Top 18 Amazon Alternatives and Competitors
A complete guide to Amazon alternatives and list of competitors.
As a small business owner, you’ve probably thought to yourself at least once, how can you compete with Amazon? Amazon is the most customer-centric company in the world, dominating the e-commerce market. Amazon receives over 2 billion website visitors every month. This traffic poses an incredible challenge to Amazon’s alternatives or competitors.
Now the question is, Who can compete with Amazon? The answer is businesses like Walmart, Target, Alibaba, eBay, and Flipkart. In the ever-changing digital world, businesses are always racing to stay ahead of the competition. But with so much potential, how to find Amazon’s alternatives or competitors?
This article will give you information about every website that has the potential to become an alternative or competitor to Amazon. The list includes Amazon’s online, physical store, Amazon Web Services, and Amazon subscription service competitors.
Why Choose Amazon Alternatives for Ecommerce Business?
As an eCommerce business owner, it’s essential to consider all options when choosing a platform to sell your products on. While Amazon may be the most well-known and popular option, many alternatives offer unique advantages.
One reason to consider Amazon alternatives is the potential for greater control over your brand. With Amazon, your products are listed alongside countless others, making it difficult to stand out. By choosing a smaller, more niche platform, you can better showcase your brand and build a more loyal customer base.
Another advantage of Amazon alternatives is the potential for lower fees. While Amazon’s prices can be significant, smaller platforms may offer more affordable pricing structures allowing you to keep more profits.
Choosing an alternative platform can allow you to tap into a different customer base. By diversifying your sales channels, you can reach more potential customers and reduce reliance on any platform.
While Amazon may be an excellent option for some eCommerce businesses, exploring all options and choosing the platform that best aligns with your specific goals and needs is essential.
It doesn’t matter what you sell; the best options from Amazon and competitors apply to all online companies. However, selling through your online store should be your main priority among the Amazon alternatives listed below.
You can diversify your sales on the various Amazon alternatives listed below in addition to selling on your website.
Top 18 Amazon Alternatives and Competitors
The Amazon alternatives and competitors list includes Offline/online business platforms based on various statics and analysis. Each alternative listed below has unique advantages that position them as Amazon competitors. Let’s discuss Amazon alternatives and competitors in detail.
Amazon Online Stores Competitors and Alternatives
1. Alibaba
To begin with, private label sellers often use Alibaba over Amazon. They are known for their low prices. By 2024, Alibaba Group is expected to make $3.5 trillion, making it competitive with Amazon. Alibaba stands as a significant competitor in the Asia market. With its fleet of autonomous delivery drones, Alibaba has a dominant position in the China market. The most congested roads in China need to be avoided to maintain competitiveness. While Amazon is talking about it, it hasn’t done anything yet.
2. eBay
Another giant e-commerce platform that competes directly with Amazon is eBay. The online marketplace company was in 1995 in San Jose, California. .
Despite being more accessible, eBay has a much smaller base. eBay provides a platform for its users but needs logistics services. Instead, it outsources those logistics services to third-party vendors.
With eBay, sellers list products for sale, and buyers find them on the marketplace. eBay sellers also offer similar products to sellers on Amazon. Big difference? eBay sellers can auction off products or keep a fixed rate. Amazon does not auction sales.
Being a garage sale versus a general online marketplace gives eBay a unique position over Amazon.
3. Shopify
Shopify is a powerful competitor to Amazon in the e-commerce industry. It provides a comprehensive set of tools business owners need to build and operate their online storefronts. By March 2023, there were over 4 million websites worldwide using Shopify due to its massive success.
One of the main factors driving business owners to choose Shopify was its Exchange marketplace, which has nearly 3,000 listings as of January 2021. This allowed them to purchase drop-shipping businesses with a customer base and products that could be bought, thereby saving them the time it takes to establish themselves and acquire new customers. Unfortunately, this initiative was terminated in November 2022.
Shopify made a bold move in 2020 to establish itself as a competitive competitor by partnering with Oberlo, a company specializing in offering drop-shipping services that allow merchants to ship goods worldwide without stocking up on Shopify’s platform.
In contrast, Amazon’s business model is similar to a mall’s. Sellers build their own stores or rent space in malls from Amazon, and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) manages the warehousing, packaging, and shipping.
4. Flipkart
Flipkart has a wide presence everywhere in the western country. The Flipkart was founded in 2007 and is one of India’s leading online e-commerce sites. Walmart returned as its majority owner.
Flipkart’s business model is similar to Amazon’s, except for the Flipkart Plus SuperCoin rewards scheme, which is earned rather than paid, unlike Amazon Prime.
Flipkart’s revenue is on the rise, registering a growth of 12% over the previous year. As the Indian e-commerce market grows stronger, Flipkart is one of Amazon’s most significant alternatives.
5. Bonanza
Bonanza’s online marketplace can be compared to well-known brands such as Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.. With Bonanza, buyers and sellers from all over the world can trade directly. Bonanza is similar to an online shopping mall.
Your online store on Bonanza works in two ways.
Firstly, the booth option. Bonanza refers to your store as a “booth,” which reflects how they expect the platform to work. Your “booth” on Bonanza is like a store inside a mall, and the Bonanza platform is like the mall itself. Bonanza offers various attractive templates for your store; though, the option is easy to use but has limitations.
The second option is the Webstore option, which works like a department store inside a mall. You pay a fixed monthly fee with no additional sales fees. You set up your own store, brand, and product catalog. Your online store is ready to be used and promoted as you wish.
5. JD
JD (JingDong), known by its website jd.com, is another competitor of Amazon. This is another Chinese e-commerce sales website, established in 1998 in Beijing.
In addition to being a competitor to Amazon, it is also a direct competitor to Tmall or Taobao Mall (platform for business-to-consumer online retail), both Chinese B2C e-commerce companies).
JD.com offers to buy products in bulk (similar to Costco Wholesale), and its superior Chinese logistics network sets it apart from Amazon.
6. Otto
One of Europe’s largest e-commerce companies, Otto, was founded in 1949 in Hamburg, Germany. As the oldest company on this list, its products were ordered by mail and telephone before launching an online shopping platform in 1995.
While it is considered a one-stop shop for electronics (such as Apple and Microsoft), fashion, and sports gear, its biggest market (particularly in Germany) is furniture and home goods.
7. Rakuten
Another big player in the e-commerce world is the top Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten, founded in Tokyo in 1997.
However, it would be wrong to call Rakuten just an e-commerce company – its ecosystem includes a streaming service (Rakuten TV), banking and payment services, telecoms, and even life and health insurances. Its business model is different in terms of its retail strategy. It uses a cash-back system to encourage customers to purchase through Rakuten rather than directly from brands.
This model (as well as its entrepreneurial ecosystem) has earned Rakuten double-digit growth, with a total of 456.5 billion yen in the second quarter, up 13.5% year-on-year (YoY).
8. Taobao (China)
Taobao is a Chinese trading company established by Alibaba in 2003. It is the largest eCommerce provider in China, earning $853 billion (5.7 yuan). Its earnings include the many users contributing to China’s ability to keep costs down. Taobao is mainly in China due to being blocked from the US. This blocklisting comes from the high volume of product counterfeiting on Taobao.
9. Online Stores
Online shops that offer exclusive products unavailable on Amazon or elsewhere in the online market will always have an advantage compared to the big brands (generate mass products) available on Amazon. Over the past few years, the e-commerce industry has grown and acquired 20% of all retail sales in the United States alone.
Despite Amazon being the most significant consumer marketplace in the US, the owners of the small company have one advantage: They remain distinctive. Amazon’s online retailing platform’s scale, scope, and logistical possibilities are endless. But nothing compares to Amazon’s unique goods and tailored shopping experiences, which keep customers satisfied and returning for more.
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Amazon Physical Stores Competitors and Alternatives
10. Walmart
Moving closer to the discount department store concept, another example of Amazon competitor is Walmart. Walmart is the world’s oldest retailer, founded in 1962 by Sam Walton in Rogers, Arkansas.
Amazon and Walmart are the two largest retailers in the US and are always in competition. However, Amazon leads with its online presence, and Walmart leads in the physical space. Walmart has been around for 50+ years, and Amazon for 30+ years; both fight for the same customers. Both businesses are competing with each other in digital growth, innovation, logistics, and sustainability.
Walmart clocks in at $573 billion in revenue, surpassing Amazon, which generated $502 billion in revenue.
11. Target
Another company with a long history is Target, founded in the same year as Walmart in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Target describes itself as a “general merchandise retailer” and claims that 75% of the US population lives within 10 miles of a Target retail store. Target Corporation reported revenue of $108 billion this year, up 12.7% from the previous year.
The Target Corporation is incomparable with Walmart and Amazon. But Target has a devoted following that other businesses don’t. Customers now view Target as the perfect place for a date night and a truly convenient place to shop.
Target has joined the ranks of e-commerce companies by offering same-day delivery, order pickup, and drive-up pickup. With a growing focus on online and offline sales, Target continues to cut into Amazon’s overall market share.
12. Best Buy
Best Buy is a consumer electronics retailer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The business sells many products in its physical stores and online, including mobile phones, digital cameras, video games, music, and home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.
Through its Geek Squad brand, Best Buy also offers repair services for computers and other gadgets in its retail stores.
Best Buy offers all electrical products, including physical items and digital software keys. The best part is, in addition to buying from them, you can also sell on Best Buy!
13. Costco
Costco, officially known as Costco Wholesale Corporation, is a company based in the United States that operates warehouse clubs or wholesale clubs—discount stores where club members shop bulk quantities of products at significant discounts for an annual membership fee.
The Costco Wholesale is the largest retailer in the USA and one of the best alternates to Chinese suppliers. Not only does it offer exceptional customer service, but it also often offers great discounts and deals on almost anything you need for your lifestyle.
A network of warehouses for members owned and operated by Costco. These warehouses sell various products, including bakery, household goods, jewelry, watches, toys, hardware, automotive supplies, food items, etc.
In addition, Costco Wholesale owns and operates several self-service gas stations. The business also provides tire installation services and manages hearing aid clinics, food courts, gas stations, pharmacies, and optical distribution facilities.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Competitors and Alternatives
Amazon Web Services is an on-demand cloud computing platform offered by Amazon. It is a subsidiary of Amazon that provide cloud services to individuals, businesses, and governments on a paid subscription basis.
Because Amazon was the first significant cloud provider, it has more experience than Google or other cloud service providers. Owing to its long tenure as one of the first cloud service providers, it has garnered a vast user base and high credibility and trust.
14. Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure, sometimes called Azure, is a Microsoft-operated cloud computing platform that provides access, management, and development of applications and services through international data centers. Azure is Amazon top competitor in the web services industry.
Azure is the best public cloud service in the market because it is a fast, adaptable, and cost-effective Platform.
Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) are some of the features offered by Azure. Many programming languages, tools, and frameworks, as well as Microsoft- and third-party-specific software and systems, are supported by Microsoft Azure.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure offer comparable services, but both compete for the top spot. Although AWS is more famous than Azure when the two are compared, Microsoft Azure has penetrated the market more quickly, as seen by its higher market share and revenue growth rate.
AWS has more resources, infrastructure, and better scalable services than Azure due to about 7 years of operational experience. In addition, Amazon could grow its cloud infrastructure by adding more servers and better-exploiting economies of scale while Azure struggled to catch up.
15. Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform (GCP), a set of cloud computing services that Google provides, uses the same internal network as Google’s consumer products, including the Google search engine, Google Ads, Chrome, Google Photos, Google for Education, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube. and others.
A public cloud provider, GCP, offers various computing services, including data management, web and video delivery over the Internet, and AI and machine learning capabilities. Customers can access Google’s worldwide data centers to obtain computer resources for free or on a pay-per-use basis.
When comparing Google Cloud Platform to Amazon Web Services, GCP provides all the services any business needs to operate, although AWS offers more benefits overall. However, if you focus on the volume of services, AWS is the platform to choose.
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Amazon Subscription Services Competitors
One of Amazon’s main business divisions is its vast range of subscription services, even though the company is best known for its success as an online retailer. Amazon offers family-oriented products and digital streaming content, including Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music.
16. Netflix
Another Amazon competitor is Netflix, a significant subscription and streaming service provider. Netflix is a streaming service with a subscription model that enables users to watch TV series and movies on devices with an Internet connection. Depending on your subscription, you may be able to download TV series and movies to your Windows 10, iOS, or Android device so you can watch them offline.
You can keep busy all week using subscription-based streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Despite a slightly lower total collection, Netflix boasts a much higher percentage of original programming and exclusive access to popular shows. Membership of Amazon Prime includes access to Prime Video, which has the widest variety of movies. Additionally, there are differences in platform access and cost plans as well.
17. Disney+
The Walt Disney Company launched Disney Plus, an on-demand streaming service with over 600 movies and TV shows available in over 50 countries.
Disney Plus is among the most reasonably priced and top streaming service providers. Its ad-free package is less expensive compared to premium offerings like Max, Paramount Plus, Peacock, Amazon, and Netflix. However, that could change, considering that Disney Plus is expected to increase in price later this year. However, members can purchase a one-time annual subscription to lock in the current Disney Plus price for the next 12 months.
Disney Plus subscribers have access to thousands of Disney movies and television shows and titles from Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Studios.
Disney+ costs $6.99 monthly, but Amazon Prime has lots of options. Amazon Prime Video’s $8.99 price only covers its video-on-demand service.
There are over 400 movies available on Disney+ at launch, including iconic franchises, box office hits, and some rare vintage films. While Amazon offers its customers over 20,000 movies and a surprising amount of content, some might say quality has been sacrificed in favor of quantity.
18. Spotify
Spotify offers access to millions of songs and podcasts of various creators from worldwide. It is a digital music, podcast, and video service provider. Simple service like playing music are free, although Spotify Premium is also an option.
Spotify is accessible on various devices, including computers, phones, tablets, speakers, TVs, and automobiles, and Spotify Connect makes it easy to switch between them.
Deciding between Spotify and Amazon Music depends on your listening preferences. If you enjoy the convenience of Alexa integration and are already an Amazon subscriber with Prime, Amazon Music is probably your best option. If you are new to Amazon services, prefer to discover new music based on your mood and tastes, or are looking for a completely free alternative, Spotify is your best option.
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Conclusion
You might be looking for Amazon alternatives for several reasons. You may prefer a platform with different payment options, a more specialized website, or an extensive selection of online marketplaces for selling your products.
As you can see, several Amazon alternatives are available, each with advantages. Online stores like Bonanza have created a dedicated audience, and Walmart’s online presence is growing rapidly.
For niche items, dedicated websites such as JD, Otto, Rakuten, and Taobao are excellent, while eBay offers more personalization and a variety of selling options, including auctions.
If you choose to go alone, there’s always Shopify, where you can launch and market your e-commerce business.
