Shopify True Monthly Cost Calculator 2026
Calculate the true total monthly cost of running a Shopify store in the UK in 2025/26. Beyond the plan fee, this calculator accounts for Shopify Payments processing rates, third-party transaction fees, app subscriptions and theme costs — giving you the real monthly cost as a percentage of revenue.
Key Inputs
- Shopify plan (Basic £25/mo, Shopify £65/mo, Advanced £344/mo)
- Monthly sales volume (£)
- Payment processor (Shopify Payments vs third-party gateway)
- Number of paid apps and average monthly app cost (£)
What You'll Get
- Monthly plan fee
- Payment processing fees (Shopify Payments: 1.5-2% + 25p per transaction)
- Third-party transaction fee (0.5-2% if not using Shopify Payments)
- Monthly app costs
- Total monthly cost (£)
- Total cost as a % of monthly revenue
Important Notes — 2025/26 Rates & Caveats
Shopify Payments UK processing rates 2025: Basic plan 2% + 25p per transaction; Shopify plan 1.7% + 25p; Advanced plan 1.5% + 25p. If you use a third-party payment gateway (PayPal, Stripe, etc.) instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an additional transaction fee: 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify), 0.5% (Advanced). Most Shopify stores use 3-8 apps. Premium themes are a one-time cost of approximately £150-300. Annual billing for plans reduces the monthly cost by ~25%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the true monthly cost of Shopify for a UK store?
Beyond the plan fee (£25-344/month), UK Shopify stores typically pay: Shopify Payments processing (1.5-2% + 25p per transaction); app subscriptions (£50-200/month for most stores); and an optional theme (one-time £150-300 for premium). For a Basic plan store processing £10,000/month, the true monthly cost including apps is typically £200-350 — around 2-3.5% of revenue.
When should a Shopify store upgrade from Basic to the Shopify plan?
The upgrade from Basic (£25/mo, 2% + 25p processing) to Shopify (£65/mo, 1.7% + 25p processing) saves 0.3% on each transaction. The upgrade pays for itself when monthly sales exceed approximately £13,000 (£40 extra plan cost ÷ 0.3% processing saving = £13,333 breakeven). For stores above this volume, upgrading typically saves money on processing fees alone.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees to UK stores?
Shopify charges no transaction fees when you use Shopify Payments as your payment processor. If you use a third-party gateway (PayPal, Stripe, Klarna, etc.), Shopify adds a transaction fee of 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify plan) or 0.5% (Advanced) on top of whatever the gateway charges. This makes Shopify Payments the most cost-effective choice for most UK stores.
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