Amazon is a massive marketplace platform where sellers reach 300+ million customers, while Shopify is an independent e-commerce platform that lets merchants build and own their own storefronts. Amazon takes 15-45% in fees but provides traffic; Shopify charges $29-399/month but offers full brand control.
Amazon vs Shopify — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
World's largest e-commerce marketplace with 300+ million active customers
Fully managed cloud-based e-commerce platform with integrated payments and hosting.
Business Model. Monthly Base Cost. Commission/Fees. Customer Base Access. Brand Control. Setup Time. Seller Account Suspension Rate
Choose Amazon if you want immediate access to 300+ million customers and don't mind paying 15-45% in fees for built-in traffic and handling. Choose Shopify if you want complete brand control, lower long-term costs, and are willing to invest in marketing to drive your own traffic.
Amazon Seller Central: $0 | Shopify: $29-$399
Amazon Seller Central: 15-45% | Shopify: 0%
Amazon Seller Central: 300+ million | Shopify: 0 (self-driven)
Amazon Seller Central: 2-7 days | Shopify: 1-3 days
Amazon Seller Central: 2-3 (limited) | Shopify: 9-10 (full)
Amazon Seller Central: 2,000+ | Shopify: 4,600+
Amazon Seller Central: 0.1-0.3% | Shopify: ~0.01%
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Amazon Seller Central: $10,000+ (avg top 10%) | Shopify: $5,000+ (lower barrier)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 4.6 Million+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 27%
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 13,000+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 1.4%
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 1.2%
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Fully Managed SaaS
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $29
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $399
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 200+ templates
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 8,000+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Phone, Email & Chat
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Yes ($2,300+/month)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $468
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 2,000+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 200+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 0% (on Shopify Payments)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Advanced (Liquid code access)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: ~300 (optimized for sales)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 3.89%
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $214
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Included in subscription
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $1,350
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Self-driven traffic
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Zero (must generate own traffic)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 30-90 days (with marketing)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Complete (10/10)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 100% direct access to customer emails and data
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited products
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 100+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 7-14 days
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 6,000+ apps
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 3.2-3.5%
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 99.99%
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Good GraphQL API; limited headless options
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $0-20M GMV (optimal fit)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Low; point-and-click setup
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 (Shopify Payments)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Extensive (9/10)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 2.9%
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Self-generated
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 10,000+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: All product types
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $100-150 (optional)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: ~30% of all online stores
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $5 (Starter plan minimum)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 2.7% + $0.30
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited with advanced sync
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $5 (Starter Plan)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $5-39 (all-inclusive)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Hours to 1 day
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Hosting, SSL, domain, support included
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Separate subscriptions required
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Ongoing regular updates
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $105 (Shopify Plan)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 6000+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 30-60 minutes
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: None (paid plans only)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Mobile-optimized by default
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $39
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 8,500+
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 1-2 days
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 6 (Liquid templating limits)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Shopify manages all compliance
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited (pricing tier independent)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $468 + transaction fees ($2,900)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $39/month (Basic plan)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 6,800 verified apps
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 1-2 hours to launch
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 100+ official integrations
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Level 1 (fully managed)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 2-3 days
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: ~8,000+ apps
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 28%
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: No (requires apps)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Limited (basic automation)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $39/month
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 8,000+ apps
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Full REST & GraphQL APIs
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 100+ sales channels (Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, eBay, etc.)
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Included in all plans
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: $348-3,588/year
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 99.99% guaranteed
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: 24/7 dedicated support team
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Built-in tools with limitations on code-level access
Amazon Seller Central: N/A | Shopify: Possible but complex; vendor lock-in concerns exist
How to choose between Amazon Seller Central and Shopify
Compare Amazon Seller Central vs Shopify
Amazon vs Shopify — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Amazon vs Shopify. Contains 112 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Amazon vs Shopify — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Amazon vs Shopify.
How much does it cost to sell on Amazon vs Shopify?
Amazon charges $0 base fee but takes 15-45% commission per sale plus 30-45% referral fees for products like electronics and books. Shopify charges $29-$399/month with 0% transaction fees (only 2.9% + 30¢ payment processing). At $10,000/month revenue, Amazon costs $1,500-$4,500 vs Shopify's $87-$1,189, making Shopify cheaper for established sellers but Amazon cheaper upfront.
Amazon is better for immediate sales without marketing investment - you get access to 300+ million customers immediately. Shopify is better if you want brand control and long-term profitability. Most experts recommend Amazon first (2-7 days to launch, zero upfront cost), then moving to Shopify once you have an audience to control.
Can I use both Amazon and Shopify at the same time?
Yes - 67% of top sellers use both platforms. Amazon handles high-volume commodity sales while Shopify builds your owned brand and customer relationships. You can import Shopify products to Amazon, but Amazon policies may restrict private-label products, so verify seller agreements.
What happens if my Amazon account gets suspended?
Amazon account suspensions (0.1-0.3% of sellers annually) can take weeks to resolve and reinstatement is not guaranteed. With Shopify, you own the account completely - there's no risk of suspension. This is why 43% of sellers cite account risk as their biggest Amazon concern.
How much do I need to spend on marketing with Shopify?
Budget $100-$500/month minimum for ads (Facebook, Google, TikTok) to compete. Without marketing spend, Shopify stores average $500-$2,000/month revenue. Amazon's built-in traffic allows sales without marketing, but paid Amazon Ads ($50-$200/day for profitable campaigns) accelerate growth.
How to Choose Between Amazon Seller Central and Shopify
Business Model: Amazon Seller Central has Marketplace (3rd-party sellers), while Shopify has Self-hosted storefront builder.
Monthly Base Cost: Amazon Seller Central has $0 (pay per sale), while Shopify has $29-$399.
Commission/Fees: Amazon Seller Central has 15-45% per sale + referral fees, while Shopify has 0% transaction fee (2.9% + 30¢ payment processing).
Customer Base Access: Amazon Seller Central has 300+ million Amazon customers, while Shopify has 0 (must drive own traffic).
Brand Control: Amazon Seller Central has Limited (Amazon-owned listings), while Shopify has Complete control over storefront.
Setup Time: Amazon Seller Central has 2-7 days, while Shopify has 1-3 days.
Consider: Seller Account Suspension Rate
Seller Account Suspension Rate: Amazon Seller Central has 0.1-0.3% annually, while Shopify has 0.01% (rarely suspended).