EBay Alternatives

What is EBay?

EBay is an online shopping site where customers can come for auctions and sales. The company is very popular among online entrepreneurs and businesses. The website can be accessed in many countries but you can search the products available in your local area with the help of zip code. You will also have the option to search for the product on a national and international level. An EBay account can be opened for free but there is a fee for the seller account.

Why EBay Alternatives?

There are a few disadvantages of using eBay and some of them are listed here −

• Fee scale depends on the type of item that is listed and the selling price

• Insertion and final value fees have to be paid by the sellers

• There are risks of scams and frauds

• Customer service of eBay is poor

• High competition in a few of the niches

How to choose an EBay Alternative?

If you want to look for alternatives to eBay, you need to check for the following benefits

• Sellers can reach a large audience for selling their goods

• New customers can be easily attracted

• All kinds of products and services can be sold through eBay

• Get a high price for a product

Top 10 EBay Alternatives

There are many alternatives to eBay and some of them have been described here in detail.

Alternative 1 – Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce websites and a great alternative to eBay. This is a platform which provides you all the things needed for the growth of your online store. Users can create their online store on Shopify. This feature is not available on eBay. User interface of Shopify is simple. Creating an account on Shopify is easier than eBay. There is no restriction on resenting the products on Shopify as you own a new online store.

Pros

• Shopify has an easy-to-use interface

• A fully functional online store can be made

• Blogging features available

Cons

• Sellers have to pay the transaction fee

• Shipping is not available in all the countries

Alternative 2 – Walmart

Walmart is popular all over the world as a great retail company. The sellers on this platform have the option of uploading and selling their products. Walmart is new in comparison to eBay and does not have as much traffic comparatively. But still. Walmart is progressing and there are chances of growth in the future. Walmart charges only a few types of fees in comparison to eBay. A fee of 8% to 20% is charged for every transaction.

Pros

• A variety of products are available for selection

• A few types of fees are to be paid

• New customers can be reached and attracted easily

Cons

• Sale is low in comparison to eBay

Alternative 3 – Etsy

Etsy is a website where handmade items, crafts, and vintage items can be sold easily. Etsy is safe and is one of the best choices for sellers. Etsy charges a listing fee from the sellers. The listing of products on eBay is 4 months while on Etsy, it is 4 months. The listing fee per item is $0.20. You will also get a commission of 3.5 percent.

Pros

• An excellent platform for selling handmade items

• Listings of products available for four months

• The listing fee is $0.20 per item

Cons

• The market is based on a specific niche

• Traffic is comparatively less

Alternative 4 – Bonanza

Bonanza is less popular in comparison to eBay and is one of the new online selling platforms. It is growing at a faster pace You can find shoes, artistry items, and many other products on this platform. The rating of the website is very high. No listing fee is charged but a closing fee of 3.5 percent is charged if sales is less than $500

Pros

• A wide variety of goods sold through this website

• Communication is transparent

• No changes are made to the items that are listed

Cons

• Customer base is low

Alternative 5 – Rakuten

Rakuten is also known as the Amazon of japan. It is one of the most popular websites in Japan and an excellent alternative to eBay. Around 40 percent of the buyers visit the website to purchase the products of their choice. You can design your own store with different options available on the website. As no brands are available on the website so you do not have to worry about competition. A Seller fee of $33 have to be paid per month along with $0.99 for commission. A category fee of 8% to 10% is also charged.

Pros

• Store can be optimized as desired

• Products are available in different categories

Cons

• Fees are high

Alternative 6 – EBid

EBid is a website which does not have a large customer base and reach in comparison to EBay. If you are looking for an affordable alternative to EBay, EBid is the best one. Starters do not have to pay any fee for listing. The rate of commission is 3%. The product listings are available in an auction format. A variety of items are available on this website and sellers are attracted to it due to low commission and free product listing.

Pros

• No payment needed for listing

• Commission is only 3%

Cons

• Customer base is low

Alternative 7 – ECrater

ECrater is a marketplace that is available for free. You can get a lot of templates which you can use to create your store. If you have products listing on EBay, you can import them on ECrater. You can run your store on the website free of cost. You have to pay 2,9 percent for each sale of an item. You will also have the option of increasing traffic on your store through SEO.

Pros

• Create an online store for free

• Make your store with the help of a lot of available readymade templates

• Charges 2.9 percent for each sale of an item

Cons

• You need to drive traffic on your store

• You may have to spend a lot on marketing

Alternative 8 – Mercari

Mercari is another company based in Japan which also has growth in the US and the UK. Mercari and EBay have the same product categories. Mercari has a benefit of selling second-hand items. The app has a simple user interface which is easy to learn and use by buyers and sellers. You just need to download the app and upload your products with images, prices and descriptions. A commission of 10 percent has to be paid for each sale.

Pros

• No fee has to be paid for signing up and listings

• Sellers enjoy good policy

• Shipping options are flexible

Cons

• Sales are slow

• 10 percent commission for each sale

Alternative 9 – Ruby Lane

Ruby Lane is a platform where you can sell vintage products. The platform can be used to sell antiques, jewelry, vintage collectibles, and many more such products. The platform is popular in the following countries

• The UK

• The US

• Canada

• Australia

• Germany

No commission is charged by the website but for each listing, you have to pay $0.19. You will also have to give maintenance which is $69 for small businesses and $0.01 for each product of big sellers. The cost of setting up a store is $100.

Pros

• Targets market for vintage products

• Products on the website have fixed prices

Cons

• The overall cost is a little higher

Alternative 10 – Newegg

If you want to sell products related to technology, Newegg is the best option for you. This website is considered as the best one for selling tech products. You can sell electronic items like smartphones, desktops, laptops, gaming products and many others. The marketplace is available in 50 countries. It is based in California and distribution channels are available across North America and Canada. The website provides different types of memberships available at $29.95 per month and $99.95 per month. Commission rate lies between 8% and 15%.

Pros

• The website is available for 50 countries

• Multiple membership options available

Cons

• Only tech items can be sold

Conclusion

EBay is a popular marketplace where sellers can sell different types of products and buyers can get a variety of products to purchase. Sellers have to pay a fee depending upon the type of item and its selling price. Risk of scams and fraud is also there. Due to all this, alternatives to eBay are needed that provide better services at affordable cost. Some of them are Amazon, ECarter, EBid, and many more.