Short answer
Shopify ended its separate Plus Partner program in December 2024. Today “Plus” is a tier inside the Shopify Partner Program, earned through revenue from merchants a Partner brings to or supports on Shopify, plus a count of new merchants. A Plus-tier badge tells you a Partner works at scale. It does not prove they suit your project, so check reviews, comparable work and the team.
Key takeaways
- Every Shopify Partner starts at the Registered tier. Select, Plus, Premier and Platinum are earned through commercial impact, and tiers update every quarter.
- The Plus tier is a Partner Program level. It is not the same thing as the Shopify Plus plan, and a Plus-tier Partner is not automatically a Plus-plan specialist.
- Shopify’s Partner Directory lets you filter by tier, services, price range and rating. Only merchants who gave a Partner collaborator access can leave a review there.
- Vet a Partner on four things the badge cannot show: comparable work, the people assigned, how they handle access, and a small first project.
What is the difference between a Shopify Partner and a Shopify Plus Partner?
Worth knowing
A Shopify Partner is any agency, freelancer or developer registered in Shopify’s Partner Program. Shopify’s own help page is direct about the change: “The Plus Partner program was sunset effective December 2024” (Shopify Help Center). Every Partner now begins on the Registered tier and can move up to Select, Plus, Premier and Platinum “based on your performance.”
Shopify’s own badge for the Plus tier is called “Shopify Plus Partner” (Shopify Help Center), and Shopify says the old program’s branding should no longer be used. So today the phrase should mean the Plus tier. The Partner’s directory listing shows its current tier, and Shopify requires Partners to update the badge within 48 hours of a tier change.
Shopify’s Q4 2026 tiering guide describes the tiers this way (Shopify Partner Program Tiering Guide):
| Tier | Shopify’s description | Directory note for merchants |
|---|---|---|
| Registered | Building a Shopify practice with access to core tools and resources | Starting point for every Partner |
| Select | Consistently bringing new merchants to Shopify and supporting early success | Typically preferred by small and medium businesses |
| Plus | Delivering impact across more complex merchant needs | Typically preferred by mid-market and larger businesses |
| Premier | Driving consistent, high-impact outcomes across larger and more complex merchant environments | Typically preferred by large enterprises |
| Platinum | Operating at scale with sustained impact across enterprise merchants | Typically preferred by global enterprise businesses |
The “directory note” column comes from Shopify’s merchant-facing guide to hiring Partners (Shopify Help Center).
Book a call
A free 30-minute call about your store. Shopify Plus Partner, rated 5.0 from 8 reviews on Shopify’s Partner Directory.
How does a Partner earn the Plus tier?
The tiering guide sets three measures. A Partner qualifies on the stronger of the two revenue measures, and must also meet the merchant count for that tier (Shopify Partner Program Tiering Guide).
| Measure (USD) | Select | Plus | Premier | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New referral and co-sell revenue | $100,000+ | $500,000+ | $2,000,000+ | $5,000,000+ |
| Existing merchant revenue | $500,000+ | $2,500,000+ | $10,000,000+ | $25,000,000+ |
| New merchants brought to Shopify | 1 Plus/Enterprise or 10 Standard | 2 Plus/Enterprise or 40 Standard | 4 Plus/Enterprise | 6 Plus/Enterprise |
A few details in the guide change how you should read a badge:
- It measures commercial volume. Revenue counts from merchants a Partner brings to Shopify or actively supports, for example through collaborator accounts.
- It looks back a long way. Revenue is measured over a trailing five years. Merchant counts use five years for Select and Plus, and two years for Premier and Platinum.
- Skills are not tested in 2026. The guide states that credentials are waived for 2026 and only commercial activity is evaluated.
- It changes every quarter. Tiers update on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1.
None of that is a criticism of the system. It means the badge answers “does this Partner work with stores at my scale?” well, and “will this Partner do good work on my project?” only indirectly.
Plus tier vs the Shopify Plus plan: why the names confuse buyers
The Shopify Plus plan is the platform tier a store pays for. Shopify’s help page for the plan lists checkout customization, Shopify Functions for custom apps, expanded B2B features, up to nine expansion stores and unlimited staff accounts, and says pricing “varies depending on the term and your billing currency” (Shopify Help Center).
Tip
A Partner at the Plus tier has hit Shopify’s revenue and merchant thresholds. A Partner with real Plus-plan experience has built checkout extensions, written Shopify Functions and run multi-store setups. Those overlap often, but not always. If you are on the Plus plan or moving to it, ask for Plus-plan work specifically: which stores, which features, and what the Partner built.
If you are still deciding whether the plan is worth it, our posts on when to upgrade to Shopify Plus and what Shopify Plus costs cover that decision.
How do you find Shopify Partners in the Partner Directory?
Shopify’s Partner Directory is the official list. According to Shopify, you can filter by whether a Partner is accepting clients, price range in US dollars, services, location, industry, languages and Partner tier, and sort by average rating or service price (Shopify Help Center).
A practical search order:
- Filter by service first. Pick the job you need, such as store build, migration or ongoing website management, before anything else.
- Then filter by tier. Shopify’s guidance suggests Plus for mid-market and larger businesses. Treat it as a starting filter, not a final answer.
- Read the reviews, not just the stars. Shopify sends a review request only when a Partner was added as a collaborator, that access has been active for at least one week, and the Partner is listed in the directory. Reviews rate quality of work and communication, and come from merchants on paid plans. That makes directory reviews harder to fake than reviews on a Partner’s own website.
- Use the Contact button. You need to be logged into your Shopify account. Contacting a Partner does not commit you to hiring them.
Shopify also advises defining your budget, timeline and expected outcomes in detail before you reach out, so the Partner can quote accurately.
How do you vet a Shopify Plus Partner before hiring?
The badge and the stars get you a shortlist. These checks get you a decision:
| Check | What to ask for | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Comparable work | Two or three projects at your revenue level and on your plan | Named features, before-and-after numbers with dates, and a way to confirm them |
| The team | Who works on your account, by role, and who your single contact is | Specific roles, in-house or named contractors, and a stated response time |
| Plus-plan depth | Checkout extensions, Functions or B2B work they have shipped | A clear walk-through of one build, including what went wrong |
| Access practice | How they request access and which permissions they need | A collaborator request with limited permissions, and a reason for each one |
| Directory reviews | The reviews on their Shopify listing | Recent reviews describing work like yours |
| First project | A small paid scope before a long contract | A defined deliverable, a date and a price |
Watch out
On access, Shopify’s guidance is to “grant only the permissions that the partner needs for their work,” and to ask why the Partner needs any permission you are unsure about (Shopify Help Center). A Partner who asks for full access without explaining why is telling you something.
For a fuller interview script, our Shopify agency vetting framework lists the questions by category.
How Build Grow Scale approaches Shopify Plus work
Build Grow Scale’s Shopify Partner Directory listing shows the Plus tier and a 5.0 rating from 8 reviews, with ongoing website management and conversion rate optimization listed as specialized services. On its Shopify Plus development agency service page, Build Grow Scale says its in-house developers build and customize Shopify Plus stores. The page lists a four-step process: audit your current setup, map the right Plus features to your goals, build and configure, then QA and launch. It also says the team works with brands already on Plus and brands still evaluating the upgrade.
FAQ
Is a Shopify Plus Partner the same as a Shopify Plus agency?
Not exactly. “Shopify Plus Partner” now usually means a Partner at the Plus tier of Shopify’s Partner Program, which is based on revenue and merchant counts. “Shopify Plus agency” is a marketing phrase for an agency that works with stores on the Shopify Plus plan. Some agencies are both. Ask which tier they hold and which Plus-plan builds they have shipped.
Where can I find a list of Shopify Partners?
Shopify’s Partner Directory is the official list. You can filter by service, price range, location, industry, language and Partner tier, and sort by rating or price. You need to be logged into your Shopify account to contact a Partner through the directory, and contacting one does not oblige you to hire them.
Does Shopify vet the Partners in its directory?
Shopify’s hiring guide does not describe a vetting process for the work itself. Tiers reflect revenue and merchant counts, and credentials are waived for 2026 under the current tiering guide. Directory reviews come only from merchants who gave the Partner collaborator access for at least a week, which makes them a useful signal. Do your own checks on comparable work and the team.
Do I need a Plus-tier Partner if I am on the Shopify Plus plan?
No. A Partner at any tier can work on a Plus store if it has the skills. What matters is experience with Plus-plan features such as checkout customization, Shopify Functions and expansion stores. A Plus-tier badge raises the odds that a Partner works with larger stores, but ask to see the specific Plus-plan work before you rely on it.
Book a call
A free 30-minute call about your store. Shopify Plus Partner, rated 5.0 from 8 reviews on Shopify’s Partner Directory.
Sources
- Shopify Help Center, “About the Shopify Partner Program”: https://help.shopify.com/en/partners/about (fetched 2026-10-23)
- Shopify, “Shopify Partner Program: Q4 2026 Tiering Guide” (PDF): https://cdn.shopify.com/static/partner-resources/shopify-partner-program-guide-service-track.pdf (fetched 2026-10-23)
- Shopify Help Center, “Hiring and working with Shopify Partners”: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/partner-directory/hiring-help (fetched 2026-10-23)
- Shopify Help Center, “Shopify Plus plan”: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/intro-to-shopify/pricing-plans/plans-features/shopify-plus-plan (fetched 2026-10-23)
- Shopify Help Center, “Shopify branding” (Partner Program): https://help.shopify.com/en/partners/partner-program/shopify-branding (fetched 2026-10-23)
- Shopify Help Center, “Collaborator accounts”: https://help.shopify.com/manual/your-account/staff-accounts/collaborator-accounts (fetched 2026-10-23)
- Shopify Partner Directory, Build Grow Scale listing: https://www.shopify.com/partners/directory/partner/bgs-revenue-optimization (fetched 2026-10-23)