Enterprise Ecommerce

Why Shopify Plus?

Enterprise ecommerce demands more than a standard platform can deliver. Explore why the fastest growing brands choose Shopify Plus and whether it's the right move for your business.

Platform Overview

What Is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is the enterprise tier of the Shopify platform, purpose-built for high-growth and high-volume merchants. It provides everything in standard Shopify plus a suite of advanced tools: full checkout extensibility, workflow automation through Shopify Flow, expanded API access, unlimited staff accounts, and the ability to run up to 200 expansion stores from a single admin.

Unlike legacy enterprise platforms that require months of setup and dedicated infrastructure teams, Shopify Plus delivers enterprise capabilities on a fully managed, cloud-hosted platform. You get the power without the operational burden.

10,000+
Merchants Worldwide
$800B+
GMV Processed
99.99%
Uptime Guarantee
200+
Expansion Stores
Feature Comparison

Shopify Plus vs Standard Shopify

The differences go far beyond pricing. Shopify Plus unlocks an entirely different set of capabilities for brands that need enterprise-level control.

Standard Shopify
Shopify Plus
Basic checkout with limited customization
Full checkout extensibility with UI extensions
Standard API rate limits
Expanded API access and higher rate limits
Up to 15 staff accounts
Unlimited staff accounts
No built-in workflow automation
Shopify Flow included for automation
Single storefront only
Up to 200 expansion stores
No native wholesale channel
Built-in B2B and wholesale features
Standard email and chat support
Dedicated Merchant Success Manager
No server-side customization
Shopify Functions for custom logic
Theme-only checkout branding
Checkout Branding API for full visual control
Ideal Customers

Who Should Upgrade to Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus isn't for every business. It's built for merchants who have outgrown standard Shopify and need enterprise capabilities without the complexity of legacy platforms.

High-Growth DTC Brands

Brands exceeding $1M+ in annual revenue that need custom checkout experiences, advanced analytics, and the infrastructure to support rapid scaling. If your conversion rate is being held back by checkout limitations, Plus is the answer.

B2B and Wholesale Operations

Companies selling to both consumers and businesses that need dual-channel capabilities. Shopify Plus provides native B2B features including company accounts, custom price lists, payment terms, and quantity rules without third-party apps.

International Brands

Merchants expanding globally that need multi-currency support, localized storefronts, regional pricing, and the ability to manage multiple stores from a single admin. Plus supports up to 200 expansion stores for true global reach.

High-Volume Merchants

Stores processing thousands of orders daily that need stability during traffic spikes, enhanced API rate limits for complex integrations, and the performance guarantees that come with enterprise-grade infrastructure.

ROI & Value

The Business Case for Shopify Plus

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership

Legacy enterprise platforms like Magento require dedicated hosting, security patching, performance optimization, and a full-time development team. Shopify Plus eliminates all of that. Hosting, security, PCI compliance, and platform updates are fully managed. For most brands, the total cost of ownership on Plus is 60% to 80% lower than maintaining an equivalent Magento or custom build.

Faster Time to Market

New features that take weeks on legacy platforms can be deployed in days on Shopify Plus. The app ecosystem, combined with Plus-exclusive tools like Flow and Functions, means your team spends less time building infrastructure and more time optimizing the customer experience.

Scalability Without Surprises

Flash sales, viral moments, and holiday traffic spikes don't require capacity planning on Shopify Plus. The platform auto-scales to handle demand. No server provisioning. No load balancer configuration. No 3 AM pages when your site goes down during a product launch.

Built-in B2B Eliminates App Bloat

Before Plus B2B, brands needed third-party wholesale apps that added complexity, monthly costs, and potential performance issues. Shopify Plus includes native B2B: company accounts, price lists, payment terms, and quantity rules. One platform. One admin. No workarounds.

Ready to Explore Shopify Plus?

Get a free consultation from our certified Shopify Plus experts. We'll assess your current setup and show you exactly what Plus can unlock for your business.

Book Your Free Consultation
Platform Comparison

Shopify Plus vs Other Enterprise Platforms

Choosing an enterprise ecommerce platform is one of the most consequential technology decisions a brand can make. Here's how Shopify Plus compares to the most common alternatives we see brands migrating from.

Shopify Plus vs Magento (Adobe Commerce)

Magento was once the default choice for enterprise ecommerce. That era is over. Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento 2) requires self-managed or cloud hosting, a dedicated development team for security patches and version upgrades, and months of work for even routine feature releases. The total cost of ownership for a mid-market Magento store typically runs $200K to $500K per year when you factor in hosting, development, security, and infrastructure management.

Shopify Plus eliminates all of that operational overhead. Hosting, security, PCI compliance, and platform updates are fully managed. Your development team focuses on building features and optimizing conversions instead of patching vulnerabilities and managing servers. Most brands that migrate from Magento to Shopify Plus report a 60% to 80% reduction in total platform costs.

Magento / Adobe Commerce

  • Self-managed hosting and infrastructure
  • Manual security patches required
  • 6 to 12 month upgrade cycles
  • Large dev team required

Shopify Plus

  • Fully managed cloud infrastructure
  • Automatic security and updates
  • Continuous platform improvements
  • Lean team, faster launches

Learn more about our Magento to Shopify Plus migration services.

Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise

BigCommerce Enterprise is a capable SaaS platform, but it lacks the ecosystem depth and enterprise tooling that Shopify Plus offers. The BigCommerce app marketplace is significantly smaller, which means more custom development for features that Shopify merchants get through apps. BigCommerce also lacks equivalents to Shopify Flow, Shopify Functions, and Launchpad, all of which are included with Shopify Plus at no extra cost.

Checkout customization on BigCommerce is more limited, and its B2B capabilities require third-party solutions rather than native platform features. The developer talent pool for Shopify is also substantially larger, making it easier and more cost-effective to find experienced agencies and freelancers.

BigCommerce Enterprise

  • Smaller app ecosystem
  • No native workflow automation
  • Limited checkout customization
  • B2B requires third-party apps

Shopify Plus

  • 8,000+ apps in the ecosystem
  • Shopify Flow, Functions, Launchpad
  • Full checkout extensibility
  • Native B2B and wholesale

Shopify Plus vs WooCommerce

WooCommerce is built on WordPress, which means your ecommerce store inherits all of WordPress's operational burden: plugin conflicts, PHP version management, database optimization, and a constant stream of security vulnerabilities. For small stores, WooCommerce works. For brands doing serious volume, it becomes a liability.

Scaling WooCommerce to handle enterprise traffic requires custom hosting configurations, caching layers, CDN setup, and ongoing performance tuning. Every WordPress and WooCommerce update risks breaking existing functionality. Shopify Plus handles all of this at the platform level, so your team never thinks about hosting, caching, or server capacity.

WooCommerce

  • Plugin conflicts and version issues
  • Self-managed hosting and security
  • Performance degrades at scale
  • No native enterprise features

Shopify Plus

  • Stable, managed app ecosystem
  • Zero infrastructure management
  • Auto-scales for any traffic level
  • Enterprise tools built in

Shopify Plus vs Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Salesforce Commerce Cloud (formerly Demandware) is positioned as a premium enterprise solution, and its pricing reflects that. License fees alone can exceed $500K per year, with additional costs for implementation, customization, and ongoing development. Implementation timelines of 9 to 18 months are common, and you'll need specialized SFCC developers who command premium rates.

Shopify Plus delivers comparable enterprise capabilities at a fraction of the cost and timeline. A full Shopify Plus implementation typically launches in 8 to 12 weeks. The platform's simplicity also means lower ongoing development costs and faster iteration cycles. For brands that don't need Salesforce's broader CRM ecosystem deeply embedded in their storefront, Shopify Plus is the clear choice.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud

  • $500K+ annual licensing costs
  • 9 to 18 month implementation
  • Scarce, expensive developer talent
  • Complex, rigid architecture

Shopify Plus

  • Starting at $2,300 per month
  • 8 to 12 week launch timeline
  • Large, accessible developer pool
  • Flexible, modern architecture

We've migrated brands from all of these platforms to Shopify Plus. Every migration includes full data transfer, SEO preservation with 301 redirects, and a dedicated launch plan. Explore our migration services.

Proven Results

What Shopify Plus Delivers in Practice

The business case for Shopify Plus isn't theoretical. Here's what our clients have achieved after migrating to or building on the platform.

Chantecaille: Global Luxury Beauty on Shopify Plus

50%
Sales Growth
5
International Stores
92
Desktop PageSpeed

"My team and I have had an exceptional experience working with ECommerce Partners. Ezra has supported each project with professionalism and a solutions-focused approach."

Lorna Paterson, ECommerce & Digital Manager, Chantecaille.co.uk

Read Full Case Study →

QC Supply: B2B Wholesale on Shopify Plus

B2B
Custom Portal Built
94
Desktop PageSpeed
Magento
Migration Completed

QC Supply migrated from Magento to Shopify Plus, gaining a custom B2B portal, dramatically improved page performance, and a unified platform for both their retail and wholesale operations. The migration preserved SEO rankings while delivering a modern, conversion-optimized storefront.

Read Full Case Study →
Checkout Architecture

Checkout Extensibility: The Plus Advantage

The checkout is where revenue is won or lost. On standard Shopify, your customization options are minimal. On Shopify Plus, you get full access to the checkout extensibility framework: a modern, upgrade-safe architecture that lets you customize every step of the purchase flow without sacrificing security or performance.

This replaces the legacy checkout.liquid approach with a component-based system built on UI extensions. The result is a checkout that's fully branded, highly optimized, and automatically compatible with future Shopify updates.

Custom UI extensions at every checkout step: information, shipping, payment, and review

Post-purchase upsell and cross-sell experiences that increase average order value

Thank you page customization for order tracking, loyalty programs, and brand reinforcement

Full visual control through the Checkout Branding API for fonts, colors, and layout

Custom payment and shipping logic powered by Shopify Functions

Learn more about our Shopify Plus development services including checkout customization.

Automation & Functions

Shopify Functions, Flow, and Launchpad

Shopify Plus doesn't just give you more features. It gives you the tools to automate your entire operation. Three Plus-exclusive capabilities transform how your team works.

Shopify Flow

A visual workflow automation tool that connects your store's data to automated actions. Tag high-value customers automatically. Route orders based on fulfillment rules. Flag potential fraud for manual review. Sync inventory changes with your ERP. Flow eliminates the manual processes that slow your operations team down.

Shopify Functions

Server-side logic that extends Shopify's backend. Build custom discount rules that go beyond standard capabilities. Create payment customizations based on order attributes. Define delivery options that match your fulfillment network. Functions run on Shopify's infrastructure, so they're fast, secure, and scalable.

Launchpad

Schedule and automate product launches, flash sales, and promotional events. Pre-configure price changes, theme swaps, and inventory visibility. Then set the time and let Launchpad execute everything automatically. No more staying up until midnight to manually activate a sale.

Explore our full range of checkout and automation services.

The Growth Ceiling

Why Growing Brands Hit a Wall on Standard Shopify

Standard Shopify is an exceptional platform for launching and growing an ecommerce business. But there comes a point where the platform's limitations start to create friction. Checkout customization is restricted. Staff accounts are capped. Automation tools are either missing or require expensive third-party apps.

For brands processing thousands of orders per day, expanding internationally, or building B2B operations alongside their DTC channel, these limitations compound quickly. The checkout becomes a conversion bottleneck you can't optimize. Your tech stack becomes a patchwork of apps that slow your storefront and inflate your monthly costs.

The signs are familiar: you're spending more time working around platform limitations than building your business. Your development team is constrained by API rate limits. Your operations team is managing manual processes that should be automated. Your international customers are getting a subpar experience because you can't localize properly.

This is the growth ceiling. And it's the exact problem Shopify Plus was built to solve.

Migration Signals

When Is It Time to Upgrade to Shopify Plus?

If any of these sound familiar, your business has likely outgrown standard Shopify. These are the most common signals we see from brands ready to make the move.

Annual revenue exceeding $1M with continued growth trajectory

Checkout customization needs that standard Shopify cannot support

International expansion requiring localized storefronts and multi-currency support

B2B or wholesale operations running on workarounds or expensive third-party apps

Performance bottlenecks and site slowdowns during high-traffic periods

Growing technical debt from app overload and manual process workarounds

Staff account limitations preventing your growing team from accessing the admin

Ready to migrate? Learn about our platform migration services.

Let's Talk About Your Move to Plus

Whether you're upgrading from standard Shopify or migrating from another platform, we'll map out the fastest path to launch.

Start the Conversation
Frequently Asked Questions

Shopify Plus FAQ

How much does Shopify Plus cost?

Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 per month with variable pricing based on sales volume. This includes unlimited staff accounts, expansion stores, and dedicated support. For most mid-sized brands, the total cost of ownership is lower than maintaining a custom platform or Magento instance. The investment pays for itself through reduced infrastructure costs, fewer third-party app fees, and faster development cycles.

What is the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is the enterprise tier that adds checkout extensibility, Shopify Flow automation, expanded API access, unlimited staff accounts, up to 200 expansion stores, dedicated support, and B2B wholesale capabilities. Standard Shopify is designed for small to mid-sized businesses, while Plus provides the tools and infrastructure needed for high-growth, high-volume, and complex operations.

Is Shopify Plus worth it for small businesses?

Shopify Plus is designed for brands doing $1M or more in annual revenue, or those with complex operational needs like B2B, international expansion, or custom checkout requirements. Smaller businesses are generally better served by Shopify Advanced until they reach those thresholds. The monthly cost of Plus only makes sense when the features directly address limitations that are actively costing your business revenue or efficiency.

Can I migrate from Magento to Shopify Plus?

Yes. Shopify Plus is one of the most common destinations for Magento migrations. The process involves data migration (products, customers, orders), URL redirect mapping for SEO preservation, and rebuilding custom functionality using Shopify's native tools and apps. A typical migration takes 8 to 16 weeks depending on complexity. Our team has completed dozens of successful Magento to Shopify Plus migrations. Learn more about our migration services.

Does Shopify Plus support B2B and wholesale?

Yes. Shopify Plus includes native B2B features: company accounts, customer-specific price lists, payment terms (Net 30, Net 60, Net 90), quantity rules, and a dedicated wholesale channel. This eliminates the need for third-party B2B apps and provides a unified admin for both DTC and wholesale operations. Explore our B2B solutions.

What is Shopify checkout extensibility?

Checkout extensibility is the modern framework for customizing the Shopify Plus checkout. It replaces the legacy checkout.liquid with a secure, upgrade-safe system using UI extensions, Shopify Functions, and the Checkout Branding API for full visual control. This means your checkout customizations won't break when Shopify releases platform updates, and you can build complex checkout logic without compromising security.

How long does it take to set up Shopify Plus?

A new Shopify Plus store typically takes 8 to 12 weeks from kickoff to launch. Complex projects involving custom B2B features, ERP integrations, or multi-store setups may take 12 to 16 weeks. Migrations from other platforms add additional time for data transfer and SEO redirect mapping. We provide a detailed project timeline during the initial consultation.

Can Shopify Plus handle high-traffic sales events?

Yes. Shopify Plus infrastructure handles tens of thousands of transactions per minute. The platform processes massive volumes during events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Unlike self-hosted platforms, there's no capacity planning required. Plus merchants also get access to Launchpad for scheduling sales events and automating price changes, theme swaps, and inventory updates.

Contact

Talk to a Shopify Plus
Expert Today

Get a free Shopify Plus consultation. We'll assess your current platform, identify opportunities, and map out the best path forward. We typically respond within a few hours.

Phone

(212) 229-9570

Email

sales@ecommercepartners.net

Location

4 Washington St, Tenafly, NJ