Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

eBay vs Volusion

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
Volusion logo

Volusion

E-Commerce

Ecommerce platform for growing online businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Volusion 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.; Volusion pricing details not shown on main website
  • They diverge on capability: eBay covers Auction and fixed price listings, Volusion covers Website builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which eBay and Volusion actually diverge.

Attributes where eBay and Volusion differ
AttributeeBayVolusion
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Volusion

  • Website builder
  • Product catalog
  • Shopping cart
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory tracking
  • Order management
  • Email marketing
  • SEO tools

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 Volusion
  • Parts and spares catalogues where buyers search by fitment rather than by brandnot Volusion
  • Liquidating returns or excess inventory without building an audience for itnot Volusion
  • Testing whether demand exists for a product line before investing in a standalone storefrontnot Volusion

Volusion

  • Small to medium business e-commerce storefrontsnot eBay
  • Inventory and product managementnot eBay
  • Omnichannel selling across platformsnot eBay
  • Email marketing and customer engagementnot 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.

Volusion

  • Pricing details not shown on main website
  • Requires migration effort for existing stores

Pricing, plan by plan

eBay

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the eBay review.

Volusion

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Store builder
    • Product management
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$35/month
    • All free features
    • Advanced tools
    • Email marketing

Which should you pick?

Choose eBay if

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

Choose Volusion if

  • You need website builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want product catalog.
Volusion review

Questions people ask

Is eBay or Volusion better?
Neither clearly leads. eBay starts at On request and Volusion at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, eBay or Volusion?
Volusion has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for eBay and Free for Volusion.
Does eBay or Volusion run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Volusion for free?
Yes. Volusion 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 Volusion is typically brought in for.
What can eBay do that Volusion cannot?
eBay covers Auction and fixed price listings, Managed payments, eBay Stores, Promoted Listings. Volusion covers Website builder, Product catalog, Shopping cart, Payment processing.

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.

Volusion: What payment methods does Volusion accept?

Volusion supports multiple payment options including Stripe, PayPal, Venmo, and Amazon Pay through integrations with certified technology partners.

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.

Volusion: Is there a contract requirement to use Volusion?

No contract is needed. Volusion offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, and you can cancel anytime.

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.

Volusion: What support is available to Volusion users?

Volusion provides free 24/7 customer support. Users also have access to a help center and can connect with SEO specialists, web designers, and marketing professionals through Marketing 360.

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.

Volusion: What features are included with a Volusion store?

Core features include inventory management, unlimited product options, responsive themes, site builder, SEO management, newsletters, CRM system, and payment processing capabilities.

Source
Volusion: Can I integrate third-party applications with my Volusion store?

Yes, Volusion offers "dozens of powerful apps and integrations created by our certified technology partners" to add advanced functionality to your site.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on eBay

More on Volusion

Keep looking

Other head to heads