Advanced Shopify Plan: Features, Pricing, and Key Benefits

Looking to scale an online store to the next level? The Advanced Shopify plan provides powerful tools tailored for fast-growing businesses that require more control, speed, and flexibility. From advanced analytics and automated tax calculations to real-time carrier rates and global selling options, it’s built to handle serious eCommerce growth. Discover the plan’s features, pricing, and key benefits to decide if it’s the right upgrade for your store.

Overview of Advanced Shopify Plan

The advanced Shopify plan is built for businesses ready to scale and compete at a higher level. It combines all core features from lower tiers with powerful enhancements such as lower transaction fees and custom reporting capabilities. Merchants receive up to 15 staff accounts, carrier-calculated shipping rates, and international sales tools, all under one roof. This plan delivers both depth and flexibility for ambitious online stores.

Advanced Shopify Plan: Pricing & Transaction Fees

The Advanced Shopify plan requires a fixed monthly subscription. The standard rate in the U.S. is $399 per month when billed month-to-month and can drop to $299 per month if committed annually.

Beyond the subscription fee, transactions incur charges depending on how payments are processed. If using the native Shopify Payments gateway, online transactions are charged around 2.5% plus 30 cents each, and in-person transactions are around 2.4% plus 10 cents.

If a third-party payment provider is used instead of Shopify Payments, an additional fee applies, about 0.6% on each transaction under this plan. That is in addition to whatever the provider charges.

Note:

The Advanced Shopify plan may involve several additional costs:

• Domain registration: Starts at about $14 yearly through Shopify or external providers such as Namecheap and GoDaddy.

• Email hosting: Shopify does not include email hosting. The Shopify Email app allows 10,000 free emails per month, then costs $1 for every 1,000 additional emails.

• Apps and integrations: Prices differ by app, with most subscriptions averaging around $19 monthly.

• Themes: Both free and premium themes are available, with paid options typically ranging from $0 - $350.

• POS Lite: Included for free with the Advanced plan.

• POS Pro: Costs $89 per store location for businesses that require more advanced point-of-sale features.

Advanced Shopify Plan: Key Features

The Advanced plan brings together high-end features that support growing, data-driven e-commerce operations. Below are the standout capabilities and how they benefit a scaling online store:

Enhanced Custom Reporting and Analytics

The Advanced Shopify plan provides access to a powerful report builder that enables the creation of custom reports and predicts values for key metrics. Merchants can analyze deeper insights, such as customer lifetime value, acquisition source performance, and cohort trends. This level of reporting supports smart decisions on marketing spend, inventory management, and pricing strategy.

Real-Time Carrier-Calculated Shipping Rates

With this plan, real-time shipping rates from third-party carriers are displayed at checkout. That means customers see accurate shipping costs rather than estimates, which improves transparency and reduces the risk of undercharging. Accurate shipping rates also help avoid margin erosion and increase trust in the checkout experience.

Automated Duties and Import Tax Calculations

International expansion often involves the complexities of duties, taxes, and customs. The Advanced Shopify plan addresses this directly. It enables the calculation and collection of duties and import taxes at checkout for cross-border orders. This means more clarity for the buyer and fewer surprise costs. It also means fewer logistics headaches for merchants and fewer abandoned carts due to hidden costs. By utilizing market-specific pricing and regional adjustments, businesses can establish product prices by country or region and manage duties more effectively.

Accelerated Checkout Experience with Higher Speed Capacity

Smooth checkout matters. The Advanced Shopify plan supports higher traffic volumes and more complex transaction loads without sacrificing performance. High-volume stores benefit because checkout speed and reliability remain strong under load.

Additionally, features such as an optimized payment flow and a lower transaction fee structure (when using a native payment gateway) help make the checkout process more efficient and cost-effective. Faster, more reliable checkout leads to fewer cart drop-offs and higher conversion rates, which is critical when scaling.

Expanded Number of Staff Accounts and Permissions

Team management becomes easier with the Advanced Shopify plan. Up to 15 staff accounts are included, allowing different team members to handle orders, marketing, inventory, and more. This enables delegation, role-based access, and better collaboration. It supports growing teams without compromising control or data security.

Importantly, you can assign permissions by role, so sensitive areas are restricted while other users have the necessary access.

Localized Selling Capabilities Through Custom Market Settings

Global selling is built in. The Advanced Shopify plan supports multiple markets, by default three, with the ability to scale up to 50 for an additional cost. Merchants can set region-specific pricing, currencies, languages, and shipping options. This helps tailor the shopping experience to each market rather than exporting the same store everywhere.

Managing tax jurisdictions, import duties, and local shipping rates becomes easier with these localized controls. This means a truly global storefront that feels local to each customer.

Advanced Plan vs Other Plans

The Advanced Shopify plan sits between the mid-tier Grow plan and the enterprise-level Plus plan. It targets expanding businesses that need advanced analytics, staff collaboration, and international selling tools.

Below is a summary of how it compares across Shopify’s pricing tiers:

Advanced Plan vs Basic Plan

→Final Verdict: The Advanced Shopify plan suits stores processing higher sales volumes that benefit from lower transaction fees and in-depth analytics. The Basic plan is ideal for startups, but the Advanced plan offers tools for data-driven scaling and international selling.

Advanced Plan vs Grow Plan

→Final Verdict: The Grow Plan covers small to medium operations, while Advanced Shopify fits businesses ready to handle global logistics. The Advanced plan offers stronger reporting and automation, making it a smarter investment for scaling stores beyond early growth.

Advanced Plan vs Plus Plan

→Final Verdict: The Plus plan targets enterprise brands with complex systems, B2B needs, and massive volume. The Advanced Shopify plan delivers nearly all key features at a fraction of the cost, ideal for established stores scaling toward enterprise level.

How to Upgrade to Shopify Advanced?

Upgrading to the Advanced Shopify plan is a straightforward process. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Log in to your Shopify admin dashboard. Go to Settings > Plan.

Step 2: Click Choose plan. This shows available plan tiers, including Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus.

Step 3: Click Select Advanced from the options. Confirm that’s the plan to upgrade to. At this point, you’ll pick a billing cycle (monthly or annual).

Step 4: Fill in the essential information, such as first name, last name, CVV, address, country, and postal code. Once done, click Subscribe to confirm the upgrade.

The new plan takes effect as soon as it’s accepted.

Is the Advanced Shopify Plan Right for Your Store?

If your store consistently handles large order volumes each month, the Advanced Shopify plan might be a smart fit. You’ll benefit from lower transaction fees, more staff accounts, detailed reports, and tools built for growth and international selling.

Consider this plan if you:

• Have monthly sales nearing five figures and want to reduce fees.

• Need custom reports to analyse customer data and trends.

• Ship globally and want automated duties, taxes, and multi-currency support.

• Build a team and require many staff user accounts with tailored permissions.

• Face peak traffic volumes and want a checkout process that keeps up.

On the other hand, you might hold off if your sales are modest, your shipping and staff structures are simple, and you don’t yet need deep data tools. A lower tier could serve you well for now. Check your growth trajectory, the cost-benefit of fee savings versus plan cost, and decision-making needs. If your business is scaling strongly, this plan delivers power and flexibility for that next level.

FAQs About the Advanced Shopify Plan

What are some examples of stores using Shopify Advanced?

A few real-world businesses using the Advanced plan include Tapo's Official UK Store, Boxes 24, Magcubic™, The Official TrueTimber Store, and Cameron's Coffee.

Can I downgrade from Advanced to a lower plan later?

Yes. Shopify allows changing the plan from Advanced Shopify to a lower tier via Settings → Plan in the admin. Keep in mind: downgrading may result in losing advanced features, and transaction / credit-card fees will likely rise.

Does Advanced allow third-party shipping rate integrations?

Yes. The Advanced Shopify plan supports “carrier-calculated shipping” that connects with eligible third-party shipping carriers so real-time rates can appear at checkout.

What happens to my reports if I leave Advanced?

You will lose access to features specific to Advanced Shopify, like custom reports and predicted values, if you move to a plan that doesn’t include them. Data already collected remains, but new report types and deeper analytics may no longer be available.

Is Advanced worth it for stores under $100K/month?

It depends. The Advanced Shopify plan gives lower transaction fees and advanced features that may justify the cost once a store handles high volume or crosses certain revenue thresholds. For stores under $100 K/month, the monthly fee might not yet be offset by savings in transaction fees or require the full feature set.

Are there hidden costs with Advanced?

Yes! Beyond the subscription fee, you’ll face additional costs, such as domain registration, paid themes or apps, email hosting, or large-volume send costs. So, be sure to review these extra expenses while assessing the plan.

Final Thoughts

The Advanced Shopify plan delivers a complete toolkit for scaling and optimizing a growing online store. It combines powerful analytics, global selling options, and lower transaction fees that support long-term growth and efficiency. If your store is reaching higher monthly volumes and you need deeper control over operations, this plan offers the balance between affordability and enterprise-grade features. It’s a strategic upgrade for businesses preparing to expand their market reach and performance.