Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms in the UK — and for good reason. But the true cost of running a Shopify store isn't always obvious from the homepage. Here's an honest, complete breakdown of what UK businesses actually pay in 2026.
Shopify Monthly Plan Costs (UK, 2026)
Shopify's core plans for UK businesses:
- Basic: £25/month — suitable for new stores and small catalogues
- Shopify: £65/month — for growing businesses needing better reporting and shipping discounts
- Advanced: £344/month — for high-volume stores needing advanced reporting and lower transaction fees
- Plus: From £1,700/month — enterprise-grade, for large established brands
Most UK SMEs start on Basic or Shopify. Advanced is only worth it once you're processing significant volume where the lower transaction fees offset the higher subscription cost.
Transaction Fees
This is where Shopify can get expensive. If you don't use Shopify Payments (their built-in payment processor), Shopify charges a transaction fee on every sale:
- Basic: 2% per transaction
- Shopify: 1% per transaction
- Advanced: 0.5% per transaction
Using Shopify Payments eliminates these fees — but Shopify Payments charges its own card processing fee (typically 1.5–2% + 25p per transaction for UK cards). Whether Shopify Payments is suitable depends on your situation — it's not available for all business types.
Domain Name
Registering a domain through Shopify costs around £10-15/year. You can also use an existing domain you own — transferring it to Shopify or simply pointing your DNS records. If you already own your domain, there's no additional cost here.
Theme Costs
Shopify offers a selection of free themes that are perfectly functional. Premium themes from the Shopify Theme Store cost £140–£350 as a one-time purchase. For a professionally custom-designed store, expect to pay a designer separately (see below).
Apps and Integrations
This is where costs can escalate unexpectedly. Shopify's app ecosystem is vast, but many essential apps carry monthly fees:
- Email marketing (Klaviyo, Mailchimp): £0–£150+/month depending on list size
- Reviews app (Judge.me, Yotpo): £0–£50+/month
- Upsell/cross-sell apps: £10–£50/month
- Subscription billing: £50–£200+/month
- Advanced inventory management: £20–£100+/month
- Accounting integrations (Xero, QuickBooks): £10–£30/month
A typical growing Shopify store might run £100–£300/month in apps on top of the platform subscription.
Design and Development Costs
The platform subscription only covers the technology. Getting a professionally designed, conversion-optimised Shopify store requires design and development work:
- Customised premium theme: £800–£2,000 (a developer customises an existing theme to your brand)
- Bespoke custom design: £2,000–£6,000+ (fully custom design and development from scratch)
At Jazz Creative, our Shopify builds start from £1,999 including custom design, mobile optimisation, SEO setup, and payment integration.
Total Cost of Ownership: First Year Example
A realistic first-year cost for a properly set up UK Shopify store:
- Shopify plan (Basic, 12 months): £300
- Domain: £15
- Design and development: £2,000–£4,000
- Essential apps: £600–£1,200
- Transaction fees (if not using Shopify Payments): variable
Total first year: approximately £3,000–£5,500 for a properly built, growing store.
Is Shopify Worth It?
For most UK eCommerce businesses, yes — especially if you're product-focused, want a platform that's easy to manage without technical knowledge, and plan to scale. The ongoing costs are predictable, the infrastructure is reliable, and the ecosystem is mature.
If your catalogue is very large, your products are complex (highly configurable, subscription-based, or need deep integrations), or you want to avoid ongoing platform fees, WooCommerce might be more appropriate. Read our comparison: WooCommerce vs Shopify — Which Is Right for Your Business?
Get Expert Advice
Jazz Creative builds Shopify and WooCommerce stores for UK businesses. We'll recommend the right platform for your specific situation. Get in touch for a free consultation.