Is it better to sell on Amazon or Shopify? For most new sellers without an audience, Amazon is the better place to start, because it brings buyers to you. For a brand with its own audience, or one that needs control over pricing, presentation and customer relationships, Shopify is better. Most established brands end up on both, using Amazon for demand and Shopify for margin and ownership.
The two are not really rivals. One is a marketplace: you rent shelf space in front of shoppers it already attracts. The other is software for running your own shop: you own everything, and every visitor is your job to find. I’d keep that distinction in mind through every comparison below. Below is how they compare on cost, traffic, data and control, and a decision path for your situation.
Amazon vs Shopify at a glance
| Amazon | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A marketplace with its own shoppers | Software to run your own online store |
| Traffic | Comes with the marketplace | You bring all of it |
| Monthly cost | $39.99 Professional plan, or $0.99 per item on Individual | From $25 a month on Basic ($19 billed annually) |
| Per-sale cost | A referral fee, 15% in most categories, plus fulfillment fees if using FBA | Card processing on each order, plus a third-party gateway fee if you skip Shopify Payments |
| Customer data | Limited; Amazon owns the customer relationship | Yours: emails, purchase history, marketing permission |
| Branding and layout | Standardized product pages beside competitors | Full control of design and content |
| Competition on the page | Rivals and their ads sit next to your listing | None on your own site |
| Account risk | Policy breaches can suspend selling | Fewer platform-level restrictions on what you sell |
Figures are from each company’s published pricing at the time of writing. Check current rates before deciding, because both companies revise them, and I’d recheck them every year.
The real cost difference: fees vs traffic
On paper Shopify looks far cheaper: a modest subscription and card processing, against a referral cut on every Amazon order. That comparison misses the biggest expense of owning a store, which is getting anyone to visit at all. Traffic is never free.
An illustration with round numbers, for a $30 product:
- On Amazon, the 15% referral fee is $4.50 per sale. If you use FBA, fulfillment fees come on top, and you will probably spend on Amazon ads too. But shoppers are already searching.
- On Shopify, platform and processing costs per order are small. Then you pay to attract the buyer, through social ads, Google ads, influencers or content. If it costs $8 in advertising to win each customer, that dwarfs the referral fee you avoided.
So the honest question is not “which fees are lower?” but “which is cheaper per customer, all in?” In my view, for a brand with no audience, Amazon usually wins that early on. For a brand with a loyal following or strong repeat purchases, Shopify often wins, because a returning customer costs nothing to reach again.
What Shopify gives you that Amazon will not
The customer relationship. Your own storefront lets you collect emails, retarget visitors and nurture repeat purchases. On the marketplace, contact with buyers is tightly limited, so that bond largely belongs to the platform. Honestly, this is the advantage I’d weigh most.
Control. Prices, design, bundles, subscriptions, storytelling, upsells. Every decision is yours. No rival ad sits beside your product. Getting found is then your job, which our guide to the best SEO for Shopify covers.
An asset you own. A store with a customer list, a recognizable brand, steady direct sales and repeat buyers who come back without being chased has a value of its own that no marketplace account can match, and I’d argue that matters more each year you trade. I’d count that as a strategic advantage, not just a marketing one.
What Amazon gives you that Shopify will not
Demand on day one. Enormous numbers of shoppers already search there daily. A well-built listing can sell before you’ve spent a cent on outside marketing, which I think beginners underrate.
Trust and Prime. People already know that checkout, that delivery promise, those returns. Through FBA your goods can carry the Prime badge, which tends to lift conversion noticeably.
Fulfillment at scale. FBA stores, ships and handles returns. In my view, that alone saves beginners months. Our guide to Amazon FBA fees shows how to check what that costs per product.
Is it better to sell on Amazon or Shopify for you? A decision path
Do you already have an audience (social following, email list, community)?
– Yes → start with Shopify, or both. You can bring buyers without paying a marketplace on every sale.
– No → start with Amazon, where buyers already exist. Simple as that.
Is your product easy to compare and price-sensitive (a commodity many sellers offer)?
– Yes → Amazon, where shoppers compare, and win on price, reviews and delivery speed.
– No, it is differentiated with a story to tell → Shopify lets you tell it. Amazon still works as a second channel.
Is your margin thin?
– Yes → be careful on Shopify. Paid traffic can cost more per order than Amazon’s referral fee.
– No → either works. Let your audience decide.
Do you sell something Amazon restricts or gates?
– Yes → Shopify may be the practical route while you pursue approval. My advice: don’t wait idle.
Do you want to build a brand you could one day sell?
– Yes → plan for both: Amazon for volume, your own store for owned customers. I’d start that plan early.
Running both, without doubling the work
Most brands that thrive end up in both places. The headaches are practical ones: stock, listings and shipping spread across two storefronts. All solvable.
- One stock pool. Amazon’s Multi-Channel Fulfillment can ship your Shopify orders from FBA inventory, in unbranded packaging by default.
- Synced listings and stock. Our guide to multi-channel selling tools for Amazon covers which tool to buy first.
- Consistent pricing. I’d keep prices aligned, or have a clear reason for any gap. Wildly different prices across channels confuse customers and invite complaints.
My verdict: start where your buyers already are. For most newcomers that means Amazon. Add Shopify once you have a reason to own the customer, whether a following, repeat purchases or a story worth telling. Then run both deliberately. Never by accident.
If you want help with either side, we build stores through our Shopify store development service and run Amazon accounts through our Amazon account management service. We are an Amazon SPN Verified Partner and have optimized 10,000+ listings.
FAQ
Is it better to sell on Amazon or Shopify?
For most new sellers without an audience, Amazon is better to start, because it supplies the shoppers. Shopify is better for brands with their own audience or a need to own customer relationships and branding. Many established brands sell on both.
Is Shopify cheaper than Amazon?
Shopify’s platform and processing fees are usually lower than Amazon’s referral and fulfillment fees, but on Shopify you pay to attract every visitor. Compare the total cost per customer, including advertising, rather than platform fees alone.
How much does it cost to sell on Amazon vs Shopify?
Amazon’s Professional plan costs $39.99 a month, or $0.99 per item on the Individual plan, plus a referral fee of 15% in most categories and fulfillment fees if you use FBA. Shopify plans start at $25 a month ($19 billed annually), plus payment processing on each order.
Can I sell on both Amazon and Shopify?
Yes, and many brands do. Amazon’s Multi-Channel Fulfillment can ship Shopify orders from FBA stock, and multi-channel tools keep listings and inventory in sync between the two.
Should a beginner start on Amazon or Shopify?
Usually Amazon, because it brings ready buyers and a beginner rarely has an audience to drive to a new store. The exception is a beginner who already has a following, where Shopify can work from the start.
Which is better for building a brand, Amazon or Shopify?
Shopify, for control and customer ownership, but most brands grow fastest by using Amazon for reach and Shopify for the relationship, rather than choosing one.
Last updated: October 3, 2026. Fees and plans change; figures are from each company’s published pricing at the time of writing. Sources: Amazon selling plans and fees, Shopify pricing.
