When Do You Need Shopify Plus? A Guide for Larger Brands in the UAE and the Gulf
Does your brand need Shopify Plus? How it differs from standard plans, what it costs, its exclusive features (checkout, multiple stores, automation, B2B), and when upgrading makes sense.
Short answer: Shopify Plus is for larger brands and starts from about $2,300 a month (around AED 8,450). You typically need it once sales exceed several million dirhams a year, or when you need checkout customisation, multiple stores for different countries or brands, advanced automation or full B2B. Most UAE stores are well served by Basic, Grow or Advanced for years.
What sets Shopify Plus apart?
| Feature | Standard plans | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Checkout customisation | Limited | Extensive (via Checkout Extensibility) |
| Multiple stores | One store per subscription | Several stores within the plan |
| Automation | Basic automation | Advanced Shopify Flow, scheduled launches and offers |
| B2B | Core features (up to 3 catalogs) | Full B2B with unlimited catalogs |
| Staff accounts | Limited by plan | Effectively unlimited |
| Support | Standard | Priority |
| Peak performance | Good | Built for very high traffic |
Features and pricing change. Confirm current details directly with Shopify.
When is upgrading worth it?
Signs you need Plus:
- Sales are large enough that transaction fees and the subscription have become a significant line item. Plus usually makes financial sense at annual sales in the millions.
- Several markets or brands: a UAE store and a Saudi store with different teams and pricing, or more than one brand.
- Checkout: you need customisations such as extra fields, in-checkout offers or custom payment logic.
- Wholesale (B2B): you need many catalogs and customer-specific pricing at scale. See B2B wholesale on Shopify.
- Big launches: product drops and seasonal sales with very high traffic.
When you don't need it
- Your sales are well below that level.
- One store for one market.
- The standard checkout works for you.
In that case, Advanced or Grow is the smarter choice. See Shopify pricing in AED.
A note on the UAE
Even on Plus, Shopify Payments isn't available in the UAE at the time of writing, so you use external gateways. Ask Shopify about Plus transaction fees with external gateways, as they're part of the calculation. See Shopify payment gateways in the UAE.
Moving to Plus
- Moving from a standard plan to Plus is an account upgrade, not a store migration.
- Plan checkout customisation and automation from the start to get value from the investment.
- If you're coming from another platform, see migrating to Shopify.
FAQ
How much does Shopify Plus cost?
It starts from about $2,300 a month, and may vary with sales volume and contract. Ask Shopify for the current offer.
Does Plus solve the Shopify Payments issue in the UAE?
No. Shopify Payments depends on the merchant's country and isn't available in the UAE at the time of writing.
Can I sell wholesale without Plus?
Yes. Core B2B features are now available on standard plans, with limits such as the number of catalogs.
Do you build Plus stores?
Yes, through our Growth Partner package for larger brands. Book a call and we'll assess whether Plus suits you at all.