TikTok Shop vs Shopify UK
Compare TikTok Shop UK platform commission with Shopify UK payment-fee economics for social commerce sellers.
Worked example winnerShopify
TikTok Shop can bring demand through social discovery, while Shopify can offer cleaner direct-store economics if the seller can acquire customers efficiently.
Example scenario£28.00 sale / £8.00 product cost
Shipping cost £3.50 and ad spend £3.00 are included in both rows.
ChannelScenarioFeesProfitMargin
TikTok ShopStandard platform commission£2.52£10.9839.2%
ShopifyBasic plan online standard card£0.81£12.6945.3%
Best Fit
- TikTok Shop: products that benefit from video discovery, creator activity and fast promotional testing.
- Shopify: sellers building a repeatable brand, direct customer relationship and owned traffic base.
Watch Outs
- Creator commission, coupons and launch promotions can make TikTok Shop margins thinner than the base fee suggests.
- Shopify paid social spend can quickly become the largest cost in the order model.
Use the calculators
Run your own product numbers next.
FAQs
Is TikTok Shop cheaper than Shopify?
The answer depends on promotion and acquisition costs. TikTok Shop has marketplace-style commission, while Shopify often shifts cost into marketing.
Should sellers use both TikTok Shop and Shopify?
Many sellers can test both, using TikTok Shop for discovery and Shopify for repeat customers, but each channel still needs its own margin check.