Amazon is a curated marketplace dominated by new products and Prime fulfillment, while eBay is an auction-based platform specializing in used, vintage, and collectible items with lower seller fees. Amazon offers greater reach and convenience, whereas eBay provides better margins for sellers of niche and second-hand goods.
Amazon vs eBay — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Global e-commerce and cloud computing giant with 300M+ products and Prime membership benefits.
Peer-to-peer marketplace specializing in auctions, used items, and collectibles with flexible seller policies.
Business Model. Seller Fees. Product Category Focus. Active User Base. Mobile App Downloads. Fulfillment Options. Annual GMV (2026). Seller Learning Curve
Amazon dominates in reach, convenience, and market share, making it ideal for sellers of new retail products seeking maximum exposure. eBay excels for niche sellers, vintage dealers, and those seeking lower fees and direct customer relationships. The choice depends on your product type and business model rather than overall platform superiority.
Amazon: 240+ Prime members + broader reach | eBay: 132 million active users
Amazon: 15% base commission | eBay: 12.9% base commission
Amazon: $638 billion | eBay: $85-95 billion
Amazon: 500+ million | eBay: 476 million
Amazon: 40% US e-commerce market share | eBay: 8-10% US e-commerce market share
Amazon: $2.36 trillion (July 2026) | eBay: $72 billion (July 2026)
Amazon: 15-25% (FBA included) | eBay: Variable based on shipping chosen
Amazon: 8-10% annual growth | eBay: 0% (flat 2024-2026)
Amazon: 220 million Prime members | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 500+ Amazon Go/Fresh stores | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Same-day to 1 day (Prime) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 240 million Prime members | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Competitive on items under $50 | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Multi-category general retailer | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Basic category and keyword filters | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Limited home furniture brands | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 40% global e-commerce market share | eBay: N/A
Amazon: $638B (e-commerce only) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: All categories (diversified) | eBay: All categories, generalist
Amazon: 5-20% on Subscribe & Save | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 190+ countries and territories | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Industry average ~40-45% | eBay: N/A
Standard Non-Perishable Pet Delivery Time
Amazon: ~50,000-100,000 (estimated pet section) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 500+ million SKUs across all categories | eBay: N/A
2025 Pet Supplies Market Position (GMV Rank)
Amazon: Not #1 in pet supplies | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 30 days (standard Amazon) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Limited pet-specific subscriptions | eBay: N/A
Specialty Pet Food Availability (Exotic/Medical Diets)
Amazon: Limited; depends on seller listings | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 300+ active customers | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 2 days (FBA enabled) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 0% customer data; Amazon owns relationship | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Varies by category and account tier | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Strict vetting, A9 quality standards | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 4.4/5 average seller rating | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 2.5 billion downloads | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 2 days (Prime) / 5-7 days (standard) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 150+ million customers | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Proprietary (freemium model) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Not offered; external pharmacy required | eBay: N/A
Average Product Price Index (baseline=100)
Amazon: $139 (Prime basic tier) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime members in metro areas) | eBay: N/A
Average Price Difference on Beauty Products
Amazon: 10-25% discount below MSRP | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Same-day or 1-day with Prime | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Varies; typically 1-5% with Prime | eBay: N/A
Amazon: $0 with Prime / $25 without | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 180 days (A-to-Z Guarantee) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: US-regulated, transparent data policies | eBay: N/A
Prime Eligible Items with Two-Day Shipping
Free Shipping Threshold (Standard Members)
Amazon: $35 (with Prime; $100 without) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 500+ furniture brands available | eBay: N/A
Average Beauty Product Price Comparison (Foundation)
Customer Review Average Rating (Beauty Products)
Amazon: Up to 45% (varies by category) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 91% trust Amazon (2024) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 65% third-party sellers (mostly resellers/aggregators) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 3,500 cities (Prime 2-hour) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 100+ metro areas (Prime) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: ~50,000 pet products | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 5-20% Subscribe & Save | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 89% (J.D. Power 2024) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 12% (includes pet products) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 50,000+ pet listings | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime members) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 100-150% higher (standard retail markup) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 94% disputes resolved in buyer favor | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 4.2/5 (verified reviews with photo proof) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: ~8-12% average return rate | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Low (seller suspension policy enforced) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 0 stores (digital-only) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime) | eBay: 5-7 days
Amazon: ~9 million | eBay: ~25 million registered
Amazon: 180 days (A-to-Z Guarantee) | eBay: 180 days (Money Back Guarantee)
Amazon: 40+ primary categories | eBay: 15+ primary categories
Amazon: $139/year (Prime) | eBay: $99.99/year (eBay Plus - discontinued 2024)
Amazon: Free with Prime (or $5-7 without) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Same-day Prime (select areas only) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 2% on select categories | eBay: N/A
Amazon: ~25 (all categories) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: $2,500 (A-to-z Guarantee) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 309 million (as of 2024) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 0% - Amazon owns customer relationship | eBay: N/A
Profit Margin Retention (Example: $100 sale)
Amazon: $55 (after 15% referral + 30% FBA avg) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: Limited - Amazon template only, no custom branding | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 12-48 hours (seller support varies) | eBay: N/A
Average Pet Food Price (25 lb bag, premium brand)
Amazon: 0 (dedicated pet stores) | eBay: N/A
Amazon: 60 days (Prime members) | eBay: N/A
Electronics Price Premium vs Competitors
Amazon: N/A | eBay: Not publicly disclosed
Amazon: N/A | eBay: General merchants and resellers
Amazon: N/A | eBay: Flat/stagnant 2024-2026
Amazon: N/A | eBay: Global generalist leader
Amazon vs eBay — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Amazon vs eBay. Contains 249 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Amazon vs eBay — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Amazon vs eBay.
Is Amazon better than eBay for buying new products?
Amazon is generally better than eBay for buying new products. Amazon enforces strict seller standards, offers Amazon Prime with fast, reliable shipping, and has a more consistent buyer experience. Most listings on Amazon are for new items sold by vetted sellers or Amazon itself. eBay, while it does sell new products, is better known for used, refurbished, and rare items. If you want predictable quality and fast delivery for new purchases, Amazon is the stronger choice for most shoppers.
Which platform has lower fees for sellers in 2026, Amazon or eBay?
In 2026, eBay generally has lower fees for casual and low-volume sellers, charging around 13-15% in final value fees depending on the category. Amazon charges referral fees typically between 8-15%, but also requires a Professional selling plan at $39.99 per month for serious sellers, plus fulfillment fees if using FBA. For high-volume sellers using fulfillment services, costs can be comparable or higher on Amazon. eBay remains more cost-effective for occasional sellers without subscription commitments.
Which is better for selling vintage or collectible items, Amazon or eBay?
eBay is significantly better for selling vintage or collectible items. Its auction-style format allows rare or unique items to fetch competitive bids, and its buyer base actively searches for collectibles, antiques, trading cards, and memorabilia. eBay also has dedicated category pages and community features for collectors. Amazon's catalog-based system makes it difficult to list one-of-a-kind items, and its audience primarily shops for standard, new products rather than unique or hard-to-find collectibles.
What are the biggest changes to Amazon and eBay in 2026?
In 2026, Amazon expanded its AI-powered shopping assistant and personalized deal features, while also tightening third-party seller verification to combat counterfeits. eBay rolled out enhanced AI-driven listing tools that auto-generate titles, descriptions, and pricing suggestions for sellers, and improved its authentication program to cover more product categories including luxury goods and electronics. Both platforms also increased their focus on sustainability labels and eco-friendly product filtering in response to growing consumer demand for transparent environmental information.
Where can you find cheaper prices, Amazon or eBay?
eBay often offers cheaper prices, especially for used, refurbished, or auction-listed items where buyers can bid below retail value. Amazon tends to match or beat retail pricing on new items and offers competitive deals through Prime, Lightning Deals, and Subscribe & Save. For brand-new products, prices are often similar across both platforms. However, if you're flexible on condition or willing to wait for an auction to end, eBay can deliver significantly lower prices, particularly for electronics, clothing, and collectibles.
Business Model: Amazon has First-party sales + third-party marketplace, while eBay has Pure marketplace (auction + fixed price).
Seller Fees: Amazon has 15% commission + FBA fees, while eBay has 12.9% commission + optional insertion fees.
Product Category Focus: Amazon has New retail products, while eBay has Used, vintage, collectibles, niche items.
Active User Base: Amazon has 240+ million Prime members worldwide, while eBay has 132 million monthly active users.
Mobile App Downloads: Amazon has 500+ million all-time downloads, while eBay has 476+ million all-time downloads.
Fulfillment Options: Amazon has FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) - fully managed, while eBay has Self-fulfillment or managed shipping.
Annual GMV (2026): Amazon has $638 billion, while eBay has $85-95 billion (estimated).
Seller Learning Curve: Amazon has Moderate to high - algorithm-dependent, while eBay has Low - direct buyer-seller interaction.
Amazon is a curated marketplace dominated by new products and Prime fulfillment, while eBay is an auction-based platform specializing in used, vintage, and collectible items with lower seller fees. Amazon offers greater reach and convenience, whereas eBay provides better margins for sellers of niche