Choosing Shopify and Shopify Plus: A Strategic Guide for Singapore Entrepreneurs

Overview of Shopify and Shopify Plus

Shopify and Shopify Plus are two leading eCommerce platforms used by millions of businesses worldwide to deploy eCommerce websites. Shopify is designed for small and medium-sized enterprises, offering basic, user-friendly features for building and managing eCommerce websites. According to BuiltWith, there are currently over 9,220 active Shopify stores in Singapore.

In contrast, Shopify Plus is tailored for large-scale enterprises, providing advanced features, extensive customization options, and flexible scalability. BuiltWith statistics show there are 233 active Shopify Plus websites in Singapore.

The main difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus includes advanced features like dedicated account management, the ability to handle higher sales volumes and more customization options. 

Shopify Plus offers enhanced store functionality and eCommerce features, focusing on conversions with extensive customization for page design, professional reports and analytics, and multichannel accessibility.

Watch more: Shopify Plus Partners – Unmatched Ecommerce Expertise

Difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus: Pricing

The first key difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus is their pricing and transaction fees. Both platforms offer different packages to suit businesses of various budgets and scales.

Shopify Pricing

Shopify offers three main pricing plans in Singapore: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced, priced at $25, $65, and $399 per month, respectively. Additionally, Shopify has a special package called Shopify Starter at $5/month, which allows you to sell on social media and chat apps.

In addition to the subscription fees, you need to consider transaction fees when using different payment methods. Shopify offers its payment method called Shopify Payments, which lets you easily accept all major payment methods on your eCommerce website.

If you choose not to use Shopify Payments and opt for one of the many third-party payment service providers supported by Shopify, you’ll pay transaction fees of 2%, 1%, and 0.5% for the Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans, respectively. This is another significant difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus.

Shopify Plus Pricing

Designed for large businesses, Shopify Plus has a variable pricing structure based on individual deployment requirements and revenue. According to Shopify, the initial cost for using Shopify Plus starts at $2,000/month, with subsequent increases based on monthly revenue.

Specifically, when the revenue of a Shopify Plus store reaches $800,000/month, a charge of 0.25% of the monthly revenue will be applied. However, this fee will not exceed $40,000/month or $480,000/year.

Like the standard Shopify plans, Shopify Plus supports both Shopify Payments and third-party payment service providers. However, the transaction fees for Shopify Plus are lower. If you don’t use Shopify Payments, you’ll incur a transaction fee of 0.15% on each transaction.

When examining the differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus, it becomes clear that Shopify Plus offers advanced features and reduced transaction fees to better accommodate the needs of larger businesses.

Watch more: Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which Platform Suits Your Australian Business?

Difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus: Main Features

More powerful customization features

For large-scale sellers, Shopify offers top-quality features in theme and design flexibility. However, with Shopify Plus, entrepreneurs can benefit even more through enhanced customization capabilities. Understanding the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus can help you decide which platform is best for your business.

Shopify Plus provides a dedicated Launch Manager who handles code writing and custom edits, saving enterprise-level businesses both time and money. This service allows you to focus on other important aspects of your business while ensuring your eCommerce site is perfectly tailored to your needs.

Additionally, Shopify Plus allows website owners to save up to 100 themes in their library. You can download your preferred themes and try them out directly from your Admin Dashboard, eliminating the need to switch back and forth between the Theme Store and your library.

Optimized Wholesale Functions for Singapore Entrepreneurs

Wholesale sales significantly boost revenue and business expansion. Shopify facilitates wholesale selling through various methods, including discount codes and additional store setups.

Compare the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus, Shopify Plus offers even greater benefits for wholesale operations by enabling the creation of a separate wholesale channel distinct from direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales. This channel, integrated with your existing store, displays the same products at exclusive discounts for wholesale customers and allows for selling wholesale-only products.

Key advantages of Shopify Plus wholesale functions include:

• Customized Pricing: Brands can create percentage discounts and set specific prices for different customer groups.
• Dedicated Pages: You can create separate pages for FAQs, policies, and terms related to wholesale, making it easier for customers to find information without navigating away from your site.
• Order Control: Shopify Plus allows control over wholesale orders before invoicing and automates wholesale customer signups, reducing time spent on order management and customer verification.

Auto-Set Multi-Currency

Recognizing the need to attract international customers, Shopify introduced multi-currency support with Shopify Payments in 2019. This feature automatically changes the displayed currency based on the customer’s location and allows refunds in their local currency. With support for over 130 currencies, it simplifies the payment process, making global sales easier for merchants.

On Shopify, customers need to manually select the appropriate currency. In contrast, Shopify Plus automatically selects the right currency for buyers based on their IP addresses, providing a seamless shopping experience.

The key difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus is this automated multi-currency feature. Shopify Plus offers additional advantages, such as the ability to customize rounding rules after the system converts the original price into the target currency. Furthermore, customers can pay with local payment methods without needing to create a new account, enhancing their shopping experience.

For Singapore entrepreneurs looking to enter the international market, Shopify Plus provides robust multi-currency features and customization options, making it an excellent choice for expanding your global reach.

Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which version is right for Singapore Entrepreneurs

Shopify is a flexible, user-friendly platform catering to various eCommerce businesses, from small startups to large corporations. While many companies may upgrade their Shopify plans as they grow, switching to Shopify Plus requires careful consideration.

Here is the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus:

• Cost: Shopify Plus is significantly more expensive than standard Shopify plans but offers enhanced functionality to justify the expense.
• Customization: Shopify Plus allows for customizable checkout pages and more design flexibility.
• Promotions and Analytics: It supports complex promotions and provides detailed analytics.
• Automation: Advanced automation features improve customer support and marketing, streamlining communication and processes.
• Scalability: For businesses seeking more customization, flexibility, and scalability, Shopify Plus is a valuable investment.
• Dedicated Resources: Shopify Plus offers dedicated resources to assist with day-to-day operations, making it an attractive option for growing enterprises.

For Singapore entrepreneurs looking to maximize their eCommerce potential, partnering with a seasoned expert like SmartOSC can make a significant difference. 

SmartOSC, an early adopter of Shopify’s technology, has expert developers and designers to launch your online business quickly and support sustainable growth. SmartOSC, a certified Shopify Plus partner and early adopter of Shopify’s technology, boasts expert developers and designers to launch and grow your online business swiftly and sustainably. 

Utilizing the latest technology and analytics, we optimize customer journeys to deliver maximum value and differentiate your brand. With a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the Shopify Plus platform, we provide extensive design options and always-on support to ensure your digital commerce success beyond just website development.

Conclusion

Here is an overview of the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus. The choice depends on your business’s scale and deployment needs. For startups or small to medium-sized enterprises with minimal customization needs and a focus on quick product launches, regular Shopify solutions are suitable. In contrast, large-scale enterprises with high integration and customization demands should consider Shopify Plus.

With extensive experience deploying Shopify Plus eCommerce solutions for leading businesses like Asus and Ricoh, SmartOSC has a professional team with exceptional technical skills and in-depth knowledge of the Shopify Plus platform. Contact us to deploy Shopify Plus in Singapore today!