(This post was last published on October 16th, 2017. We’ve updated it for accuracy and completeness.)
Are you looking for other sites to sell on besides eBay? Then, you’ve come to the right place!
While some people think Amazon is winning the eBay vs Amazon war, eBay is still one of the biggest names in eCommerce with over 171 million active users and 1 billion items listed. Still, sellers look for alternatives to eBay for many reasons. Some want to expand their successful business beyond eBay. Others may be tiring of it and want to move to something new.
No matter what your reason is, there are plenty of alternatives out there to choose from.
This post will cover the top 11 other sites like eBay for sellers in-depth and list other notable mentions. While some of these alternatives might not be a great fit for every merchant, we guarantee you’ll find at least one that could be a profitable alternative for your business.
The Top 11 Other Sites Like eBay
In no specific order, these are our top alternatives to eBay. The best choice for you depends on what you sell and your business goals. While eBay’s auction style selling is unique to itself, these alternatives offer a way to get your products in front of new audiences. Many of these other marketplaces serve niche markets. Someone selling electronics will want to use a different marketplace than a merchant producing handmade jewelry, when looking to expand beyond eBay.
Now, without any further ado, here are the top 11 eBay selling alternatives of 2019.
Amazon
eBay’s Biggest Competitor
We know Amazon isn’t quite the same as eBay. In fact, you can even check out some of the differences in our infographic on Amazon vs eBay selling. However, while they have their differences, it’s almost impossible to mention one without comparing it to the other.
Amazon stays away from the auction style selling that eBay is famous for. This makes it much more ideal for new items. If you’re looking for an alternative to selling on eBay, and you’re selling new (as opposed to used) items, Amazon is for you. If you want to start selling on Amazon, check out some of these resources to get started:
- How to Sell on Amazon for Beginners
- Amazon ASIN: What is an ASIN number?
- Are Fulfillment by Amazon’s (FBA) Fee Worth the Cost?
- 10 Amazon Selling Tips All Sellers Need to Know
Like many online marketplaces, Amazon pays its sellers on 14+ day terms. You can get paid the next day, every day for your Amazon, Walmart, Newegg, and other marketplace sales with Payability Instant Access. Or get a capital advance based on future eCommerce sales on Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Walmart, Newegg, and more with a Payability Instant Advance. Approval is based on account health and sales performance, so there are absolutely no credit checks and you can get approved as soon as one business day.
Searching for a better way to finance your Amazon inventory? Payability offers financing options designed for the unique needs of Amazon and eCommerce businesses. They offer Amazon sellers both accelerated daily payments and capital advances based on account health and sales performance – not credit. So there are no credit checks and sellers can get approved in just 24 hours.
Etsy
The eBay Alternative for selling Homemade Goods
Etsy is only viable alternative to eBay if you sell handmade items. This marketplace focuses on global handmade items, vintage goods, and craft supplies. In other words, don’t plan on selling any electronics on this site.
If you fit into this “craftsmen” or “maker” niche, this site is perfect for you. It only takes 20 cents to get started selling on this markrplace. Since 2005, it’s grown to one of the biggest names in eCommerce along with Amazon and eBay. If you’re interested in Etsy, you should check out Etsy’s own article, “7 Steps to a Successful Start on Etsy“.
Rakuten
The International Alternative to eBay
Rakuten, formerly buy.com, is a great option for the international eBay seller to consider. It’s called the “Amazon of Japan” and nearly 90% of Japan’s Internet users are registered on Rakuten. Rakuten is ranked among the top 3 eCommerce companies in the world.
Also, while still known as Buy.com, Internet Retailer announced Rakuten as one of the best retail websites. Rakuten may seem a little daunting to start selling on at first, but the process is fairly simple. If you want to take the plunge, start your steps here.
Newegg
The eBay Alternative for Electronic Sellers
As the son of an IT man, I’m all too familiar with Newegg. It’s great for the seller who’s specialty is in new electronics. If it has to do with computers, or anything with an electronic pulse, there’s someone looking to buy it on Newegg.
Much like Etsy, Newegg is probably only a good fit for a very specific type of eBay seller. However, if you think you’re that type of seller, Newegg can certainly be profitable for you. If you want to start selling on Newegg, here’s the place to start.
Bonanza
eBay’s Active Competitor
If you try to Google something like “Other sites like eBay” or “eBay alternatives” you’ll most likely see a Bonanza ad. It carries the tagline, “Better than eBay? Thousands of sellers think so”.
I can’t vouch for the validity of their ad text, but I can say Bonanza is a great alternative to eBay. It was built for the everyday seller. The very first line of their about us page is, “We remove the technical expertise needed to build a profitable online business, making the joys of entrepreneurship accessible for all.”.
Bonanza has received many awards, but also a few complaints. A quick Google search of reviews shows that some people are buying products and being ripped off. This is more of a buyer problem than seller, but if it continues it will be bad for everyone on the platform. If this doesn’t bother you, here’s everything you need to know about selling on Bonanza.
Mercari
Easy-to-use alternative to eBay
Launched in 2013, Mercari is a growing site for both the U.S. and Japan. Mercari is similar to eBay in that hosts all sorts of product categories and does well with used items. You can sell just about anything on the site.
Mercari is known for being easy-to-use and describes itself the “selling app.” They have over 45 million downloads in the U.S. and 150 thousand new items are listed every day. You can learn more getting started on the app here.
eBid
The Auction Site Like eBay
eBid was recently ranked number 5 in eCommerce Bytes, “Sellers Choice 2019 Marketplace Ratings“. Sellers on eBid praise the low fees associated with selling on eBid. Although its marketplace isn’t quite as big as the others, it still remains profitable. Some recommend you should simply sell items you don’t mind selling over a longer period of time. You can check out this article for an in-depth look at eBay vs eBid.
eBid is a close alternative to eBay in more than just their names. It’s also sticks true to the auction style selling eBay is famous for. If you want to start selling on eBid, you can find everything you need to know in their FAQ here.
Ruby Lane
The Vintage Goods Alternative
Another marketplace making their way up the ranks is Ruby Lane. eCommercebytes reported that merchants found this marketplace to be profitable, easy to use, and has great customer service. It’s another go to place to sell any of your vintage goods.
A top advantage of selling on Ruby Lane is that the marketplace solely sells vintage and antique items. These items aren’t buried among all different product categories. So, sellers know they have a captivated audience. Also, Ruby Lane does not take commission on top of your sales. To learn more about selling on this site, check out this guide.
eCrater
A smaller Amazon
eCrater has two main functions. It is both an online marketplace and free web store builder. They’re a more traditional marketplace like Amazon. They sell across multiple product categories like clothes, electronics, home, music, movies, tools, and more.
They advertise that their products are submitted to Google Shopping and it’s easy to import your eBay products to their site. If you’re just looking to try something new and reach a different audience, eCrater could be a quick solution. Learn more about selling on eCrater here.
Alibaba
The Wholesale Alternative
Alibaba is a leading marketplace for wholesale trade. While a large majority of their seller base is in Asia, they serve sellers across the entire globe. They help buyers and suppliers from each other across 40 different product categories totaling to hundreds of millions of products. For wholesalers, this could be an opportunity for you to sell in bulk to an international audience.
Create Your Own Marketplace
The eBay Entrepreneur’s Alternative
Is it time to expand beyond established marketplace and create one of your own? As you see from the list above, many marketplaces are successful when selling to niche markets. The experience can be better to consumers with a more curated list of products or services.
If you feel that there’s an untapped or underserved niche market, there are options to create your own marketplace. Today’s sellers can take advantage of maturing shopping cart software that makes it possible to create a site of your own. Some of the multivendor software companies available are:
Two key components of creating your own marketplace is creating an easy-to-use site and managing a network of suppliers for your products. In many cases, working with a system integration platform like nChannel can help automate processes with your suppliers such as inventory synchronization and order fulfillment.
While creating your own marketplace is a long-term strategy, it could be an effective way to provide convenience and rich shopping experience to your customers.
10 More Sites like eBay
Today, sellers can find a marketplace for just about anything. While we covered some of the top alternatives, we also listed some other honorable mentions. If you still haven’t found quite what you’re looking for, one of these sites might be right for you.
- Craigslist – Classified ads site that focuses on selling to local buyers
- Walmart Marketplace – Put your product in front of over 110 million Walmart buyers
- Sears Marketplace – Check out their 20 major merchandise categories and sell your products alongside Sear items
- Jet – Global marketplace and great for wholesale items
- Tradesy – Sell designer bags, clothes, accessories and shoes
- BriskSale – Create a customizable storefront for all types of products
- Artfire – Alternative marketplace for artisan goods
- StoreEnvy – Social shopping platform for Indie brands
- Poshmark – Social marketplace to buy and sell fashion
- Facebook – Social marketplace to sell to local buyers.
Check out the comments on this post for even more suggestions. Want to share a marketplace of your own? Then, leave a comment!
Listing Products to a New Marketplace
If you’re currently selling on eBay you’re probably familiar with one of the biggest retail problems: product information. Moving product information from eBay to Amazon, or Etsy, or any marketplace is a hassle. You need to keep one golden catalog that you can easily manipulate and upload your product information to and from. That’s where a Product Information Management (PIM) solution comes into play.
Additional Resources for Marketplace Selling
For more information on eBay, check out our post on managing eBay inventory like a pro or our infographic on the differences in eBay vs Amazon selling.
For additional information about selling on marketplaces, check out the following resources:
