Summary
Shopify Plus is the enterprise tier of Shopify, built for fast-growing and B2B brands that need deeper checkout control, automation, multi-store management and built-in wholesale tools. In 2026 that means Shopify Functions and checkout extensibility instead of Scripts and checkout.liquid, plus unlimited bandwidth, 99.99% uptime and a dedicated launch engineer.
Plus starts at $2,300 per month on a three-year term, and it is worth it mainly when you have outgrown standard plans or need B2B and international selling at scale.
Introduction
Is Shopify Plus the right platform for a growing business? Some merchants hesitate because Shopify is not open-source like WooCommerce or Magento. Others argue no other platform matches what Shopify Plus delivers.
This guide settles the debate by walking through the Shopify Plus features that matter most, why brands choose them, and when it makes sense to move your store to Plus. If you are considering the platform, this article is for you.
Table of Contents
- → What is Shopify Plus and who is it for?
- → What are Shopify Plus’s core capabilities?
- → How does multi-store setup work on Shopify Plus?
- → How does Shopify Plus handle scale and performance?
- → What enterprise eCommerce features does Shopify Plus include?
- → What built-in B2B features does Shopify Plus offer?
- → How is Shopify Plus different from standard Shopify?
- → Which top brands use Shopify Plus?
- → Where is Shopify Plus heading in 2026 and beyond?
- → Conclusion
- → Frequently asked questions
What is Shopify Plus and who is it for?
Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level version of Shopify, built for high-growth, high-volume businesses. It suits brands that are scaling fast, processing thousands of orders each month, or generating $1M+ in annual revenue. Whether you are a direct-to-consumer brand, an established retailer expanding into eCommerce, or a B2B company streamlining online sales, Plus gives you the infrastructure for your next growth phase.
What sets Shopify Plus apart is its mix of power and simplicity. It offers deeper customization, automation through Shopify Flow and Launchpad, and dedicated support, including a Merchant Success Manager. It also brings higher API limits and multi-store capabilities, which suits businesses operating across several regions or brands.
If you have outgrown standard Shopify plans, or need headless commerce, international storefronts or complex backend integrations, Plus is a strategic step up rather than a simple upgrade.
What are Shopify Plus’s core capabilities?
Shopify Plus is built for speed, scale and flexibility. These are the capabilities that matter most.
Customizable checkout
Checkout control in 2026 runs through checkout extensibility instead of checkout.liquid. Plus stores customize checkout with checkout UI extensions, Shopify Functions and checkout branding, which keeps customizations safe through Shopify updates. Shopify’s Spring ’26 Edition also redesigned checkout with easier-to-scan delivery options and a more prominent pay button, added VAT ID collection and validation with Shopify Tax in the EU and UK, and lets shoppers ship and pick up different items in one checkout. You can still tailor checkout by customer tag, cart value or location to offer VIP perks, tiered discounts or region-specific payment methods.
Launchpad for campaign automation
Launchpad schedules and automates flash sales, product launches, theme changes, inventory control and discount rollouts, so nothing needs manual attention during high-pressure events.
Shopify Flow for workflow automation
Flow lets you build if-this-then-that workflows across your store, such as tagging high-value customers, routing orders by country or flagging potential fraud, without writing code.
Shopify Functions for custom logic
Shopify Scripts have been retired. Editing and publishing new Scripts stopped on April 15, 2026, and all Scripts stopped running on June 30, 2026. Their replacement is Shopify Functions, which lets Plus merchants build custom discount, shipping and payment logic that runs natively in checkout. If your store still relied on a Script, Shopify’s Scripts customizations report shows which customizations can move to Functions and which can be handled by public apps.
Multi-store management
Run multiple storefronts from one admin, which works well for brands spread across regions, languages or segments such as B2C and B2B.
How does multi-store setup work on Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus lets brands manage multiple storefronts under one admin, which makes region-specific, language-localized or brand-diversified stores much easier to run. Whether you are targeting international markets, separating B2B and B2C, or managing several brands, Plus streamlines product, inventory and order management across every storefront with centralized control and shared backend infrastructure.
How does Shopify Plus handle scale and performance?
Unlimited bandwidth and a global CDN
A worldwide content delivery network and unlimited bandwidth keep your site fast during peaks like Black Friday or viral drops.
99.99% uptime guarantee
The near-perfect SLA means your storefront stays up around the clock, whether you are launching a collection or running a time-sensitive promotion.
Enterprise-grade infrastructure
The platform supports large catalogs and absorbs the traffic spikes of flash sales, influencer campaigns and big product releases, which matters for brands that depend on launch-day performance.
Dedicated launch engineer
Every Plus merchant is paired with a launch engineer who helps with migration, architecture planning and campaign strategy, so your store is optimized from day one.
What enterprise eCommerce features does Shopify Plus include?
Shopify Plus offers scalable infrastructure, 99.99% uptime, unlimited bandwidth and high API limits. It supports complex product catalogs, advanced automation, multi-channel selling and deep integrations with ERP, CRM and OMS platforms. With dedicated launch engineers and 24/7 priority support, it covers what fast-growing enterprise brands need to scale globally.
In short: Launchpad automates campaigns, Flow handles workflow logic, Functions replace Scripts for custom checkout logic, and checkout extensibility handles checkout customization. Multi-store management and priority API access round out the package.
What built-in B2B features does Shopify Plus offer?
Shopify Plus includes a built-in wholesale channel, so you can run password-protected B2B storefronts with custom pricing, minimum order rules and volume discounts, without relying on third-party apps. These are the tools that make wholesale easier.
Company profiles
Manage business customers with multiple buyers under one account, with roles and permissions for purchasers, finance managers or administrators.
Price lists and volume discounts
Assign custom pricing by customer, order quantity or tag, and build tiered pricing without discount codes or external pricing apps.
Flexible payment terms
Offer Net 15, Net 30 or Net 60 terms, automate invoicing, track outstanding balances and manage receivables inside the platform.
Self-service B2B portals
Wholesale customers can log in, view personalized catalogs, reorder, check order history and pay invoices without contacting your team.
Quick order tools
Bulk ordering through CSV uploads, saved order lists or rapid add-to-cart suits repeat buyers who want speed.
B2B workflows with Shopify Flow
Automate onboarding for new business accounts, VIP tagging, approval processes and large-order flags.
Since Shopify’s Spring ’26 Edition, core B2B features such as company profiles, quantity rules, net terms and the quick order list are available on every Shopify plan. Plus is where B2B scales: it adds unlimited B2B market catalogs, direct company catalogs for customer-level pricing, deposit requirements and partial payments. If you are weighing an upgrade, you can also read how to add B2B on an existing Shopify store first.
How is Shopify Plus different from standard Shopify?
If you sell to businesses as well as consumers, this is where Plus tends to matter most.
| Area | Standard Shopify plans | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Checkout | Limited customization, mostly through themes and apps | Deep customization with Shopify Functions and checkout extensibility |
| B2B selling | Wholesale usually handled with apps or a separate setup | Built-in company profiles, price lists, payment terms and quick order tools |
| Automation | Basic workflows | Launchpad for campaign scheduling and advanced Flow workflows |
| Multiple stores | One store per plan | Expansion stores managed under one organization |
| Support | Standard support | Dedicated launch engineer and priority support |
Which top brands use Shopify Plus?
| Brand | Industry | Shopify Plus usage |
|---|---|---|
| Allbirds | Footwear | Global multi-storefront management |
| Heinz | Food | B2C and B2B selling through a unified storefront |
| Gymshark | Fitness apparel | Flash sale automation with Launchpad and Shopify Flow |
| Kylie Cosmetics | Beauty | Custom checkout for product drops |
| Staples Canada | Office supplies | B2B portal and volume pricing |
These brands use Shopify Plus for high-speed global rollouts, peak-season performance and scalable B2B commerce.
Where is Shopify Plus heading in 2026 and beyond?
Shopify is shaping its enterprise offering around unified admin experiences, headless architecture and embedded AI, with the aim of being the all-in-one platform for scalable, flexible and intelligent commerce.
How Shopify Plus is evolving in 2026
Headless commerce. Plus supports headless builds that decouple the front end from the back end, so brands can serve web, mobile apps and smart devices with robust APIs and global infrastructure, using React, Vue or custom frameworks.
Unified admin for B2B and DTC. Shopify is blurring the line between B2C and B2B with a single backend for both customer types.
Smarter Flow automation. The Spring ’26 Edition added automatic shipping label purchasing, a code editor with syntax highlighting for Liquid variables, version history and workflow notes. A new Flow action also charges vaulted payment methods for B2B orders based on fulfillment, due dates or invoicing.
Checkout extensibility as the standard. checkout.liquid has been retired for Plus stores, Scripts stopped running on June 30, 2026, and customizations now run through checkout UI extensions, Shopify Functions and Checkout Blocks.
Native AI tools. Sidekick now handles multi-step tasks in the background and works with apps such as Klaviyo and Judge.me, while Shopify Magic generates product copy. Agentic commerce is the bigger shift: products can sync to AI shopping channels, and checkout inside AI chats is supported through Shopify’s Universal Commerce Protocol and Shop Pay.
Predictions for Shopify Plus
Headless goes mainstream. Hydrogen and Oxygen remain Shopify’s React-based framework and hosting, and the Spring ’26 Edition previewed an all-new Hydrogen built with Vercel that works with any framework, including Next.js. It is in developer preview, so treat it as one to watch rather than a base for production stores today.
Easier internationalization. Managing currencies, taxes, languages and regulations will likely get simpler, with more built-in localization and compliance automation.
Sustainability tools. Shopify is expected to add native tools for carbon emissions, sustainable sourcing and eco-conscious shipping.
A B2B app marketplace. Expect a dedicated marketplace for manufacturers and distributors, with apps for EDI, RFQ management, multi-user permissions and ERP integrations.
Conclusion
The Shopify Plus roadmap points toward flexibility, automation and enterprise readiness. For brands betting on growth in 2026 and beyond, Plus is not just keeping up with the future of eCommerce, it is helping define it.
Planning a Shopify Plus migration or a B2B store? Our team can review your current store and suggest a migration path, a B2B setup and the right Plus features for your catalog. Explore Shopify development services.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus offers more customization, automation and support than standard Shopify plans. It includes Shopify Functions, checkout extensibility, Launchpad, advanced APIs and a dedicated launch engineer.
Can I run both B2C and B2B on the same Shopify Plus store?
Yes. Shopify Plus lets you create personalized experiences for retail and wholesale customers using native features.
Does Shopify Plus support headless commerce?
Yes. Shopify Plus supports Hydrogen (a React-based framework) and Oxygen (hosting) for complete headless builds.
What kind of support does Shopify Plus offer?
You get 24/7 priority support, a dedicated launch engineer and the Merchant Success Program.
Is Shopify Plus worth the investment?
If you are scaling rapidly or managing high transaction volumes, Shopify Plus can pay for itself through time savings, flexibility and better performance.
What is the cost of Shopify Plus?
As of October 2026, Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 per month on a three-year term or $2,500 per month on a one-year term, based on Shopify’s published pricing. Higher-volume or more complex businesses may pay a variable platform fee, which Shopify quotes individually. Your main store plus nine expansion stores are included, and extra stores cost $300 per month each or a revenue share. If you use a third-party payment processor, Shopify charges 0.20% per transaction on top of the processor’s own fees, while orders paid through Shopify Payments carry no third-party transaction fee. Contact Shopify for a tailored quote.
