Imagine this: you started your Shopify custom printing business and getting 10-15 orders a week was like a winning situation for you. But as your business grew, you started to ship around 500 orders a week, juggling bulk printing orders, and managing your store became a tedious task for you.
Customers love your designs. Sales are booming. But behind the scenes, your team’s spending more time updating inventory, managing custom orders, and fixing checkout issues than actually printing. Witnessing such a scenario probably has made you think, “Is it time to upgrade to Shopify Plus?”
Here’s the thing: that’s not an easy call.
Shopify’s been working great so far. But as your business scales, the cracks start to show. You want smoother automation, faster checkouts, and better control over your growing order volume.
In this blog, we’ll break down the real difference between Shopify vs Shopify Plus for print businesses, not in tech jargon, but in plain language. You’ll find out when upgrading actually makes sense, what features matter to your kind of business, and how to figure out which plan truly fits where you are right now.
Table of Contents
What Is Shopify Plus, Anyway?
Before jumping into Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, let’s clear up what Shopify Plus actually is.
Think of shopify web to print as the dependable setup most print businesses begin with; It handles online orders, inventory, and web to print storefront management perfectly.
But when your Shopify web to print business grows and you’re juggling bulk B2B clients, multiple stores, and automation needs, that’s when Shopify Plus starts making sense.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Shopify Plus is Shopify’s enterprise-level version: It’s built for high-growth businesses that have outgrown the limitations of standard plans.
- Pricing starts around $2,300/month: A big jump from Shopify’s $39–$399/month, but it comes with advanced tools and priority support.
- It’s designed for high-volume sellers: Many brands on Plus do over $1 million in annual revenue, though you can qualify with less if your operations are complex.
- You get the same Shopify foundation, but supercharged: More automation, deeper customization, faster performance, and room to scale without bottlenecks.
So, if regular Shopify is like running a reliable digital printing press, Shopify Plus is owning a full-scale production line that can handle thousands of printing orders seamlessly.
The Quick Answer for Print Businesses
Let’s get straight to it. When it comes to Shopify vs Shopify Plus, most print businesses don’t need to rush into the upgrade. And that’s not a bad thing at all.
Here’s the honest truth:
If your online custom printing store is growing steadily but you are not yet feeling overburdened by the order volume or automation needs, regular Shopify has everything you need to run a Shopify web to print store smoothly.
But, and there’s always a “but,” Shopify Plus becomes worth the investment once your growth starts to outpace your tools.
Here’s how to look at it:
- If you have a single custom web to print Shopify store that sells personalized products, books, calendars, or even packaging supplies like boxes or pouches, and your staff is managing all such order flow with ease, then stick with Shopify’s basic plan.
- If you run multiple print brands, process hundreds or thousands of orders per month, or require more automation and customization, start looking into Plus.
When your production line reaches its peak, think of Shopify as the dependable machine that gets you started, and Shopify Plus as the industrial setup you move to.
Breaking Down the Real Differences: Shopify vs Shopify Plus
Alright, now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk about what really sets Shopify vs. Shopify Plus apart, and more importantly, which features actually matter for your print business.
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison to make things simple:
| Feature / Plan | Starter | Basic | Shopify (Grow) | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price (USD) | $5 | $39 | $105 | $399 | $2,300+ |
| Online Credit Card Fee (Shopify Payments) | 5% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.6% + 30¢ | 2.4% + 30¢ | 2.15% + 30¢ (approx) |
| In-person Credit Card Rate | 5% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.4% | Varies |
| Third-party Payment Fee | ✅ (highest) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (often waived) |
| Staff Accounts | 0 | 10 | 10 | 15 | Unlimited |
| Online Store | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (multiple stores) |
| Social Media Sales & Buy Button | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| API Limits | 2 req/sec (REST) 100 pts/sec (GraphQL) |
2 req/sec (REST) 100 pts/sec (GraphQL) |
2–4 req/sec (REST) | 4 req/sec (REST) | 20 req/sec (REST) 500 pts/sec (GraphQL) |
| International Selling | ✅ (basic tools) |
✅ (international tools) |
✅ | ✅ (localization tools) |
✅ (enterprise support) |
| Checkout Customization | ❌ (very limited) |
❌ (limited) |
❌ (limited) | ✅ | ✅ (full control) |
Now, let’s break down what those differences actually mean for a print business like yours.
Pricing Reality
Shopify’s $39–$399/month range makes it perfect for small or mid-sized print businesses that are just starting to grow online.
The Shopify Plus plan, on the other hand, starts around $2,300/month; but it’s designed to replace multiple paid apps, advanced automation tools, and custom development work.
So while it looks expensive, it can actually save money once you hit a certain order volume.
The Automation Edge
Here’s where Shopify Plus features really stand out. Tools like Shopify Flow and Scripts let you automate repetitive tasks like tagging rush orders, sending print specs to your production team, or applying bulk discounts for wholesale clients.
Imagine:
- Every corporate order is tagged and routed to your B2B production queue automatically.
- Seasonal campaigns are scheduled to go live without anyone staying late on launch night.
That’s the kind of time-saver Plus offers.
Checkout Customization
For print businesses, checkout customization is pure gold. You can:
- Add fields for print instructions (logo placement, foil options, etc.)
- Display delivery dates based on production timelines
- Offer custom B2B pricing right at checkout
With regular Shopify, your checkout process stays more generic, which is great for basic sales, but limited when you need flexibility.
Multi-Store Management
Running a custom printing store and a separate retail brand?
Shopify Plus lets you control both from one dashboard. You can share product catalogs, manage orders, and maintain consistent branding without jumping between accounts.
When the Shopify Plus Benefits Actually Matter
Not every print business needs Shopify Plus right away; but there’s a point where the upgrade genuinely simplifies your business operations. It’s less about how many orders you process and more about how complex your business has become.
Here’s when Plus starts to make sense:
1. You’re Managing Multiple Brands or Stores
If you have expanded from one web to print website to multiple niche stores like one for gifting custom products, and another for corporate clients; managing them separately on basic Shopify plan can get messy with increasing orders.
Shopify Plus makes life easier with easy migration and centralized control. You can manage products, orders, and branding for all stores from one dashboard instead of juggling multiple basic plans.
2. Your Wholesale Operations Are Growing
Handling bulk custom printing orders for B2B clients often means custom pricing, tax exemptions, and net payment terms.
Shopify Plus has built-in advanced analytical tools that give deeper visibility into high-value clients and wholesale revenue so you can easily manage analytics about wholesale operations without juggling apps or spreadsheets, optimize pricing accordingly, and margin without relying on external reporting tools.
3. You Need Advanced Automation
When your print workflows become complex, like routing custom print jobs, automating design-proof approvals, or identifying repeat corporate buyers, Plus gives you powerful automation through Shopify Flow and Scripts.
Furthermore, it provides you with Unlimited Staff Accounts, allowing your production, design, sales, and support teams to work within the system without being hampered by access restrictions.
4. You’re Expanding Internationally
Dealing clients with custom printing products across countries?
With Shopify Plus, you can set up localized stores for each region, handle multiple currencies, and automate tax rules; no manual setup required.
Paired with Wholesale Channel Management, you can run region-specific B2B portals with unique pricing and catalogs, ideal for international corporate printing clients.
In short, Shopify Plus isn’t just about scaling up; it’s about simplifying how you run your growing print business when things start getting complex behind the scenes.
The Benefits of Shopify (Without the Plus Price Tag)
Let’s flip the conversation for a second. Because the truth is, regular Shopify is already powerful enough for most print businesses, especially if you’re still building your customer base or managing a single store.
When customers ask us about Shopify vs Shopify Plus, we always advice: don’t pay for horsepower you’re not using yet.
Here’s why sticking with standard Shopify can be the smartest move right now:
1. Affordable and Scalable
With plans ranging from $39 to $399 a month, Shopify gives you everything you need to run your web to print Shopify store profitably, without the heavy monthly bill of the Plus plan.
2. Huge App Ecosystem
Need automation, marketing, or custom checkout tweaks? Shopify’s App Store has affordable plugins that can handle most advanced tasks; no developer is needed.
Shopify apps like DesignO seamlessly connect to your store and streamline your custom printing orders easily with its job and workflow management features.
It automatically handles order requests, their workflow, printing process, and order fulfillment. It also offers 3D previews, font customization, 360-degree animation of the final product using a 3D product configurator, and AI-powered image generation features, enhancing your customer’s shopping experience.
You can effectively run your entire web to print Shopify store using this all-in-one integration alone.
3. Standard Analytics Dashboard
Shopify’s built-in analytics provides clear insights into sales, customer behavior, product performance, and order trends.
For web-to-print storefront, this means you can track which personalized products convert best, understand repeat buyer activity, and optimize your pricing or seasonal campaigns.
You get all the essential decision-making data without needing advanced enterprise tools.
4. Easy Store Management
Shopify keeps store operations simple, whether you’re managing new orders, updating product catalogs, handling abandoned carts, or monitoring fulfillment.
You can scale your print business into multiple six figures before hitting any serious limitations. Many successful web to print storefronts make millions in revenue on regular Shopify plans.
In short, Shopify’s core tools already cover everything from order management to inventory management.
For most print businesses, regular Shopify isn’t a steppingstone; it’s the sweet spot.
What the Shopify Plus Plan Actually Costs
Let’s cut through the noise, Shopify Plus isn’t cheap, and the $2,300/month is just the starting point.
Here’s what you’re really looking at
Cost Category | Shopify Plus |
Monthly Plan | Starts at $2,300 (can go up with revenue) |
Transaction Fees | Around 2.15% + 0¢ (Shopify Payments) |
Apps & Add-ons | $200–$500/month (some apps replaced by Plus features) |
Setup & Customization | $10,000–$50,000 one-time (for advanced builds) |
Ongoing Maintenance | May need a developer or Shopify partner |
Support | Dedicated account manager & priority support |
Now, let’s talk about numbers.
If you’re generating around $200K a year in custom printing sales, that transaction fee difference won’t offset the $2,300 monthly cost. You’d need consistent, high-volume revenue for math to make sense.
However, once you cross the $80K–$100K monthly mark, Shopify Plus can start paying for itself through automation, reduced app costs, and faster workflows.
In short:
If you’re still counting every marketing dollar, stick with regular Shopify.
If you’re scaling fast and time is your biggest bottleneck, Shopify Plus earns its price tag.
Does a Web to Print Setup Change the Shopify vs Shopify Plus Equation?
If your business runs a shopify web to print setup, you already know how many moving parts there are, online design tools, order routing, proof approvals, and production workflows.
The question is: does Shopify Plus make all that easier?
Here’s the short answer: it can, once your operations get complex enough.
1. API Performance Matters
Regular Shopify allows 2 API calls per second, while Shopify Plus doubles that to 4 (and can increase further if needed).
In simple words, if your web-to-print system is syncing hundreds of product variants or sending frequent updates between your design tool and your store, Plus handles it faster and with fewer hiccups.
2. Automation Simplifies Production
With Plus, tools like Shopify Flow let you:
- Automatically route custom orders to your production queue
- Tag urgent packaging jobs
- Send customer notifications when proofs are approved or shipped
These automations save serious time once you’re handling complex, made-to-order products.
3. Multi-Store Management for Niche Brands
If you are running multiple stores, Plus lets you manage them all under one account, keeping your backend unified while each brand keeps its own front-end identity.
4. Better Checkout Flexibility
Custom print orders often need extra input fields, like artwork uploads or foil type. With Plus, you can fully customize website’s and checkout fields and logic, something you can’t do on standard Shopify without paid apps.
So yes, Shopify Plus isn’t mandatory for every web-to-print business, but if you’re hitting API limits, handling multiple stores, or relying heavily on automation, it can seriously streamline your setup.
Which One’s Right for Your Print Business?
The decision comes down to where you are in your journey of growth.
If you’re still building your online presence, experimenting with products, or getting your first batch of recurring clients, Shopify gives you everything you need to run smoothly without heavy costs. You’ll have flexibility, a clean store, and enough integrations to support your web to print workflow.
But if you’re scaling fast, managing multiple stores, automating backend tasks, and want total control over your checkout and integrations, Shopify Plus is worth the investment. It’s not about vanity or size; it’s about operational efficiency and time saved.
Here’s a quick way to think about it:
- Choose Shopify → when you’re testing and growing steadily.
- Choose Shopify Plus → when your growth is consistent, and manual work starts slowing you down.
Either way, both platforms are solid foundations for your shopify web to print . The right one depends not on what looks impressive, but on what makes your day-to-day smoother.
Hope you found this blog informative. If you are looking for Shopify product customizer that can automate and streamline the printing process of your Shopify orders, contact us and get a free demo of our DesignO, which has built in integration with Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
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