The ultimate guide to Shopify UK pricing and plans 2026

When it comes to starting your e-commerce business, choosing the right platform is the most fundamental step. Since Shopify is one of the favourites in the e-commerce world, it makes sense to go through what plans they offer and what works for you. Now, we’ll guide you through picking the right Shopify plan as simply as possible and provide a detailed pricing comparison.

Shopify UK Pricing Overview

Let’s start with Shopify’s pricing comparison. Below is a table for a quick comparison:

Pay monthly

£5

£25

£65

£344

Starting at £1,800 on a 3-year term

Pay yearly (save up to 25%)

Not available for Starter

£19

£49

£259

⛌

Suitable for

Individuals or small businesses selling via social media

New entrants into eCommerce

Stable and established businesses

Scaling businesses with the need for advanced reporting

Big brands with strong monthly sales volume

Shopify offers five pricing tiers for its UK subscribers: Starter, Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus. Each tier can do the same basic functions, but the higher the tier, the more advanced the functions get. For example, Shopify Grow and Advanced tiers offer data reports and charge lower credit card payment fees than basic. The advanced tier could even help you calculate overseas shipping fees and taxes. But if you’re starting as a new joiner, basic would suffice for the time being. 

1. Shopify Starter - Features and Fee

Shopify Starter is designed for individuals and small businesses that want to start selling without building a full online store. It allows you to sell products through shareable links and social or messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok. The plan costs £5 per month and does not include a traditional storefront. Payment processing fees apply per transaction when customers check out via Shopify’s hosted checkout.

2. Shopify Basic - Features and Fee

Shopify Starter is designed for individuals and small businesses that want to start selling without building a full online store. It allows you to sell products through shareable links and social or messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok. The plan costs £5 per month and does not include a traditional storefront. Payment processing fees apply per transaction when customers check out via Shopify’s hosted checkout.

3. Shopify Grow - Features and Fee

This tier includes everything in Basic plus professional reporting, gift card support, and more staff accounts, with lower transaction fees (~1.7% + 25p). It’s a great choice for stores that are established and steadily growing.

4. Shopify Advanced - Features and Fee

Designed for scaling businesses, Shopify Advanced offers advanced reports, third‑party calculated shipping rates, more staff accounts, and even lower transaction fees (~1.5% + 25p). It’s best if your store volume justifies the higher monthly cost and you need deeper selling insights or international features.

5. Shopify Plus - Features and Fee

Shopify Plus is the enterprise‑grade version of Shopify built for high‑volume brands and complex ecommerce needs. It includes advanced customization, automation tools, APIs, and priority support, all designed for large operations and global selling. Pricing typically starts at around £1,800 GBP per month for UK merchants, but the final cost can vary based on your business’s transaction volume and specific requirements.

Pricing in detail

At the start, you can enjoy a 14-day free trial for all Shopify plans, including the three main tiers (Basic, Shopify, and Advanced) as well as the Shopify Starter plan (formerly Shopify Lite). After the trial period, you’ll select a plan based on the features and capabilities your business needs.

In addition to your monthly subscription fees for the chosen plan, there are also additional fees based on payment methods, features, and in-person sales. Let's break it down:

Extra fees

Credit card, Bancontact and iDEAL

2.2% + 20p per transaction

1.9% + 20p per transaction

1.6% + 20p per transaction

In-person credit/debit payment

1.7% per transaction

1.6% per transaction

1.5% per transaction

Shopify POS (Point-of-Sale Pro)

£65 per month

£65 per month

£65 per month

Shopify Plus Fees

For Shopify Plus, pricing typically starts at around £1,800 GBP per month for standard UK setups, depending on contract length and terms. However, for higher‑volume businesses, Shopify Plus often uses a revenue‑based pricing model where a percentage of monthly sales (around 0.25%) applies once monthly revenue exceeds a certain threshold — with the total variable fee having an upper cap.

Is there any hidden Shopify UK cost?

There are also some costs you’re likely to encounter: 

1. Themes

Now, you’ve spent ages trying to get your inventory and shop going. You’ve put in the hours sorting out your assortment and planning your promotion calendar. You’re now sure your products are exactly what your customers need. It’s time to add some personal flavour to your shop. Shopify offers a range of themes for your choosing, ranging from free to £140 GBP each. If you want something customised, you can hire freelancers or Shopify Experts, but the costs can vary drastically. 

2. VATs

All retailers would know that the not-so-glamorous sides of running a retail business are handling VATs. Yes, we get it. They’re no fun, so let’s make it quick. For UK stores, Shopify doesn’t charge or collect VATs, so you need to set it up yourself. Note that you’re legally required to register for VAT only if your volume exceeds £85,000 per year. If you’re planning to do business outside the UK, it’s best to check the VAT rates in different countries. For the UK’s VAT requirements, visit here. 

3. Refunds

We all know refunds happen. Whether it’s due to the wrong size, wrong colour or simply the customer’s mind changed. It’s also very common since a quarter of all customers have considered filing a refund at one point in time. 

Luckily, Shopify doesn’t charge you extra fees if a customer files a refund. However, you won’t be able to recover the transaction or card fees you’ve already paid. Usually, it’ll take 5-10 days for customers to retrieve their money. 

Which Shopify UK plan is the best?

You might be thinking, “what works for me?” but the answer to this question depends entirely on the nature and scale of your business. 

As a rule of thumb, the larger and more established your company is, the higher your tier of choice should be. 

• Shopify Starter:
  If you’re a website looking to experiment with monetising by selling merchandise, the Shopify Starter plan is a great entry point. It provides you with the basic structure needed to add a Buy Button to an existing website or start selling via social media.

• Shopify Basic:
  If you’re a novice e-commerce store or somewhere between a beginner and a growing business, the Shopify Basic plan is an excellent starting point. It gives you all the tools to run a small, growing online store with essential features like a full online store, unlimited products, and basic reporting.

• Shopify Grow:
  For more established e-commerce businesses, Shopify (Standard) offers advanced reporting, gift card support, and lower transaction fees. This is ideal if your store is growing and you need more features to scale.

• Shopify Advanced:
  As your business scales and you require even more advanced tools, including better reporting, lower transaction fees, and features to handle larger sales volumes, Shopify Advanced is the next step up. If your business is taking off but isn’t quite at the enterprise level, this plan gives you everything you need to push forward.

• Shopify Plus:
  If your brand is seriously taking off and you can reasonably foresee high daily sales, globally, or if you’re running a large enterprise-level store, then Shopify Plus is the right choice. With custom pricing, dedicated support, and more powerful tools for high-volume transactions, Shopify Plus is perfect for businesses that require extensive customisation and dedicated enterprise support.

How can SleekFlow help you to boost Shopify sales?

When setting up your Shopify presence, SleekFlow can be your best companion. You can now integrate our SleekFlow interface with Shopify in a few simple steps. All you need is an account for both platforms. 

First, go to Channels on your SleekFlow interface, add Shopify as a tool, and confirm that you have a Shopify account.

Then, go back to Shopify, enable private apps, and create a private app for SleekFlow on Shopify. 

Next, get your Shopify store URL and API password, enter them on SleekFlow and click Submit. 

All set!

What can SleekFlow do for you? Check out our previous article for a quick guide!