Comparison
Add Your Shop vs Shopify: which is right for selling from your own website?
Shopify is a complete e-commerce platform and one of the most widely used in the world. Add Your Shop adds a shop to the website you already have, set up for you, with no monthly fee. Here are the differences, using official figures.
Prices checked October 2026
The short answer
Add Your Shop is the better fit if…
- You already have a website and want to keep it as it is
- You'd rather we set everything up for you, products included
- Your online sales are modest or seasonal and you don't want a monthly bill
- You want a person to talk to, in English or French
Shopify is the better fit if…
- You want to build a complete store with a large catalogue
- You sell across many channels: marketplaces, social media, point of sale
- You want thousands of apps and themes
- Your online sales regularly reach several thousand pounds a month
Side by side
| Add Your Shop | Shopify Basic | |
|---|---|---|
| Keep your current website | Yes: we add a Shop tab | Possible with the Buy Button channel, which you set up yourself |
| Setup | Done for you, products included | Do it yourself or hire someone |
| Monthly fee | £0 | £19/month paid yearly, £25/month paid monthly |
| Starter entry plan | Not applicable | No longer available to new stores |
| Platform commission | 5% per sale | 0% with Shopify Payments, 2% with another provider |
| Standard online card rate | 1.5% + 20p (Stripe) | 2% + 25p (Shopify Payments) |
| Catalogue, apps, sales channels | Built for a handful to a few hundred products | Very broad: unlimited products, app store, multichannel |
Competitor prices are those shown publicly on their official pages on the date given. They can change, so please check the links below before you decide.
Example monthly cost
To be transparent: above roughly £580 of online sales a month, Shopify Basic costs less in fees. Below that, Add Your Shop costs less, and there's nothing for you to build.
| Online sales per month | Add Your Shop | Shopify Basic (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| £300 (12 orders of £25) | £21.90 | £34.00 |
| £1,500 (60 orders of £25) | £109.50 | £70.00 |
Add Your Shop: 5% commission + Stripe's fee (1.5% + 20p per payment). Shopify Basic: £25 per month on monthly billing + 2% + 25p per Shopify Payments transaction. Excludes paid apps, premium themes and domain.
What Shopify does really well
Shopify is a complete platform: unlimited products, stock management, multichannel selling and thousands of apps. For a brand built around selling online, it's a solid benchmark.
To sell from an existing website, Shopify offers the Buy Button channel, included in its plans. The lighter Starter plan, however, is no longer available to new stores, so you'll need at least the Basic plan.
What changes with Add Your Shop
- You build nothing: we create the shop, add your products and put the tab on your site
- No monthly fee: a month with no sales costs you nothing
- No apps to choose or themes to configure: what a local business needs is included
- A real person who replies, in English or French, and knows your shop
Questions
Can I keep my website and use Shopify?
Yes, with Shopify's Buy Button channel, which lets you embed buy buttons in an existing website. You'll need a paid Shopify plan and to add the buttons yourself. With Add Your Shop, we handle it all.
Does Shopify Starter still exist?
According to Shopify's help centre, the Starter plan is no longer available to new stores (checked October 2026).
Which is cheaper?
It depends on your volume. Using public prices from October 2026, Add Your Shop costs less in fees below roughly £580 of online sales a month; above that, Shopify Basic costs less, before setup time and apps.
Other comparisons
Add Your Shop vs Ecwid
A store widget you install yourself, or a shop set up for you.
Add Your Shop vs WooCommerce
The free WordPress plugin, and what it needs alongside.
Add Your Shop vs Wix and Squarespace
Built-in stores on website builders, and what if your site lives elsewhere.
Add Your Shop vs Square Online
Square's free online store, ideal with Square tills.
Add Your Shop vs Snipcart
The developer's cart, and the no-code option.
Sources · Prices checked October 2026
Ready to sell online from your own website?
Send us your website address and what you'd like to sell. You'll get a clear, no-obligation proposal, and your shop can be live within days.