Shiply and AnyVan are the two names most people compare when they need something moved in the UK. Both let drivers quote for your job, both cover the whole country, and both look similar from the outside. The difference that matters is what each one takes from the driver — because that comes straight back to you in the quote.
How Shiply works
Shiply is a reverse-auction marketplace. You post your job, registered couriers and removal drivers bid on it, and you choose the quote you like. Shiply charges the driver a success fee on every job they win. Shiply does not publish its rates; its terms describe only "a tiered percentage" calculated per quote. Published summaries and driver reports put the fee at roughly 3.9%–9.9%, with a minimum of about £6 and the percentage falling as the job value rises.
That commission is not a separate line on your bill. The driver builds it into their bid, so you pay it whether you notice it or not.
How AnyVan works
AnyVan runs a hybrid model. You can get an instant estimated price, and jobs are also matched to partner drivers who quote for the work. AnyVan's cut is generally higher than Shiply's. AnyVan does not publish a rate; driver reports commonly put it in the region of 20–25% of the job value.
AnyVan invests heavily in brand and customer service, which is part of what that margin funds. For some people the polish is worth it. If you are optimising for price, it is money coming out of your pocket.
Shiply vs AnyVan: side by side
| Shiply | AnyVan | We Got The Move | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Reverse auction | Instant quote + partner drivers | Reverse auction |
| Driver commission | ~3.9–9.9%, tiered down | Not published; reported ~20–25% | £0 — zero |
| Customer fee | Deposit (variable) | Built into the price | £9.99 on acceptance |
| Free to post | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pressure on quotes | Medium | Lower | Highest — drivers keep everything |
| Coverage | UK wide | UK wide | UK wide |
Which one is actually cheaper?
Between the two, Shiply is usually the keener of the pair, simply because its commission is lower. A driver on AnyVan has to recover a bigger cut, and the only place that money can come from is your quote.
Here is the same job priced three ways. Say the driver needs to clear £300 to do the work at their genuine rate:
| Platform | Driver must quote | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| AnyVan (reported 20–25%) | £375 – £400 | £375 – £400 |
| Shiply (~6.9% at this value) | £322 | £322 + deposit |
| We Got The Move (0%) | £300 | £309.99 inc. fee |
Same driver, same van, same job. The gap is the platform's cut. Note that the two behave differently as jobs get bigger: Shiply's percentage tiers down on higher-value work, while AnyVan's is reported as broadly flat — so the gap between those two widens on large moves, while the gap to a zero-commission platform narrows in percentage terms.
Where each one wins
- AnyVan — strongest brand, most polished customer experience, useful if you want a fixed price without waiting for bids.
- Shiply — bigger driver base built over many years, good for obscure routes and unusual loads, generally cheaper than AnyVan.
- We Got The Move — zero commission, so the bid you see is the driver's real price. Best when price is your priority.
For the full breakdown on each, see our Shiply alternative guide and AnyVan alternative guide.
What to check before you book on either
- Is the quote all-in? Ask whether stairs, long carries and waiting time are included.
- What insurance applies? Goods-in-transit cover varies enormously between drivers.
- Is the deposit refundable? Check the cancellation terms before you pay anything.
- Never pay a deposit off-platform. If a driver asks you to pay by bank transfer before the job, treat it as a red flag.
Shiply vs AnyVan: your questions answered
Is AnyVan cheaper than Shiply? Usually not. AnyVan's commission is generally higher, so drivers need to quote more to earn the same money. For price-sensitive jobs, Shiply tends to return keener bids than AnyVan — and a zero-commission marketplace keener still.
Are Shiply and AnyVan the same company? No. They are separate businesses that compete with each other, though they serve a very similar market and many drivers are registered on both.
Which is better for long-distance moves? Both handle long distance. On long routes the key variable is whether a driver can fill the return leg — that is what makes backload pricing possible, and it depends on how much traffic the platform has on your route. It is worth posting on more than one and comparing.
Can I use the same driver on both? Often yes — plenty of drivers list on several marketplaces at once. The price they can offer you differs by platform, because each one takes a different cut of their fee.
Is there anything cheaper than both? A zero-commission marketplace removes the cut entirely. We Got The Move charges drivers nothing and takes a single £9.99 booking deposit from the customer when they accept a bid, so the quote you see is the driver's genuine rate.
The bottom line
Between Shiply and AnyVan, Shiply is generally the cheaper of the two. But both are charging your driver a percentage that ends up in your quote. If price is what you care about, it costs nothing to post the same job on a zero-commission marketplace and compare what comes back.
Ready to get removal quotes?
Post your job free. Drivers compete. You pick the best price.
Post Your Job Free