Morrisons vs Sainsbury's: which is cheaper?
Today’s head-to-head on price, network size and coverage, read live from every Morrisons and Sainsbury's forecourt reporting to the government Fuel Finder scheme.
Too close to call today
Morrisons and Sainsbury's are priced within a fraction of a penny of each other nationally today. At that distance the brand is not the variable that matters — the gap between two individual forecourts in the same town is routinely ten times larger.
Head to head
Live across every reporting forecourt. Green marks the better figure.
| Measure | Morrisons | Sainsbury's |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol (E10)median across the network | 167.9p | 167.9p |
| Diesel (B7)median across the network | 191.9p | 190.9p |
| Super unleadedwhere sold | 186.5p | 180.1p |
| Cheapest forecourtlowest petrol price in the network | 162.9p | 156.9p |
| Dearest forecourt | 172.9p | 174.9p |
| Spread across sitesdearest minus cheapest | 10.0p | 18.0p |
| Forecourtscurrently reporting a price | 341 | 315 |
| Regions coveredof twelve UK regions | 11 | 12 |
| Motorway sites | 0 | 0 |
The row worth dwelling on is the spread. Morrisons sites range across 10.0p and Sainsbury's across 18.0p. Both are far wider than the gap between the two brands, which is the whole argument for checking the forecourt rather than trusting the sign — see what is actually near you.
How the gap has moved
Daily network averages for both chains, on one scale.
Where each brand actually is
Forecourts by UK region. A cheaper chain is only cheaper if it has a site near you.
Coverage shape explains most of what looks like a price difference. Fuel is cheaper in some regions than others regardless of brand, so a chain weighted towards the cheaper ones shows a lower national average without any of its sites pricing unusually. Compare the regions to see how large that effect is.
What you are choosing between
Ownership, loyalty and premium grades.
A supermarket network concentrated in the North of England, generally priced with the other big four.
Supermarket forecourts weighted towards the South and Midlands, with Nectar points on every litre.
Which should you use?
On today’s numbers the two are close enough that the national comparison does not decide anything. The question that does decide it is distance. A litre saved is only worth having if you did not burn the saving getting there: the break-even calculation is a single division, and for most cars a detour of more than a couple of miles eats a two-pence saving whole.
Both carry loyalty schemes — More Card and Nectar points on fuel — which shift the effective price by an amount that depends on how much you redeem rather than how much you fill. Beyond that, the fuel itself is the same specification at both — what actually differs between supermarket and branded fuel is the additive package, not the base product.
Cheapest forecourt of each right now
Lowest petrol price in each network today.
Common questions
Is Morrisons or Sainsbury's cheaper for petrol?
Morrisons and Sainsbury's are priced within a fraction of a penny of each other today, so neither is meaningfully cheaper nationally. Which one is cheaper for you depends entirely on the individual forecourts within reach.
How much would switching between Morrisons and Sainsbury's save in a year?
Almost nothing on today's prices — the two chains are within a fraction of a penny of each other. The saving worth chasing is between individual forecourts, which can differ by ten pence or more in the same town.
Does Morrisons fuel differ from Sainsbury's fuel?
Standard E10 petrol and B7 diesel are the same specification wherever you buy them — they meet the same British Standard, and are frequently refined and delivered by the same companies regardless of the sign on the forecourt. What differs is the additive package blended in at the terminal, which is where premium grades and branded formulations come in. For an ordinary car on ordinary journeys, the manufacturer's handbook is the authority on whether that is worth paying for.
Which has more forecourts, Morrisons or Sainsbury's?
Morrisons has more: 341 forecourts currently reporting a price against 315. Morrisons covers 11 of the twelve UK regions and Sainsbury's covers 12. Network size matters more than the headline price for most drivers — a chain that is two pence cheaper but forty minutes away is not cheaper.
How often are these prices updated?
Both chains report every price change to the government Fuel Finder scheme, which has required a report within thirty minutes of a change taking effect since February 2026. The figures here refresh throughout the day from that feed.