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
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.
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.
Structured comparison data for Shopify vs Amazon with 358 attributes.
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Profit Margin Retention (Example: $100 sale)
Standard Non-Perishable Pet Delivery Time
2025 Pet Supplies Market Position (GMV Rank)
Specialty Pet Food Availability (Exotic/Medical Diets)
Average Product Price Index (baseline=100)
Average Price Difference on Beauty Products
Prime Eligible Items with Two-Day Shipping
Free Shipping Threshold (Standard Members)
Average Beauty Product Price Comparison (Foundation)
Customer Review Average Rating (Beauty Products)
Average Pet Food Price (25 lb bag, premium brand)
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.