Most founders ask about Shopify Plus too early or too late. Too early and you pay an enterprise fee for features you never switch on. Too late and your team spends months working around limits that Plus would have removed. This guide is for founders and ecommerce managers on Grow or Advanced who want a straight answer on what Plus changes and when the math works.
Key takeaways
- Plus starts at $2,300 USD/month on a three-year term or $2,500 USD/month on a one-year term, per Shopify's Plus pricing page as of October 2026. Higher-volume or more complex businesses move to a variable platform fee.
- Many features that used to be Plus-only (B2B basics, Shopify Flow, public apps built on Shopify Functions) are now available on lower plans. The gap is narrower than it was.
- The features that still justify Plus are checkout customization on the information, shipping and payment steps, custom apps with Functions, unlimited B2B catalogs, expansion stores, multi-entity selling and higher API limits.
- Upgrade when a specific constraint is costing you money, not when you hit a revenue number.
What each plan costs in 2026
These numbers come from shopify.com/pricing and the Plus pricing page, checked on October 16, 2026 (US pricing). Shopify changes pricing and regional rates, so confirm before you budget.
| Basic | Grow | Advanced | Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly (billed yearly) | $29 | $79 | $299 | from $2,300 (3-year term) |
| Monthly (billed monthly) | $39 | $105 | $399 | from $2,500 (1-year term) |
| Standard online card rate | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.7% + 30¢ | 2.5% + 30¢ | 2.25% + 30¢ |
| Fee for third-party payment providers | 2% | 1% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Additional staff accounts | Not included | 5 | 15 | Unlimited |
| Inventory locations | 10 | 10 | 10 | 200 |
Two things worth noting. First, the card rate difference between Advanced and Plus is real money at volume, but rarely enough on its own to cover the fee jump from $299 to $2,300+. Second, Shopify says more complex, higher-volume businesses switch to a variable platform fee based on revenue and business model. The page does not publish the formula, so get it in writing from sales before you sign.
What is actually Plus-only now
A lot of "Plus vs non-Plus" content online is out of date. Here is the 2026 picture, based on Shopify's own docs.
Checkout customization before payment
Checkout UI extensions for the information, shipping and payment steps are available only on Plus. Every plan can customize the Thank you and Order status pages with app blocks and branding, but if you need custom fields, upsells, trust content or logic inside the checkout steps themselves, that is Plus. I cover this in detail in the checkout extensibility guide.
Custom apps with Shopify Functions
Any plan can install a public App Store app that uses Functions. But only Plus stores can use custom apps that contain Function APIs. That matters if you had Shopify Scripts (deprecated and deactivated on June 30, 2026) or need discount, shipping or payment logic no public app covers. More in the Shopify Functions guide.
B2B at scale
Since April 2026, Basic, Grow and Advanced get company profiles, payment terms, volume pricing and up to three B2B catalogs (Shopify changelog). Plus keeps unlimited catalogs, direct catalog assignment to specific companies and locations, deposits and partial payments. If every wholesale account has its own price list, you need Plus. See the B2B guide.
Expansion stores and multi-entity selling
Plus includes your main store plus nine expansion stores in the monthly fee, with additional stores at $300/month each or a revenue share (Plus pricing). Configuring business entities in Markets requires Plus, which is how you run separate legal entities and Shopify Payments accounts from one store.
Platform limits and support
The pricing page lists up to 500% higher API call limits, custom user groups, Plus Certified apps, bot protection, high-volume checkout and priority support on Plus. Shopify Audiences and Combined Listings are also marked "Just for Plus."
What you no longer need Plus for
- Basic B2B: three catalogs, net terms, volume pricing, vaulted cards, quick order lists and the Trade theme on all paid plans except Starter and Retail (B2B features by plan).
- Function-powered apps: discounts, delivery and payment customizations, cart validation and bundles via public apps.
- Thank you and Order status page customization: app blocks and pixels work on every plan.
- International selling: Markets with local currencies, domains and languages works on lower plans, with limits on market count and some features.
Signs you have outgrown Advanced
When I audit a store for a possible Plus upgrade, I am looking for problems that cost money every week, not features that sound nice. These are the signals that usually matter:
- Your checkout needs logic you cannot add. Custom fields for gifting or compliance, conditional upsells, or B2B rules inside checkout.
- You had Scripts and the replacements don't fit. Public apps cover common discount and shipping rules. Unusual logic often needs a custom Function app.
- Wholesale accounts need individual pricing. More than three price lists, or prices that differ by company.
- You run, or plan to run, multiple storefronts. Separate stores per region or brand, where nine included expansion stores replace nine separate subscriptions.
- Your integrations hit API limits. ERP, PIM or OMS syncs that throttle during peak.
- Your team needs granular permissions. Many staff, agencies and contractors where unlimited staff accounts and custom user groups simplify access control.
- Flash sales or drops strain checkout. High-volume checkout and bot protection become relevant.
If none of these apply, Advanced is usually the better business decision.
A simple way to run the math
Don't use a revenue threshold. Use a cost-of-constraints calculation.
- Annual Plus cost. Use the quoted fee for your term, or the variable fee if sales quotes one.
- Minus what Plus replaces. Advanced subscription, separate store subscriptions you would consolidate, and apps you would retire because Plus covers the job natively.
- Minus processing savings. Compare your current card rate (or third-party fee) to the Plus rate on your actual annual volume.
- Plus the revenue at stake. Estimate conservatively what the blocked capability is worth: a checkout upsell, a wholesale channel, a market launch.
- Decide. If the net is clearly positive, or the blocked capability is strategic, upgrade. If it's close, fix the constraint another way first.
Watch out: Plus contracts are term commitments. Read the term length, renewal language and variable fee triggers before signing, and don't let a sales deadline rush the decision.
How to prepare for the upgrade
If the answer is yes, do these things in the first 60 days so you get value from day one:
- Audit your apps and list which ones Plus features replace.
- Map every checkout customization you want and build it as checkout UI extensions or Functions.
- Set up staff permissions and custom user groups before you add more people.
- Decide your store structure: one store with Markets, or expansion stores. See the Shopify Markets guide.
- Plan B2B catalogs and company setup if wholesale is part of the case.
FAQ
How much does Shopify Plus cost in 2026?
Shopify lists Plus from $2,300 USD/month on a three-year term and $2,500 USD/month on a one-year term. More complex, higher-volume businesses move to a variable platform fee that Shopify quotes through sales.
Is there a revenue threshold for Shopify Plus?
Shopify does not publish one. Upgrade based on the constraints you hit, not a revenue figure.
Can I customize checkout without Shopify Plus?
Partly. Every plan can brand checkout and add app blocks to the Thank you and Order status pages. Custom UI on the information, shipping and payment steps requires Plus.
Do I need Plus for B2B wholesale?
Not anymore for the basics. Basic, Grow and Advanced include company profiles, net terms, volume pricing and up to three catalogs. Plus is needed for unlimited catalogs and company-specific pricing.
Can I downgrade from Plus later?
That depends on your contract terms. Ask Shopify sales before signing, and expect to lose Plus-only customizations if you move down.
Next steps
List the three constraints that cost your business the most today, then check whether each one is actually Plus-only using the sections above. If two or more are, run the cost-of-constraints math with real numbers. If you want a second opinion on the decision or the migration plan, book a Shopify consultation.