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E-Commerce · head to head

eBay vs Trustpilot

E

eBay

E-Commerce

Global marketplace where sellers list into eBay's audience under eBay's fee schedule and rules

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trustpilot logo

Trustpilot

E-Commerce

Review management platform for ecommerce

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Trustpilot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: eBay the final value fee applies to the total the buyer pays including postage and tax rather than to the item price, so a low value item with expensive shipping loses a much larger share of its margin than the headline percentage implies.; Trustpilot review invitations are rationed monthly, at 50 on free, 100 on Starter and 300 on Plus, so collecting reviews is the metered resource
  • They diverge on capability: eBay covers Auction and fixed price listings, Trustpilot covers Review collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which eBay and Trustpilot actually diverge.

Attributes where eBay and Trustpilot differ
AttributeeBayTrustpilot
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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

  • Auction and fixed price listings
  • Managed payments
  • eBay Stores
  • Promoted Listings
  • Bulk listing tools
  • International selling programmes
  • Money Back Guarantee
  • Seller performance standards

Only in Trustpilot

  • Review collection
  • Email surveys
  • Review moderation
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Response management
  • Star rating display
  • Widgets
  • API access

What people use each for

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

eBay

  • Selling used, refurbished or one-off stock that has no natural search demand on its own sitenot Trustpilot
  • Parts and spares catalogues where buyers search by fitment rather than by brandnot Trustpilot
  • Liquidating returns or excess inventory without building an audience for itnot Trustpilot
  • Testing whether demand exists for a product line before investing in a standalone storefrontnot Trustpilot

Trustpilot

  • Review collection and managementnot eBay
  • Customer reputation monitoringnot eBay
  • Review widget integrationnot eBay
  • Multi-location business review trackingnot eBay

Where each one falls short

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

eBay

  • The final value fee applies to the total the buyer pays including postage and tax rather than to the item price, so a low value item with expensive shipping loses a much larger share of its margin than the headline percentage implies.
  • Fees stack rather than substitute, since a Store subscription, a per order fixed fee, Promoted Listings and cross-border percentages all apply on top of the category rate, and the effective take rate is only visible after a full month of settlement reports.
  • eBay controls search placement, so as a category gets competitive the practical cost of visibility becomes the Promoted Listings rate, and that is an auction against other sellers that only goes one way.
  • You do not get the customer relationship, because eBay mediates messaging and does not supply a marketing list, so repeat business depends on eBay showing your listing again rather than on anything you own.
  • The account is the entire asset and it is governed by policies eBay enforces unilaterally, so a suspension or a category restriction ends the revenue immediately with no portable equivalent of a domain, a theme or a customer database to move elsewhere.

Trustpilot

  • Review invitations are rationed monthly, at 50 on free, 100 on Starter and 300 on Plus, so collecting reviews is the metered resource
  • The Plus and Premium plans are priced per domain, so a second brand doubles the cost
  • Starter at $99 a month billed annually allows one user, two widgets and one domain
  • Customising the public profile to match a brand requires the Plus plan at $319 a month
  • Sentiment analysis and custom dashboards are Premium only at $799 a month
  • Every published price requires annual billing

Pricing, plan by plan

eBay

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the eBay review.

Trustpilot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 review invitations monthly
    • Unlimited Support Center access
    • Basic review collection and management
  • Starter$99/month
    • 100 review invitations monthly
    • 2 widgets, 1 user, 1 domain
    • 15 integrations
  • Plus$319/month
    • 300 invitations monthly
    • 10 widgets, 3 users
    • Up to 3 domains
  • Premium$799/month
    • 1,000 invitations monthly
    • 21 widgets, 10 users
    • Unlimited domains

Which should you pick?

Choose eBay if

  • You need auction and fixed price listings.
  • You also want managed payments.
eBay review

Choose Trustpilot if

  • You need review collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email surveys.
Trustpilot review

Questions people ask

Is eBay or Trustpilot better?
Neither clearly leads. eBay starts at On request and Trustpilot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, eBay or Trustpilot?
Trustpilot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for eBay and Free for Trustpilot.
Does eBay or Trustpilot run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Trustpilot for free?
Yes. Trustpilot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. eBay starts at On request.
What is eBay best used for?
eBay is most often used for selling used, refurbished or one-off stock that has no natural search demand on its own site, parts and spares catalogues where buyers search by fitment rather than by brand, liquidating returns or excess inventory without building an audience for it, testing whether demand exists for a product line before investing in a standalone storefront. Of those, selling used, refurbished or one-off stock that has no natural search demand on its own site and parts and spares catalogues where buyers search by fitment rather than by brand are not what Trustpilot is typically brought in for.
What can eBay do that Trustpilot cannot?
eBay covers Auction and fixed price listings, Managed payments, eBay Stores, Promoted Listings. Trustpilot covers Review collection, Email surveys, Review moderation, Analytics dashboard.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

eBay: What does selling on eBay actually cost?

A category-dependent percentage of the total buyer payment including postage, plus a fixed fee per order, plus any Store subscription, advertising rate and international fees. Model all of them together, not the first one alone.

Trustpilot: Does Trustpilot offer a free plan?

Yes. Trustpilot's Free plan includes 50 review invitations monthly, unlimited Support Center access, and basic review management at no cost.

Source
eBay: Can I use my own payment provider?

No. Payments run through eBay and settle to your bank account on eBay's payout schedule, so you do not choose the processor and you do not control settlement timing.

Trustpilot: What is the minimum contract length for Trustpilot paid plans?

All Trustpilot contracts require a 12-month commitment, prepaid annually. This applies to Starter, Plus, Premium, and Enterprise plans.

Source
eBay: Do I get my customers' email addresses?

Not for marketing. eBay mediates buyer contact, which is why sellers who rely on it have no list to fall back on if the channel changes.

Trustpilot: Does Trustpilot charge per domain or per organization?

Pricing for Plus and Premium plans is per domain. The Starter plan includes 1 domain; Plus covers up to 3 domains; Premium supports unlimited domains. Enterprise pricing is custom.

Source
eBay: Is eBay an alternative to having my own store?

It is a channel, not a substitute. Sellers who use it well treat it as demand they rent while building something they own in parallel.

Trustpilot: Can data be accessed after canceling Trustpilot?

Yes. Trustpilot states that 'Reviews remain accessible if service is discontinued,' ensuring customers retain access to collected review data even after canceling.

Source
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