Which Shopify plan costs less?
Compare estimated costs for the same order volume across Basic, Grow and Advanced. UK rates checked on 14 September 2026; the lowest cost does not account for feature requirements.
| Plan | Monthly billing (GBP/month) | Annual billing (GBP/month equivalent) | Standard online card rate | External surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 25 | 19 | 2% + 0.25 GBP | 2% |
| Grow | 65 | 49 | 1.7% + 0.25 GBP | 1% |
| Advanced | 344 | 259 | 1.5% + 0.25 GBP | 0.6% |
What it computes
Compare the estimated cost of Basic, Grow and Advanced for a store in United Kingdom. The calculator keeps your order volume and average customer payment constant across all three plans. It includes subscriptions, processing, applicable Shopify surcharges, apps and a monthly allocation for a one-off theme purchase.
The result is a cost comparison, not a check of staff access, reporting or other plan features. Read Setting up a Shopify shop in the UK: the full guide alongside the figures. The What is Shopify, and how does it work in the UK? guide provides further context for setting a store budget.
How it works
Monthly customer payments equal the average payment multiplied by your order count. Use payments after discounts, including shipping and collected tax. These receipts are not profit: the calculator does not subtract product costs or tax you must remit.
For each plan, processing equals orders multiplied by the percentage-based charge plus the fixed payment fee. The model assumes one payment per order. Shopify's UK pricing page, checked on 14 September 2026, supplies the rates. Basic, Grow and Advanced monthly subscriptions are 25.00 GBP, 65.00 GBP, 344.00 GBP, respectively. Annual billing uses monthly equivalents of 19.00 GBP, 49.00 GBP, 259.00 GBP, prepaid for twelve months.
Standard online card percentages are 2%, 1.7%, 1.5%, respectively, each plus 0.25 GBP. An external gateway uses the provider fees you enter, plus Shopify surcharges of 2%, 1%, 0.6%. If the payment qualifies for an exemption, only the Shopify surcharge disappears. Confirm eligibility for the method; provider fees remain payable.
Add subscriptions and transaction fees to your app budget and the theme cost divided by your chosen budgeting months. The theme purchase remains an upfront expense. Spreading it is a planning choice, not instalment billing or a tax deduction. Because these entered costs are identical across plans, they do not change the ranking.
Break-even divides a subscription difference by the per-order saving and converts it into monthly payment volume at your basket size. A dash means there is no positive crossover through fee savings. Compare all three totals: a pairwise crossover does not prove either plan is cheapest overall.
Examples
These examples use an average payment of 50 GBP, Shopify Payments, a 20 GBP monthly app budget and a hypothetical 240 GBP theme spread over twelve months. The shared monthly allocation is 40 GBP. App and theme amounts are user examples, not price quotes.
With 50 orders and monthly billing, the monthly totals are 127.50 GBP for Basic, 160.00 GBP for Grow and 434.00 GBP for Advanced. Basic has the lowest cost. Basic and Grow reach equal cost at 13,333.33 GBP in monthly customer payments.
With 1,000 orders and monthly billing, the monthly totals are 1,315.00 GBP for Basic, 1,205.00 GBP for Grow and 1,384.00 GBP for Advanced. Grow has the lowest cost.
With 1,000 orders and annual billing, the monthly totals are 1,309.00 GBP for Basic, 1,189.00 GBP for Grow and 1,299.00 GBP for Advanced. Grow has the lowest cost. The Grow subscription payment is 588.00 GBP upfront for the year. Its crossover with Basic is 10,000.00 GBP in monthly payments.
Limits
The estimate holds average basket size and payment method constant. It excludes promotions, Plus, negotiated rates, international cards, Amex, in-person payments, refunds, disputes, currency conversion and taxes on services. Provider rounding and separate app billing cycles can change actual charges. Annual equivalents and theme allocations describe a budget; they do not predict the amount or timing of your next invoice.
Worked examples
- 50 orders, monthly billing — 50 orders at 50 GBP, with a shared monthly budget of 40 GBP: Basic 127.50; Grow 160.00; Advanced 434.00 GBP.
- 1,000 orders, monthly billing — 1,000 orders at 50 GBP, with a shared monthly budget of 40 GBP: Basic 1315.00; Grow 1205.00; Advanced 1384.00 GBP.
- 1,000 orders, annual billing — 1,000 orders at 50 GBP, with a shared monthly budget of 40 GBP: Basic 1309.00; Grow 1189.00; Advanced 1299.00 GBP.
Common questions
Does the cheapest plan have every feature I need?
No. This compares entered costs for Basic, Grow and Advanced. Check staff access, reporting, shipping and other feature requirements separately. Promotions, Plus and negotiated rates are excluded.
Is the monthly total my next Shopify bill?
No. Annual subscriptions are prepaid, theme costs are one-off, and apps can use different billing cycles. The result allocates these costs into a monthly budget; taxes, currency conversion, refunds and additional services can change actual charges.
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Constants and sources checked on 14 September 2026.