publish products, and update your theme at scheduled times.

The ability to fully customize your checkout experience is perhaps the most significant Plus advantage. This allows you to add special fields, create unique discount structures, or design completely different checkout flows for different customer groups.

Multi-Currency And International Selling

Both Advanced and Plus support selling in multiple currencies, but they handle it differently. Advanced allows multiple currencies on a single storefront, which works for smaller international operations.

Plus takes this further by supporting completely separate stores for different regions. Each store can have its own domain, language, currency, and product catalog while being managed from one account.

This difference matters for brands with true international operations that need region-specific pricing, products, or marketing approaches. Advanced can handle basic international selling, but Plus provides much more control for global brands.

B2B And Wholesale Capabilities

For businesses selling to other businesses, the differences between Advanced and Plus become even more important. Plus includes native B2B features that Advanced doesn't offer.

On Plus, you can create a separate wholesale store with custom pricing for different customer groups. You can also set up company accounts where multiple buyers from the same business share one account.

Advanced requires third-party apps to handle B2B sales, which often don't integrate as seamlessly with the checkout process or customer accounts. This can create a less professional experience for wholesale buyers.

Choosing The Right Plan For Your Business

For most growing businesses with revenue under $1 million, Advanced provides the right balance of features and cost. It includes the reporting, shipping, and inventory tools needed to run a successful online store.

Plus makes sense when your business reaches enterprise scale or has complex requirements. The dedicated support, automation tools, and multiple store capabilities justify the higher cost for businesses operating at scale.

Platter works with both Advanced and Plus merchants to optimize their storefronts. Our checkout extensions are particularly valuable for Plus merchants looking to improve their conversion rates without custom development.

• Choose Advanced if: Your annual revenue is under $1 million, you need one storefront, and standard checkout works for your business
• Choose Plus if: Your annual revenue exceeds $1 million, you need multiple storefronts, or you require custom checkout experiences

Automation And Integration Capabilities

The automation gap between Advanced and Plus is significant. Plus includes Shopify Flow, which creates workflows that run automatically based on triggers in your store.

For example, Flow can tag customers who spend over a certain amount as "VIP" and then automatically apply special discounts to their future orders. It can also notify your team when inventory runs low or when large orders come in.

Plus also offers better integration with enterprise systems through higher API limits. This means Plus stores can more easily connect with inventory management systems, customer relationship platforms, and other business software.

Advanced can still connect with many apps and services, but the integration options are more limited and may require more manual work to maintain.

Making The Final Decision

The choice between Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus comes down to your business size, complexity, and growth plans. For most merchants, Advanced provides enough features until annual revenue exceeds $1 million or business complexity increases significantly.

The transaction fee difference (0.5% vs 0.15%) often becomes the tipping point. When your sales volume makes Plus more cost-effective, that's a clear signal it's time to upgrade.

Remember that Platter's tools work with both plans to help optimize your storefront and improve your conversion rates. Our focus is on making your store more profitable regardless of which Shopify plan you choose.

Book a demo to explore how Platter can optimize your Shopify storefront

Frequently Asked Questions About Shopify Advanced Vs Plus

What is the main difference between Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus?

Shopify Advanced ($299/month) is for growing businesses needing advanced features, while Shopify Plus ($2,000+/month) is an enterprise solution offering customizable checkout, multiple storefronts, and dedicated support.

When should I upgrade from Shopify Advanced to Shopify Plus?

Consider upgrading when your annual revenue exceeds $1 million, you need multiple storefronts for different markets, or you require custom checkout functionality.

Can I access Shopify Flow on the Advanced plan?

No. Shopify Flow is only available on Shopify Plus and helps automate store operations like tagging customers and managing inventory.

What are the transaction fee differences between Advanced and Plus?

Shopify Advanced charges 0.5% for non-Shopify Payments transactions, while Shopify Plus charges 0.15%, potentially saving high-volume merchants significant money.

Does Shopify Plus provide better support than Shopify Advanced?

Yes. Shopify Plus includes a dedicated Merchant Success Manager and priority support, while Advanced offers standard support channels.