Shopify and Amazon are often compared as if they were two versions of the same thing. They are not. Amazon is a marketplace: you list products where millions of shoppers already go. Shopify is software that lets you build your own store on your own domain, with your own branding and your own customer list.
That one difference shapes everything else: the fees, who owns the customer, where the traffic comes from, and how much control you have. This guide compares the two side by side, with real 2026 prices, so you can pick the one that fits your business.
The short answer
Choose Amazon if you want buyers from day one and can afford to give up a share of every sale plus the customer relationship. Choose Shopify if you want to build a brand you own, keep more margin per sale, and are willing to bring your own traffic. Many established sellers end up using both: Amazon for reach, Shopify for the brand and repeat customers.
On a $50 sale, the difference is easy to see. On Amazon, a 15% referral fee alone is $7.50, before fulfilment and ads. On Shopify Basic, the same sale costs about $1.75 in card fees through Shopify Payments. The catch is that Amazon supplies the shopper, while on Shopify you pay to find them.
Marketplace vs storefront: the core difference
Amazon is a shopping mall. Shoppers arrive looking for a product, not for your brand, and your listing sits next to competing products, other sellers' offers, and sponsored ads. The shopper has an Amazon experience from search to checkout, and Amazon sets the rules for the listing format, the messaging, and the returns.
Shopify is your own shop on your own street. You choose the domain, the theme, the product pages, the offers, and the checkout. Nobody else's products appear on your pages, and no competitor can bid for space next to your buy button.
A useful way to think about it: Amazon rents you an audience, Shopify sells you a storefront. One gives you traffic, the other gives you ownership.
What each one costs
Both start at about $39 a month, but the costs behave very differently after that.
Amazon has two selling plans. The Individual plan has no monthly fee and charges $0.99 per item sold. The Professional plan costs $39.99 a month with unlimited listings. On top of that, Amazon takes a referral fee on every sale, usually 8% to 15% depending on the category, with most categories at 15%. If you use Fulfilment by Amazon, storage and fulfilment fees are added on top, plus advertising if you want your listing seen. Check the current rates on Amazon's pricing page before you commit, because fees change.
Shopify charges a flat subscription and card processing, not a cut of every sale. As of late 2026, Basic is $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly; Grow is $105 a month, or $79 yearly; Advanced is $399 a month, or $299 yearly. With Shopify Payments, online card sales cost 2.9% plus 30 cents per order on Basic. There is no referral fee. See Shopify's pricing page for the current rates.
On a $100 sale, the gap is stark. On Shopify Basic you pay about $3.20 in card fees. On Amazon, the same sale can cost $20 to $40 once the referral fee, fulfilment, and ads are counted. Amazon is more expensive per sale, but you are paying for access to its buyers.
Who owns the customer
This is the difference that matters most over time. On Shopify, the customer is yours. You get their email address, their order history, and the right to email them again. That list is what makes repeat sales, subscriptions, and loyalty programs possible, and it is also what makes the business worth more if you ever sell it.
On Amazon, the customer belongs to Amazon. You cannot add buyers to your email list, and Amazon's communication rules ban marketing messages to its buyers. A sale on Amazon does not build an audience you can reach again for free, which means every sale starts from zero.
For a brand that depends on repeat purchases, that is a serious cost. For a seller of one-off products, it may not matter at all.
Traffic: built in vs bring your own
Amazon brings the shoppers. More than 300 million active buyers use Amazon, and many of them start their product search there instead of on Google. A new listing can sell on its first day, with no website, no ads budget, and no SEO work.
Shopify brings nobody. Your store gets zero visitors until you earn them through search, social media, paid ads, email, or word of mouth. That is the trade-off for full ownership, and it is why a Shopify store needs a marketing plan from day one, not as an afterthought.
That is also where the costs balance out. Amazon looks expensive per sale until you count what it would cost to buy the same traffic yourself. Shopify looks cheap per sale until you add the marketing budget that brings the visitors.
Branding and control
On Shopify you control the whole experience: the design, the product pages, the offers, the checkout, and the emails after the sale. Your brand is the only brand on the page, and you can test layouts, bundles, and upsells freely.
On Amazon your listing follows Amazon's format, your brand is a small detail on a page Amazon designed, and your price competes in the Buy Box against other sellers offering the same product. You cannot redesign the page, you cannot add your own checkout, and a policy change or a competitor undercutting your price can cut your sales overnight.
Control also means risk. Amazon can suspend a seller account, change a fee, or change a rule, and your whole business feels it. On Shopify, the store is yours, but so is every problem: the traffic, the design, the checkout, and the customer service.
Selling on both: Shopify plus Amazon
The choice is not always either or. Many sellers run both: Amazon for discovery and volume, Shopify for the brand, the email list, and the repeat customers. Shopify's Marketplace Connect app syncs listings, stock, and orders between the two, so the same inventory can sell in both places without double entry.
A common pattern is to use Amazon to find new customers, then move repeat buyers to your own store with inserts, packaging, and a better offer on your site. The Amazon sale is expensive, but it is a customer you would not have reached otherwise, and the second sale on your own store is where the margin is.
If you go this route, keep the two channels consistent: the same prices or a clear reason for a difference, the same branding on the packaging, and stock levels that stay in sync so neither channel oversells.
Which one should you choose?
Sell on Amazon if your priority is reaching shoppers who already search there, your product is a straightforward purchase rather than a brand experience, and your margin can absorb referral, fulfilment, and advertising costs. It is the fastest way to first sales.
Build on Shopify if your growth depends on your brand, repeat purchases, email, subscriptions, and search traffic you own. It is the better choice for a long-term business with higher margins per sale. A store build here at Globe Skillz starts from $400, with on-page SEO included so the store is ready to rank on launch day. See the Shopify store development page for the full breakdown.
If you are still unsure, start with the question of who you want to own in five years: the customer, or the sale. If the answer is the customer, build the store. If the answer is the sale, list on the marketplace. And if your store already exists and needs traffic, a Shopify SEO audit from $200 shows exactly what is holding it back.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell on both Shopify and Amazon?
Yes. Many sellers do. Shopify's Marketplace Connect app syncs listings, stock, and orders between the two, so the same inventory can sell in both places. Amazon brings the buyers, Shopify keeps the brand and the customer list.
Is Shopify cheaper than Amazon?
Per sale, yes. On Shopify Basic, a $100 sale costs about $3.20 in card fees, while the same sale on Amazon can cost $20 to $40 once referral, fulfilment, and advertising are counted. But Shopify merchants pay separately to bring in traffic, so the total cost depends on your marketing budget.
Do I own my customers on Amazon?
No. Amazon owns the customer relationship. You cannot add Amazon buyers to your email list, and Amazon's rules ban marketing messages to them. On Shopify, the customer list is yours.
Does Amazon bring traffic to my products?
Yes. More than 300 million active buyers use Amazon, and many start their product search there. A new listing can sell on day one. A Shopify store gets no visitors until you drive them yourself.
Which is better for a new seller?
Amazon is faster for first sales, because the buyers are already there. Shopify is better for building a brand with repeat customers and higher margins. Many sellers start on Amazon, then add a Shopify store once they have a product that sells.
Saqib Ali runs Globe Skillz, a Shopify SEO studio with development built in. Since 2019 he has worked on 180+ projects for merchants in 42 countries. More about Saqib →