Amazon is an established e-commerce and cloud services giant with 2.1 billion monthly users, premium delivery speeds, and strong buyer protections, while Temu is a rapidly growing social commerce app with 80+ million monthly active users offering ultra-low prices through direct-from-manufacturer sales but with significant shipping delays and data privacy concerns.
Amazon vs Temu — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Global e-commerce and cloud computing multinational corporation founded in 1994.
Chinese social commerce platform launched in 2018 offering ultra-low-priced goods via live shopping and viral games.
Average Delivery Time. Monthly Active Users. Average Product Price Range. Buyer Protection Guarantee. Data Privacy Rating (Rank by Regulatory Scrutiny). Global Revenue (2024). Product Category Breadth
Choose Amazon if you value fast shipping, broad product selection, strong buyer protections, and data security for most purchases. Choose Temu if you're budget-conscious, seeking impulse buys and trendy items, willing to wait weeks for delivery, and accepting of minimal buyer protections.
Amazon: 240+ Prime members + broader reach | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 40% US e-commerce market share | Temu: N/A
Amazon: $2.36 trillion (July 2026) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 15-25% (FBA included) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 220 million Prime members | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 500+ Amazon Go/Fresh stores | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Same-day to 1 day (Prime) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 240 million Prime members | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Competitive on items under $50 | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Multi-category general retailer | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Basic category and keyword filters | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Limited home furniture brands | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 40% global e-commerce market share | Temu: N/A
Amazon: $638B (e-commerce only) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: All categories (diversified) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 5-20% on Subscribe & Save | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 190+ countries and territories | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Industry average ~40-45% | Temu: N/A
Standard Non-Perishable Pet Delivery Time
Amazon: ~50,000-100,000 (estimated pet section) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 500+ million SKUs across all categories | Temu: N/A
2025 Pet Supplies Market Position (GMV Rank)
Amazon: Not #1 in pet supplies | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 30 days (standard Amazon) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Limited pet-specific subscriptions | Temu: N/A
Specialty Pet Food Availability (Exotic/Medical Diets)
Amazon: Limited; depends on seller listings | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 300+ active customers | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 3-7 days (instant access) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 0% customer data; Amazon owns relationship | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Varies by category and account tier | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Amazon 380 million | Temu: Temu 620 million
Amazon: 30 days (standard) | Temu: 7-15 days (varies)
Amazon: 30+ main categories | Temu: 12+ main categories
Amazon: Prime $139 | Temu: Free (optional coins)
Amazon: Strict vetting, A9 quality standards | Temu: Limited oversight, mostly China-based
Amazon: 4.4/5 average seller rating | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 2.5 billion downloads | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 150+ million customers | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Proprietary (freemium model) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Not offered; external pharmacy required | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 0 physical stores (online only) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 2-3 days (Prime) | Temu: 14-28 days
Average Product Price Index (baseline=100)
Amazon: GDPR/CCPA Compliant | Temu: FTC Investigation (2024)
Amazon: $139 (Prime basic tier) | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime members in metro areas) | Temu: N/A
Average Price Difference on Beauty Products
Amazon: 10-25% discount below MSRP | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Same-day or 1-day with Prime | Temu: N/A
Amazon: Varies; typically 1-5% with Prime | Temu: N/A
Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime members) | Temu: 15-45 days
Amazon: 2,100 million | Temu: 80+ million
Amazon: $139 (Amazon Prime US) | Temu: $0 (Free)
Amazon: 180 days (A-to-Z Guarantee) | Temu: 30 days (limited)
Amazon: 500+ million | Temu: 2-5 million
Amazon: $575 billion | Temu: $8 billion (est.)
Amazon: US-regulated, transparent data policies | Temu: China-based, banned in US/EU countries, privacy concerns
Amazon: N/A | Temu: Variable (2-4 stars)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: Electronics, gadgets, home goods
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 14-day dispute window with store credit only
Amazon: N/A | Temu: Non-compliant, Chinese data collection
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 60-65% positive reviews
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 22.5 days (15-30 range)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 35+ major categories
Amazon: N/A | Temu: Ongoing (flagged 2024)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 2.4 stars (based on 1.8M reviews)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 7 days (severely limited; most items non-returnable)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 2 years (founded 2022)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 8+ categories (fashion, electronics, home, beauty, sports, gadgets, pets, food)
Estimated Price Savings vs Traditional Retail
Amazon: N/A | Temu: No limit (typically $100+)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 30-50% dispute win rate
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 3/10 (data harvesting concerns)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: ~3 years (major expansion)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 72% (all categories)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: Electronics, toys, home goods, apparel, gadgets (20+ categories)
Amazon: N/A | Temu: 30-60% vs traditional retail
Amazon vs Temu — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Amazon vs Temu. Contains 203 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Amazon vs Temu — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Amazon vs Temu.
Is Temu actually banned in the United States?
As of January 2025, Temu operates in the US but faces an imminent ban. The RESTRICT Act passed in 2024 targets ByteDance/Temu over national security concerns related to data collection and Chinese government access. The app remains available but faces legal uncertainty. Amazon operates freely with full regulatory compliance in all major markets.
How long do items from Temu actually take to arrive?
Temu items typically arrive in 15-45 days depending on destination and product origin. Most items ship directly from China warehouses with standard international logistics. Amazon Prime delivers in 1-2 days for US members, while standard Amazon shipping averages 5-8 days. Temu's extended timeline reflects its ultra-low pricing model relying on economies of scale.
What happens if I don't receive my Temu order or it's defective?
Temu offers buyer protection for 30 days with limited refund eligibility. The platform often requires photos/videos of defects and communication can be slow. Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee covers 180 days and is consumer-friendly; refunds are typically processed within 2 weeks. Amazon's protection is significantly more robust for dispute resolution.
Why is Temu so much cheaper than Amazon?
Temu achieves 50-90% lower prices through: (1) direct-to-consumer sales eliminating middlemen, (2) ultra-thin margins for volume growth, (3) lower quality/brand products, and (4) lower labor costs in China. Amazon adds value through inspection, warehousing, fast shipping, and buyer protections—all reflected in higher prices.
Is my personal data safe on Temu compared to Amazon?
Amazon operates under US privacy laws (CCPA, FTC oversight) with transparent data policies. Temu has faced significant scrutiny over data collection practices, lack of transparency, and potential Chinese government access. Security researchers have flagged Temu's permission requests as excessive. Amazon is significantly more privacy-protective for most users in Western countries.
Average Delivery Time: Amazon has 1-2 days (Prime), while Temu has 15-45 days.
Monthly Active Users: Amazon has 2.1 billion, while Temu has 80+ million.
Average Product Price Range: Amazon has $15-150+, while Temu has $1-30.
Buyer Protection Guarantee: Amazon has A-to-Z Guarantee (30-180 days), while Temu has Buyer Protection (limited scope).
Consider: Data Privacy Rating (Rank by Regulatory Scrutiny)
Data Privacy Rating (Rank by Regulatory Scrutiny): Amazon has High transparency, US-regulated, while Temu has Low transparency, China-based, banned in some regions.
Global Revenue (2024): Amazon has $575 billion, while Temu has $8 billion (estimated).
Product Category Breadth: Amazon has 500+ million products, while Temu has 2-5 million products.