Third-party Shopify experts can assist with everything from setting up your first Shopify store, right through to complex migrations from other e-commerce platforms and implementing marketing strategies. And with Shopify boasting an impressive 25% market share of the global e-commerce platform market, Shopify Partners are more in demand than ever before. 

But what are Shopify Plus Partners and what makes them different?

First things first - what is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is Shopify’s premium plan. Ideal for high traffic and revenue stores, Shopify Plus takes all of Shopify’s regular features and offers even more advanced flexibility and support for its Plus merchants.

With features including a customisable checkout, unlimited staff accounts, international storefronts, B2B functionality, Launchpad event scheduling, and up to 100 Shopify themes, Shopify Plus is a natural choice for some of the world’s biggest brands. Despite a $2,000 price tag each month, Shopify Plus offers very low credit card rates, making it actually more cost efficient for high-revenue merchants.

Famous Shopify Plus stores include Gymshark, Kylie Cosmetics, Allbirds and Skinnydip London.

‍What is a Shopify Plus Partner?

A Shopify Plus Partner specialises in complex, best-in-class Shopify builds. 

To achieve Plus Partner status, a Shopify Partner agency must first go through a rigorous vetting process and have demonstrable experience in delivering high quality, technical projects to completion. Made up of developers, designers, operation specialists and marketers, a Shopify Plus Partner understands the platform inside out and can therefore provide a level of service that many regular Shopify Partners cannot. Applications are taken very seriously and only the top agencies and software providers around the world are chosen to join the Plus community.

There are currently 127 UK-based Shopify Partners on the directory, but only 27 of these have been awarded Shopify Plus Partner status, making them the best choice for world-class, high-growth businesses. As well as offering a wealth of Shopify support, any Shopify Plus agency will also be an expert at migrating websites from other familiar e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce or Magento.

So a Shopify Plus agency is an agency that solely works with Shopify Plus merchants?

Not at all. Plus status simply recognises that agency as one of the leading Shopify agencies in the world, but it doesn’t mean that they’re restricted to Shopify Plus projects. Here at Kubix, the majority of our projects still sit on the Shopify and Shopify Advanced plans. We only recommend Shopify Plus for those for whom it makes financial sense. Plus fees can quickly add up (see our Pricing blog for a full breakdown of Shopify plans), so it’s about balancing the demand for the sophisticated features and reduced credit card fees with the costs to the merchant.

What’s the difference between Shopify Experts and Shopify Plus Partners?

It’s worth noting that as of October 2023, Shopify Experts are now considered part of the broader Shopify Partner directory, so the term will gradually fade out of use. 

Shopify Plus Partners have a proven track knowledge of working with the most complex merchants and project builds. As such, you can expect an elevated level of service and internal knowledge from a Plus Partner versus a regular non-Plus Partner.

Looking For A Plus Partner?

Kubix is one of the few UK agencies to be awarded Plus status. If you're looking for a trusted partner who knows the ins and outs of Shopify, with a growing in-house team of experts in projects, marketing, design and paid media, Kubix is here for you. Get in touch and we'll be happy to discuss your requirements.