Surcharge Guard UK vs Zonal ‑ Shipping Rates & Rules
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Oct 14, 2026 for Surcharge Guard UK, Oct 30, 2026 for Zonal.
The short answer
- Only Surcharge Guard UK lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $5.99/month for Surcharge Guard UK and $19.99/month for Zonal.
- Zonal lists 4 features Surcharge Guard UK’s listing doesn’t mention, including Delivery date, Product-based, Weight-based.
Head to head
Momentum
New reviews each month
Review pace is the clearest public read on how fast an app is winning new merchants.
Free
- · Block 1 UK remote delivery zone
- · Checkout error message for blocked zone
- · No theme edits or scripts
- · Verify settings with postcode tester
- · Works on all Shopify Plans (even Basic)
Pro
- · 14 day free trial - cancel anytime
- · Block one, or many remote delivery zones
- · Checkout error message for blocked zone
- · No theme edits or scripts
- · Verify settings with postcode tester
- · Works on all Shopify Plans (even Basic)
Core
- · Courier and collection-based rules
- · Delivery estimates and countdown
- · Postcode and ZIP code restrictions
- · Rate calculator; chat & phone support
- · Rates by weight or order value
Premier
- · All Core features
- · Cart delivery date picker
- · Delivery dates saved to orders
- · Product and variant lead times
- · Stock and collection-based lead times
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureSurcharge Guard UK lets you block checkout for customers in remote UK postcode areas — Scottish Highlands, Scottish Islands, Northern Ireland (BT), Channel Islands (GY, JE), Isle of Man (IM) and the Isles of Scilly. Toggle zones on or off in seconds. When a customer enters a blocked postcode, they see a clear, error message naming their exact area instead of a generic Shopify error. No theme edits. No scripts.
Zonal gives you control over shipping rates, shipping rules and delivery dates. Set rates by weight, order value and courier. Include or exclude postcodes and ZIP codes, and restrict couriers by collection. Show estimated delivery dates using cut-offs, working days and holidays, with a countdown on product pages.
- One-click setup — toggle remote zones on or off, changes apply instantly
- Works on every Shopify tier including Basic
- Block checkout to configured remote zones
- Block checkout server-side - cannot be bypassed by customers
- Set courier rates by weight and value
- Restrict rates by postcode or collection
- Show accurate delivery dates at checkout
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure |  Surcharge Guard UK |  Zonal |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | Not published | Not published |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | 0 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Not published | Not published |
| Top store countries | Not published | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | Surcharge Guard UK | Zonal |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | 5.0 ★ |
| App Store reviews | Not published | 5 |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | Surcharge Guard UK | Zonal |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not listed |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $5.99/month(ahead) | $19.99/month |
| Longest free trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| Plans listed | 2 | 2 |
Listing
| Measure | Surcharge Guard UK | Zonal |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #152(ahead) | #209 |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | Aug 4, 2026 | Oct 30, 2025 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | Springbok Dev | Visualsoft Limited |
FAQ
Surcharge Guard UK and Zonal: common questions
- Is Surcharge Guard UK or Zonal cheaper?
- Only Surcharge Guard UK lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $5.99/month for Surcharge Guard UK and $19.99/month for Zonal. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- Surcharge Guard UK lists 2 the others don’t mention, such as Address validation, Custom rules. Zonal lists 4 the others don’t mention, such as Delivery date, Product-based, Weight-based, ZIP/post code. A feature missing from a listing may still be supported; this compares what each App Store listing says.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Oct 14, 2026 for Surcharge Guard UK, Oct 30, 2026 for Zonal; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Oct 14, 2026 for Surcharge Guard UK, Oct 30, 2026 for Zonal. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.