Selling exclusively on Amazon may seem safe, but it’s actually one of the riskiest strategies for your ecommerce business. With over 134 million active buyers on eBay and shifting platform policies that can impact your account overnight, diversifying your sales channels isn’t just smart—it’s essential for long-term business survival and growth.
At BusinessAnywhere, we help remote entrepreneurs and digital nomads build resilient, multi-platform ecommerce businesses. Based on that experience, we’re sharing the three most profitable Amazon alternatives that can help you expand your reach, reduce platform dependency, and significantly increase your revenue in 2025.
According to research on multi-channel ecommerce, businesses selling on three or more channels generate substantially more revenue than single-channel sellers. Whether you’re a seasoned Amazon seller looking to diversify or a new entrepreneur exploring your options, this guide will help you make informed decisions about where to invest your time and resources.
Why You Need to Diversify Beyond Amazon Right Now
Before we explore the alternatives, let’s address why putting all your ecommerce eggs in the Amazon basket is problematic. Amazon’s marketplace, while massive, comes with significant challenges that can threaten your business overnight.
Account suspensions happen without warning. Policy changes can eliminate entire product categories. Fee increases can destroy profit margins you spent months optimizing. Intense competition drives down prices and makes differentiation nearly impossible. These aren’t hypothetical concerns—they’re daily realities for Amazon sellers.
A multi-channel ecommerce strategy protects you from these risks while opening new revenue streams. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that consumers use multiple shopping channels, and those using multiple channels spend more and return more often. By meeting customers where they already shop, you capture sales you’d otherwise miss.
1. eBay: The High-Traffic Alternative with Proven Results
eBay connects over 134 million active buyers with 18.3 million sellers worldwide, making it the second-most visited online marketplace globally with over 700 million monthly visits. If you’re looking for immediate access to a massive, ready-to-buy audience, eBay should be your first Amazon alternative.
Why eBay Works for Ecommerce Sellers
Founded in 1995, eBay has evolved far beyond its auction-house origins. Today, approximately 80 percent of items sold on eBay are brand new at fixed prices, while the platform still maintains its auction functionality for sellers who want pricing flexibility.
eBay holds a 3.5 percent share of the US retail ecommerce market, ranking fourth behind Amazon, Walmart, and Apple. While that might sound small, it represents billions in annual sales and significantly less competition than Amazon for many product categories.
The platform’s unique selling proposition? Flexibility. Unlike Amazon’s rigid product listing requirements, eBay gives sellers substantial creative control over their listings. You can craft compelling product descriptions, use custom photography, and differentiate your brand in ways that Amazon’s standardized format doesn’t allow.
Product Category Advantages
eBay particularly excels in categories that Amazon restricts or where buyers specifically seek variety. The platform is the go-to destination for collectibles, with about 40 percent of sales falling into the pre-owned category. Other strong categories include automotive parts, fashion and luxury items, electronics, and refurbished goods.
If your products were banned or restricted on Amazon, eBay often provides a welcoming alternative. The platform’s more permissive policies allow you to continue your business without constant fear of suspension. Learn more about choosing the right platform for your products.
Understanding eBay’s Fee Structure
eBay’s fees are straightforward but require careful calculation to protect your margins. The platform charges no monthly subscription fees, unlike Amazon’s $39.99 Professional Seller plan. Final value fees typically range from 12 to 15 percent depending on category, with payment processing fees around 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction through eBay’s managed payments.
While these fees are comparable to Amazon in many categories, the lack of a monthly subscription makes eBay particularly attractive for new sellers or those testing products with uncertain demand.
Real-World Success Factors
Over 60 percent of eBay sellers describe themselves as “accidental entrepreneurs” who turned a hobby into a thriving business. The platform’s accessibility and established buyer base make it ideal for sellers at any experience level.
Traffic patterns matter for maximizing sales. The United States accounts for approximately 70 percent of eBay’s traffic, with strong secondary markets in the UK, Germany, and Australia. This geographic concentration helps you focus marketing efforts effectively.
The Challenges to Consider
No platform is perfect, and eBay comes with trade-offs. The return policy requirements can be restrictive, requiring sellers to offer returns within specific timeframes and formats. This reduces flexibility compared to setting your own policies.
Profit margins require careful monitoring. Most eBay sellers earn profit margins between 10 and 20 percent. A product that’s viable on Amazon might become unprofitable on eBay once you account for the different fee structures.
Customer loyalty can be lower than on other platforms. Buyers often shop based purely on price, making it harder to build a repeat customer base unless you invest in excellent service and unique offerings.
Despite these challenges, eBay remains one of the best Amazon alternatives for sellers who want immediate access to a massive, diverse buyer base without monthly fees.
2. Walmart Marketplace: The Low-Fee Growth Opportunity
Walmart’s transformation from brick-and-mortar giant to serious ecommerce competitor creates unprecedented opportunities for third-party sellers. Walmart’s online sales hit $30.5 billion in Q3 2024, representing a 27 percent year-over-year jump, and the marketplace is actively recruiting sellers with aggressive incentives.
Why Walmart Is Winning Sellers from Amazon
The most compelling reason to sell on Walmart? Lower fees and no monthly subscription. While Amazon charges $39.99 per month plus referral fees, Walmart has zero subscription costs and referral fees that range from only 6 to 15 percent of your total sale price.
Walmart’s 2025 New-Seller Savings program offers up to 75 percent off referral fees for new sellers, with the discount applying to your first $750,000 in gross merchandise value. This aggressive promotion demonstrates Walmart’s commitment to building its seller community and directly competing with Amazon.
For sellers doing the math, the difference is substantial. Save that $480 annual Amazon subscription fee and reinvest it in inventory. Enjoy referral fees that can be 20 to 50 percent lower than Amazon across most categories. These savings directly improve your bottom line.
Lower Competition, Higher Visibility
Walmart has over 150 million unique monthly visitors but significantly fewer competing sellers than Amazon. This creates a rare opportunity: massive traffic with less competition. Your products have a higher chance of being discovered and generating sales.
Some product categories remain relatively uncrowded on Walmart, giving early movers a significant advantage. In categories where you face hundreds of competitors on Amazon, you might find only dozens on Walmart. This difference dramatically improves your chances of winning the Buy Box and converting browsers to buyers.
Walmart’s century-old retail legacy provides instant credibility. Customers trust the Walmart name, which translates to higher conversion rates for third-party sellers. When buyers see your product on Walmart.com, they associate it with Walmart’s reputation for value and reliability. Explore more about selling on Walmart versus Amazon.
Best Categories for Walmart Sellers
Not all products perform equally well on Walmart. The platform particularly favors consumer electronics with lower 6 to 8 percent fees in many subcategories, home and garden products with 15 percent fees but high volume, health and personal care as a growing category, baby products leveraging Walmart’s strong reputation, and toys and games with excellent seasonal opportunities.
If you sell commodity products where Amazon competition has destroyed margins, Walmart often provides breathing room. The combination of lower fees and less competition can restore profitability to products that became untenable on Amazon.
Walmart Fulfillment Services Advantages
Walmart Fulfillment Services costs 15 percent less than the competition on average, with sellers using WFS seeing an average 23 percent sales lift from the WFS badge alone. The fulfillment network handles two-day shipping, customer service, returns, and more, freeing you to focus on sourcing and marketing.
The New-Seller Savings program extends to fulfillment, offering 25 percent off fulfillment fees and 50 percent off storage fees until you reach $2,000 in savings. This makes WFS particularly attractive for new sellers who want the benefits of fulfilled-by-marketplace services without Amazon’s increasingly expensive FBA fees.
Real Limitations to Understand
Walmart’s growth story comes with important caveats. The platform has lower overall traffic than Amazon, limiting the absolute ceiling for sales volume. If your strategy requires reaching tens of thousands of customers monthly, Amazon’s massive traffic might remain necessary.
Some product categories have strict pricing requirements. Walmart enforces maximum prices in certain categories to maintain its value-focused brand positioning. This limits pricing flexibility and can make profitability challenging if your costs are high.
Getting approved as a Walmart seller requires meeting specific criteria. The platform prioritizes established sellers with strong performance metrics, making it harder for complete beginners to gain approval compared to more open platforms.
Despite these limitations, Walmart represents one of the strongest Amazon alternatives for sellers who can meet the approval requirements and whose products align with Walmart’s customer base.
3. Etsy: The Handcrafted and Unique Products Powerhouse
If your products are handmade, vintage, or uniquely crafted, Etsy isn’t just an alternative to Amazon—it’s likely a better fit for your business model. Etsy connects 96.6 million active buyers with sellers of handmade, vintage, and craft supply items, creating a marketplace where uniqueness is the competitive advantage.
Why Etsy’s Niche Focus Is Your Advantage
Etsy buyers aren’t looking for mass-produced commodity items. They’re specifically seeking handcrafted goods, vintage treasures, and personalized products they can’t find elsewhere. This fundamentally different buyer mindset changes everything about how you compete.
On Amazon, you compete primarily on price and fulfillment speed. On Etsy, you compete on creativity, craftsmanship, and authenticity. Buyers expect higher prices and longer shipping times because they value uniqueness over convenience. This shift dramatically improves margins for sellers who create original products.
The established audience saves you marketing costs. Etsy has spent decades building its brand as the destination for handmade and unique items. When buyers want something custom or artisanal, they go directly to Etsy. You benefit from this brand recognition without needing to convince shoppers that handmade goods are valuable.
Etsy’s Transparent and Manageable Fee Structure
Compared to the complexity of Amazon’s fee schedule, Etsy keeps things relatively simple. The platform charges a listing fee of $0.20 per listing that renews every four months if the item doesn’t sell, a transaction fee of 6.5 percent of the total sales price including shipping and gift wrapping, and a payment processing fee of 3 percent plus $0.25 per transaction for US sellers.
Average seller income on Etsy varies widely, but successful sellers who treat their shops as real businesses earn substantially more than casual hobbyists. The key is understanding your total costs and pricing accordingly to maintain healthy margins.
The low entry barrier makes Etsy ideal for testing product ideas. For just $0.20, you can list a product and see if there’s market demand. This minimal risk lets you experiment with different designs, price points, and product variations without significant financial exposure.
Best Product Categories for Etsy Success
Etsy particularly excels for sellers in specific categories. Jewelry and accessories represent one of Etsy’s largest and most active categories. Home decor and furniture, especially custom and vintage items, perform well. Art and collectibles find their audience, while clothing and fashion benefit from handmade and customizable options. Wedding and party supplies allow for personalization that drives premium pricing, and craft supplies serve other creators in a lucrative niche.
If you can personalize products or create custom variations, Etsy’s buyers will pay premium prices. The ability to offer names, dates, custom colors, or unique designs justifies higher pricing and builds customer loyalty.
Navigating Etsy’s Competitive Challenges
Success on Etsy isn’t guaranteed, and sellers face specific challenges. Competition in popular categories can be intense, with thousands of shops selling similar products. Standing out requires excellent photography, compelling product descriptions, and strategic SEO optimization.
Copycats are a persistent problem. Etsy’s platform structure means your unique ideas won’t stay that way for long. Successful designs get copied quickly, forcing you to continuously innovate and differentiate your offerings.
Customer loyalty on Etsy tends to be lower than direct-to-consumer channels. Buyers often shop based on a specific need rather than brand affinity. They’ll quickly switch to competitors if they find better prices or offers. Building a repeat customer base requires exceptional products and service.
Search optimization is critical. Etsy uses its own search algorithm that differs significantly from Amazon. Learning how to optimize titles, tags, and product attributes for Etsy’s search requires dedicated study and ongoing refinement.
Maximizing Etsy’s Optional Features
Etsy Plus costs $10 per month and includes listing credits, ad credits, shop customization, and restock alerts. For established sellers who’ll use the monthly credits, the subscription pays for itself while providing valuable branding tools.
Etsy Ads operate on a cost-per-click model, letting you boost visibility for your best-performing listings. Start with a small daily budget, focus on products that already convert organically, and monitor results weekly. Turn off underperforming campaigns quickly to avoid wasting spend.
Offsite Ads charge 15 percent for shops under $10,000 in annual sales or 12 percent for higher-volume shops when Etsy’s external advertising generates a sale. High-volume shops are automatically enrolled, and the fees only apply when the ads drive attributable sales. For many sellers, Offsite Ads deliver incremental orders worth the commission.
Despite the challenges, Etsy remains the premier platform for handmade, vintage, and unique products. If your business model aligns with Etsy’s niche, it’s not just an Amazon alternative—it’s likely a better primary platform.
Strategic Multi-Channel Management: Making It All Work Together
Understanding individual platforms is just the beginning. The real opportunity lies in managing multiple channels simultaneously to maximize revenue while minimizing operational complexity.
Start Smart: Prioritize and Test
Don’t try to launch on all platforms simultaneously. Pick two to three channels and master them first before adding others. This focused approach prevents spreading resources too thin and lets you maximize results before scaling.
Choose your initial platforms based on product fit and target audience. If you sell handmade goods, start with Etsy and your own website. For commodity products, begin with Amazon and Walmart. Electronics sellers might prioritize eBay and Amazon. Match your products to platforms where buyers already seek what you’re selling.
Test products on new platforms with limited inventory first. This minimizes risk if a product doesn’t resonate with a new audience. Once you validate demand and understand the platform’s dynamics, scale up inventory and marketing investment.
Operational Excellence Across Channels
Inventory management becomes critical when orders flood in from various sales points. Invest in inventory management software that synchronizes stock levels across all channels in real-time. This prevents overselling, which damages your seller reputation and creates operational nightmares.
Consistent branding across channels builds recognition and trust. Use the same business name, logo, product photography, and brand voice everywhere you sell. When customers encounter your brand on multiple platforms, consistency reinforces credibility and professionalism.
Centralize customer service to maintain quality. Whether inquiries come through eBay messages, Walmart Seller Center, or Etsy conversations, respond promptly with helpful information. Many successful multi-channel sellers use customer service software that aggregates messages from all platforms into a single dashboard.
Leveraging BusinessAnywhere’s Expertise
At BusinessAnywhere, we help entrepreneurs build profitable multi-channel ecommerce businesses. Our LLC formation services ensure you’re properly structured for ecommerce selling, while our expertise in remote business operations helps you manage complexity as you scale.
Whether you’re a digital nomad selling from abroad or a remote founder managing operations from multiple countries, we provide the legal and operational infrastructure that lets you focus on growing your business rather than wrestling with compliance and logistics.
Maximizing Your Business Value Through Diversification
Multi-channel selling doesn’t just increase monthly revenue—it dramatically improves your business’s valuation if you ever decide to sell.
Business buyers specifically look for diversified revenue streams. An ecommerce business generating $500,000 annually from Amazon alone might sell for 2 to 3 times annual earnings. The same business generating $500,000 split across Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and a direct-to-consumer website might command 3 to 4 times annual earnings or more.
Why? Risk mitigation. Buyers pay premiums for businesses that won’t collapse if one platform suspends the account or changes policies. Multiple revenue streams provide stability and predictability that single-channel businesses lack.
Platform independence also signals business maturity. Multi-channel sellers demonstrate sophisticated operations, established processes, and the ability to succeed across different competitive environments. These qualities make acquisitions more attractive and justify higher valuations.
Beyond the Big Three: Exploring Additional Opportunities
While eBay, Walmart, and Etsy represent the three strongest Amazon alternatives for most sellers, dozens of other platforms serve specific niches and product categories.
Shopify and direct-to-consumer approaches give you complete control and direct customer relationships. Facebook Marketplace and Instagram Shopping continue growing rapidly for certain product types. Specialty marketplaces and international platforms like Mercado Libre open global opportunities.
Multi-channel ecommerce has experienced consistent growth and is expected to continue expanding according to BigCommerce research. Sellers who embrace multi-platform strategies position themselves for long-term success regardless of how individual platforms evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amazon Alternatives
Which platform should I start with if I’m completely new to ecommerce?
If you’re new to selling online, eBay offers the lowest barrier to entry with no monthly fees and straightforward listing processes. The platform’s forgiving policies and established buyer base make it ideal for beginners. However, if you specifically create handmade or unique products, Etsy should be your starting point despite having a slightly steeper learning curve.
Can I sell the exact same products on Amazon, eBay, and Walmart simultaneously?
Yes, you can sell identical products across multiple platforms, and many successful sellers do exactly this. However, each platform has unique policies about pricing, inventory availability, and fulfillment that you must respect. Using inventory management software prevents overselling when the same item sells on multiple platforms simultaneously.
How do I handle inventory management when selling on multiple platforms?
Multi-channel inventory management software is essential once you sell on two or more platforms. Solutions like Sellbrite, ChannelAdvisor, and similar tools synchronize inventory levels across all channels in real-time. When an item sells on eBay, the software automatically reduces available quantity on Amazon and Walmart.
Do I need separate business entities to sell on different marketplaces?
No, you don’t need separate legal entities for each marketplace. A single business entity, such as an LLC or corporation, can sell on multiple platforms. However, you must ensure your business is properly registered and has appropriate tax identification numbers for the jurisdictions where you’re selling.
How much does it cost to start selling on eBay, Walmart, and Etsy?
Starting costs vary significantly by platform. eBay requires no upfront investment—you only pay fees when items sell. Etsy charges $0.20 per listing, so you could start with just a few dollars. Walmart has no setup fees but requires application approval and may have higher operational standards. Your real investment is in inventory, product photography, and learning each platform’s best practices.
Which platform has the best seller protection policies?
Seller protection varies by platform and situation type. eBay offers strong seller protection against fraudulent buyers and item-not-received claims when you use tracked shipping. Walmart provides solid support for sellers using Walmart Fulfillment Services. Etsy’s protections are somewhat weaker, particularly for digital products and custom items. Amazon generally has the most robust infrastructure for handling disputes, but their policies often favor buyers over sellers.
How long does it take to see results when expanding to new platforms?
Timeline varies significantly based on platform, product category, and your approach. On eBay, you might see your first sales within days of listing products. Walmart requires approval that can take one to three weeks, then sales typically start within the first month. Etsy success depends heavily on search optimization and often requires two to three months of consistent listing and refinement before generating meaningful revenue.
Should I use fulfillment services like FBA on alternative platforms?
Fulfillment services offer significant advantages but come with costs that eat into margins. Walmart Fulfillment Services makes sense for sellers wanting the credibility and conversion boost of fast, reliable shipping without handling logistics. eBay doesn’t have a direct equivalent to FBA, though you can use third-party fulfillment centers. On Etsy, most successful sellers fulfill orders themselves since handmade buyers expect a personal touch.
What are the biggest mistakes sellers make when expanding to new platforms?
Common mistakes include attempting to manage too many platforms at once before mastering any, failing to optimize listings for each platform’s unique search algorithm, not accounting for different fee structures in pricing strategies, ignoring platform-specific policies and getting suspended, spreading inventory too thin across channels, and giving up too quickly before giving platforms adequate time to generate results.
Can I use the same product photos across all platforms?
Yes, you can and should use the same high-quality product photos across platforms to maintain brand consistency. However, optimize how you use them for each platform’s specific requirements. eBay allows more images per listing than Amazon. Etsy places heavy emphasis on lifestyle photography that shows products in use. Some platforms have specific dimension or file size requirements.
Taking Action: Your Multi-Platform Growth Plan
The path from single-channel seller to diversified multi-platform business doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s achievable with a systematic approach.
Start by honestly assessing your current situation. What are your best-performing products? Which have the healthiest margins? What product characteristics make them successful? These are your candidates for expansion to new platforms.
Choose one new platform that best matches your products and target customers. If you sell vintage items or handmade goods, Etsy is your obvious first choice. For commodity products with thin margins, Walmart’s lower fees make it attractive. For everything else, eBay’s massive traffic and flexible listing options make it the default expansion target.
Allocate dedicated time to learning your chosen platform. Read the seller policies thoroughly. Study successful shops in your category. Understand the fee structure completely. Join seller communities and forums where experienced sellers share insights. Knowledge investment pays enormous dividends.
Launch with 10 to 20 of your best products. Create optimized listings following platform best practices. Price strategically accounting for fees while remaining competitive. Monitor results daily during your first month, then weekly thereafter.
Once you’ve generated consistent sales on your second platform for at least 90 days, consider adding a third channel. The skills and systems you’ve developed managing two channels make adding a third significantly easier than the jump from one to two.
Throughout this journey, remember that BusinessAnywhere is here to support your growth. Whether you need help with business formation, tax optimization, or navigating the complexities of remote business operations, we provide the expertise and infrastructure that lets you focus on what matters: growing your ecommerce empire.
Bottom Line: Diversify Now or Risk Everything Later
Amazon alternatives aren’t just backup plans—they’re essential components of a resilient, profitable ecommerce business. eBay offers immediate access to 134 million buyers with lower entry costs. Walmart provides lower fees and less competition. Etsy delivers a captive audience specifically seeking unique products.
The sellers who thrive over the next decade won’t be those who master a single platform. They’ll be entrepreneurs who strategically build presence across multiple channels, diversify their revenue streams, and create businesses that can weather platform changes, policy shifts, and market disruptions.
The question isn’t whether you should explore Amazon alternatives. It’s when you’ll start—and how much money you’ll leave on the table by waiting.
Ready to build a truly resilient ecommerce business? Contact BusinessAnywhere today to discuss how our business formation and operational support services can help you scale confidently across multiple platforms while optimizing your tax position and maintaining compliance wherever you operate.
Word Count: Approximately 3,500 words
