{"slug":"costco-vs-walmart","question":"Costco vs Walmart: Membership, Stores and Fees","answer":"Costco is a membership warehouse club: you pay $65 a year for Gold Star or $130 for Executive (U.S. and Canada fees since September 1, 2024) to shop its 939 warehouses. Walmart is open to everyone with no fee, runs more than 10,900 stores in 19 countries, and sells an optional Walmart+ membership for $98 a year. Costco suits households that buy in bulk often enough to justify the fee; Walmart suits shoppers who want no fee, more locations and smaller pack sizes.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Best for frequent bulk shoppers: Costco, if your regular buying makes the $65 or $130 yearly fee worthwhile.\n\nBest for no fee and convenience: Walmart, with more than 10,900 stores and an optional $98 Walmart+ membership.\n\nNeither is cheaper for every household. Compare your own basket, including the fee.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Fee to shop","entityAValue":"$65 Gold Star, $130 Executive per year","entityBValue":"None","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Optional membership","entityAValue":"Executive upgrade with 2% Reward up to $1,250","entityBValue":"Walmart+ $98 a year","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Locations","entityAValue":"939 warehouses","entityBValue":"More than 10,900 stores","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Assortment","entityAValue":"Limited selection, often bulk packs","entityBValue":"Broad assortment, standard sizes","winner":"tie"}],"winner":null,"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Costco","slug":"costco","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/costco","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/costco"},{"name":"Walmart","slug":"walmart","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/walmart","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/walmart"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Do I need a membership to shop at Costco or Walmart?","answer":"Costco warehouses are for members; a Gold Star membership is $65 a year and Executive is $130 in the U.S. and Canada. Walmart stores and walmart.com are open to everyone. Walmart+ is an optional $98-a-year membership for delivery and other perks."},{"question":"How much is a Costco membership compared with Walmart+?","answer":"Costco: $65 a year for Gold Star, Business or Business add-on, and $130 for Executive, effective September 1, 2024. Walmart+: $98 a year, or $12.95 a month at its 2020 launch. Walmart lists a $49 annual fee for qualifying government assistance recipients."},{"question":"What does the Costco Executive membership add?","answer":"Executive members earn an annual 2% Reward on qualifying purchases, capped at $1,250 a year since September 1, 2024 (it was $1,000 before). It costs $130 a year, made up of the $65 primary membership plus a $65 upgrade."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart), Costco is a membership warehouse club: you pay $65 a year for Gold Star or $130 for Executive (U.S. and Canada fees since September 1, 2024) to shop its 939 warehouses. Walmart is open to everyone wit","dateModified":"2026-10-16T00:00:00.000Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/costco-vs-walmart","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/costco-vs-walmart","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/costco-vs-walmart"}