Shopify is an independent e-commerce platform where you own your storefront and customer relationships, while Amazon is a marketplace where you sell as a third-party vendor on Amazon's platform. Shopify gives you full control but requires marketing your own traffic, whereas Amazon provides built-in customer access but takes higher fees and limits your brand autonomy.
Shopify vs Amazon — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based SaaS e-commerce platform with managed hosting and user-friendly interface.
Global e-commerce platform with 500,000+ pet products, fast Prime shipping, and competitive pricing.
Business Model. Seller Fees (% of sale). Customer Ownership. Built-in Traffic. Setup Time to First Sale. Merchant Support. Brand Control
Choose Shopify if you want full control over your brand, customer data, and margins, and are willing to invest in marketing to drive traffic yourself—ideal for established brands or entrepreneurs building long-term customer relationships. Choose Amazon if you need immediate access to millions of buyers, have limited marketing budget, and prioritize quick sales velocity over profit margins and brand autonomy—best for new sellers, bulk inventory movement, or testing products quickly.
Shopify: 2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Fully Managed SaaS | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Phone, Email & Chat | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Yes ($2,300+/month) | Amazon: N/A
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Shopify: $5,000+ (lower barrier) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 0% (on Shopify Payments) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Advanced (Liquid code access) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: ~300 (optimized for sales) | Amazon: N/A
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Shopify: Included in subscription | Amazon: N/A
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Shopify: Self-driven traffic | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Zero (must generate own traffic) | Amazon: 300+ active customers
Shopify: 5 days (with traffic setup) | Amazon: 2 days (FBA enabled)
Shopify: Complete (10/10) | Amazon: Minimal (2/10)
Shopify: 100% direct access to customer emails and data | Amazon: 0% customer data; Amazon owns relationship
Shopify: Unlimited products | Amazon: Varies by category and account tier
Shopify: Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Good GraphQL API; limited headless options | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $0-20M GMV (optimal fit) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Low; point-and-click setup | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 (Shopify Payments) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $29-$399 | Amazon: $0 (pay per sale)
Shopify: All product types | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $100-150 (optional) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: ~30% of all online stores | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $5 (Starter plan minimum) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited with advanced sync | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $5 (Starter Plan) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $5-39 (all-inclusive) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Hosting, SSL, domain, support included | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Separate subscriptions required | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Ongoing regular updates | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $105 (Shopify Plan) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: None (paid plans only) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Mobile-optimized by default | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 6 (Liquid templating limits) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Shopify manages all compliance | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited (pricing tier independent) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $468 + transaction fees ($2,900) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 6,800 verified apps | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 1-2 hours to launch | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 26+ | Amazon: 1 (Amazon Pay only)
Shopify: Level 1 (fully managed) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: No (requires apps) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Limited (basic automation) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Full REST & GraphQL APIs | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 100+ sales channels (Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, eBay, etc.) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Included in all plans | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 99.99% guaranteed | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 24/7 dedicated support team | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Built-in tools with limitations on code-level access | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: Possible but complex; vendor lock-in concerns exist | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 0% (Shopify Payments) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $468 (plan) + $0 (fees) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: $29 | Amazon: $0 (no monthly fee)
Shopify: Must drive own traffic | Amazon: 309 million (as of 2024)
Shopify: 100% - you own all customer records | Amazon: 0% - Amazon owns customer relationship
Profit Margin Retention (Example: $100 sale)
Shopify: $71 (after $29 monthly allocation) | Amazon: $55 (after 15% referral + 30% FBA avg)
Shopify: Unlimited - custom domain, full HTML/CSS | Amazon: Limited - Amazon template only, no custom branding
Shopify: 2-4 hours (24/7 chat) | Amazon: 12-48 hours (seller support varies)
Shopify: 2.9% + 30¢ (Shopify Payments) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 6-8 native, 120+ via apps | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 2 requests/second (standard) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 0.3-0.7 (2-5 days) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 6 (limited to Liquid) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 2 (minimal technical knowledge) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: 100+ (Shopify Plus) | Amazon: N/A
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 240+ Prime members + broader reach
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 15% base commission
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 40% US e-commerce market share
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $2.36 trillion (July 2026)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 15-25% (FBA included)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 8-10% annual growth
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 220 million Prime members
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 500+ Amazon Go/Fresh stores
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Same-day to 1 day (Prime)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 240 million Prime members
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Competitive on items under $50
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Multi-category general retailer
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Basic category and keyword filters
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Limited home furniture brands
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 40% global e-commerce market share
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $638B (e-commerce only)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 240M+ Prime members
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 12-15% (estimated)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: All categories (diversified)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 5-20% on Subscribe & Save
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 190+ countries and territories
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Industry average ~40-45%
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Online support only
Standard Non-Perishable Pet Delivery Time
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: ~50,000-100,000 (estimated pet section)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 500+ million SKUs across all categories
2025 Pet Supplies Market Position (GMV Rank)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Not #1 in pet supplies
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 30 days (standard Amazon)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Limited pet-specific subscriptions
Specialty Pet Food Availability (Exotic/Medical Diets)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Limited; depends on seller listings
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Amazon 380 million
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 30 days (standard)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 30+ main categories
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Strict vetting, A9 quality standards
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $139/year (Prime)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 4.4/5 average seller rating
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 2.5 billion downloads
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: <2% handmade items
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 2 days (Prime) / 5-7 days (standard)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 150+ million customers
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $575 billion (2025)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 200+ AWS services
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Proprietary (freemium model)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Not offered; external pharmacy required
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 30-60 days (Prime)
Average Product Price Index (baseline=100)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: GDPR/CCPA Compliant
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 0 (e-commerce only)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $139 (Prime basic tier)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime members in metro areas)
Average Price Difference on Beauty Products
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 10-25% discount below MSRP
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Same-day or 1-day with Prime
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Varies; typically 1-5% with Prime
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $0 with Prime / $25 without
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $88 billion (AWS)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 180 days (A-to-Z Guarantee)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: US-regulated, transparent data policies
Prime Eligible Items with Two-Day Shipping
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 100+ million items
Free Shipping Threshold (Standard Members)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $35 (with Prime; $100 without)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 500+ furniture brands available
Average Beauty Product Price Comparison (Foundation)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 1-2 days with Prime
Customer Review Average Rating (Beauty Products)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Up to 45% (varies by category)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 91% trust Amazon (2024)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 65% third-party sellers (mostly resellers/aggregators)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 3,500 cities (Prime 2-hour)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 24-48 hours average
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 100+ metro areas (Prime)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: ~50,000 pet products
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 5-20% Subscribe & Save
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 89% (J.D. Power 2024)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Limited (no pet Rx)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 12% (includes pet products)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 50,000+ pet listings
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime members)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Baseline (lowest)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 5% with Prime Visa
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Up to 20% discount
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 100-150% higher (standard retail markup)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 94% disputes resolved in buyer favor
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 4.2/5 (verified reviews with photo proof)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: ~8-12% average return rate
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 5-10 business days
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Low (seller suspension policy enforced)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 0 stores (digital-only)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 40+ primary categories
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Free with Prime (or $5-7 without)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: Same-day Prime (select areas only)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 2% on select categories
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: None (retail only)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: ~25 (all categories)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: $2,500 (A-to-z Guarantee)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: ~600 (Whole Foods)
Average Pet Food Price (25 lb bag, premium brand)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 0 (dedicated pet stores)
Shopify: N/A | Amazon: 5-7 days (Standard) / 1-2 days (Prime)
How to choose between Shopify and Amazon
Shopify vs Amazon — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Shopify vs Amazon. Contains 358 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Shopify vs Amazon — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Shopify vs Amazon.
Can I sell on both Shopify and Amazon at the same time?
Yes, absolutely. Many successful sellers run both simultaneously. You can use inventory management tools like Sellfy or Inventory Labs to sync stock across platforms. However, this requires more operational effort to manage separate marketplaces, handle returns differently, and coordinate fulfillment.
How much does it actually cost to sell on Amazon vs Shopify?
On Amazon, expect 15-45% of each sale in fees (referral + FBA combined), with no monthly plan fee for basic seller accounts. On Shopify, you pay $29-$2,300/month regardless of sales volume, but 0% per-transaction fees. For $10,000 in monthly sales: Amazon costs ~$1,500-$4,500, while Shopify costs $29-$299 + payment processing fees (~$300).
Amazon is faster to launch (1-3 days to first sale) but limits your learning to one platform. Shopify has a steeper initial learning curve but teaches you valuable marketing and customer retention skills that apply anywhere. Beginners should choose Amazon for quick revenue validation, then add Shopify once they understand their market.
What happens if my Amazon account gets suspended?
Amazon account suspensions are permanent revenue loss with no customer data backup. This is a critical risk—Amazon holds all customer relationships. Shopify gives you complete customer data portability, so if your store is ever compromised, you retain all customer emails and can migrate elsewhere. This is why successful sellers always use Shopify + Amazon together.
Can I build a brand on Amazon or Shopify?
Shopify is designed for brand building—you own the customer relationship, control the entire experience, and can build loyalty through email marketing and repeat customer retention. Amazon commoditizes products; buyers search by features, not brand. Amazon is better for product testing; Shopify is better for long-term brand equity and customer lifetime value.
How to Choose Between Shopify and Amazon
Business Model: Shopify has Independent storefront (SaaS platform), while Amazon has Third-party marketplace vendor.
Seller Fees (% of sale): Shopify has 0% + $29-$2,300/month plan fee, while Amazon has 8-45% depending on category.
Customer Ownership: Shopify has 100% own customer data and email list, while Amazon has Amazon owns customer relationship.
Built-in Traffic: Shopify has None - must drive own traffic, while Amazon has 309 million monthly active buyers.
Setup Time to First Sale: Shopify has 3-7 days average, while Amazon has 1-3 days average.
Merchant Support: Shopify has 24/7 email/chat support included, while Amazon has Seller support available (varies by plan).
Brand Control: Shopify has Full control over branding, design, policies, while Amazon has Limited - must follow Amazon guidelines and ASIN consolidation rules.