At the beginning of the year, Shopify decided to change a couple of things in their plans and how they compare to each other. There are no changes in the subscription pricing, but some of the changes may lead you to consider upgrading your plan. Some of the changes are also positive.
It's also important to mention all these changes only impact new merchants. Existing merchants will continue to have the same plan features (except the report access; see #2 below).
Anyway, here's a full list.
1. The $1 trial plan is 30 days (instead of 90)
If you are starting your Shopify store, you can take advantage of the free trial, which is 3 days. On top of that, you will pay only $1 for the first month of whatever paid plan you select. The $1 offer used to be valid for three months.
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2. All plans have access to 60+ reports
All plans have access to 60+ reports that are part of the standard analytics. Previously, the Starter and Basic plans didn't have access to sales, profit, customer reports, and four out of five marketing reports.
This is changing for all merchants, including the existing ones, so if you are on Basic, you should see all the new reports in your Analytics > Reports section.
3. No staff accounts for Starter and Basic plans (previously 2)
Extra staff accounts are no longer available for Starter and Basic plans. Previously, you could add 2 additional staff members to your store. The number on other plans remains unchanged (5 on the Shopify plan and 15 on the Advanced plan). There is also no change on the collaborator accounts.
4. The number of custom markets is reduced to 3 (from 50)
This is probably the most important change of all. Previously, you could add up to 50 different markets even on the Basic plan. Now, all plans have a limit of 3. If you want more, you need to use the Advanced plan and pay an extra $59 per month for each additional market, up to 50 markets.
It's yet unclear whether/how this limit impacts the Shopify Plus plan. My guess is it isn't.
5. Enhanced chat support for Advanced plan
Merchants using the Advanced plan have access to prioritized chat support. Basic and Shopify plans still have access to a standard 24/7 live chat.
6. Shopify Plus price increased to $2.500 per month (from $2.000)
The entry monthly price of the Shopify Plus plan has increased from $2.000 to $2.500 per month. However, if you commit to 3 years, the price is $2.300 per month (you can still pay monthly).
Conclusion and changes summary
As you can see, some changes are positive and add extra value (i.e., new reports), while others may play a key role in the plan decision (i.e., markets limitation).
Despite the changes, the Basic plan still provides a lot of value and is totally suitable for running a successful online business.
If you are not sure which plan is the right one for your needs, feel free to book an online consultation with one of our Shopify experts, and we'll be happy to help.
