Shopify Plus vs Shopify Advanced: Which Do You Need?

As your Shopify store scales, the question of when to move from Advanced to Plus becomes increasingly relevant. The decision isn't purely about price — it's about which features unlock commercial value that justifies the investment, and whether your operational complexity genuinely requires Plus-exclusive capabilities.

Feature Comparison at a Glance

• Shopify Flow: Plus only
• Launchpad: Plus only
• Checkout Extensibility: Plus only
• Checkout Branding API: Plus only (limited version available on Advanced)
• Shopify Scripts / Functions (custom): Plus only
• B2B / Wholesale native: Plus only
• Expansion stores (9 included): Plus only
• Transaction fees: 0.2% (Advanced) vs 0.0% (Plus, varies by plan)
• Staff accounts: 15 (Advanced) vs unlimited (Plus)

The Transaction Fee Calculation

The most straightforward financial case for Plus is transaction fee savings. At the Advanced tier, Shopify charges 0.2% on each transaction when using a third-party payment gateway. At Plus, this drops to 0.15% and can be negotiated lower at significant volume. At £5 million GMV, the transaction fee saving alone can offset a substantial portion of the Plus subscription cost.

When Advanced Is Sufficient

If you're running a relatively straightforward DTC operation without complex automation requirements, B2B channels, or high-volume campaign events, Advanced may genuinely meet your needs. The checkout on Advanced is capable, reporting is solid, and the platform is reliable at significant scale without requiring Plus features.

The Triggers for Upgrading to Plus

• You need automation that goes beyond what standard Flow alternatives can provide
• You're running frequent flash sales or product drops that require Launchpad
• You need a custom checkout experience for conversion optimisation
• You want to launch a B2B or wholesale channel natively on Shopify
• You're approaching £1–2M+ monthly GMV where transaction fee savings are material
• You need more than 15 staff accounts with granular permissions

Making the Business Case

Build your business case around three pillars: transaction fee savings (calculate exactly what you'd save at your current GMV), operational efficiency gains (what does Launchpad and Flow save in team time), and revenue upside (what would a custom checkout or B2B channel generate). Present this to your finance team with concrete numbers.

“The question is never just 'can we afford Plus?' — it's 'what does our operation look like with access to these tools, and what is that worth to the business?'”