With over 232 million monthly customers, Amazon is undoubtedly the largest e-commerce platform in the world. It is also the most popular site for frictionless shopping as over 4,000 items are sold every minute, as of 2019. We hear about so many Amazon sellers' success stories but is Amazon the only popular site to sell your stuff? In this article, we will introduce the 15 best shopping sites like Amazon that offer frictionless shopping experiences for online retailers. Just like on Amazon, you can set up online stores there and make more sales easily.
Amazon's statistics are quite impressive; however, you must remember that Amazon isn't the only option that provides frictionless shopping experiences. There are other sites like Amazon that are less expensive and more efficient than Amazon. However, the final decision will depend on several other factors. This is why we recommend that retailers first understand the pros and cons of selling on Amazon as well as compare the listing and selling fees before making a decision.
Amazon Overview: Pros and Cons
There are a lot of great benefits attached to selling on Amazon, and as with anything in life, selling on Amazon has its disadvantages, too. In this section, we shall discuss the pros and cons of selling on Amazon and also list 15 sites like Amazon.
Pros
- Automation takes care of the complexity involved in selling
- Selling on Amazon offers great flexibility and work-life balance
- As a seller on Amazon, you can reach buyers all over the world easily and effortlessly
- Amazon has earned its reputation from millions of daily shoppers over the years. You can leverage Amazon's credibility and trust for your brand
- Amazon boasts hundreds of millions of monthly traffic – this is more than enough to establish a medium-sized business
- Amazon's platform is easy to use
Cons
- High selling fees
- Increased competition from tons of sellers
- Lack of control and independence – you can't do things your own way on Amazon
- Complex data feed
- Inventory management is done by the seller
15 Best Shopping Sites Like Amazon
1. eBay
eBay is Amazon's biggest competition. The major difference is that Amazon sells its own products while eBay doesn't. Rather, eBay is a bidding website for discount shopping. Many people upload their products for auction and buyers enjoy amazing bargains thanks to eBay's "Best Offers."
eBay boasts over 109.4 million monthly visitors and 182 million active eBay users worldwide.
Pros
- Offers and discounts are available on a weekly and seasonal basis
- Unique bidding feature attracts millions of buyers around the world
- "Buy It Now" caters to instant purchases
- Anything and everything is sold on eBay
Cons
- eBay selling fees are quite high
2. AliExpress
AliExpress is Asia's largest shopping site that offers millions of products from hot/profitable/evergreen/ categories, including computers, clothing, toys, electronics, beauty, pet products, home décor, kitchen, garden, etc. It is another website like Amazon and is a preferred destination for buying items at lower prices.
AliExpress boasts over 732 million monthly visitors and 785 million active users.
Pros
- Quality goods at lower prices
- You'll find a wide range of products from different categories
- No listing fee/commission fee
- Thousands of products are sold for under $5 – making it ideal for the dropshipping business model
Cons
- Fake suppliers are rampant on this platform
- Shipping takes longer
- Some products are not of real quality as depicted in the images
3. Overstock
Overstock sells its own items like Amazon but offers a lot more. They run a unique program called "Worldstock," where artisans showcase and sell hand-made crafts. Looking for mouthwatering deals? Try Overstock.
Overstock boasts over 40 million active customers.
Pros
- Excellent customer service
- Prices are competitive
- Offers up to $40 in rewards for reviewing a purchased product
- Up to 45% savings in the Club O Extra Rewards Store, free shipping, and 5% back for each order
- Is committed to Best Friends Animal Society, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and other community responsibilities
Cons
- In the absence of demand, products are expensively sold
4. Walmart
Walmart.com is one of the biggest e-commerce companies in the world that is famous for its low prices. They have physical supermarkets all over the world and the products sold at those stores can be purchased on it.
Walmart boasts over 386 million monthly visitors as of September 2020.
Pros
- Offers daily bargains on every product
- Free 2-day shipping on orders over $35 is offered
- Offers doorstep delivery or delivery at pickup stations
- Find millions of sold-out items and have them shipped to local stores
Cons
- Anti-employee policy
- Unenvironmentally friendly operations
5. Zappos
Zappos.com specializes in the sale of shoes, clothing, and different accessories. They are a subsidiary website of Amazon, and you can earn Zappos rewards for every purchase.
Zappos boasts over 23 million monthly visitors.
Pros
- The only platform that accepts returns up to 365 days after purchase
- Impeccable customer service
- Free and fast shipping in many cases
- Safe Shopping Guarantee ensures buyers are protected from credit card fraud
Cons
- Zappos holacracy structure is its major drawback
6. Newegg
Newegg is a leading e-commerce site and one of the best other sites like Amazon and eBay if you sell electronics and tech. You can save more when you buy clearance, open box, and refurbished electronics at discounted prices.
Newegg boasts over 48.4 unique monthly visitors.
Pros
- Excellent customer service
- Offer daily deals
- Fast shipping – up-to 3 days shipping on all orders
Cons
- Specializes only in tech and electronics
7. Shopify
Shopify is another great alternative to Amazon. You can get started with a free 14-days trial.
Shopify boasts over 2.8 billion monthly active users.
Pros
- Easy-to-use site builder to create your own online store
- Promote and sell products easily
- Offers lots of tools to automate your store and boost sales
- For setting up your own site and make money with mobile, social media, and in-person sales
Cons
- High membership fee
- Not too many themes available to distinguish your store from the competition
8. eBid
eBid is another online auction site that offers some of the best prices on new and refurbished goods in over 28,000 categories. As of 2019, eBid has over 2.7 million items for sale.
eBid boasts daily traffic volume of 61, 000 visitors and 15 million visitors every year.
Pros
- An extensive list of auction available
- Lifetime memberships make fees extremely cheap
- It's easy to get customers when selling
Cons
- Shipping can be expensive and take time
- Not so popular as Amazon and eBay
9. Rakuten
Previously known as buy.com, Rakuten is Japanese's largest e-commerce platform and a worthy alternative to Amazon. Unlike Amazon, Rakuten has no inventory of product; rather, it brings both businesses and customers together.
Rakuten boasts over 116 million active users.
Pros
- "Super Points" program allows retailers to get rewarded for each purchase made
- Easy to use platform
- A wide array of products to be sold from different categories
Cons
- Poor cash-back policy
10. BestBuy
BestBuy specializes in all manners of electronics and appliances. Like Walmart, they have physical stores where customers can go pick up items. Unlike Amazon and eBay, BestBuy makes returning items much easier.
As the number 1 go-to store for electronics and technology, BestBuy boasts over 30 billion visits per month.
Pros
- Great deals on home electronics, TVs, video games, and more
- Low price guarantee
- Periodically offers small-window sales (for example, 3-day sales)
- No re-stocking fees incurred
- "Geek Squad" are on standby to help you fix your electronics
Cons
- No fixed delivery fee
- Unfavourable return and refund policy
11. Target
You can tag Target as a small-sized Amazon. They offer similar features like Amazon, but on a small scale.
Target boasts over 189 million monthly visitors.
Pros
- Offers various delivery methods including same-day delivery, drive-through delivery to your car, in-store pickup, next-day delivery on orders of $35 and above, etc.
- Offers competitive prices – as low as Walmart
- Goods sold on Target are of exceptionally high quality
- Great discounts and seasonal deals
- Target's delivery subscription comes with a benefit (free shipping + $5 off every order) unlike Amazon
Cons
- Frequent order cancellations
12. Etsy
Etsy.com specializes in creative things, making it ideal for those selling handmade clothing, accessories, jewelry, old vintage items, etc. It cannot be substituted for Amazon but it is an alternative for dropshipping handmade items.
Etsy boasts over 39.4 active buyers worldwide as of 2019.
Pros
- Handmade items with premium quality
- Artisans get a larger percentage of the revenue
- Offers excellent customer service
Cons
- Offers only handmade products
- Listing and membership fee is enormous
13. Jet
Established by a former Amazon employee, Jet.com may be a good alternative to Amazon and eBay. Jet.com delivers quality products at low costs to your customer's doorstep. They offer fast shipping and won't charge for orders over $35. Their return policy is excellent – free for faulty items.
Jet.com makes over $43 million in sales each month.
Pros
- Offers branded items at low prices
- Their return policy is commendable
- Use the "Refer-A-Friend" program to save on future orders
- Get up-to 50% discount on seasonal products
Cons
- Reduced investments
- Slow growth
14. Barnes and Noble
Amazon first started as a book store before expanding to what it is now. Barnes and Nobles is a well-established brand in the United States and beyond. They offer retail prices for any kind of books, games, gifts, decorative items, art supplies, collectibles, etc.
Barnes and Noble boast over 50,000 monthly visitors.
Pros
- Over 600 bookstores all over U.S., Barnes and Noble are a reputable and trustworthy brand
- Offers excellent prices on their products
- Amazing discounts on books
Cons
- May short sell the role of its store in the Nook story
If you want to get rid of used items without creating an online store or paying any listing or membership fee, then online marketplaces are your best bet. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Letgo, Google Shopping, are popular marketplace sites like Amazon and eBay where you can sell new and refurbished items to buyers within your locality. You can get huge discounts on everything and sometimes the best values are sold at very low prices.
Pros
- Sell whatever you want in real-time
- Massive audience available at your disposal
Cons
- Marketplaces are majorly controlled by the sellers – as such, a lot of consumers fall into scam artists
Pro Tip: Start Dropshipping with the Best Free Platforms
If you are considering expanding your business into many more shopping websites, the best and safest way is to dropship products by using one of the best free dropshipping platforms. Go through the VIP membership scheme of them to make sure about the costs, as well as the product lists to know more about the prices.
With SaleYee .com, you can easily start dropshipping on Amazon, as well as the above sites like Amazon. Apart from over 20,000 profitable SKUs, local US/UK/DE/FR warehouses, fast and free delivery, 24/7 customer support, the SaleYee Dropshipping Platform offers free product recommendations based on big data research for selling on Amazon, eBay, Wish, and similar sites to reap great profits.
More importantly, unlike most dropshipping suppliers only providing products at low costs to dropship, which leads to the slim profit margins, SaleYee .com carries more diverse dropshipping products, including large furniture, fitness equipment, kitchen supplies, automotive parts, industrial supplies, etc. for higher profits per sale. That's why you should definitely add SaleYee as one of your dropshipping suppliers to transform your dropshipping business.
Call to Action
Selling on Amazon comes with numerous benefits and rewards as we've listed in this guide. However, there are other shopping sites like Amazon for sellers who are greatly affected by Amazon's drawbacks. Most of these 15 sites like Amazon but cheaper will ward off competitors and help you save more on listing fees and monthly charges.
