The 101 Guide to the Best Ecommerce Marketplaces for Selling Online 

Selling through an online marketplace is a great way to diversify your ecommerce sales channels as you grow your business. Even if you’re just starting out, selling on an online marketplace allows you to tap into the platform’s existing customer base and reach thousands of shoppers quickly and easily. 

That said, not all ecommerce marketplaces are the same. Each marketplace platform will come with its own strengths and challenges, and will suit different kinds of ecommerce brands differently depending on their size and products. 

In this guide, we explore some of the best ecommerce marketplaces where you can sell products online. We break down what makes each platform great, what potential drawbacks to consider, and what type of audience you can reach. 

The best 8 ecommerce marketplaces for selling online 

1.  Amazon: The ecommerce giant 

Region(s): Global 

Ideal for: Sporting goods, books, consumer electronics, home appliances 

With over 300 million active users and billions of monthly visits, Amazon continues to prevail as one of the largest online marketplace in the world. Sellers can tap into the platform’s large and active customer base to sell a wide variety of products to a global audience. Known for its seamless and quick deliveries, Amazon offers Prime 2-day shipping that makes it the go-to marketplace for most online shoppers.  

The platform accepts a broad array of product types, enabling you to sell across many categories. However, the top-performing categories include sporting goods, hobby items, music, books, consumer electronics, and home appliances. 

Unique features and advantages: 

• Amazon’s brand recognition and reputation provide access to a massive global customer base, which can jumpstart your business growth. 
• Amazon offers Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) services where Amazon will store your inventory in its warehouses and fulfill orders for you. 
• Smart recommendation features allow enhanced product discoverability to reach relevant buyers. 
• Advanced advertising tools help you get your products in front of the right people. 

Considerations: 

• As the world’s largest ecommerce site, Amazon attracts a fair share of sellers, which means competition is high in this marketplace. It is also possible for other entities to view your products on Amazon and create knockoffs.  
• Amazon’s fee structure is highly complex, and is often challenging for merchants’ patience and profits.  
• Amazon has very strict requirements for maintaining your product data feed, which can be complex and time-consuming.  

Amazon fees:

The standard selling fees on Amazon start at $0.99 per item sold under the Individual plan and $39.99 per month under the Professional plan. Besides this, there will be additional fees for optional services like advertising and FBA. For instance, Amazon FBA fees start at $2.48 for fulfillment and $0.56 per cubic foot for storage, and vary by category and size. 

“We also have our Amazon store connected to ShipBob and it’s been great to leverage that integration. Partnering with ShipBob for Amazon FBA prep helps us get our products to Amazon in a timely fashion. It’s especially helpful during peak sales times like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Days. Thanks to ShipBob, we were able to ensure we were fully stocked with Amazon for Black Friday – and with 50% faster receiving during peak season, that was incredible.”

Jessica Stoller, Director of Supply Chain and Operations at Arrae 

2.  eBay: A versatile selling platform 

Region(s): Global 

Best for: Secondhand goods, apparel, collectibles, books, consumer electronics, home and garden, jewelry, automotive 

eBay is a close competitor of Amazons, as it has a similarly broad audience and brand recognition. It ranks as the fifth most popular retail marketplace for cross-border purchases, making it an excellent marketplace to support global expansion. 

While most types of products can be sold on eBay, its unique auction feature makes it an ideal marketplace for sellers who want to list collectibles and secondhand goods. Some of the top-selling categories on the platform include books, collectibles and toys, clothing and shoes, home and garden equipment, and consumer electronics. 

Unique features and advantages: 

• eBay offers a variety of selling formats, including auction systems and Fixed Price listings. This gives you some versatility and choice with regard to how you want to sell your items. 
• eBay is popularly used for cross-border purchases, making it an excellent marketplace for international selling. 
• Sellers can create reusable selling templates to create high-quality listings easily. 

Considerations: 

• Being a leading ecommerce site, buyers on the platform have high expectations when they buy from the platform. As such, fulfillment options like eBay dropshipping may not be suitable as it limits your control over quality and speed. 
• eBay charges a series of fees throughout the listing and selling process, which can add to your selling costs and shrink your profit margins. 
• eBay’s fulfillment solutions are limited, meaning that sellers often rely on self-fulfillment, which can be expensive and time-consuming. ShipBob simplifies shipping and returns management for eBay sellers with a direct eBay integration that enhances visibility. 

eBay fees:

eBay charges two main types of selling fees – a standard insertion fee when you list your item and a final value fee when the item sells. The final value fee is a portion of the sale, which varies depending on the product category and sale value. There are also additional fees for optional listing upgrades. 

3.  Etsy: The go-to for handmade and vintage items 

Region(s): Global 

Best for: Homeware, home furnishings, personal jewelry, accessories, craft supplies, vintage goods 

Known as the marketplace for artists, Etsy is one of the best marketplaces to sell handmade items. And with over 90 million active buyers, the platform also offers an excellent opportunity to expand the reach of your store’s audience. 

Being a marketplace for artists and crafters, Etsy’s platform naturally lends itself to creative or design-oriented products, including homewares, home furnishings, personal jewelry, accessories, and craft supplies. Etsy has also developed a niche market for vintage goods and one-of-a-kind finds. 

Unique features and advantages: 

• Some types of Etsy shops have a low barrier to entry, especially those that sell print-on-demand items and downloadable files (which don’t require significant investment or inventory). 
• Etsy fees are relatively low compared to other marketplace selling fees. 
• Etsy markets some listed products on outside platforms through its Offsite Ads program. This gives you greater visibility at a marginal cost (which is only charged if someone purchases your product through the ad).  

Considerations: 

• Etsy offers a few fulfillment tools, so sellers still have to fulfill orders themselves, which can be time-consuming. 
• Etsy fulfillment can be further complicated by products’ fragility or unique shipping requirements. ShipBob simplifies Etsy fulfillment with custom solutions to handle your unique inventory and shipping needs. 

Etsy fees:

Etsy charges a flat rate listing fee of $0.20 for every listing. When your listing sells, there’s an additional transaction fee of 6.5% of the total order amount (calculated in your designated listing currency). The platform also charges additional payment processing fees for every transaction that uses Etsy Payments.  

“For us, changing from a 3 week lead time to 3 days through ShipBob is what drove our sales. Even now, one of the primary reviews we get on Etsy is, ‘My order arrived really quickly!’ Having the stock locally in the US means that lead times and shipping times are minimal, and that you’ll get higher conversion rates because you’re offering better lead times.”

John Greenhalgh, Co-Founder of A Year of Dates 

4.  Walmart: An emerging ecommerce platform 

Region(s): North America 

Best for: Baby care, personal care, home and cleaning supplies, pet supplies, kitchenware, fitness accessories 

Long established as one of the top retailers in the U.S., Walmart has begun to build an impressive digital presence. While its main focus is North America, it still takes the third spot among worldwide online stores with the most ecommerce net sales. 

This is largely owing to Walmart Marketplace, which allows third-party sellers to sell their products through the platform. Some of the top-selling categories on the platform include baby care and personal care items, home and cleaning supplies, pet supplies, kitchenware, and fitness accessories. 

Unique features and advantages: 

• Walmart Sponsored Search tools make it easy to get your brand and products in front of the right audience. 
• Top-performing sellers are awarded a Pro Seller Badge, which helps you stand out from the competition. 
• A free Listing Quality dashboard provides you with insightful recommendations on how to improve your listing and optimize its performance. 

Considerations 

• With Walmart’s expansive reach, you may have to deal with the challenges of fulfilling orders to long-distance buyers. ShipBob’s Inventory Placement Program lets you store your goods closer to your customers to reduce shipping time and costs and optimize your Walmart fulfillment. 
• While Walmart Marketplace allows you to sell across a diverse range of categories, managing your orders and inventory across all those categories may get challenging. ShipBob’s Walmart integration helps you streamline your order management and gives you better inventory visibility. 

Walmart fees:

Walmart charges commission fees to Marketplace sellers known as referral fees. These fees range between 5% and 20%, depending on the category and order value. There are also additional charges for sellers making use of Walmart fulfillment services. 

“Retail distribution with Walmart has had a tremendous impact on our revenue growth, and the quality and consistency we’ve seen with ShipBob’s B2B solution has enabled us to tap into this sales channel effectively.

In B2B, the details matter. We can put our best foot forward to get new B2B partners and wholesalers onboard, master our marketing and branding, do everything perfectly upfront – but if the logistics aren’t spot on, all our efforts are for nothing. That’s why ShipBob’s B2B solution is so valuable – we can rely on ShipBob to get the nitty gritty operations right. We know with ShipBob handling distribution across 4,000 Walmart locations, all our efforts to get an order won’t be destroyed by shipping and logistics issues.”

Sergio Tache, Founder and CEO of Dossier 

5.  Bonanza: The small business marketplace 

Region(s): North America, Europe, South America, Australia 

Best for: Clothing and accessories, vintage goods, sports equipment, electronics, home décor, health and beauty products, collectibles 

Bonanza is very similar to Amazon and eBay with regard to the types of consumers it attracts. Despite being less well-known than Amazon or eBay, Bonanza is still a fairly large marketplace that sees millions of visits per month. As such, it mostly caters to small businesses that want to sell online and expand their digital reach. 

Bonanza primarily focuses on North America but enables sellers to reach customers in Europe, South America, and Australia. While there is a wide range of product categories listed on the platform, some of the top-selling categories include clothing and accessories, vintage items, and health and beauty products. There’s also a significant market for arts and crafts supplies, toys and collectibles, and even auto parts. 

Unique features and advantages: 

• Selling fees on Bonanza are relatively low, making it an ideal marketplace for small businesses on a budget. 
• It comes with several levels of advertising, giving you flexible options for promoting your listings. 
• Since it’s still relatively small, the marketplace also has less competition, making it easier for your brand to stand out. 

Considerations: 

• Bonanza does not get as much traffic as Amazon or eBay, which could be a significant disadvantage for businesses looking to grow their sales quickly. 
• There may be a higher risk of encountering unscrupulous buyers and scammers on Bonanza than on a more regulated platform (like Walmart Marketplace). 

Bonanza fees:

While Bonanza doesn’t charge a listing fee, new sellers will have to pay a $14.99 account setup fee. For sellers without an active membership subscription, the platform charges a transaction fee of $0.25 for every sale. There’s also a final value fee, which is a percentage of the total order value and any portion of the shipping fee that exceeds $10. 

6.  Poshmark: A go-to for secondhand fashion 

Region(s): North America, India, Australia, United Kingdom 

Best for: Secondhand luxury goods, fashion, homeware, personal care 

With over 130 million registered users across the United States and Canada, Poshmark is a leading marketplace for secondhand fashion. What makes it unique from other online retail sites is that it’s a community-driven platform that encourages user engagement. Users can follow other people, get updates on what their community is buying, and more. 

Mostly known for secondhand fashion, Poshmark focuses on designer and luxury items. The top-selling categories include shoes, bags, clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Makeup and skincare items and homeware like furnishing, bedding, dining, and accents are also popular on the platform. 

Unique features and advantages: 

• Sellers can host daily themed Posh Parties to engage potential buyers. 
• The social aspect of the marketplace drives community engagement and improves product discoverability. 
• Poshmark offers free authentication for items worth $500 or more. 
• Orders are shipped through expedited shipping to enhance the customer experience. 

Considerations: 

• Poshmark is a highly niche marketplace, which means it will not be suitable for all product verticals – or ecommerce brands. 
• Sellers must actively engage on the platform by sharing their listings. 
• Sellers are paid only after the order is delivered, which may disrupt cash flow. 

Poshmark fees:

Poshmark uses a straightforward fee system that’s easy for sellers to understand. Any sale under $15 involves a flat commission of $2.95. Sales worth over $15 incur a 20% commission fee. 

7.  TikTok Shop: A powerful social selling platform 

Region(s): United States, United Kingdom, Southeast Asia 

Best for: Beauty and personal care, electronics and accessories, fashion apparel and accessories, health and food supplements, home supplies 

Home to viral trends and influential creators, TikTok’s social media platform is also home to a thriving social selling market. According to the app’s self-reporting, 70% of TikTok users discover new brands and products on TikTok, and 3 out of 4 TikTok users are likely to buy something while using the app. As a result, tens of thousands of brands are leveraging the platform to influence shoppers’ buying decisions and drive product discovery.    

Ecommerce businesses can sell across a wide variety of categories through the TikTok Shop marketplace. The most popular categories include beauty and personal care, phones and electronics, fashion apparel, health and food supplements, fashion accessories, and home supplies. 

Unique features and advantages: 

• TikTok Shop offers its own fulfillment solution – Fulfilled by TikTok – to streamline the backend logistics of selling on the platform. Brands can rely on expert, TikTok-Shop compatible fulfillment provider like ShipBob to fulfill their TikTok orders as well.  
• Live shopping features allow for real-time interactions and offer users the ability to buy products featured in the broadcast. 
• Sellers can partner with creators and have them list their products for sale, so their followers can instantly buy the products discovered through their content. 

Considerations: 

• TikTok Shop works well for only certain categories and may not be suitable for every seller. 
• Since it’s a social media platform first, navigation for shoppers may be slightly complicated. 
• Due to changing US legislation and policy, TikTok Shop may or may not be a stable channel to reach US customers.  

TikTok Shop fees:

TikTok Shop charges a commission for every successful sale. The commission rate typically ranges between 4% and 12% of the total sale price, depending on the category. 

“TikTok Shop is our fastest growing channel and we are consistently a top seller across the platform. By leveraging ShipBob, we are able to utilize the Fulfilled by Merchant seller shipping option in TikTok Shop to drive sales for Beachwaver while utilizing the same pool of inventory we use for our Shopify orders and giving us access to our extremely valuable customer data and supply chain visibility.”

Tom Wall, Vice President of Global Warehousing & Logistics at Beachwaver Co.  

8.  Facebook Marketplace: Sell to a local audience 

Region(s): US 

Best for: Clothing and accessories, home furnishing, pet supplies, kids’ stuff, handmade items 

As the largest social media platform, Facebook is one of the most popular online marketplaces for selling to local customers. Internal data suggests that one-third of U.S. Facebook users use Marketplace every month to buy and sell goods. Businesses can also leverage the platform’s listing partners, such as BigCommerce, to list their products for sale on Marketplace. 

Facebook Marketplace is suitable for all types of products. However, the top-selling categories are clothing, shoes, accessories, home furnishing, pet supplies, kids’ stuff, handmade items, and electronics. 

Unique features and advantages: 

• Buyers can sort listings by distance, making it easy to find items from sellers located locally. 
• Meta’s easy-to-use interface makes listing seamless even for novice sellers. 

Considerations: 

• Since it’s a social media platform first, navigation for shoppers may be slightly complicated. 
• There’s a higher risk of coming across fraudulent buyers. 

Facebook Marketplace fees:

Facebook doesn’t charge sellers a fee to list or sell their products. However, there are strict guidelines to follow. 

Deliver faster and sell more with ShipBob’s omnichannel fulfillment 

While ecommerce marketplaces can take your online business to the next level, you also have to deal with the challenges of selling on multiple channels. If you’re new to the world of omnichannel commerce and fulfillment, partnering with an expert like ShipBob can streamline the process through robust technology and world-leading fulfillment services. 

Here are just some of the ways that ShipBob helps brands fulfill and ship orders across multiple channels to scale.  

Seamless marketplace integrations 

ShipBob integrates with the top online marketplaces, and offers brands a partner ecosystem that includes Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and even TikTok Shop. This lets you unify your inventory management and order processing, giving you seamless multi-channel visibility – whether it’s for your Shopify orders or your marketplace orders. 

“Because we’ve been able to utilize ShipBob to fulfill all of our orders as a mini-ERP – including integrating directly to Amazon, multiple B2B channels, and our Shopify store – everything is so streamlined.”

Tyler McCann, Co-Founder of Taste Salud 

Distributed inventory for faster shipping 

With an expansive network of fulfillment centers, ShipBob lets you strategically distribute your inventory to store products closer to your customers for faster shipping and reduced costs – no matter which channel they purchase through.  

Better yet, you can leverage ShipBob’s Inventory Placement Program (IPP) to further simplifies the distribution process. IPP runs on a proprietary algorithm that uses your brand’s real order data to calculate the most optimal allocation of inventory across ShipBob’s dozens of domestic and global fulfillment centers. From there, all you have to do is send your inventory to a single ShipBob receiving hub, and ShipBob will take care of physically distributing your stock regionally for you.  

“Everybody expects Amazon-level shipping speeds and 2-day or next-day delivery. To provide that to our customers via ground shipping, we need to increase the number of fulfillment centers we use to reduce shipment time. Instead of partnering with a bunch of different providers that each have one or two warehouses, we can just distribute inventory across ShipBob’s dozens of US fulfillment centers.

ShipBob’s Inventory Placement Program will even let us send all our inventory to a single hub, and use ShipBob’s algorithms to calculate and automate ideal regional distribution from there. My team wouldn’t have to do it themselves and we can trust ShipBob to get it right, which would be a huge time-saver.”

Jessica Cedarleaf, VP of Operations at Tonies 

Comprehensive order management system (OMS) 

ShipBob’s powerful software features order management system (OMS) capabilities that centralize your order processing and inventory management. Through ShipBob’s dashboard you can: 

• Edit orders up until they are picked 
• View all orders at all stages of the supply chain 
• Monitor inventory levels in real-time across channels 
• Access key analytics on inventory, order, fulfillment, and shipping performance 

“ShipBob’s analytics are a huge bonus for a merchant looking to partner with a single 3PL that has a built-in order management tool. I was so stoked about being able to see the optimized layout of where you should be distributing your inventory is great. Having inventory and warehouse management capabilities built into your 3PL is such a value-add, especially for smaller companies.”

Juliana Brasil, Director of Operations at Food Huggers 

2-Day Express Shipping 

Express shipping isn’t just for Amazon sellers. With ShipBob’s 2-Day Express Shipping solution, you can deliver fast and affordable shipping that converts customers and contributes to a delightful post-purchase experience. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also helps you compete as expectations around delivery speed continue to rise.  

“ShipBob ships our orders out super fast – faster than we had been shipping our own orders. Our stated lead time for our business had always been between 3-7 business days, and with ShipBob, most of our orders are shipped the same day or within 24 hours. It’s cut our lead times by two-thirds at least.”

Charlotte Katona, President of Makesy 

For more information on how ShipBob can support your brand’s fulfillment as you sell on new channels, click the button below to get in touch.  

Best online marketplaces FAQs 

Below are answers to the most commonly asked questions about the best online marketplaces.