Do you want to make your online business bigger, or do you want to move it somewhere else? You may have found that some of eBay’s features made your business harder to run. Are you looking for alternatives to the battle between Amazon and eBay? You might be thinking about joining an online sales platform and want to compare your options. No matter what the reason is, we can help.
As a Customer to Customer (C2C) service, eBay has grown a lot. It now has more than 1 billion items for sale and more than 171 million active users. Since it was started in 1995, the platform has helped hobbyists become successful business owners.
You might have your own reasons for leaving eBay, and you’ve come to the right place to find out more. This article will talk about 11 other sites that may be better for your business than eBay. First, let’s talk about what eBay has to offer and what it doesn’t have that would help a business succeed online. Then you can compare it to other platforms to find the one that best fits your needs.
eBay’s Pros and Cons
The best thing about eBay is that you can sell almost anything there. Will you keep eBay or get rid of it? Let’s look at the pros and cons to help you decide what to do.
Pros
- Easy To Set Up: People who sell things online always look for the easiest and most effective way to do so. On eBay, it’s easy for sellers to set up their storefront. You just need to sign up, choose a plan, add your products, and start selling!
- High Visibility: EBay is one of the most well-known online markets. You have the chance to reach out to more than 171 million customers.
- Protection For The Seller: When you are selling something, you need to know that you are safe from fraud. Most platforms care more about protecting the buyer than the seller. eBay takes both sides’ rights into account.
Cons
- High Competition: There are a lot of people selling the same thing on eBay, so there is a lot of competition. Another seller might sell the same thing for less than you do. You will lose in the end because the buyer almost always chooses the lower price.
- Limited Control: You don’t have much say over what you sell and how you sell it. Among other things, eBay has standardization of policies and branding. So, it will be hard for you to get customers who stick around.
- Marketplace Fee: You may think that eBay’s marketplace fees are hard to understand. There is a fee to list items on their platform, a fee based on the total value of your product, and an optional fee that will make your product very visible to customers. To avoid losing money, you will need to add these fees to your capital investment.
How do you feel? How do the pros and cons of these things affect your business? We suggest that you keep reading to find out what other platforms have to offer so that you can make an educated decision.
Amazon
Even though Amazon is not an auction site, it is a strong competitor to eBay. Amazon’s business is set up like a store. So, the prices will stay the same, and you’ll be able to sell right away. Before putting your products on Amazon, you need to do enough research. SaleHoo Labs lets you find out how well your product does compared to other products in the same category.
Fittest For
Anyone. Amazon shows off the variety of products. The only problem you might have is keeping prices low enough to stay in business. This could be hard for a small business. Since they sell so much, bigger businesses can afford to have prices that are very competitive.
Similarities with eBay
- They Are Both Big Places To Sell Things: and they offer a lot of different kinds of products.
- Amazon Is A Store That Sells Things Online: This means that you don’t change your prices. But eBay is more of a place where people can bid on things. You will have to set the “Buy Now” option for your products so that you can sell them at a fixed price. If you don’t, there will be a bidding war, and you may end up selling the item for less than you planned or it will take you longer to sell your items.
- You Can List Your Items For Free On Amazon: For every item you sell, you will be charged a commission fee plus $0.99. For each item you sell, eBay will charge you a fee to list it and a commission.
- Amazon Has Perks That Can Help You Get More Customers To Your Business: If you pay for the Prime membership, you can take advantage of the customer incentives. eBay doesn’t sell things. So it doesn’t give customers much of a reason to stay, and it’s hard to build long-term relationships with them. You, as the seller, are in charge of customer service.
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace where most of the deals are on craft supplies, vintage items, and things that were made by hand. You’ll be able to sell handmade items like jewelry, costumes, home decor, fashion, and more. It is more of a platform for selling online in a certain niche.
Fittest For
Etsy is for people who make or find unique things to sell. Some examples of these kinds of unique products are vintage items, hand-made items, and other creative and crafty items.
Similarities with eBay
- Etsy is a site that specializes in selling handmade, vintage, or crafty items. You can sell anything on eBay.
- Unique Items are what Etsy is all about eBay focuses on well-known brands and mass-market items, like cellphones.
- Etsy and eBay both charge a fee to list An Item. Etsy’s fee, on the other hand, is less than eBay’s. Etsy charges a flat fee of $0.20 and a commission of 3.5% on all goods. How much you have to pay to list something on eBay depends on how much you want to sell it for. The more you sell something for on eBay, the more they charge you to list it.
- The length of an Etsy listing is four months The time you can list something on eBay ranges from 10 to 30 days.
- Etsy’s customer service is better most customer service is done by the seller, not by eBay.
- Etsy is more of a niche Market while eBay has a wider range of customers and a bigger market space.
Walmart
Did you know that Walmart has joined the market for online shopping? You can take advantage of the store’s popularity, which has brought in a large number of customers. The products you list will be shown along with items from Walmart and other sellers.
Fittest For
You have a better chance of doing well on this platform if you have a business that has been around for a while and are selling well-known brands. On the platform, other people can also sell. You will need a good plan to help people know about your brand and trust it.
Similarities with eBay
- Walmart doesn’t charge any fees to set up or keep an account going. However, they charge between 8% and 20% of a sale’s price as a referral fee.
- Walmart doesn’t sell things through auctions like eBay does. Instead, their prices are set.
- You might be in competition with Walmart, which also uses the platform to sell things. On the other hand, eBay doesn’t sell anything, but you will have to compete with other sellers.
- More people know about eBay and Amazon as places to buy things online now.
- Walmart tries to keep its prices as low as possible. So, if you have a lot of expensive items, they may end up at the bottom of the lists.
Bonanza
Bonanza is an online store where you can sell anything, including collectibles, home and garden items, health and beauty products, women’s collections, and more. You will have access to a lot of tools that will help you sell more. You can import products from Shopify, eBay, and Amazon, among other places. You can also reach more people with targeted discounts.
Fittest For
On Bonanza, anyone can sell anything. Also, it has become known for selling unique items. “Everything but the ordinary” is the show’s motto.
Similar to eBay in every way.
- Just like eBay, you can sell anything on Bonanza. On Bonanza, though, you are more likely to find unique items than on eBay.
- The profit margin is higher with Bonanza. It only makes money when someone sells something. The fee for listing is free, and the commission is only 3.5%. eBay makes money when you sell items, and they do charge a fee to list items.
- Bonanza has fixed prices that are listed, while eBay has auctions.
- Bonanza is a better way to advertise your goods. Your item is sent to Bing, Google Bonanza’s Affiliate program, Nextag, and Pricegrabber, where it is also listed.
- You can easily bring in items from Amazon, Etsy, and eBay with Bonanza. So, you can reach more customers on more than one platform.
- Bonanza has more sellers than buyers, even though it has less traffic. It’s 1:3,300, while eBay’s is 1:10.
Craigslist
People sell all kinds of things on Craigslist. You can even use Craigslist to find a job. It’s a simple website that doesn’t charge fees for selling or listing. It’s more like a forum where you can sell things and solve problems on your own.
Suitable for
Merchants who want to sell in their own area. Also, it is for people who want to handle their business in a personal way. You can sell anything you think is too big or expensive to ship.
Similarities with eBay
- When you list and sell items on eBay, you have to pay a fee. You can list items for free on Craigslist. You will have to pay, though, if you want to list things like jobs or cars.
- eBay will help settle disagreements and decide who is right. But Craigslist is no longer a part of any dispute. So, you have to deal with them yourself, which makes it more dangerous.
- Craigslist promotes selling in your area. You get to set up how products are shipped and picked up. eBay, on the other hand, gives you access to a bigger market.
- There is a “Free Section” on Craigslist. You could get these things, fix them up, and then sell them to make money. There is no free section on eBay.
eBid
Do you want to try out a market with low risk? eBid lets you list items for free and takes 3% of each sale you make. But the number of people who can buy from you is smaller.
Fittest For
Trying out new markets is what people do. Also, it works for people who want to avoid listing fees. If you are good at getting leads, you should try it.
Similarities with eBay
- The auction sales method is used on both platforms.
- Since eBay is bigger, more people use it than eBid.
- Since eBid is cheaper than eBay, you have less to lose.
- Both platforms have a wide range of goods.
Newegg
Newegg is yet another site that caters to a certain niche. Its main goal is to sell tech products. It has marketing tools like SEO guides and email autoresponders, as well as other programs. It is now in more than 50 countries, and there are distribution centers all over Canada and North America.
Fittest For
Newegg is good for people who sell tech products in both Canada and the U.S. Most of the people who shop at Newegg are men between the ages of 18 and 35.
Similarities with eBay
- Newegg only sells tech products, while eBay lets you sell a lot of different things.
- As a place to buy tech products, Newegg has a clearer idea of who their audience is. So, it makes it more likely that you’ll make a sale.
- There is a shipping fulfillment service on Newegg. Shipped by Newegg (SBN) is the name of the service. eBay doesn’t do any shipping.
- Newegg has managers who can help you set up your business and take care of your account.
- The commission rate at Newegg ranges from 8% to 15%.
- There are different levels of membership for Newegg. This means that the more you pay, the more listings, tools, flexibility, and support you get.
Rakuten
Rakuten is a Japanese online marketplace. It gives people another way to start selling things online. You will be able to reach a large number of people in Japan because 90% of those who have access to the internet in the country have signed up on this platform. Also, it can sell things on the global online market.
Fittest For
Rakuten is a good option if you want to sell in the East and around the world. It is more popular in the eastern hemisphere because Amazon and eBay are big competitors on the global stage.
Similarities with eBay
- Rakuten is an online store where the prices are always the same. eBay, on the other hand, is a place where you can bid on things.
- Rakuten lets you build your own brand. You can set up your own store, add products, and use blogs on the platform to promote them.
- Rakuten makes it easy to make changes. So, you have more freedom in how you interact with customers on different levels, like with pricing, promotions, and marketing.
- eBay is already well-known in a lot of places. On the other hand, Rakuten is still growing, and you can grow your customer base at the same time. Rakuten is now available in 29 countries, and that number keeps growing.
- Compared to eBay, Rakuten’s fees are a little bit higher. You’ll have to pay $0.99 for each item you sell, plus a category fee of between 8% and 15% and a seller’s fee of $33 per month.
Ruby Lane
Ruby Lane is a place where people who want to buy or sell jewelry, antiques, vintage collectibles, and art can meet each other. It’s kind of like Etsy or Bonanza. Ruby Lane says that more than 1.1 million people visit it every month. These buyers tend to spend more money because they are more focused and excited. According to a survey, 85% of the customers are women over the age of 40.
Fittest For
People selling jewelry, art, antiques, and other things. Also, use Ruby Lane if you think these items would be good for women over 40.
Similar to eBay in every way.
- Ruby Lane has a system with fixed prices. eBay is a place to hold auctions.
- Ruby Lane has a specific audience because it is a platform for a niche. On the other hand, eBay has many different kinds of product categories.
- eBay may be cheaper than Ruby Lane. You’ll have to pay $0.19 for each listing, as well as a one-time set-up fee of $100 and a sliding maintenance fee. The maintenance fee for big sellers is $0.01 per item, while the fee for small sellers is $69 per month.
- The quality of the sellers on Ruby Lane is checked.
Your Very Own Shop
When you use major platforms to make sales, they will grow and your brand will become stronger. You might have heard someone say, “I got a good deal on Amazon or eBay.” With your own store, you can build your own brands and get the most out of the sales.
Your own website will take time to grow because you have to bring people to it yourself. But once the traffic is steady, you’ll have a good customer base and won’t have to worry about competition from other businesses on the platform.
The best for
You. Anyone can set up a website and run an online store these days. You don’t need to know how to code or design to make a website.
Similarities with eBay
- Instead of promoting eBay, you can build your own brand.
- You won’t have to worry about other sellers on the same platform.
- You can change the site to suit your needs. You will choose things like design and how you want to pay.
- eBay has a customer base that is already in place, while you will need to bring people to your website to build a customer base.
eCrater
eCrater is a platform for dropshipping that serves people in the United States. It is a platform that is growing and already has more than 65,000 users. It is one of the least expensive alternatives to eBay because it only takes 2.9% of sales as a commission. It’s an online auction site like eBay.
eCrater lets people pay for their purchases with PayPal, credit cards, money orders, and checks. It’s easy and quick to set up a store on eCrater.
The best for
Sellers who want a cheap way to sell on auction and ship within the US.
Similarities with eBay
- You can bring things from eBay to eCrater, but you can’t bring things from eCrater to eBay.
- The way marketing works on both platforms is through auctions.
- eBay has a bigger customer base than eCrater, which has about 65,000.
- eBay is easy to connect with Google Analytics, while eCrater is not.
- Both will take payments from PayPal, debit cards, and credit cards.
Questions Most Often Asked (FAQs)
Where can I find cheaper sites than eBay?
There’s Amazon, Bonanza, and eBid.
What sites sell handmade and unique items?
Ruby Lane and Etsy.
Which websites only charge me when I make a sale?
There was also Amazon.
What local sites can help me sell?
You can sell locally on any site. But Craigslist is the best choice.
I only care about one line of products. Who do I sell to?
Niche sites. You can do a quick search on Google to find more niche-specific sites.
How do I avoid having to compete with other sales on a platform?
Make a store on your site.
