Selling on Amazon vs eBay: The Reseller's Honest Comparison

You sell on Amazon. Or you're about to start. But you keep hearing that eBay is easier, cheaper, and gives sellers more control — and you're starting to wonder if you're leaving money on the table.

Here's the thing: most "Amazon vs eBay" guides are written for generic entrepreneurs who haven't picked a platform yet. That's not you.

You're a reseller who needs to know where your products will actually sell faster and at higher margins.

This guide compares selling on Amazon vs eBay from a reseller's perspective — the fee math on real products, fulfillment trade-offs, pricing dynamics, and a clear recommendation based on how you source and sell. No "it depends" cop-out at the end.

Amazon vs eBay: Two Very Different Business Models

Amazon and eBay both cater to massive global audiences, but they run on fundamentally different business models.

Amazon is a standardized, rules-driven marketplace focused on convenience, speed, and buyer satisfaction. eBay offers a more flexible, seller-controlled platform where auctions and fixed-price listings coexist side by side.

The numbers tell the story:

• Amazon: over 310 million active users globally. Fixed-price listings only. Many sellers compete for the same Buy Box on shared product pages.
• eBay: approximately 135 million active buyers worldwide. Both auction-style and fixed-price listings. Each seller creates their own unique product listing.

Amazon has a larger customer base compared to eBay — and it's not close. Amazon has over twice as many active users.

But there's a structural difference that matters even more. Amazon sells its own products AND hosts third-party sellers. eBay is purely a marketplace connecting buyers and sellers — it doesn't compete with you.

On Amazon, you're competing with the platform itself. On eBay, you're only competing with other sellers.

Amazon's largest age group of shoppers is between 25 to 34 years old, comprising nearly 30% of its customer base. These Amazon users tend to seek fast shipping, reliable products, and consistent pricing, favoring Amazon Prime listings above all else.

eBay's target market is different. It primarily consists of collectors of rare and specific items and online shoppers interested in pre-owned products. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are driving the trend towards recommerce on eBay, favoring pre-loved items.

Both platforms cater to massive global audiences, yet they differ significantly in their selling models. Choosing between Amazon and eBay depends on whether you prioritize automated high-volume scaling or flexible niche brand-building.

Which Platform Has Lower Amazon Selling Fees?

eBay vs Amazon on fees isn't even close for most sellers. eBay is cheaper.

eBay's final value fees run 12.7-15.3% with 250 free listings per month and no required monthly subscription fee. Amazon charges referral fees (typically 15% for most categories) plus a $39.99/month Professional plan, FBA fulfillment fees, and monthly storage fees.

On a typical $25 product, eBay takes roughly $3-4 less per sale than Amazon.

But the full picture requires looking at exactly what each platform charges — and what you get for those fees.

Amazon Seller Fees Breakdown

Professional sellers on Amazon pay $39.99/month regardless of how many items they sell. On top of that monthly subscription fee:

• Referral fees: 5-45% of the total sales price, depending on product category — though most categories fall at 15%. Each Amazon referral fee has a minimum of $0.30 per item.
• FBA fulfillment fees: vary by size, weight, and price range — expect roughly $3-5 per unit for standard-size items, with larger or heavier products exceeding $8+
• Monthly storage fees: $0.87/cubic foot from January through September, jumping to $2.40/cubic foot during Q4 (October-December)
• Closing fees: $0.99/item (a fixed closing fee for Individual plan sellers instead of the Professional monthly subscription)

Amazon fees don't stop there. There's also the low-inventory-level fee that catches FBA sellers who don't keep enough stock at warehouses. And both eBay and Amazon deduct payment processing fees from seller payouts automatically.

For a deeper breakdown, see our full guide to Amazon selling fees and how referral fees work by product category.

eBay vs Amazon Fees: eBay's Simpler Fee Structure

eBay's fee structures are more straightforward than Amazon's. Here's what eBay sellers pay:

• Insertion fees: your first 250 listings per month are free. After that, it's $0.35 per listing (some categories charge optional listing upgrade fees for enhanced visibility).
• Final value fees: 12.7-15.3% of the total sale amount plus $0.30 per order. Most standard categories sit around 13.6%. eBay's final value fees range from roughly 10% to 15% depending on the category of the item sold.
• Payment processing fees: already included in the final value fee — no separate transaction fees to worry about
• Optional upgrades: promoted listings (variable cost), eBay store subscriptions starting at $4.95/month for Starter up to $299.95/month for Anchor. The Basic tier at $21.95/month is where eBay offers fee discounts.

No mandatory monthly fee to start selling. You don't even need a business account — individual eBay sellers can list and sell immediately.

That alone makes eBay more accessible for new online sellers testing the waters. Unlike Amazon, which requires a $39.99/month professional sellers plan to access most tools, eBay lets you start with zero upfront costs.

The Real Fee Difference on a $25 Product

Here's what each platform actually takes from a $25 product sale:

Amazon (FBA, Professional plan):

• Referral fee (15%): $3.75
• FBA fee: ~$3.22
• Pro subscription (amortized across 100 sales/month): ~$0.40
• Total Amazon fees: ~$7.37
• You keep: ~$17.63

eBay (self-fulfilled, no store subscription):

• Final value fee (13.6%): $3.40
• Per-order fee: $0.30
• Total eBay fees: ~$3.70
• You keep: ~$21.30

That's roughly $3.67 more per sale on eBay. But don't stop there.

Amazon's higher seller fees buy you something eBay doesn't offer. FBA handles your storage, packing, shipping, and returns. You also get the Prime badge, which drives significantly higher conversion rates.

Whether that convenience is worth $3-4 per item depends on your volume and how you value your time. For many sellers, FBA pays for itself in faster inventory turns and higher sales volume.

Fulfillment: How Many Sellers Actually Use FBA?

Amazon FBA handles storage, packing, shipping, and customer returns for you — but charges for every piece of it. eBay sellers manage fulfillment themselves or use a third-party service.

With Amazon FBA, sellers must meet strict standards for shipping speed and product quality. The trade-off is real: FBA saves significant time and unlocks Prime eligibility, which can increase sales dramatically. Self-fulfillment on eBay gives you more control but requires hands-on logistics work.

How Amazon FBA Works for Resellers

With Fulfillment by Amazon, you ship your inventory to Amazon's warehouses. When a customer orders, Amazon picks, packs, and ships the product. They handle returns and customer service on those orders too.

Amazon's extensive logistics network and Prime subscription make it a top choice for mainstream consumer goods. The benefits for an FBA seller are real:

• Products become Prime-eligible — and Prime members convert at dramatically higher rates
• You don't touch a single package after sending inventory in
• Amazon's customer service is often rated higher than eBay's, providing a better overall experience for buyers
• Amazon's review system rewards strong performance, where positive feedback can drive serious sales

The cost? Fulfillment costs per item plus monthly storage fees that spike during Q4. For high-volume sellers, FBA is almost always worth the shipping expenses. For low-volume sellers, those fees can eat margins fast.

Amazon also offers FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) if you want to handle shipping yourself — but you lose the Prime badge and the Buy Box advantage that comes with it.

eBay vs Amazon Fulfillment: More Control on eBay

On eBay, sellers must handle all aspects of fulfilling orders themselves — or hire a third-party order fulfillment service.

That means:

• You store your own inventory (or rent your own online store warehouse space)
• You pack and ship each order, managing shipping costs directly
• You handle returns and customer communication directly
• Shipping speed depends entirely on your operation

eBay has made significant strides by introducing eBay International Shipping and Fulfillment by Orange Connex to improve its logistics offerings. Orange Connex is currently available in the UK, Germany, and Australia — not yet in the US. Neither option matches the scale of Amazon FBA.

The upside? You control every part of the customer experience. Unlike Amazon, eBay allows sellers to set their own return policies and communicate directly with buyers. Many eBay sellers include personalized packaging, handwritten notes, or custom branding — things that build repeat customer engagement. That kind of seller-to-buyer relationship barely exists on Amazon.

eBay also allows sellers to create unique listings with their own product photos and descriptions, enabling greater creativity than Amazon's standardized model allows.

Pricing and Competition: Buy Box vs Seller Control

Amazon sellers compete for the Buy Box on shared product listings, where competitive prices, fulfillment method, and seller ratings determine who gets the sale. eBay gives sellers their own unique listings with full control.

Amazon's model is more standardized, which can limit creative control for sellers compared to eBay's flexible approach.

How Amazon's Buy Box Drives Pricing

On Amazon, multiple sellers often list the same product on a single ASIN. The Buy Box — the "Add to Cart" button — rotates between eligible sellers.

This creates intense pricing competition in a competitive marketplace. Many sellers use dynamic repricing tools to automatically adjust prices and stay competitive 24/7.

Amazon's strict policies can lead to account suspensions for sellers who violate rules, making it less flexible than eBay. But when seller ratings are strong, Amazon's review system rewards that performance — positive feedback drives sales and search results visibility.

Tools like Aura automate this process entirely — adjusting your prices to win the Buy Box without racing to the bottom. For experienced sellers managing hundreds of SKUs, automated repricing isn't optional. It's how you stay profitable.

eBay Offers Sellers Their Own Listings

eBay vs Amazon works differently when it comes to pricing control. Each eBay seller creates their own product listing with their own photos, descriptions, and pricing strategy.

This means:

• You set your price and it stays until you change it
• Auction-style listings let bargain hunters bid, which is great for testing demand or selling rare items
• Fixed-price listings work for standard inventory
• You can even sell virtually any condition — new, used, refurbished, or for parts

The competitive pressure is lower on eBay, but so is the built-in traffic. On Amazon, a high-demand product page funnels all buyers through one listing. On eBay, your listing needs to stand on its own in search results.

eBay continues to improve its search engine and algorithm to help sellers with relevant keywords get discovered in search results, but Amazon's sheer volume of online shoppers means more eyeballs by default. When selling on Amazon vs eBay, Amazon sellers benefit from a built-in demand engine that eBay simply can't match.

What Sells Best on Each Platform?

Amazon is best for high-volume, fixed-price sales of new, branded products — electronics, home goods, beauty, books, and fashion. Amazon has a strong presence in the US market especially.

eBay vs Amazon on product fit is where it gets interesting. eBay remains the premier global marketplace for collectibles, refurbished electronics, discontinued items, and automotive parts. eBay is popular for imported goods globally.

Top-selling categories on Amazon include electronics and gadgets, books and digital media, and home and kitchen products. Top-selling categories on eBay include collectibles, clothing, shoes, accessories, and automotive parts.

For resellers, the rule of thumb is straightforward:

• Clearance finds with a UPC and active demand? List on Amazon. FBA will move the inventory fast.
• Unique, used, vintage, or hard-to-categorize items? List on eBay. eBay buyers actively seek those products.
• Products Amazon restricts? eBay is almost always more permissive on product categories. If you can't get ungated on Amazon, eBay is the fallback.
• Building your own brand? Amazon suits brand building and scalability for sellers who want to launch branded products.

Many small businesses use eBay to test new products and Amazon to scale proven items. eBay allows testing products with lower costs compared to Amazon's upfront investment requirements.

The eBay platform does have a higher risk of fraudulent buyers compared to Amazon, though. Amazon is often trusted more by consumers due to its Prime guarantee and stringent seller policies.

Which Platform Is Better for New Sellers?

For a new seller, eBay has a more relaxed listing requirement compared to Amazon. eBay is often better for new sellers due to its lower barrier to entry and simpler seller requirements.

No monthly subscription fee. No bank account verification process that takes weeks. No complex brand registry hoops to jump through.

Here's why many sellers start on eBay:

• No monthly fee — you only pay when something sells. No need for a business account to get started.
• Simpler rules — less risk of accidental policy violations or suspension
• eBay offers lower fees and flexible listing types, making it ideal for unique or used items
• Great for learning — figure out sourcing, pricing, shipping, and seller support at a lower cost

eBay is ideal for beginners, offering simpler rules and lower startup costs. Many successful sellers start on eBay to learn the ropes and eventually expand to Amazon.

But Amazon's traffic advantage is hard to ignore. Once you're confident in your sourcing and fulfillment process, expanding to Amazon opens up significantly more sales volume. Most experienced sellers describe the path as: learn the basics on eBay, scale the business on Amazon.

For a complete walkthrough, see our Amazon FBA for beginners guide. And for a realistic look at what it costs, check out our breakdown of FBA startup costs. You'll also want to set up Amazon Pay for your bank account payouts.

Can You Sell on Amazon AND eBay?

Yes — and many sellers do exactly that. The multi-channel approach uses each platform's strengths: Amazon for high-volume products with FBA handling logistics, and eBay for unique items, used goods, or products that don't meet Amazon's restrictions.

Why this works:

• Different buyer audiences — Amazon shoppers want convenience and speed. eBay buyers actively seek deals, used items, and rare finds from an online store they trust.
• Revenue diversification — if one platform suspends your eBay account or Amazon account, you're not starting from zero
• Product-market fit — some of your inventory simply performs better on one online selling platform than the other

Many small businesses use eBay to test new products and Amazon to scale proven items. This is one of the smartest strategies for online sellers who want to sell virtually everywhere their customers shop.

The main downside is time. Managing listings, pricing, inventory, and seller support across two platforms requires effort. Some sellers handle this by dedicating Amazon to core high-volume products and using eBay for everything else.

The eBay vs Amazon debate doesn't have to be either/or. Selling on Amazon alongside eBay is how many sellers maximize revenue.

For a broader look at platforms beyond Amazon, see our guide to Amazon's top competitors. And for scaling strategies, check out how to scale Amazon FBA.

Amazon vs eBay: Our Recommendation by Seller Type

The right platform depends on how you sell and what you sell. Here's the recommendation:

Retail arbitrage sellers: Start on Amazon. Higher traffic, FBA simplifies logistics, and the retail arbitrage model benefits from Amazon's demand-capture system. Add eBay for items you can't get ungated for.

Online arbitrage sellers: Amazon as your primary platform. FBA + volume is the winning formula. eBay works for clearance flips where Amazon fees would wipe out profit. Online arbitrage scales best when you can send everything to FBA.

Wholesale sellers: Amazon, without question. The wholesale model is built for volume, and Amazon's competitive marketplace rewards sellers who maintain competitive prices on bulk inventory.

Used goods, vintage, or collectibles sellers: eBay is your primary platform. The buyer audience of bargain hunters and collectors is there, and eBay offers the listing flexibility to support it.

New sellers with less than $500: eBay first. Learn sourcing, pricing, and fulfillment without paying subscription fees or sales tax headaches. Move to Amazon when you're ready to invest.

Whichever platform you choose, the sellers who win long-term are the ones who track margins per product. Revenue means nothing if your Amazon fees, eBay fees, shipping expenses, and refund administration fees are eating the profit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does Amazon Take from a $100 Sale?

On a $100 sale in a standard product category, Amazon takes roughly $15 in referral fees (15%) plus $5-8 in FBA fees depending on the item's size and weight. Add the amortized Professional subscription fees, and you're looking at about $21-24 in total Amazon fees. You keep approximately $76-79 before cost of goods. For exact fee calculations, see our Amazon selling fees guide.

How Much Does eBay Take from a $1,000 Sale?

On a $1,000 sale, eBay's final value fee at 13.6% would be $136 plus a $0.30 per-order fee — totaling roughly $136.30. The exact percentage varies by product category. Some categories are lower, while others run higher. You'd keep approximately $864 before shipping costs and cost of goods.

Is It Cheaper to Sell on eBay or Amazon?

eBay vs Amazon on pure seller fees: eBay wins. Selling on Amazon vs eBay comes down to this trade-off. No mandatory monthly subscription, lower total seller fees on most items, and no fulfillment costs built into the platform fees. But cheaper fees don't always mean higher profits. Amazon sellers typically achieve higher sales volume due to the platform's massive traffic and Prime subscription ecosystem. Most sellers find Amazon more profitable overall despite the higher fee structures, because volume and conversion advantages outweigh the per-unit cost difference.

Can I Make $1,000 a Month Selling on Amazon?

Yes. Many sellers — including those doing retail arbitrage — reach $1,000/month in profit within their first few months of selling on Amazon. The realistic path involves starting with $500-$1,000 in inventory, maintaining 15-25% profit margins after all Amazon fees, and reinvesting profits. For a detailed cost breakdown, see our guide to FBA startup costs.