Shopify Plus Developer: What They Do & How to Hire One
What a Shopify Plus developer does, how they differ from a regular developer, 8 questions to ask and what to plan for US and EU stores.
Quick answer: A Shopify Plus developer builds and maintains the custom parts of a Shopify Plus store: checkout customisations, Shopify Functions, integrations with ERP and other systems, multi-store and multi-market setups, and performance work. Hire one when your needs go beyond themes and apps.
What does a Shopify Plus developer do?
Shopify Plus is Shopify’s enterprise plan. A Plus developer works on the features that standard plans do not offer or that need custom work:
- Checkout customisation with Checkout Extensibility and checkout UI extensions.
- Shopify Functions for custom discounts, shipping rules, payment logic and cart validation.
- Integrations with ERP, PIM, CRM, warehouse and marketing systems through the Admin API and webhooks.
- Multi-store and Shopify Markets setups for selling in several countries, currencies and languages.
- Headless or custom storefronts when a standard theme is not enough.
- Migrations from Magento, WooCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and others. See my Magento to Shopify Plus migration checklist.
- Performance and Core Web Vitals work. Read my guide to speeding up your Shopify store.
Do you need Shopify Plus first?
Not always. If you are not sure the plan is worth the cost, read Shopify vs Shopify Plus: when is the upgrade worth it?. Plus tends to make sense when you need advanced checkout control, several storefronts, higher order volume, or custom logic at checkout.
Shopify Plus developer vs regular Shopify developer
| Area | Regular developer | Plus developer |
|---|---|---|
| Themes and Liquid | Yes | Yes |
| Public and custom apps | Yes | Yes |
| Checkout extensibility | Limited | Core skill |
| Shopify Functions | Sometimes | Core skill |
| Multi-store, B2B, Markets | Rarely | Common |
| ERP and complex integrations | Sometimes | Common |
8 questions to ask before hiring
- Which Shopify Plus projects have you shipped? Can I see them?
- Have you built checkout extensions and Shopify Functions, not only theme edits?
- How do you handle testing and staging before changes go live?
- How do you approach performance, so custom code doesn’t slow the store?
- Can you work with my ERP, 3PL or PIM?
- How do you handle GDPR consent, VAT display and accessibility for EU customers?
- What does support look like after launch?
- Who owns the code and documentation?
Planning for US and European stores
If you sell to both regions, the developer should plan for:
- Currencies and tax: prices shown with VAT in many EU countries, and without sales tax in the US.
- Payments: Shop Pay, Apple Pay and Affirm in the US; iDEAL, Bancontact, SEPA and Klarna in parts of Europe.
- Languages and URLs: translated content with hreflang so Google serves the right version.
- Consent and privacy: a cookie consent setup that works with your analytics and ad pixels.
- Accessibility: the European Accessibility Act affects many online shops selling in the EU, so check your checkout and theme.
Red flags
- Only theme experience but no checkout or Functions experience.
- No staging process.
- Heavy app dependence for things that custom code does better.
- No documentation handed over.
How I can help
I build custom Shopify and Shopify Plus solutions, from checkout work to integrations and speed. See my Shopify Plus development and custom Shopify development pages, or contact me with your project.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Shopify Plus developer?
A developer who specialises in the enterprise features of Shopify Plus, such as checkout extensibility, Shopify Functions, multi-store setups and complex integrations.
How much does a Shopify Plus developer cost?
It depends on experience, region and scope. Developers charge hourly, per project or on a retainer. Request a scoped quote and compare what is included.
Can I use a regular Shopify developer on Plus?
For theme and app work, often yes. For checkout customisation, Functions and large integrations, choose someone with proven Plus experience.
Do I need a Plus developer to migrate from Magento?
Usually yes. Migrations involve data mapping, URL redirects, integrations and SEO protection, which need planning.
Can a Plus developer help with speed and conversion?
Yes. Performance and checkout improvements are common Plus projects, and they often lift conversion. See my Shopify CRO guide.
Related guides
Keep reading
Shopify CRO Cost: What Experts Charge and What You Get
How Shopify CRO services are priced (audit, project, retainer), what affects the cost and what a fair proposal should include.
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European Accessibility Act for Shopify Stores: Checklist
What the European Accessibility Act means for Shopify stores selling in the EU, plus a practical accessibility checklist and testing tips.
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Shopify GDPR Cookie Consent: Setup Without Losing Data
How to set up GDPR cookie consent on Shopify for EU and UK visitors, keep analytics useful and test that tags respect consent.
Read article →Want more sales from your Shopify store?
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