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Software · head to head

eBay vs Shopify

E

eBay

Software

Buy and sell on the world's online marketplace

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopify logo

Shopify

Software

The most trusted ecommerce platform to start, grow, and scale your business

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: eBay final value fees run up to 13.6 percent of the sale price plus $0.30 per order in most categories, on top of any optional listing upgrade fees; Shopify using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which eBay and Shopify actually diverge.

Attributes where eBay and Shopify differ
AttributeeBayShopify
Starting priceOn request$29/month
FoundedUnknown2006

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in eBay

Nothing recorded that Shopify does not also cover.

Only in Shopify

  • Hosted ecommerce platform
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory management
  • Order tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Apps and integrations
  • Multi-channel selling
  • SSL certificate

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

eBay

No use cases recorded yet. See the eBay review.

Shopify

  • Running a hosted ecommerce store with payments and fulfilmentnot eBay
  • Selling across online, in person and social channels from one cataloguenot eBay

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

eBay

  • Final value fees run up to 13.6 percent of the sale price plus $0.30 per order in most categories, on top of any optional listing upgrade fees

Shopify

  • Using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus
  • That fee makes the cheapest plan the most expensive place to use an outside processor, which is the opposite of how plans usually work
  • Card rates also improve with the plan, from 2.9% on Basic to 2.7% on Advanced
  • Amex is charged at a higher rate than other cards on every plan below Plus
  • Plus starts at $2,300 a month
  • The advertised lower monthly prices require paying a year up front

Pricing, plan by plan

eBay

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the eBay review.

Shopify

$29/month
  • Starter$5/month
    • Buy Button & Sales Channel
    • Abandoned checkout recovery
    • Basic reporting
  • Basic$29/month
    • Online store
    • Up to 2 staff accounts
    • Basic reports
  • Standard$79/month
    • Professional reports
    • Gift cards
    • Up to 15 staff accounts

Which should you pick?

Choose eBay if

Nothing in the data separates eBay from Shopify on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

eBay review

Choose Shopify if

  • You need hosted ecommerce platform.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopify review

Questions people ask

Is eBay or Shopify better?
Neither clearly leads. eBay starts at On request and Shopify at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, eBay or Shopify?
eBay starts at On request and Shopify at $29/month.
Does eBay or Shopify run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What can eBay do that Shopify cannot?
Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform, Payment processing, Inventory management, Order tracking.
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